Sometimes the making of an album reminds me of writing a paper in high-school or college. You sit there, stare blankly for 20 minutes, find 20 other things you "forgot to do" or "have to get done right now", clean your room, then realize, oh shit! I need to do this now! You sit down, you work feverishly, just letting all hell break loose in your mind, try to get your hands to keep up with your mind - next thing you know you look back and you have some creation that you have no idea where it came from, but its there, its you, it real, and take it or leave it, you are turning it in.
Or, maybe this is more like a group project, and everyones personality pulls it a little different direction.
You have me who believes in recording everything. Listening back, zooming into 1/1000th of a second, layering 5 tracks to get the word "The" perfect. Layering everything, panning everything, filling up the entire sound sphere, more guitars, more piano, hit one more note & lets put a delay on it and pan it 75% to the left speaker, then play the 5th root and pan it 90% to the right speaker - Im sure I drive them nuts - buts its fun, creative and I am the mad scientist of the band.
Then theres Daniel, very free, very open, let things happen, don't overthink it, work hard, study hard, and the pieces will fall into place; don't fret the little stuff, everything is ready to play and ready to go.
If I had my way, some songs would never be ready to play live, Daniel thinks songs that aren't even written yet are ready to be played live - not as being un-prepared, but having confidence will will find the way, we will figure it out and get thru it and that is the fun part - getting lost to find the way.
Grant, well, Grant is Grant. If you know him you get it, if you don't, you don't. He balances the band by keeping us from going to far in any one direction. He makes us laugh when we fight, comes up with the perfect part when we are at a total loss, knows music theory (Daniel and I don't know crap about chords, scales, reading, or anything. The only music theory I know is "If it sounds good keep it, if it sounds bad, do something else").
I also need to mention
Blake Paulson who has come in to play drums and has provided a solid backbone, creative input, professional attitude - I cannot say enough great things about him, working with him and the positive effect he has had on this project.
The album is a little bit of all of us, a little bit of all the people in our lives, a little bit of everything around us. I guess that's what happens when you put everything into a project, you start seeing the personalities, the pains & trouble, the good times, the bad, the people that help you, and those that try to hurt you. It all comes out when you pour your heart and soul into something. It's not easy getting to this point; Its been 3 years in the making.
This album is about us, and everyone and everything around us. If you are reading this or support us, or have influenced any of our lives in anyway, good or bad, then you are part this album. Part of you is part of this process, and part of this album.
We will be streaming and posting videos of the studio.
Entourage Studios in North Hollywood Feb. 8-10, and
Ian London Studios in New York Feb. 22-24. Feel free to send us questions or comments here:
The Disparrows FB or if you dont have a FB, Band@TheDisparrows.com.
We play music because we love it, its what we do; its what we know - we hope you will come along for the ride with us.
Stephen.
