I Want To Record Them All – Album Update #2
April 27th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
This past weekend I asked Jordan how many songs he wanted to record. He replied, “I want to record them all.” I’m not sure how serious he was being. That would be around 20 songs, and a few more if you count older ones we’ve never recorded.
Our last album, which was our first, I believe we recorded 12 songs, and then narrowed it down to 10. I don’t know how most bands or singer/songwriters pick songs for their albums, but I don’t write enough to have a wealth of songs to choose from. (I don’t even think I’ve written a hundred songs since I started writing 17 years ago. If I counted, it would probably be around 50 or 60.)
So, how does a part-time band with one main songwriter have enough songs to record a full-length album? Easy. You wait three or four years between each recording, and live a lot of life in between. That gives you plenty of material, and enough time to write at least 10 or 12 songs.
When you write so few songs, they tend to be more personal. For me, this is because when I get a rare block of time to write, I want to write something as much from the heart as possible. It may be the only chance I get for a while. This makes it hard when you have to narrow down the songs you want on an album, because you get emotionally attached to them.
We don’t have to worry about which songs will be banished from the next album for a while. For now, it’s figuring out how we’re going to do the songs that are even being considered. Arrangement, tempo, key, how many instruments, and what kinds of instruments. Those are the questions we’re working out in practice, and will continue to work out for the next few weekends. It’s an exciting time seeing how the songs take on more life and color. And if Jordan is serious about recording them all, I don’t think we’re going to mind.
The Rundown – Album Update #1
April 10th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Live life slow. It’s been anything but that over the last 12 months. In April last year my wife and I were adjusting to a different kind of home life with a new baby in the house. Griffin, our son, just celebrated his first birthday recently, and that year went by fast. And this year we’re planning on recording our next album with a one-year-old following us around! (Or more so us following him around!)
Over the last few years, Starlite Radio has had a great time playing live and sharing the songs from our first album, 22 Blackbirds. We’ve written a bunch of new songs along the way, and are ready to make a new recording. We’ve had the desire for over a year, but have been waiting for the time to open up, and the bank account to fatten a bit. Those two things are coming together, and plans have begun. Here’s the run down:
- We will be engineering the recording ourselves like last time
- We have a spot in mind for the bulk of the recording, but have been seeking out a couple alternatives for the drums (for more details, watch the video above or on YouTube )
- We plan to start recording in May, and estimate recording on the weekends through most of the summer
- After all that, we’ll hire someone to mix and master the album
- And then we’ll be talking about CD duplication (or other options) and an album kickoff concert/party
For this next recording, we’re going to keep everyone posted on our progress through our blog and video updates. That way you can join us in the journey, instead of waiting to hear about it when we’re done. We want to hear from you as well. So, if you haven’t connected with us on Facebook or Twitter yet, please do, and you can follow this blog. Lastly, you can find a show (or four) by viewing our schedule on Facebook. Cheers!
An Echo From Littlebeck Farm
June 10th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Photo by Dustin Waller, 2008
Back in the Spring of 2007, my wife and two brothers were able to record our first album out at our Grandmother’s farm. It was a meaningful place to be for the recording, and for me personally, it was one of the most memorable times of my life. The following is a portion of a journal entry I made while out at Littlebeck Farm, which was printed on the inside of our CD cover for 22 Blackbirds. It’s important for me to have this in our first blog entry, because it captures part of what it means to live life slow.
“When you are out in an open field under a wide blue sky, watching your dogs run, and having no one to talk to, you begin to hear your heart. Mine was remembering God and the faith of my youth. The clutter and busyness of city living quickly lost its grip, and I began to feel a longing for a simpler life.
“I felt all these things over several walks I took in the back fields of Littlebeck Farm during the early stages of our recording. These walks made me quiet enough to realize how empty and clouded I felt. I would pray. My prayers weren’t very organized, in fact, I didn’t use many words. It was more just being quiet and letting myself breathe. I began to see things more clearly, and peace settled in.
“As I took time to think about the songs we had been working on, I noticed a theme for the album. It was home. Being out at my grandmother’s farm made this theme perfect, and I couldn’t help but feel a blessing on the project. I hope that when people hear the songs, they will sense deeper things in their heart, that they will feel peace, and that my grandmother, who misses my grandfather, will feel comfort.”
April 21, 2007
As the words from my journal entry echo here, they remind me that I always hear my heart better when I slow down. All of my songwriting happens when I slow down. All of my best art happens when I slow down. All of my favorite memories and most meaningful moments happen when I slow down. And as I think about it now, I don’t want to just slow down. I want to learn how to live life slow. This is the journey Starlite Radio has been on and explores in our music. And now we expand that exploration to this blog.
