Sunday 29 May 2016

X Marks the spot

It has been a long time, since I blogged the current status of the album.

My main priority, is The Hair Thieves, so work has been ongoing for the new EP.  Normally, we write four or five tunes and four make it onto the next EP.  This time, we seem to have sixteen or more songs on the go.   We have whittled it down to those going onto EP8.  This is three quarters done, but we have also started EP9.

Thus. this solo project is slow going.

The first single was / is ready to go. 

The problem is direction.   An Example.

Sour Grapes, will be the first song on the album.  Initially, it started off with some drums and synths, then went into this really heavy, multiple guitar parts, with an abundance of effects.  A major wall of sound.

Currently, all the heavy guitars have been removed, replaced with one lead acoustic guitar and more synths.

Sometimes, I put one or more of the heavy guitars back in.

I'm not sure which way the track will go.  I'm starting to think, this is a stalling plan on not finishing, what is essentially a minute or so instrumental introduction to the album.   What this song does will set up, some of the sonics on the tracks to follow.

I may soundcloud a couple of versions later, and see which people prefer.

The second track, Sweet Lemon Mechanism, is starting to take shape now, it has been extended and I think I know now where the ending is going.

A long time ago, I wrote some music, it was rejected as a Hair Thieves song.  So I started working on it for the album.   Whilst writing for the new Hair Thieves EP, we wanted a song,  this seemed to fit the bill, I presented it to E.  He liked it, it went back to being a Hair Thieves song.    A while later, he changed his mind again, it is now a solo album track.

So a lot of playing with synths, playing with guitars and not much song finishing has gone on.  

Bob Baker, the music marketing guy, is running a 30 day passion project in June.  For $97, you will be given a partner to spar off and other encouragements, to do something everyday during June, to a project you are passionate about.

So in June, I am going to do one thing on, one of the songs on the go everyday in June, even if that something is "listen to the tune and write down, what the next thing I need to do to get the song closer to completion".

Not sure if I will manage to complete a song or not, but I hopefully, at the end of June, will have some idea of where this album is going.

The first task for June 1st is to listen to the 18 songs on the go (in the album project directory) and whittle them down to 9 or 10 for the album.

In other news, we have a referendum in June, to decide whether the UK should stay as part of the European union or not.   That could make life interesting depending on the outcome.