Great idea to dig this one up. She's got a great voice. The layers of instruments are fantastic. Mellotron adds a nice touch! Great work, both of you!

Great idea to dig this one up. She's got a great voice. The layers of instruments are fantastic. Mellotron adds a nice touch! Great work, both of you!

I'm not sure if it was your intention but the sound of this track, to me at least, invokes that 70's 'rock come folk' sound.  Great track and great work both of you.  Must be cool to breath life into something you were working on 6 years ago.  Very cool song.

I'm not sure if it was your intention but the sound of this track, to me at least, invokes that 70's 'rock come folk' sound. Great track and great work both of you. Must be cool to breath life into something you were working on 6 years ago. Very cool song.

Love the folky sound here, feels super cozy and cohesive. I really like the choice to skip the kick on the drum kit and let the bass fell that low end rhythmic role. Very cool to double the bass part, the tone you arrived at serves the song well. I also apparently need to learn how smart tempo works, I had written this off as not really being usable  >.<

Love the folky sound here, feels super cozy and cohesive. I really like the choice to skip the kick on the drum kit and let the bass fell that low end rhythmic role. Very cool to double the bass part, the tone you arrived at serves the song well. I also apparently need to learn how smart tempo works, I had written this off as not really being usable >.<

Your range of styles is always pretty impressive. I could see this song with the Rock Choral type vocal harmonies, like Queen or Yes. The upright bass double is pretty neat too!

Your range of styles is always pretty impressive. I could see this song with the Rock Choral type vocal harmonies, like Queen or Yes. The upright bass double is pretty neat too!

Thank you! She was really happy with how she sounded on this, and I really liked how the guitar and bari uke blended together

Oh, thank you. Folky 70s rock is something that is very deeply baked into both of us - wasn't necessarily intentional, but it definitely comes out. It's always fun approaching a track many years later - because we're different people by that point. When we did our first album, we revised a couple songs I had written 15 years earlier. That was wild

Thank you so much! Letting the bass take the place of the kick was almost accidental - I just didn't like the stock kick sound and just turned it off....and never replaced it It was cool to realize that it didn't need it at all.

Smart tempo is magical when it works, and maddening when it doesn't. It really likes a strong downbeat. For strummy stuff like this, it helps to give a couple downbeat markers in the smart tempo window. If it's REALLY having a hard time, I will sometimes record a simple bassline along with my initial scratch and then analyze tempo in [i]that[/I]. If it's STILL struggling, I'll record a simple four beat to the bar MIDI track that follows my tempo and analyze THAT. And once I get the downbeat to line up to the grid and the tempo to follow the click, I don't try and move anything...it always seems to break

Thank you! 100% agree on the harmonies. I love Queen and Yes vocals - two bands that are near and dear to my heart. I was actually thinking about the kind of background stuff you do for inspiration - alas, I couldn't talk my wife into it right now, she wanted to keep it simple. Oh well, maybe for the album

[quote=SQF]Great idea to dig this one up. She's got a great voice. The layers of instruments are fantastic. Mellotron adds a nice touch! Great work, both of you! [/quote] Thank you! She was really happy with how she sounded on this, and I really liked how the guitar and bari uke blended together :) [quote=lament.config]I'm not sure if it was your intention but the sound of this track, to me at least, invokes that 70's 'rock come folk' sound. Great track and great work both of you. Must be cool to breathe life into something you were working on 6 years ago. Very cool song.[/quote] Oh, thank you. Folky 70s rock is something that is very deeply baked into both of us - wasn't necessarily intentional, but it definitely comes out. It's always fun approaching a track many years later - because we're different people by that point. When we did our first album, we revised a couple songs I had written 15 years earlier. That was wild :) [quote=Cursory]Love the folky sound here, feels super cozy and cohesive. I really like the choice to skip the kick on the drum kit and let the bass fell that low end rhythmic role. Very cool to double the bass part, the tone you arrived at serves the song well. I also apparently need to learn how smart tempo works, I had written this off as not really being usable >.<[/quote] Thank you so much! Letting the bass take the place of the kick was almost accidental - I just didn't like the stock kick sound and just turned it off....and never replaced it :D It was cool to realize that it didn't need it at all. Smart tempo is magical when it works, and maddening when it doesn't. It really likes a strong downbeat. For strummy stuff like this, it helps to give a couple downbeat markers in the smart tempo window. If it's REALLY having a hard time, I will sometimes record a simple bassline along with my initial scratch and then analyze tempo in [i]that[/I]. If it's STILL struggling, I'll record a simple four beat to the bar MIDI track that follows my tempo and analyze THAT. And once I get the downbeat to line up to the grid and the tempo to follow the click, I don't try and move anything...it always seems to break :) [quote=SteveSkiano]Your range of styles is always pretty impressive. I could see this song with the Rock Choral type vocal harmonies, like Queen or Yes. The upright bass double is pretty neat too! [/quote] Thank you! 100% agree on the harmonies. I love Queen and Yes vocals - two bands that are near and dear to my heart. I was actually thinking about the kind of background stuff you do for inspiration - alas, I couldn't talk my wife into it right now, she wanted to keep it simple. Oh well, maybe for the album :)

It's wild to me that this is the product of "the easy and quick route"!!!! Hahahahaha...
The line "I want a fire inside to burn me clean" sounds both metal AF and also like a terrifying thing to hear someone say out loud, hahahaha... I can imagine it being said by a character in a TTRPG, like a religious cultist in Dungeons and Dragons adventure or something.
The intensity of the lyrics contrast really nicely with the more mellow tone of the song, super nicely done. And the key change at the end is also a very nice touch!

[quote=Paisleyfrog]Not a ton of time for music this week so I took the easy and quick route[/quote] It's wild to me that this is the product of "the easy and quick route"!!!! Hahahahaha... The line "I want a fire inside to burn me clean" sounds both metal AF and also like a terrifying thing to hear someone say out loud, hahahaha... I can imagine it being said by a character in a TTRPG, like a religious cultist in Dungeons and Dragons adventure or something. The intensity of the lyrics contrast really nicely with the more mellow tone of the song, super nicely done. And the key change at the end is also a very nice touch!

almost stood up and applauded, really nice music-making here! well done to both of you. the vocal really shines here, and i'm very into the instrumentation. big fan of baritone uke and have always loved Mellotron flutes 

almost stood up and applauded, really nice music-making here! well done to both of you. the vocal really shines here, and i'm very into the instrumentation. big fan of baritone uke and have always loved Mellotron flutes <3

Thank you! To be fair (to be faaaaaaair), the "easy comment was directed at the hand percussion...not having to record and track a shaker and tambourine

Purification was very much a theme for us at this point...metal AF, but we were both very much about being true to ourselves

Such a huge compliment, considering what you've posted in folk rock. My main goal was making sure her vocal had prominence

[quote=jegasus][quote=Paisleyfrog]Not a ton of time for music this week so I took the easy and quick route[/quote] It's wild to me that this is the product of "the easy and quick route"!!!! Hahahahaha... The line "I want a fire inside to burn me clean" sounds both metal AF and also like a terrifying thing to hear someone say out loud, hahahaha... I can imagine it being said by a character in a TTRPG, like a religious cultist in Dungeons and Dragons adventure or something. The intensity of the lyrics contrast really nicely with the more mellow tone of the song, super nicely done. And the key change at the end is also a very nice touch![/quote] Thank you! To be fair (to be faaaaaaair), the "easy comment was directed at the hand percussion...not having to record and track a shaker and tambourine :) Purification was very much a theme for us at this point...metal AF, but we were both very much about being true to ourselves :) [quote=jwh]almost stood up and applauded, really nice music-making here! well done to both of you. the vocal really shines here, and i'm very into the instrumentation. big fan of baritone uke and have always loved Mellotron flutes <3[/quote] Such a huge compliment, considering what you've posted in folk rock. My main goal was making sure her vocal had prominence :)

Weekly keeps killing my comments! Bah!

Anyway this is a great track - I love the instrumentation, the vocals and lyrics are beautiful, and again I hear that lovely folk-influence and bardic tradition that I associate with Loreena Mckennitt who is . What I am desperate for is that the little instrumental riff at 1:55 were to be extended to a full 8-measure interlude. We get a very dramatic shift in key with the vocals soon after - I think an instrumental break and build would create a lot of tension and anticipation and make the drama of that shift in key hit a lot bigger. It's still got a lot of drama right now but I kinda want it 'foreshadowed' - tease us, build some anticipation, ramp us up for the big dramatic end verse.

Weekly keeps killing my comments! Bah! Anyway this is a great track - I love the instrumentation, the vocals and lyrics are beautiful, and again I hear that lovely folk-influence and bardic tradition that I associate with Loreena Mckennitt who is <3. What I am desperate for is that the little instrumental riff at 1:55 were to be extended to a full 8-measure interlude. We get a very dramatic shift in key with the vocals soon after - I think an instrumental break and build would create a lot of tension and anticipation and make the drama of that shift in key hit a lot bigger. It's still got a lot of drama right now but I kinda want it 'foreshadowed' - tease us, build some anticipation, ramp us up for the big dramatic end verse.

Thank you!  

It's funny about the little break that's in there, it was an accident - whenever we've played this live, we go right from the break to the last verses. But for whatever reason, when we scratched it, my wife paused before hitting the last chorus. I had the space, so I put that little riff in there. Thanks for that suggestion, I'm going to play with that some more for the album version

[quote=neon liminal]Weekly keeps killing my comments! Bah! Anyway this is a great track - I love the instrumentation, the vocals and lyrics are beautiful, and again I hear that lovely folk-influence and bardic tradition that I associate with Loreena Mckennitt who is <3. What I am desperate for is that the little instrumental riff at 1:55 were to be extended to a full 8-measure interlude. We get a very dramatic shift in key with the vocals soon after - I think an instrumental break and build would create a lot of tension and anticipation and make the drama of that shift in key hit a lot bigger. It's still got a lot of drama right now but I kinda want it 'foreshadowed' - tease us, build some anticipation, ramp us up for the big dramatic end verse.[/quote] Thank you! <3 It's funny about the little break that's in there, it was an accident - whenever we've played this live, we go right from the break to the last verses. But for whatever reason, when we scratched it, my wife paused before hitting the last chorus. I had the space, so I put that little riff in there. Thanks for that suggestion, I'm going to play with that some more for the album version :)

From those first strums on the intro right to the last strum at the end, this song just fits together so nicely.  Great choice of instruments to complement your wife’s beautiful, soft vocals, especially the upright bass and yuke.  Glad you did not use a kick or heavy percussion on this.  It wasn’t needed.  This will make a great addition to your next album.  Well done.   

From those first strums on the intro right to the last strum at the end, this song just fits together so nicely. Great choice of instruments to complement your wife’s beautiful, soft vocals, especially the upright bass and yuke. Glad you did not use a kick or heavy percussion on this. It wasn’t needed. This will make a great addition to your next album. Well done.

Beautiful folk guitar and heavenly vocals. This is just great. The stand up bass sounds GREAT! So rich.

Beautiful folk guitar and heavenly vocals. This is just great. The stand up bass sounds GREAT! So rich.

This sounds absolutely lovely, as though you guys had a really tight band along with you. It's loose but packed with emotion. Everything is balanced and light, your wife's vocals are PERFECT and those lyrics...just very wow. It boggles my mind how you can produce a fully fleshed out, professional track every single week. I am in awe.

This sounds absolutely lovely, as though you guys had a really tight band along with you. It's loose but packed with emotion. Everything is balanced and light, your wife's vocals are PERFECT and those lyrics...just very wow. It boggles my mind how you can produce a fully fleshed out, professional track every single week. I am in awe.

Thank you I love recording to her voice. I can have a tendency to do Too Much to a song, so keeping it simple is good for me. Having only a week helps too

Thank you! I have struggled for YEARS to get a good upright sound - always sounded too boomy or lacking something. Funny that the solution was to add another bass to it

Thank you so much We're having a LOT of fun getting these songs recorded, and my wife has said many times that me having to put down a song after a week is very good for my creative process. Makes me stop rearranging the throw pillows on the couch.

I love using the clickless recording for songs like this - allows the tempo to breathe, but keeps everything tight. Recording acoustic music like this to a click just sounds so sterile to me. It also makes me focus on keeping a steady beat and not lean on a click too hard

[quote=Bunjigram]From those first strums on the intro right to the last strum at the end, this song just fits together so nicely. Great choice of instruments to complement your wife’s beautiful, soft vocals, especially the upright bass and yuke. Glad you did not use a kick or heavy percussion on this. It wasn’t needed. This will make a great addition to your next album. Well done. [/quote] Thank you <3 I love recording to her voice. I can have a tendency to do Too Much to a song, so keeping it simple is good for me. Having only a week helps too :D [quote=BarristerPlong]Beautiful folk guitar and heavenly vocals. This is just great. The stand up bass sounds GREAT! So rich.[/quote] Thank you! I have struggled for YEARS to get a good upright sound - always sounded too boomy or lacking something. Funny that the solution was to add another bass to it :) [quote=MRDRCAT]This sounds absolutely lovely, as though you guys had a really tight band along with you. It's loose but packed with emotion. Everything is balanced and light, your wife's vocals are PERFECT and those lyrics...just very wow. It boggles my mind how you can produce a fully fleshed out, professional track every single week. I am in awe.[/quote] Thank you so much <3 We're having a LOT of fun getting these songs recorded, and my wife has said many times that me having to put down a song after a week is very good for my creative process. Makes me stop rearranging the throw pillows on the couch. I love using the clickless recording for songs like this - allows the tempo to breathe, but keeps everything tight. Recording acoustic music like this to a click just sounds so sterile to me. It also makes me focus on keeping a steady beat and not lean on a click too hard :lol: