***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.