I feel like it would be good to just put this out there for musicians who might be going it alone in making an album. Of course I still have that feeling where “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, eeek!” but I have learned a few things I thought I’d share. Part 2 will appear when I’m finished, I guess!
Finding a Band:
- Network with people you know and trust. I’ve found that musicians are more than willing to help each other out, but you have to ask!
- Offer payment to your players, even if they want to do it for free. If they insist on doing it for free, do something nice for them in return! (Admittedly, I still owe someone a massage gift certificate!) If you go with studio musicians, make sure they connect with the project and aren’t just doing it for pay. Studio musicians are worth it for those instruments you want to really shine.
The content:
- Understand that the songs you rehearse and record with the band might not make the final cut. You will spend money on tracks that might not see the light of day if you want to end up with something really cohesive. Try to see your album as a whole dramatic statement, and weed out the songs (as beloved as they might be) that are weighing that statement down.
- Understand that you might still be writing even when you thought the album was done. Most likely, those songs will probably end up on the record and stand out because they’re the culmination of all of your output and effort over this period of album-making. Don’t stop writing while you’re recording! Keep your muse energized.
- Remember the attention span of your listener. I’m not the type of writer to sit down and say “oh, I’ll write an upbeat song” and then “oh, I’ll write a slow, intense one.” But in choosing the final tracks, pull the songs that play against each other in mood and tempo. Again, sometimes you’ll have to kick out a track that sounds too much like another one.
- In arranging, you can always pull parts from those kicked-out songs, or use the “cuttings” method from other songs that didn’t make it. Sometimes a stray lyric or riff will fit perfectly with your final songs.
Recording
- You can choose to record it all yourself, but realize this process will take a long time to master. Personally, I thought I was going to teach myself Logic and do it all myself, but this made me panic. I do want to learn eventually, but having to spend so much time focusing on learning recording when I wanted to really focus on the content of the songs and arranging didn’t make sense. I had already pretty much mastered Garageband, which I’ve been using to arrange the songs.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help in the process. I finally decided to go into 2 studios/engineers I trusted, and feel confident enough in my arrangements that the sessions would translate what’s been in my head to the recording. I’m also asking an old friend to put finishing touches with guitars/other instruments on his Protools…and he’s 1000 miles away in Austin! The recording of the album doesn’t have to be conventional. Josh Rouse recorded his most recent album in Spain but sent the tracks to a drummer in Nashville. In this era, you can make the process as global as you’d like.
- Have fun in the studio. Take it seriously, but laugh too. Solid preproduction will ease the nerves. By that I mean arranging as much as possible, having your task list at hand, and rehearsing enough to feel comfortable with the songs.
Overall outlook
- Stay in the present and savor this process. Don’t think about “what am I going to do with this when I’m done???” I admit, I’m having those feelings and I have bought several books on marketing, and am vaguely thinking about the publicity side of things. But I’m trying to stay loose about it and not freak out. Just relish being a musician and being given the gift to express. Recording is extremely fun; you’re creating your musical love letter to the world. The business stuff can happen afterwards.
