Well it's been a long time coming and finally, finally, finally after a few years of crafting (due mostly to the busy and often conflicting schedules between myself and producer/performer/musician
Mick Dalla Vee) my songs are finally starting to roll off the presses and onto
the web. So far I am just releasing them as singles and the two I am sharing with you today should be available on iTunes in a few weeks.
Here is the latest......
USE THIS DIRECT LINK IF WIDGET IS NOT WORKING
Many of the songs I am working on started as basic rough draft videos on
You Tube. This video for instance I made in 2009 and I've just watched it for the first time in a very long time and...it totally makes me laugh at myself for my...blatant courage and cheek. I can't believe me really. But I can.
It's funny because most music biz people don't really understand or should I say....approve of me posting my rough drafts. I however love them because they show how far both me and the songs have come.
They are also a real life example of how a great producer can take your basic little three or four chord ditty and help you turn it from this.......
into this:
USE THIS DIRECT LINK IF THE WIDGET IS NOT WORKING
First we worked the songs and gave them a structure. We made some demos to work from and while Mick can and does play the majority of the instruments we eventually hired some of my favorite players to record some of the parts for me live and we started by bringing them in to
ADI studios for a session to build the drum tracks.
(ADI Studios....***The Alive Drive by the way is a customized, portable operating system that is embedded on branded USB flash memory devices, such as slimline "loyalty" cards, wristbands and jewelry. Pre-loaded with music, audio and visual content, the Alive Drive is distributed to fans through the host's own distribution channels, i.e. live events, retail outlets, e-stores or sponsors. As new content is produced, it gets pushed to the fans via the drive. So please do check out their link if your band,brand or business has music or audio/visual content to share with it's customers, it's outstanding stuff)
Shawn Soucy was my #1 go-to guy for the drum track and he was just set free with the songs and did an outstanding job.
Russell Marsland was in as well and laid some tasty electric lead guitar and rhythm tracks. The boys were given very little time with my songs as I wanted the tracks to be natural and un contrived because I just love the way these fellas play, so there was some discussion between players and producer and then engineer
Brad Graham pushed the big red record button and off we went!
This is when we took a little break and Mick showed us a
guy on a buffalo.
lololololol! Watch it!
You are welcome.
This pic just makes me laugh. I have no idea what I am doing with my hands besides blocking Mick's face, all I can see is that don't actually look as cool as I think I do.
~~~~~~
After this session we took the recording to
Mick's studio located in North Van at
NAL sound. I had the very lucky pleasure to have
Saffron and
Camille Henderson sing back up vocals on my recording of
Baby Blue. They walked in and did the vocals like they had been doing them all their lives and they kinda have been seeing as their
Dad wrote the song. It was such a treat to have those beautiful and supportive women on the recording I know I am a very fortunate girl and I still haven't stopped thanking them.
Here is my sneaky snap from that, you can just see them off in the darkness of the vocal booth.....
Also playing on some of the songs the talented
Paul Tobin
was in studio laying down guitar trax.
I also have my dear and talented friend
Kelly Brock due to come in studio for some vocals, some guest children for an environmental awareness song,
Kirsten Nash to play some sax on some of my heart smooshers, and maybe even
Brent Howard to play some pedal steel on the song Long Distance which I wrote with Rick Tippe.
More to come I hope but that's the plan so far.
And that's been the scoop until now! Things are rolling along. I can't wait to keep plowing through these tunes as they've been a long time coming.
Maybe I am finally ready to do them some justice now. I know the process has gotten easier as I have learned more and have been able to get outside of them. And they are great little songs, and they came from me, through me or out of me somehow and
I am looking forward to polishing them up and sharing them.
So stay tuned. I'll keep you looped.
All best to you, thanks for listening.... keep rocking.........Rachael
