Weeks 13 and fourteen
WEEK THIRTEEN
Spent a lot of time working on mixes. Eight songs are started now, Queen (formally “No one Else’s Queen”) presented herself in the studio this week. She is very bare at the moment, but her bones are beautiful and strong. She needs a few weeks to settle into her skin. We also tackled Nowhere Near My Heart which myself and Dave were a little worried about. He and I really liked the vibe of the demo version I did at my home. It is hard to re-create that intangible “essence” a certain performances have. However, it worked!!
Dave went on a little road trip so it was a short week. We did end up with the first Drive Mix Disc however, so while Dave was away we could listen and critique our sonic decisions and directions.
Below is a picture Dave took at Justin’s session last week.
Justin Dunlop
Week Fourteen
Over the weekend something (or rather someone) amazing came into my possession…Paul the Guitar. Here is his story:
Paul sat lonely and unloved against a baseboard wall in my friend Mel’s basement for many years. Occasionally his steely strings were plucked by Mel’s brother Buck, but not enough to keep Paul from calling out to me for help. One day, while moving said friend Mel’s belongings into Paul’s lair – our eyes met (ahh, actually Paul does not have eyes)(it would really creep me out if he did)(In fact,I probably would have forgotten we met if he had eyes).
Back to our story…
For days I could not get Paul out of my mind. He tugged at me because he could sense that I was in an abusive relationship. You see, the guitar in my possession -Floyd – is a bastard. Literally. He was a child of myself and an old boyfriend. So, when the old boyfriend became such, Floyd rebelled. He vowed to make my life difficult for all eternity. Floyd and I lived together for so long because I could not find/afford someone to fill my fingers with joy.
After a few days I put out the word that I interested in adopting Paul. My wish was granted and shortly after I took him to The Master Luthier, Mike Spicer, who relieved him of his aches and pains. He also instilled in him the ability to sound sans patch chord and amp (he put in a Fishman pick-up).
After his operation, on Saturday August 22nd 2009 between 2 and 4pm, Paul and I were finally united!
His first day in the studio was amazing. All those years of Basement Sadness a distant memory. On Monday we gave Dave Wonder Full. On Wednesay, the dainty and dirty Paul rocked Billie. The difference I feel in my hands, ears and heart is immense.
Like me, Paul is little shy, so give him a bit to make himself available for photographs.
So August ends with magic, love and new journeys.
Write to you in September.