Weeks 21 and Twenty-Two

Posted by koripop on Nov 8, 2009 in "From the Outskirts" Journal | 3 comments

So, the final two weeks of recording are up. We accomplished so much my head was spinning a little. We  added more colour to Billie and Crack My Eyes (a bit of  organ, some back-up girls and a even a little Sesame Street). My sinus’ were still so blocked (make that week four since my flu) so recording the remaining lead vocals were impossible. Dave finally encouraged me to see his osteopath  - maybe she could help… and help she did. Two days later  there was a noticeable difference and four days later I was in  the clear. An unbelievable woman. Her name is Carole De Silva Piques and she is opening her own practice in Grimsby this  winter. I will post her link when her site is ready.

Last weekend we also got the first mixes back from Roman. The first mix I heard was Astrocops… and I cried. No joke. It is beautiful. I swear, the mix is a sonic painting. Like Dave, Roman is magical. Aside from a few minor changes -Northern Belle, Nowhere Near My Heart and Beach Ballad are ready for the mastering stage. This is a significant feat I am told. It is my first time on the mixing battlefield, and apparently this can be a lengthy and exhausting process. Dave is a huge fan of Roman’s work, but even he seemed surprised (and relieved) at how thoughtful and crafted the mixes were.

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The last time we worked on Shooken Up, was Day Four! To be perfectly honest with you, I was scared to re-visit it. I did not mention it in the journal entry, but I was really freaked out after that session. The sounds he was encouraging me to consider were foreign. This is why we moved on to Astrocops, a friendlier song. It is all so hilarious to me now, because if I thought those sounds were scary -the ones we created to replace them are insane in comparison. Dave and I were wondering what my reaction would have been if we had gone in this new direction originally. I like to think that I would be cool.

Dave thinks I would have made a run for it.

When I walked into the Barn on Monday (with my new, clear  sinus’) the room felt electric. Dave was sitting at the  computer as usual, but at the back of the studio – there was  a stage!! Incase some of you reading have not come across it on  this site yet, Dave has been planning a concert series that  will be recorded and filmed in the Barn. I was floored that  he asked me to be one of the performers for it’s pilot series  (which takes place this Sunday November 15th). Over the  weekend Dave and a one of the Sandman friends built it.  Dave set up, on the stage, a mic and a lamp. With dimmed  lights and unblocked sinus’ (thanks Carole!) and after many previous attempts, I finally got the Queen vocal – a labour of love. One down, two to go. Tuesday was a gift. We got right down to business. Dave set up the mic on the stage again and I sang Gray (seven times in a row!). We got some great takes and decided we had the final vocal in there somewhere. Next up, Shooken Up. I knew what I had to do to get the right vocal. So I sat on the floor in the tiny mudroom with my back against the wall, asked Dave to set the mic up so close to my face that I had no room to move around, and finally – turn off all the lights (I even made him put a towel along the door to suffocate me with darkness). Take One -cooking. Take Two… my favourite vocal of the album. I was waiting for Dave to help me out of my corner, when he peaked his head in the mudroom and said I wasn’t going anywhere – “Sing Gray.” I said “Really?” and two seconds later the track was in my headphones – then I finally heard what Dave was hearing all along. Take One. Take Two – time to celebrate.

The final seven songs are in Romans hands as I write. From the Outskirts is still at least a month and a half away from completion. But now that the mics are having a well deserved vacation, I feel so strange. A little scared, a little sad and really curious…