***I read this back and realised that I sound worryingly A.Partridge***
I’m going to have a short break from the avantguard-satirical-webcomic I’ve been posting recently. I want to focus on something other than Guinea King.
My computer’s in a right state. Whilst tidying files yesterday, I re-discovered some forgotten projects.
One of those projects was an album I recorded earlier this year.
There’s an annual challenge for artists to write and record 10 songs during the month of February. It’s called the RPM challenge; you can find out more about it here.
I didn’t get round to sharing my effort before the deadline, but thought I might as well share it now.
It’s a DIY-psychedelic-folk-rock effort that I recorded on a cheap USB interface and a Yeti USB microphone.
All the songs were written and recorded during the 28 days of February 2020; hence the title.
I mixed and mastered the tracks on Garageband, which comes pre-installed on Apple Mac computers. Admittedly, some of that mixing happened post-Feb; so I did cheat a little bit.
I’m a big fan of inexpensive recording techniques. Making music should be affordable. I try to demonstrate that with the gear I use.
I did use a couple of mid range guitars on this one. A Fender Jag that I was given for my 18th birthday, and a parlour guitar that I bought about 10 years ago. Apart from those instruments, everything else I used is pretty cheap to get hold of.
I’ve listed the the equipment right at the bottom; in case you’re interested in that sort of thing.
Say Hi, LoFi
Hello, my name is Ewan
I’m glad you could meet with me
Here’s some songs I’ve written
In the month of February
10 tracks I’ve completed
In the second month of 2020
They’re not the best recordings
In fact, they’re pretty sloppy
But that’s hardly surprising
I’ve done it all on the cheap
That’s the way I like it
They call it low fidelity
Some people want for polish
But polish ain’t my cup of tea
I like to keep mistakes in
I leave them there deliberately
They say to err is human
And I like to show that musically
They say to err is human
And I like to show that musically
Starlight
Starlight
Stop wasting our time
I’m waiting for the sun light
I’m waiting for the dawn
Sometimes
I don’t like the night time
I miss the day time
And I miss the warmth
Starlight
Stop wasting our time
I’m waiting for the day time
I’m waiting for the dawn
One time
In years now gone by
I knew how to unwind
Underneath the stars
Starlight
Stop wasting our time
I miss day time
Waiting for the dawn
She Moves
She walks with ease
Breezing through in all weathers
He can’t believe
How well she keeps their shit together
She moves
At the speed of a passing car
They count the leaves
On every tree they plant together
They both agree
To carry on their truce forever
She moves
At the speed of a passing car
I do, I do
Words repeated constantly
But she won’t be gave away
And he’s not one to bend an knee
She moves
At the speed of a passing car
Private Archive
A string of words and a list of chords
To recall your whole life
To reinstall your old mind
Some people live with the strangest urge
To record their whole life
Compress their thoughts into short lines
Well, does it help them moving forwards?
To have a timeline
Of a life that’s gone by
Or does it stop them achieving more?
Always looking behind
Always trying to rewind
I wonder what they need it for
A private archive
In a life that’s finite
Well, I guess it’s a kind of child
Part of their bloodline
That outlives their shelf-life
Underfloor Heating
They’ve got underfloor heating in their bathroom
(Repeat)
This is me jamming along to myself. One instrument at a time and just riffing along to the previous recording.
The organ sound is a pre-set on Garageband. You can select ‘Musical Typing’ and use the computer keyboard as an instrument. Musical typing futures extensively throughout the album actually.
I recorded drums at NO! recording studio. When I’m not in lockdown, I practice there every week with the band Neon Lady. There was a week when the others couldn't make it, so I went down on my own and recorded percussion. I can’t do drums at home; I live in a flat.
Drums were recorded on the same microphone I used for vocals.
Small Home Fever
Small Home Fever
I can hear the TV coming through the wall
My loss-leader
What we lose in space we’ll build on moving forward
And when I close my eyes
At least there’s space to roam
And in a couple of years
We’ll find our perfect home
Small home fever
Well it sometimes makes me sick that I want for more
I guess we’re just dreamers
No matter what we’ve got we’ll dream of more
And when I close my eyes
At least there’s space to roam
And in a couple of years
We’ll find our perfect home
Early Spring
I see all the signs of an early spring
Daffodils and snowdrops creeping in
Hear the birds as they start to sing
I see all the signs of an early spring
This is just another version of the second song on the album. It’s got a different vocal track and a harmonica intro. The lyrics are slightly different, but not much. When I recorded the first version, I just ad-libbed. There was never a ‘right’ word to get wrong, so there’s a bit of lyrical variation between the two. I recorded this version because I thought I'd gone a bit OTT on the silly voices the first time round.
This track was largely improvised; jamming along with myself one track at a time. I put the drum beat together using samples I recorded when I was working on Small Home Fever.
I did record a vocal track, but preferred it as an instrumental. Lyrics felt unnecessary.
I recorded my 6-string through the same amp I use for a bass guitar. A Peavey number that I bought in a charity shop. I painted it in an attempt to mask the must, but it still smells. I like the sound I managed to get out of it though.
The guitar comes through really quietly when I plug directly into the USB interface. I used the Peavey bass amp to boost the signal.
Equipment Used:
Blue Yeti USB Microphone - bought for £90 in Maplin
Behringer UCG102 USB Guitar Link (interface) - bought £25 on eBay
Circuit Bent Toy Aeroplane - bought for £5 on eBay
Eastcoast Precision Bass - bought for £60 in a charity shop
Fender Jaguar H/H Electric Guitar - an 18th birthday present from my parents
Harmonica - £5 from a music shop
Melodica - a birthday present from my sister
Peavey Max 158 Bass Amp - bought for £30 in a charity shop
Simon Patrick Parlour Guitar - bought for £300 in a music shop
Drums - I used someone else’s kit, but I think they bought it for something like £80 on eBay
Tamborine - I had a little rattle on someone elses, but they’re pretty cheap to pick up.