Recording Report #2: Drum Tracking

So last Monday, November 23rd, we hunkered down in an old farmhouse in Dane, Wisconsin to record all of the drums for the upcoming album, the "we" being: Jeremiah Nelson and Andy Hartman (engineers), Adam Cargin (drummer), and myself (devilishly handsome songwriter extraordinaire).  Jeremiah, Andy, and myself went out to the farmhouse the night before and set up all of the recording equipment, and then proceeded to have a campfire and drink a few beers.

We started setting up drums at around 10am on Monday, and worked until 8:30pm or so.  It was a long, but super productive day of recording, and I'm very happy to report having all of the drum parts for the entire album done.  Next up, we'll be doing the rhythm guitar parts, probably at the beginning of next week.

Here are a few pictures of the farmhouse and from the session:

 

Jeremiah and Andy setting up the night before.


The farmhouse, my dad was born in 1941 and grew up here.


The farm in the morning, shrouded in fog.


Adam setting up his drum kit.

Room mics, set up at different distances from the drums and in different rooms.

Recording Report #1: Demos

So work on the new JS album has begun.  It will be my first album with a full band on it (drums and all), and I am super excited to work on it and release some new songs.  I will try throughout the process to keep anyone who bothers reading this blog updated on the progress and perhaps provide some insight into the process.

The addition of drums on this album brings a whole new level of work to the project that I am pretty inexperienced with.  First of all, I have never really had to worry too much about the tempo and consistency of timing before, as it never had to fit into the rhythmic framework of percussion.  As long as I concentrated on doing my best to keep in time when recording the guitar, we could just add in the vocals, banjo, mandolin, etc. on top.  That is how we did it with the last studio album, Our Love Was Made For Canada. 

This time around, we have to record everything to a click, meaning that while recording the guitar and vocal parts I am listening to a metronome set to the right tempo in headphones.  Last night we went through this process at the apartment, recording demos to a click in my bedroom.  The we, being: myself, Jeremiah Nelson (who is engineering the project), and set wizard Adam Cargin (drummer for the Blueheels), who will be playing the drums on the album.  Sound engineer Andy Hartman will be joining us next week for drum tracking, and for tracking on the rest of the album as well. 

We spent 5 hours or so recording demos for all of the songs with drums (most of them), just the guitar and vocals.  You may remember from a previous post that I had mentioned already doing some demos.  At the beginning of the month I sat down with Jeremiah and recorded some basic demos, not done to a click, just to get to Adam so he had an idea for what the songs would be like.  The demos recorded last night are more utilitarian, so we have something to build on.  Next Monday when we track Adam's drums, the demo tracks will be piped through headphones while he lays down his parts.  Then, we will simply discard the demo tracks and start adding things on top of the drums.  Cool, huh?  Can't wait to start drum tracking next week, we're doing it in a 100+ year old farmhouse that my dad grew up in, just north of Madison.  Stay tuned, I'll keep ya'll posted on how we progress!

New Album - Recording Tomorrow Night in Madison

For you Madison folks/Wisconsin folks/anyone else that felt like making a road trip this Friday, the live recording, full band show that was scheduled this Friday for the Cafe Montmartre is now being held at the Brink Lounge due to the unfortunate closing of the previous venue. The show will start at 9pm, and will be recorded for the new album, "John Statz & the Cheap Shots" , which will feature almost entirely new material. The cover charge is $8, and also playing are Chicago's fantastic Cameron McGill & What Army, and my good pal Jeremiah Nelson with his band, the Shifty Switches. Hope you can make it out!

Thanks to Rich Albertoni for the great article in the July 10th, 2009 edition of the Isthmus! Here is an excerpt:

"Since returning to the Madison area in 2006, Statz has built one of the most rigorous tour schedules of any Madison musician. This year, he'll be on the road at out-of-state destinations for more than four months. Later this summer, he'll embark on a four-week tour of Canada and the northeastern United States.

A double major in music and history at UW-Oshkosh, Statz frequently uses historical themes in his songwriting. With song titles like "Best Girl of '16" and "Letters from Southeast Asia," Statz sometimes takes on the persona of a war soldier in his compositions."

Read the whole article and interview here.

"Best Girl of '16" v. 2.0

I believe it was February or March of 2008 when I wrote the song "Best Girl of '16", a happy, coming home from the war sort of tune. I had written plenty of World War I tunes before, but this was the first one with a happy ending, I guess you could say. The song found its way onto my last album, An Evening With John Statz, which was recorded live in Chicago in April of '08.

Since then I've written a bunch of new tunes, and am gearing up for a new album. On July 10th my band, John Statz and the Cheap Shots, will record a live album at the Cafe Montmartre in Madison. This will be my first rock'n'roll, full band album, and I'm really excited to capture the guys live, as I'm very fortunate to have some fantastic players in the band.

More on that later. I really wanted to re-write "Best Girl..." for the full band, as the original song is in an open tuning and just wouldn't work well with a rock treatment. This morning I set out to work on the song, and couldn't be happier with what came out of it. It is now a very different song, with different chord changes, and some different lyrics. If you have the last album, I think you'll recognize it. The new version has more of a bittersweet ending with an anti-war message, a bit more my style :). I plan on keeping both versions alive and well, but for now, here are the new lyrics:

Well back in the summer of '16
There was a young woman I was seein'
Well I'd pine for her, and sometimes she'd respond to me.
Oh back before the war, and everything came in between.

Well when I got back was March of double 19's,
Had gone 'cross the ocean protecting the land of the free.
Well France was as much of the world as I wanted to see.
Oh back to Kansas City to find my best girl of '16.
Back to Kansas City to find my best girl of '16.
Back to Kansas City to find my best girl of '16.

On the train through Illinois
Well she is restless on my mind.
Hoping that she is unwed.
And that she took her time.

Well pulled into Union Station, military bands played loud,
nothing there was ventured, and nothing there was found.
Climbing from the rail car, my eyes gleaming 'cross the crowd.
Well I found my best girl waiting, and I kissed her on the mouth.

Well we got us a place in Jackson County,
my God and my country say they love me.
But Uncle Sam well he still owes me money,
so I'm flying home cuz my girl is my country.
I'm flying home cuz my girl is my country.
I'm flying home cuz my girl is my country.


As for the rest of the info on the new album:
It is untitled as of yet, though I have some ideas. The band members are Ben Johnson on the 'lectric geetar, Matt Donoghue on the bass, and Greg Schmitt on the drums. These guys are a blast to play with, can't wait to do this new album with them.

the other songs on the album (this can change yet):
Ghost Towns
How Best to Survive the Flood and Save the Girl
Jackson Hole
Everything to Me
Ugly Like I Should
Disclaimer
Night Train to Sarajevo
Zia
Somtimes (Quittin' Don't Feel Half Bad) - Ben Johnson tune
and full band versions of older songs "Absentee" and "Silverton Mines"

Friday, July 10th - 9:30pm @ the Cafe Montmartre in Madison, WI
tickets are $8, and the night will also feature: Cameron McGill and What Army & Jeremiah Nelson. Hope you can make it out!

Nominated for 2 MAMA Awards

Just wanted to share the nominations for the 2009 Madison Area Music Awards:

Folk/Americana Artist of the Year
Folk/Americana Album of the Year (for "An Evening With John Statz")

Thanks so much to everyone who has participated and voted in the MAMA's in the first round, its all for a great cause. You can read more about what the organization does for school music programs at their website.

You can get online and vote right now at: www.themamas.org
Also, congrats to all of the other nominees, and to some of my friends who have been nominated as well: Josh Harty, the Blueheels, the Guppy Effect, Jentri Collelo, and the Kissers!