Saturday 17th May 2008. 9:30am! Biggs and I carrying kit into our music club rehearsal room. 20 minutes to set up and plug microphone, guitar, drum, bass, fiddle, spare mic and another spare mic leads into the digital recorder we'd borrowed from Biggs' dad. Check volumes on the mixing desk and power amp, and we are getting there.
10:15am; sitting on the steps in the morning sunshine drinking tea from Biggs' flask. Man that boy makes a fine cup of tea- if this wasn't the "rock 'n' roll God gave to everyone" I didn't know what was.
Biggs' sister and Wansborough turned up promptly at 10:30 and music started to be made. First song to get the treatment was The Smugglers’ Way. We rattled through it and got it right on the second attempt- one of us always loses count on the out-tro and finishes at the wrong time. It's 12 bars!! (from the last "in the smugglers' way").
Next on the list was A Northern Isle, which we managed to despatch in a fairly routine manner. November Road- available on the EP- followed. With just Biggs and I playing this one, it wasn't long before Wansborough had mastered another track onto the hard drive. We had eight songs to record that day; it was the last opportunity we had to get together before Biggs was whisked away for his 6 month secondment, and we were doing ok.
The boy Wilson turned up, in typical bass player fashion, half an hour late. The Woodcuts weren't too bothered as they managed to use the spare time to great effect getting some nourishment, in the form of a scotch egg, and cheese and onion pasty, down their Gregory Pecks. As Biggs' sister wouldn't be required for the tracks Wilson played on, she dissappeared to the shops to buy something pink.
After plugging Wilson in, we knocked out One Way Ticket.
To speed up the recording process, I was playing my electric drum kit. If we had more time, and a more advanced recorder, I would have used the acoustic set- it just sounds so much richer. However, as the Roland only needs one input into the recorder, and has a half decent sound, playing it today seemed the logical choice. It was for similar reasons that Biggs' sister played her electric fiddle. One Way Ticket does show one of the electric's weaknesses. Until Biggs sings "Change", and on the out-tro, I play with open hat. On the electric, unlike the acoustic, the way the pad is struck doesn't control the sound- it's always a loud shimmer; I normally play these parts on the bell. Those non-drummers out there can wake up now, but I think it's worth telling of the limitations we were recording with.
Armed with Hayes' bass line, Wilson drove us through Cold Dark Night, before hitting the road and driving himself home. His time in the studio was done.
We decided to tackle our newest title The Miners' Track next. This song was really hot off the press, we'd never played it live, and had only just decided on the form. To be honest, I really hadn't sorted the beat either! Biggs' sister decided against playing fiddle on this one, and opted for singing harmony instead. As I listen to The Miners' Track while I practise my up-dated rythms, I think putting the harmony in was a fine decision!
It's a short song, and didn't take long for the Refrain to The Miners' Track (also on the EP) to join the other songs. Like The Miners' Track, it needs tightening up before it is the finished article- prepare yourselves for some audacious fills throughout!
Last song to be recorded is the Title of the EP- Against the Grain. After twiddling knobs all day, Wansborough asked if he could lay a bass line for the song. Although we don't normally have one on Against the Grain, we agreed to let him use his musical acumen to produce a suitable measure- we could always dub it out if it sounded awful!! Wansborough demonstrated his musical prowess by improvising a line that blends seamlessly into the work. A recording of 2mins of taborine to add to the mix in the song's closing instrumental, and our recording was done. Against the Grain is by far the most complete song on the list.
6:30pm: a very tired Woodcut Process pack up their kit after a hard but productive day in the studio!
Biggs got to work mixing the songs- he only had 7 days before he left to work abroad. In a super quick time of 5 days, it was done. Not perfect, the boy admits, but pretty good considering the instruments used, the time spent in the studio, and the time he could spend mingling the sounds together. And he's a musician, not a technician!
Well, what can I say but well done and a great band effort was put in by all on that late spring day in '08, and the subsequent days of recording. We hope you enjoy our effort.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekkSjFyWzdY
Live at the Duke of Cambridge, Tilford.
Gonsalves is still going to be gigging despite a broken hand! The break was sustained during the brutal cricket match against British Heritage- their opening batsman was carted to casualty requiring stiches to the face. Gons played a week later and gained his highest batting score ever- what a hero! He is hoping to transfer this kind of form to his drumming, although he may be stroking the kit slightly less vigorously.
