The Humble Naked Truth

Don watching Rick work his magic

Yesterday, we made another trip to the Backyard Studio to work on the last of three songs for this year.  I wasn't in the best of moods to go there and I wasn't expecting to get a lot done.   Partly what was going on was my complete lack of confidence in playing banjo on Don's song -  Smoke Down the Road.   Partly it was because of the expectation for me to play the thing.  And partly it is because of my usual winter solstice blues (hmm, song title there). 

Don had gone into the studio to put down and guitar track and a vocal track, and then Rick sent it off to us so we could practice at home.  I have to admit, I wasn't getting the feel of the song from those tracks, and my confidence playing on the banjo went further down.  

Brian on bass with all eyes watching

My only hope, and the one I was clinging to, was that once Brian got the bass down, then I'd get into the song better.  This was because when we've played it, I'm listing to and following the bass guitar.  

So once in the studio, Brian did the bass track.  It took a few takes, but that's because we all stared at him and really put the pressure on him.  Our good friend Kyle came out last night to lay down a fiddle track.   I could now start to hear the song all come together. 

Kyle warming up the fiddle

I was really trying to find a way to put off the banjo for another few days so I could practice some more.  So I suggested Kyle put down a fiddle track for Earnest and Lucy. My excuse was that this was one the the objectives for last night and we should get it done because we didn't know when Kyle would be able to do it otherwise.  So he did.  Finished it quick.   Too quick.

So every one looks at me and says it is banjo time.   Just so you understand. After going through the experience of going into the booth and knowing all ears are listening, I find it to be a very humbling experience.   I know the first time I went in there, any ego I may have had quickly disappeared.  I felt exposed and humbled.  Thus the 'humble naked truth'. 

So in I went.  With banjo in hand.  Head phones on.  Sound check.   Vocal, guitar, and bass tracks turned on.  I Play.  First take.  Started good. Missed a chord change.  Tried again.  Got thru first verse, second verse.  I could tell it was pretty much spot on the beat.  Into the third verse - lost concentration & the beat.  got back on track and finished out the song.  Second take.  first verse is good.  second verse is good, third verse I was loosing grip on my pick.  fourth verse, lost the pick.  got it back and finished out the song. 


The Humble Naked Truth (Photo by Brian Waddell)



Neither take was a clean track, but there was enough from the two tracks to make it work.  So, Rick calls me out of the booth and tells me my playing was dead on the beat even though I lost it in a couple of spots.  He copies the best bits from the two tracks. Pastes them together, and it is done.   Now, usually, if a track is close but there's some notes or beats that are out a bit, Rick sometimes spends quite a bit of time working his magic to make it right.  The fact that he was able to make the banjo track work so quickly (I'd say 30 seconds) made me feel so much better.  It meant that I did get into the song. It meant that I was holding the beat.  It meant that it wasn't full of missed chords, missed strings, or fingers not working.  I really think if it wasn't for my struggle with the pick, I might have had pretty clean track on the second take.  But I was done.  I got through it. And everyone seemed pleased how it turned out.  Of course the banjo jokes didn't stop. 

"Hey Jim, How do you tune a banjo"  Reply:  "With a chainsaw". 

"Great track on that banjo Jim, too bad we erased it".  

Saturday we go back to the studio.  Rick suggested that Don does another rhythm guitar track and that will be it for recording.    The afternoon will mostly be spent working on the mix for all three songs.  So we hope by the end of the afternoon, we have a mix that we can take home, play in our cars, and listen to for a couple of weeks.  Then we can decide if we like the mix, and if not, got back in a remix if need be.  So sometime in January, we hope to have a 'master CD' and the production of an EP can start. 

Never going through this process before, we are learning more & more a long the way.   Each step in the recording process is a new experience and there's still more to come.   I think we agree that when its all done, we'll be happy we took the time to do this.  I'm really liking what we've done so far.  I anxiously waiting to get through the mix and hear the final product.