Brass for Blood
By HoolieBrown on February 15, 2026 6:51 am
All Sequenced, tracked and rough mixed in the Dirtywave M8
Vox and acoustic guitar were recorded through an MD421 through light 1176 style compression on a UA276 directly into the M8
First takes only 
I really wanted to change things here - it was tempting. I was very dehydrated and I could hear it. When I came back and tried to clean it up earlier this saturday night the performance wasnt there.
Mixed with a bunch of my ozone bus presets in Reaper - also my workflow there is 2 stages - I find myself tracking everything onto the m8, getting song structure down, then pulling vocals into reaper with an instrumental mix, handling the harmony stacks and the tuning if needed, bouncing the mixed vocals as a stereo track back into the M8, putting in sweeteners and making adjustments before I bring it back out to Reaper for one last (very quick) pass at a master.
For the song - this is a character. I grew up hard, I like it quiet now.
Lyrics I missed a couple words but will put the intended lines here:
It’s been a year since I got my gun
A year since I said I’m not gon’ run
When them boys from the old town step
Strapped up I’m gon’ tell em that I’m not the one
Never more with they hold me down
I’ll be the king of the whole damn town
No fear gonna keep my pride
and family safe and sound
Not like yesterday, or any other day
Today is something better, took my fear away
Make a final stand, the iron in my hand
Trading brass for blood, trading brass for blood
the iron in my hand
It’s been a year since them boys came round
A year since I made em hit the ground
They rolled up from the old town, stepped
and I raised that barrel then they heard that sound
Never more will they hold me down
I’m the king of the whole damn town
No fear gonna keep my pride
and my family safe and sound
Not like yesterday, or any other day
Today is something better, took my fear away
Make a final stand, the iron in my hand
Trading brass for blood, face down in the mud
the iron in my hand
It’s been a year since I got my gun
A year since I tried to be someone
from the sky I can hear momma cry
sayin lord why’d you have to take him home so young
Audio works licensed by author under:
CC Attribution Noncommercial No Derivative Works (BY-NC-ND)
. I really felt this one during the writing, arranging and tracking - I was hoping to to capture that feeling and send it out. Truly, thank you.