Beck, Cold War Kids, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band, Elvis Costello, The Police, Stevie Wonder, Ben Folds, Ani DiFranco, Frank Zappa, Nick Cave, Eric Clapton, Jamiroquai, Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Bob Dylan, Ray Lamontagne, Rufus Wainright, Paul Simon, John Lennon,
I saw this guy busking in the London Underground once. While playing a guitar with only four strings, he thumped a wooden box with his right foot, pressed two cymbals with a tambourine on the top with his left, and had a worn out maraca on a stick that responded as one of the cymbals fell on the downbeat. His microphone, which seemed to be made from a broken telephone receiver, gave his voice an old quality; the imperfection was amazing and magic! It transported me to the 20s or 30s, remixed with a jungle beat (I swear I heard vinyls scratching somewhere).
It looked like fun, and he just used what he had.
…on recording in a shoebox
It made me think of when I was about 9 and I made a tape with some school friends. I had a red Yamaha SHS-10 ‘key-tar’ and an ancient Aiwa cassette recorder. When I needed to multi-track, I played another stereo at the same time. We actually ended up with some pretty crazy sounds! It was simple, but so much fun.
I guess not much has changed. I’m still doing the same thing really. I started recording this album with an antique PC that crashed every time I did a take; restarting the computer every ten minutes or so, keeping my fingers crossed that the damn thing would hold off having a nervous breakdown until after I’d done a new track. I basically used a keyboard and a guitar and a few odds and ends from around the house. If you listen closely you can hear car keys, and even pot and pans! I’ve been lucky enough to work with producer Jaime Jimenez, who has been able to somehow turn the necessity of home recording into "structured chaos"!
The thing about recording at home is that you’re not under time constraints. Sometimes I’d come home after a gig at 1am and put down a vocal track when I was really warmed up. Other tracks I’d get up at 9am and sing, just to get that husky sound. There never was a master plan, it all just came out and I went with what felt good. Driving between Jaime’s place and mine we would review what we had recorded, and often had to turn around and go back to re-record something.
I guess some might say songs like “Black Dog” aren’t very ‘radio-friendly’, whatever that means, and someone told me “Walls” sounds like Paul Simon, but I never had those things in mind when I was making the album. It is what it is. Just like that guy in the London underground, I used what I had at hand.
…that’s it
“In A Shoebox Under The Bed” is my first album, due for release in September. It’s a start, I guess. I’m learning all the time, so if you like what you hear, let me know – hit me up on myspace, twitter, facebook or come meet me at a gig - I’d love to find out what you think!
Hi there, My second single and video clip off my Self titled Debut EP
has just been released to radio and is now sitting at #25 on CMC's Top
30. You can check out my new single and video clip 'You Better Run' on
www.toridarke.com Would love your support by requesting me on CMC http://www.countrymusicchannel.com.au/cmc/Requests.aspx and helping me to climb the charts.
Yayyy! thanks Nick, let's you and I have some drinks at the most European looking joint! I miss my old continent, and hopefully this will be my excuse to return for good!! EXCITING!! :)
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