Randy Bachman's Barn-Day 2
Kim is recording drum loops right now for "Alone". We have just finished the beds for "Deep" and they sound absolutely HUGE! Well done Joby, Kim , and Christian (engineer). I love working with our team. Everyone is so positive and things are rolling along with NO setbacks. How odd for the Daisies.
I am staring out over St. Mary's lake and watching the swans pick a pattern across the lake. Daisy and John are making a curry for tonight as we will have Joby's family as well for dinner. I just heard Joby say, "I just want to compress the shit out of it" so I am assuming they are working with the kick drum now. No, they are working with old, vintage room mics that sound like crap unless you compress the "#^%^#" out of them. I am learning alot on this session.
We are going for the full on beds for "Alone" tonight. Thanks Timothy Findley for inspiring the songs. May you rest in peace.
I have to go now and make sandwiches for the crew. I miss you Edmonton...but not really.
Baker Studios....Heaven
My shoulder is about to fall off. Just finished an hour jam with Kim and John Cartwright, an amazing musician from the UK. I am finding many gems and blessings along our voyage. John has been a touring musician for the last 45 years and knows how to play any instrument. He can hold a groove and find a chord like no other. Joby is our producer and is a true gem as well. He has really great ideas for our songs and super positive. So we have finished doing the ghost tracks and are now preparing for our voyage to Salt Spring Island to lay down the HUGE drums. Kim's kick is super big now that she has put a 1 ply Ambassador head on the front of her 21" kick. We recorded her kick for "Deep" with just a room mic and rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...death by chocolate! Super sexy stuff.
We are very lucky to be alive as the drive here was insane. Icy roads with semi trucks all over the place. Once again Muffy II has got us to where we needed to go without failure. Sometimes I feel that our band has a guardian angel watching over our little enterage. We are truly blessed.
So now I am living the life that I want. We wake up and Joby makes us super stiff lattes that are so much better than Starbucks! Then we jam, chill for a few hours. Then we get into the studio by 1 pm and start laying down tracks and ideas. This lasts for 8-10 hours with dinner and pee breaks. Then we sit around the table and hear about john's tour stories and I dream about playing the big stages and slaying the UK by playing the Glastonbury Festival.
Soon I will get Marshall Stack (slant with Greenback speakers) and wear tight pants and rock out with my girls. Until then you can see us play at Moby's on Salt Spring on Dec. 10th. Peace.
Waiting For Snow
Today looks promising. The sky is grey and appears`as though it could let go at any minute. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. We are leaving for the west coast in four days. I am bringing lots of good books, my road bike, my favorite traveling CD collection (Led Zep II, Mahalia Jackson, Ellen McIlwaine, John Prine's Missing Years, The Who's Greatest Hits), my yoga mat, and 12 cans of sardines.
Our new material is ready to go. We have been going full boar up in our little studio out on the Yellowhead. I am going to miss my newly acquired friendships and old ones as well. But the salty air will do me good. And to be able to play music all day with the four most important women in my life? Hello?! Oh, and mom, you will always be tops. I will see you at Christmas.
Peace to all.
Coming Home From the Grove
Spruce Grove and Painting Daisies become one last night. The theatre was intimate and revealing. I made the mistake of wearing a dress and platforms. Once they came off (the platforms) I could feel the earth shake and Carolyn's bass frequencies in my legs. I got my mojo back in set 2. I think I much prefer playing in clubs where you can do the rock moves and hide behind smoke and audience drunkeness. Although theatres do make you a better player.
I loved playing our new stuff. I think PT Barnum and Arnhem were my faves. Kim did the most wicked, rhythmic drum solo I have ever heard that rocked my world completely. Umm. Thanks to the Whitecourt boys for coming all the way and yelling loudly. It was great. Goodnight.
Verklemption Songs
Hi, it's me again. Just spent a night reading "Pixi und die Weit Weit Welt." It's about an elf who wants to see the world so he builds a little raft and sets out on the river. He almost dies when a waterfall comes but the beavers save him. Great story really.
I have only 3 hours to decide on what I am going to wear tonight. It is our big show in Spruce Grove at The New Horizon Stage so I am thinking black. Black is always good in theatres. We were supposed to rehearse last night but I became ill and retired with some gingerale and "Pixi". Here comes the sun and today is a whole new day. I hope you are all coming out to the show as it is our last in Edmonton until February.
Bis Spater.
Snow Again In Big River City
Yesterevening was a beautiful, slight snowstorm. It was a tease really. Just enough to lure me into thinking that I would be back on my skate skiis by wednesday. Not the case. So far is it but a sugary powder that covers my sidewalk.
Painting Daisies is rehearsing tonight. We are all so excited for the up and coming show at The New Horizon Stage, we can barely contain our pent up energy. I have been caught twice by my roommate playing air guitar to our recording. How embarrassing is that?!? We are also in the process of sorting out details for the new recording. Money!!!! Lots of money!!!!! Then we are off to Utah to build a log cabin and procreate so that generation after generation can experience PD.
Good news for all of you easterers...we may be headed your way in April. Look out TO and Ottawa.