There used to be a time when waking up at 4:30 would cause me to vomit for most of the day. For some bizarre reason I don’t have that problem anymore. In fact, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I make some coffee, call my Dad (who wakes up at 4am religiously), and then start my reading. There used to be a time not so long ago that I went to bed at 4:30 on a regular basis. Not so much anymore.

Maybe it has to do with leaving the city. Out here 8 o’clock tends to feel like midnight, your eyes get heavy, bed seems like a fantastic idea. As the months have passed a big part of me feels like I should have made this move a long time ago. Until I moved here I hadn’t lived in a house since 1988, so the change was initially far more drastic than I thought it would be. But as I got used to it I began to realize that it was something that I should have done a long time ago for a lot of different reasons – it’s less stressful an atmosphere, the boys have a real yard for the first time in their lives, and this space is filled with a new creative energy that has me chomping at the bit to start writing again – which is strange being that I just finished recording a record. But being that the new album won’t be out until later this year I’ll have some time on my hands, which will only lead to me eventually cracking and beginning the demoing process all over again.

As far as Vancouver is concerned I am extremely happy with it. I’ll not deny that it was probably the most laborious undertaking since the band broke up, and that I have spent the last few weeks with my head far too inside the mixes for my own good, but in the end that’s what extra ears are for – to tell you that you’re being far too critical and to just relax.

As I’ve said in the past, I truly despise the mixing process. I’m one of those people that has a horrible habit of recording walls of sound and then gets extremely frustrated when everything isn’t as clear as a bell. Perhaps that’s why I enjoyed playing acoustically so much – there’s no bullshit involved, just you and a guitar. The new record isn’t one that, for the most part, is easily translated acoustically, which has me contemplating seriously delving into that realm with regards to new material. The tour for Vancouver is something that I am certainly looking forward to, don’t get me wrong, but I’ll never claim that the two years that I spent playing by myself weren’t the most enjoyable of my career. Mind you, the lads that I play with now are the most affable, talented, and hilarious characters that I’ve ever worked with, so touring with them ain’t bad by any means.

Anyway, off to get another cup of coffee and do some more reading. Enjoy your Sunday.

March 22, 2009 28 Comments

One of the things I hate about being sick is that when I sleep I tend to have terrible nightmares. Don’t get me wrong, it could very well have to do with mixing a variety of cold medications together – hey, sometimes you get lucky and it’s heaven – but it makes me dread laying down when I know that I should be getting some rest.

This afternoon I dreamed that I ended up with pneumonia and missed all of mixing and the record ended up sounding like fly-over rock, as if it had been totally re-recorded. I called Zach and have since calmed down some.

I am now officially terrified of going back to bed.

February 11, 2009 47 Comments

I’ll not lie, I detest the mixing process, I always have. Tracking records is one thing, but when it comes to mixing them I am far too meticulous a creature. When I involve myself in the process I tend to over-think just about every aspect of a song which often results in its implosion. In truth, I could spend a week recording a record and a year mixing it, I’m that bad.

So maybe it’s a good thing that I’m sick and stuck at home listening to mixes via DigiDelivery. I have complete faith in Zach anyway, so.

One of my biggest problems with regards to song writing has always been layering, especially since I’ve gained the ability to demo at home. Guitars, strings, keyboards, counter-melodies, sometimes it all becomes a soupy nightmare. If anything, I should have a medal pressed for Zach for having to deal with it all.

It’s funny, I was watching ‘Control’ again the other night and was thinking how empty a lot of Joy Division’s material actually was. If you really think about it, there’s not much to a lot of it and yet it absolutely lacks for nothing. Maybe that’s something I should pay more attention to in the future.

February 10, 2009 30 Comments

In my line of work you meet a lot of different people. Some are cool, some aren’t. Some get next to you because you’re famous, some genuinely like you, and many flat out don’t – even if they’ve never met you (it comes with the territory).

Jane Smith, a wonderful woman from England, traveled to Vancouver last week and spent a few days with me in the studio. For those of you that don’t recall, Jane donated a significant amount of money to the Union Gospel Mission, an initiative spearheaded by Rebecca Bollwitt, which resulted in the visit.

To this day it never ceases to amaze me how music can bring people together from all over the world. I wish Jane the very best and want to thank her for her overwhelming generosity.

February 1, 2009 39 Comments

There’s been ups and downs, but as the tracking of the record comes to an end I can honestly say that I am extremely pleased with the results.

So, as of tomorrow, I have eight days off before two weeks of mixing begins. In that time I plan to do a lot of sleeping, get my car serviced, and a whole host of other excellently mundane things.

Today also marks my last day as a resident of Vancouver’s downtown core. After close to two decades I am officially leaving the city for some peace and quiet out in the sleepy reaches of a riverside community. I’m looking forward to it.

January 31, 2009 24 Comments