The Problem Song

There are always songs that go through a long process and are problematic. Here's what happened with one of our's:

When we had made demos for three songs my guitarist/collaborator asked if I had any new ones. I said "yyyeeeeaaah... I might have one". But I thought: "Shit, I don't know", because that particular song was the first one that actually came to be, and I felt like it wasn't quite ready. It was more like a pop-song, with one or two twists perhaps, but not enough for my taste anyway. It was even in major key, mostly. But it had a cool structure, so I decided to give it a go.

We made a demo of it and even tried it in rehearsals. But then it turned out me and the guitarist had different opinions about musical issues, like can there be two subsequent second inversions of a chord, that is, where the bass plays the fifth of the chord. I thought it was just fine, because this isn't classical music anyway. But we changed some of the chords, and it sounded just about the same, maybe even more happy and major key. Next, we argued about structural issues, because he felt like the flow of the music stopped due to all these different parts I had put into it. "But I want this part, and this as well!" I argued, and knew at the same time he was right. He finally asked to have free hands to make the changes he felt were necessary. I gringed, but agreed. 

That was the hardest thing I have had to do music wise. Usually the final decisions have been mine, the structure, the melodies, even most of the guitars and basses. I have held the final vision of a song in my hands only. So it was hard to let go of my darling, even if it wasn't the best song I've ever written, and allow it to be re-structured and modified. Kill your darlings, and you might find a new way to approach your creation. 

What came of it just bugged me for a long time. I felt like the elements that gave it at least some twist and creepy feeling were stripped out and it was now purely a pop-song going slightly to the indie direction. We tried it a few times with the band, with a little different arragements. But it was actually the guitars and the general feel that bothered me. I had a problem with the song. It felt like it wasn't mine anymore. In retrospect, I think I was still going through the process of letting go.  I wanted to leave it for a while and maybe later come back to it. And so we did.

The song was sleeping for maybe six months. I tried to listen to it a few times and analyze what it was that bothered me. Now I think it was just different visions colliding, as does happen in the creative process. In a band everyone has a whole picture in their minds about every song and want to add elements they feel are part of that whole picture. It happens unconsciously most of the time. The thing is to decide whose whole picture is the final one. 

And the one who decides has to have ears to all these elements that the others are offering and be ready to grasp it, saying "That thing you just did with the toms, that's great! Let's use it". But also He/She has to have the vision of the song clear enough in his/her own head to be able to say no to the elements that don't fit into that vision. Open ears and open mind, but also courage to say no. And that has always been my problem, in many areas of life. But I'm learning, and a band is a great learning environment.

So, now that we were recording songs for real, I thought it might be time to take a look into this problematic song and see what comes out of it. The guitarist had been pondering on the song as well, so the time seemed ripe. I did a re-construction and added some parts that I felt had unnecessarily been left out in the previous version. The most important thing, in my opinion, was to add some twist to the guitar parts so that it wouldn't sound so happy all the time. We listened to my version together and talked and analyzed. And I was finally ready to let go.

We agreed to some changes to the guitars to make it slightly creepy, but I left it up to him to come up with the final melodies. I wanted slight changes to the bass line as well. We also agreed to keep the structure that he had made, and this time it didn't bother me even a tiny bit. I think it's due to the fact that I now got to be part of the deciding process. We will refine this one to perfection in rehearsals. It won't be an essentially Gothic song, but it will be very catchy, I promise!

Recording, part two

Everything is going as planned, a bit slower than I guessed, since all of us are working and living our lives too! But it's coming together anyway.

Basses were recorded at our place to four songs. One must still be done. Some editing has been done as well.

Vocals have been done for two songs. I must say they have improved since demos, although I'm speaking for myself.

I have also re-checked synth tracks and re-made some of them with better sounds.

Guitars have also been recorded to four songs. For guitars and basses we recorded both audio and signal only, which can be re-amped later if we feel the need to do it. I like most of the guitar sounds the way they are now, but it could prove otherwise when we put all of the elements together and listen with fresh ears.

We also got the drum tracks form the studio and started balancing them. That's mostly the guitarist's job who has mixed and mastered before. I have zero experience in that.

With the band we are now rehearsing the remaining three songs, the harder ones. There are actually four, but one of them is more a gig-opening track, so it can be left for later. Additionally, it has a string quartet-part in it and I'd like to record it with real players. That is project in it self, but actually doable because we happen to have the equipment for that.

So now vocals must be done for three songs, and basses and guitars for one. I'll continue in the next part.

Recording, part one

We haven't had a single show yet but we're recording? Yes. And that's precisely why.

The problem with our previous demo-tracks was that they didn't have actual drums. We used Cubase and Plug-ins to create them, but of course the end result would be much better with an actual drummer behind the kit. Duh. Everything else, bass, guitars, vocals and synths, can be recorded by ourselves in our home-studio, but drums are the tricky part.

So we decided to go and record drums to at least four songs, five if we had time, in a local studio. This is just the start. The big plan is to record everything else our selves, in our home studio, and either release it and use it to get gigs or use it as material to send to record labels. Or both.

There's not much to write about. Everything went smoothly.

Micing in process

Checking levels

After setting everything up and checking levels it was recording-time! We got all five songs done, and even some editing. Some we'll have to edit later though. After a take we'd listen carefully to weed out any mistakes and unnecessary fills and stuff. And then another take. In the end we had fine results, simple enough, but with spices. 

It's hard for me to take the lead and tell other people what to do. I have been in studio before, but never doing my own music. There was usually someone else telling me what to do. And now I had to assume that role. I was nervous at first, but the atmosphere was relaxed and the guys kind, so I soon found courage to say out loud what I wanted done. So, thank you!

So timid

Next will be recording basses.

Band Photography

Yeesss... Time to make a post about this event!

We needed band photos for future promotional purposes and it turned out that our drummer knew just the right guy. The had worked together before doing videos and promotional photos for the drummer's other bands. I looked him up and liked his work. Next step was contacting him of course and negotiate. There were other photographers I considered as well, but he came up with the most reasonable price and solutions, considering the low budget of a starting band.

After settling on a date that suited everyone we searched for locations. The drummer, again, had quite a few in mind. Everything would depend, of course, on what I wanted the final pictures to look like. I was uncomfortable with the idea of the classic heavy/metal band picture, heavily photo shopped and altered, angry guys posing and looking so damn tough. Also, I didn't like the idea of going to the woods, since (black) metal bands usually get lost there. (We could have managed since we are not a black metal band.)

I had two ideas in mind: One direction would be highly visual, like me in a flashy or outright outrageous outfit sitting on a throne with my faithful band members around me. Like a classic Goth-queen on her throne. But in a dark, filthy, industrial environment. It would require some prepping but would be possible. But then again, it might be a kind of picture that has been used over and over.

The other direction, which we finally took, was  more natural. I wanted the pictures to be good photography with minimal alterations. I also wanted to communicate a dark atmosphere without using all those goth- cliches I love so much. I really do. Like grave yards and skulls and vampires. Still, those fun things don't necessarily communicate what I'm trying to say with this music and this band. One other reason, I feel uncomfortable forcing other people into my visual mold. I think the band's final visual image stems from individual members and their styles. There was the possibility that nobody else would show up in black except for me.  So, the way to go was good old-fashioned black and white photography.

Our time was limited to one evening, so more than two locations were out of question. One option was an old soda factory. There were several spooky rooms and dark corners in there, said the drummer. I also asked around from an old brandy-factory, which had been restored and was now used as a cultural center. We had the opportunity to go there for free, but it turned out that the schedule for that day was just too tight to arrange everything in both locations. So in the end, the soda factory was our final location.

We used spotlights and available lights from the factory to create the dark mood. I decided to go without make-up but still do my hair. Never quite got that Robert Smith result, but it turned out ok. Outfit of the day was an indie-styled maxi-dress and jewelry. The place was rusty and industrial, with cool gadgets and weird rooms for soda production and storing. The corridor floors were covered in rusty water, the dark halls and rooms with bird shit and some other unnamed filth. There was also a cool cave in a remote alley. I could have got lost there, easily. In fact me and the bassist got lost one or two times!

We took group photos in on at least five different locations and individuals as well. The more we took, the more ideas the photographer himself had, and after the initial tension had melted away we had a great time. The results were very nice, amazing indeed! Here are some of the pictures:

Boys found these lamp holders on the spot

Simple against-the-wall picture, but it works

In the cave

We just had to make use of this ceiling

the cool effect of shadows on the wall and reflections in the water

I need to pee, apparently

This is one of the best shots, definitely will be used 

A close shot, some one is lurking behind...

Ok, let's try to concentrate!

"Old Photo" effect was used on some pictures as well

not much of a dancer, but the shadow is cool

This was the room we started in, loved the complete darkness

Thank you guys! And a special thanks goes to Ville Solkinen, who took these beautiful pictures!

Things moving forward part III

Ok, now it's been another year since I wrote something. But I guess a year really goes by quickly.

So much has happened, that I don't even know where to begin. It started where I left off, the last time I wrote here and told you we were now looking for additional band members. Here's how it turned out:

I made an announcement on a musician's web page's Wanted-list that we were looking for a bass player and a drummer. At this point we had done four demo-songs with the guitarist and put them on Sound Cloud, privately, because it might be that the songs change at some point and the demos are not official material ready to be released. Plus, drums were made with software and we both thought that when actually releasing something, we should have real players.

So, a few answers came and we agreed to meet some of them. First we found a bassist, a nice guy from a town an hour away. No problem, rehearsals could be arranged just fine. We had a rehearsal with him and the soundtracks. Then we found a drummer as well. Together we had a few rehearsals and it seemed to be slowly coming together. Then the drummer realized he had no time for this, because he had to care for his special needs child and had a business as well. So we were back to rehearsing with a track...

At one of these rehearsals there was some confusion about schedules, because the space was used by several bands. A drummer, a childhood friend of the guitarist, was there and heard of our situation. "Take me then!" he exclaimed. I thought "Oh yes!" and said: Why not! So I sent the demos to him and we made plans for next rehearsal. He had a ton of ideas and visions on how to take this thing forward. Both him and the bassist are with us today.

Next I started making new songs, or rather, finish those I had already started. I had made several songs that were all in different stages. Some were only lyrics with no music. There were some unfinished lyrics. I don't count those mindstream-poem thingies in that category, only those that already have a certain form, but lack a line or two, or are stuck. Some songs were already complete in my head, but had no chords thought out yet. So I sat down, played them and put down the chords. That clarified the structure as well. Some songs that I started forming in LMMS (Linux Multi Media Studio) were still incomplete.

Yes, I used LMMS at some point because it was free and easy for me to use. I needed SOMETHING to turn my songs into a listenable form. It sounded really machine-like, though, and is not an actual Recording Software. I now use Cubase, which is really nice and easy to use. I got it together with a sound card. Even in its elementary form it has everything I need to create pre-demos and, together with my Korg Trinity, to make the synth tracks for each song. I have kept the LMMS, because there were some cool sounds in there I like to use every now and then.

Anyway, with Cubase I made several pre-demos: Synth tracks the way I wanted them to be in the final "product", guitar tracks to give the guitarist some general idea on what to play, and bass and drums as midi-tracks. These were then transferred into the guitarist's Cubase, which has more plugins and stuff. On this we recorded actual guitars and vocals. After some general mixing these were sent for band members to listen to. And then we rehearsed. With this method I have now completed six songs and two more are on the way.

Somewhere along the way we decided that we would settle for synth track and not get a player. The more people, the harder it gets to organize, and everything runs smoothly the way it is now. The guitarist, and the drummer had experience in playing with a click track and it seemed the logical option for this. The downside is of course, the lost possibility to improvise. Every time we play, it goes the same.

But not entirely: There's room for solos and slight alteration in every song. So if the players are musicians, they are able to make the songs live, even with the click and synth tracks. Besides, this seems to be the way many bands perform anyway. Why, I don't know, but I guess one of the reasons is the demand to sound as good live as on the album.

Playing the songs and increasing their number has been going on for almost a year. Not bad! But it's time to think of other aspects as well, the non-music stuff. I decided to design the band logo myself. I have some training using Photoshop, so I thought I could handle it. I downloaded Gimp, since Photoshop is really expensive. Boy, did I have to learn new things! Luckily there were a vast number of tutorial videos on Youtube. So I spent a month or two creating a few versions of a logo which I then introduced to band members. Out of the most popular one I then created the final version. It can be altered and modified, if needed. Of course this is just the first one and there's no rule that says you can't change your logo. Some bands have the same logo forever, some change it every year.

Next, we needed pictures. The drummer had a ton of ideas for this too. I searched for a photographer who would have experience in band shoots and it turned out the drummer knew just the right guy! I think I'll save it for the next post, though...

Things have of course moved forward in my personal life as well. I have other other music-projects going on as well: an acoustic pop-cover band, composing contemporary music, arranging a contemporary music festival etc... Last fall I spent a month in Spain in an artists' residence, doing nothing but composing all day. A welcome break from all the work and ordinary life.

After that trip I moved in together with my sweetheart. Everything has been great! There's just no words to describe it, but I'm the happiest I have ever been in my life. I sometimes feel this happiness is wholly undeserved and might be taken away at any second. I dread it, but then there's no point in dreading something that has not yet come to pass.

So, until next time!