We Empty Pockets are hard at work in the studio this fine February. The quiet thundering of the bass drum from the recording room can be heard as I type this very sentence and to my left is a large list of songs on the whiteboard, slowly being annotated, arranged, and eventually recorded. And as we work through the list, we develop our unique recording process and style, honing it as we learn and grow.
One thing that ends up becoming a point of discussion for every song we record seems alarmingly simple but can become quite complex. What is the song about? How does the musicality of each of the instruments, of each of the parts, of each of the voices serve to shine a light on the meaning and feeling of the song? Is it about a spurned lover? Perhaps a more aggressive "chucka-chunk-chunk" rhythm in the electric guitar will subtly illustrate that point. Or maybe a brash, "clangy" tone of the cymbals is better? It could just be that neither of them do it effectively, or the mix of the two together create the feeling, delicately reinforcing it.
The point is that our previous recording experience has always been tied to limited financial means. Studio space is expensive to rent and thus we were nothing if not efficient. We have been known to record virtually an entire album in one eight-hour session. While this does allow for maximum utilization of time vs. money, it is very hindering on the creative process of allowing the song to "breathe," of really taking the time to explore the sonic and subsonic implications of every note, every change, every nuance - skillfully manipulating the music to present the essence of the song to the world.
To quote our band-bud Kenny Loggins, "That's where the juice is."
Yes indeed, sir. Yes indeed.
-Nate Bellon(bass)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
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