Howdy folks.
Whilst Sydney enjoys a wet weekend and Sydneysiders flock to the hills, the batch, the crib (hi Kiwi cousins), the holiday house and the weekender, down in the Stormcellar we're cranking out stuff again.
I just uploaded Don't Take It So Hard On Me to the Internets and it's awaiting processing. I should be able to release a sample here soon-ish.
So for our current this-isn't-an-album-what-is-it, otherwise known as the Everywhere Feels Like Home Project, we've recorded:
Everywhere feels like home - Main Theme, Harp Theme, Guitar and Horsefiddle Theme and Ecstatic Yeti Mix. That's 4 songs.
According to Theo and Mr Wizard these only count as one song. According to Rosie and Me, PFFFTTTBLLLLRTTT!!! (insert raspberry sound)
In songs-that-count-as-songs (additional raspberry) we have finished:
The Flood (released as a single)
Sweet Mama (Recorded, played on air in France, don't think we've released it as a single tho')
Rock River (released as a single)
You Can't Push Me Away From You (released as a single)
and now Don't Take It So Hard On Me, (being released right now).
That leaves Bloomington (instrumental) and Rock River Variation to record and then we're done with the project.
Of course, that hasn't stopped us from bringing a bunch of 'other' new songs into the live show (Return of the King, Chalk Angels plus others in progress) but we decided that the Everywhere Feels Like Home Project should only contain songs from/around our last O/S tour.
This brings me to Live field Recording! Yay!
'Bloomington' was originally a piece Rosie played at Soundcheck in Bloomington, where I got the first version recorded. As it's a soundtrack-style instrumental, it makes Mr Wizard itchy because:not complex enough.
To refresh your memory here are two renditions of it: The original recording from soundcheck : https://youtu.be/SR6fpmbPxk0?t=1m8s
and of course, a very decent in-development version from the Townie
As you can see, it's got an ethereal, spacious quality to it.
We recently voted on our preferred engineer for the recording but I wanted more 'space' to record in and Ben found a potential spot for us.
On location recording can be a chore, just ask...er...us. We did it for Sweet Misery and for the whole of Hired Guns & Borrowed Glory.
At least this place is in Sydney.
Nonetheless, I am into it. It's not that we can't do it in the studio. It's that the environment influences the performers and I think this one needs space.
I researched all sorts of crazy ideas - from recording it on a barge, on a headland, in a field or on a sporting pitch, most of which seemed to be too difficult, expensive or Annoying To Others...
My target is to have all these songs recorded and available prior to the EFLH multimedia night, so we best be cracking on with it.