Summer 2006 Update

by Craig Yarnold

We're currently playing lots of shows throughout the summer and fall! So far they've all been really fun, and we're stoked at the response we're getting from audiences - especially when we've played a couple of new songs!

Also, we've been recording demo tracks of new material. So far we've got 9 songs in the works, and we'll be putting together a few more to round out what we think will be a killer album!

We've been recording with our trumpet player, Tony. Tony's got a high-end PC with a great mixing board and microphones. He's done some other recordings for local bands such as my other band, Secret Samurai. Our goal here is to get some really solid demo tracks recorded so that we can see where we stand with the material - what needs to be tightened up, what needs to be changed or added - before we go into an actual recording studio to lay down final tracks.

The exciting thing about this process is that we're able to draw on our previous recording experiences - working with different engineers and producers - and take that all into the demo process, so that we can record something that is near-album quality. We've decided on beats-per-minute for each track, used a metronome to get the tempo started right, and even used an electronic drum kit so we can experiment with different drum sounds (plus, at Tony's home studio, where we recorded some tracks, electronic drums help keep the noise down so the neighbors don't call the cops).

While tracking horns, we've already identified some weak spots and tightened them up - you really have to start looking at things like tuning, harmonies, notes, and phrasing here - and we've even completely re-written one horn line to make it more "musical".

Next up is vocals and backing vocals...stay tuned.