Having been concentrating on university work most of this month I thought, with the Christmas holiday getting closer, I would try and get the Swansea Love Story EP finished and mixed before the break. We agreed to get together for two days on 21st and 22nd to complete the recording process so I could get the tracks mixed for them before the new year.
All pretty much went to plan and we have come out with 5 tracks:
'Ariel', 'Neon X', 'Neon Aftermath', 'Lights' and 'Labyrinth'.
They're really happy with the results, and so am I. Although it felt like it took a long time to complete from the initial recordings back in May 2010, to now; I think that we worked well together to really develop the songs to make them what they are today. I spent a lot of time mixing them, and the break between May and starting recording again in October and then again in December gave us time to listen to the songs and hone their direction. It also gave us all ample time to decide how the sound of the songs on the EP were working together. Now I feel we have come out with a consistent, carefully and intuitively produced piece of work which I am very happy to have worked on.
I'm looking forward to hearing the fully mastered tracks and attending their planned EP Launch in March.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Friday 3 December 2010
Support slot on Beatbullyz tour...
I just got done on the phone to Bozo of Swindon band 'Beatbullyz' and have managed to secure a slot for Jeanie in the Radiator to play at the Manchester night of their 'Mino-tour' which is taking place in late February. His band will be going on tour with JLS in December and they will be performing at the M.E.N arena twice as part of that tour. The hope is that this will considerably raise their profile in Manchester and we can expect a big crowd at the gig we will be playing with them in February.
I also made some enquiries in to getting a photographer to collaborate with for the Jeanie in the Radiator EP Launch I'm planning to organise for my Major Project. I have gotten in touch with Stephen Campbell, who was taking photos at our gig the other week and who is a friend of a friend, via facebook. He has taken photos of lots of Manchester bands over the years including Oasis, and has offered to do a free shoot for us as he likes our sound. I'll be meeting with him soon to suggest he do something with the photos we take at the EP launch to make it a bit of a multimedia experience with the hope of getting more attention from it and drawing a bigger audience.
Another thing that has transpired in the last few weeks is the possibility of getting a band manager on board. We don't know much about her as of yet, but a woman called Sharon who is a friend of our lead singer's mum has offered to talk to us about it. Apparently she has worked in the music promotions business for a long time and has been looking for an opportunity to manage a decent band. I think it's right to hold reservations about managers from what I've heard from other bands about the potential pitfalls; however, we'll hold a meeting and see what she has to offer.
I also made some enquiries in to getting a photographer to collaborate with for the Jeanie in the Radiator EP Launch I'm planning to organise for my Major Project. I have gotten in touch with Stephen Campbell, who was taking photos at our gig the other week and who is a friend of a friend, via facebook. He has taken photos of lots of Manchester bands over the years including Oasis, and has offered to do a free shoot for us as he likes our sound. I'll be meeting with him soon to suggest he do something with the photos we take at the EP launch to make it a bit of a multimedia experience with the hope of getting more attention from it and drawing a bigger audience.
Another thing that has transpired in the last few weeks is the possibility of getting a band manager on board. We don't know much about her as of yet, but a woman called Sharon who is a friend of our lead singer's mum has offered to talk to us about it. Apparently she has worked in the music promotions business for a long time and has been looking for an opportunity to manage a decent band. I think it's right to hold reservations about managers from what I've heard from other bands about the potential pitfalls; however, we'll hold a meeting and see what she has to offer.
Saturday 27 November 2010
Promo shoot, shot...
I spent the whole of today with the rest of Jeanie in the Radiator in a freezing cold, abandoned Colgate factory in Salford to shoot our promo video. It went a lot more smoothly than expected. I got my friend Paul Allen down to do the sound for the live acoustic performance we did. He brought along his rig and assortment of Neumann, AKG and SE condenser mics and we were able to get a really nice sound. The natural reverb of the huge space of the room really helped achieve great results as far as the audio went, and the director Mike had called in favours from workmates at the BBC so we had experienced camera men working to get the visual side of things looking sweet too.
We performed 3-4 takes of each of our own three songs (In Heaven, Bipolar and Building 30 apt. 10) as well as a cover of 'Katy on a Mission' by Katy B which we had previously performed at our acoustic gig in Altrincham. Once we had enough footage we did our interview with Anthony Crank, who had prepared some questions, on a set Mike had designed using some rented furniture which looked really good. The interview went pretty smoothly, certainly we had given Mike enough to use and so after around 30 minutes, ensuring we had put the relevant information across, we called a wrap!
It was a great experience doing the music video. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time and it was quite an achievement to have co-organised it from scratch and pulled it off. It was also a perfect way to make more contacts in the television, audio and radio industries (Anthony Crank having recently been hosting a BBC Radio Manchester show). I can't wait to see the final results; I'm going to Paul's home studio to sort the audio out next Friday and once we have that to Mike to edit, it shouldn't be long before it is done!
We performed 3-4 takes of each of our own three songs (In Heaven, Bipolar and Building 30 apt. 10) as well as a cover of 'Katy on a Mission' by Katy B which we had previously performed at our acoustic gig in Altrincham. Once we had enough footage we did our interview with Anthony Crank, who had prepared some questions, on a set Mike had designed using some rented furniture which looked really good. The interview went pretty smoothly, certainly we had given Mike enough to use and so after around 30 minutes, ensuring we had put the relevant information across, we called a wrap!
It was a great experience doing the music video. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time and it was quite an achievement to have co-organised it from scratch and pulled it off. It was also a perfect way to make more contacts in the television, audio and radio industries (Anthony Crank having recently been hosting a BBC Radio Manchester show). I can't wait to see the final results; I'm going to Paul's home studio to sort the audio out next Friday and once we have that to Mike to edit, it shouldn't be long before it is done!
©2010 Chris Lane
©2010 Chris Lane
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Gigs today, Vids tomorrow...
We (Jeanie in the Radiator) played our first, full setup gig on Saturday - it went really well and made all the stress of the build up to it completely worth it. It was the Forever Manchester Music Festival, we had a 7pm slot on the main stage in the middle of the Printworks Pumpyard which turned out to be a great time as it was late enough for the surrounding bars to have started filling up, but early enough that the building wasn't yet full of drunken hecklers (they turned up at around 9pm).
We managed to pull in a crowd of around 100 people and there were photographers from NME and Q magazine taking photos. There was also a film crew who took some video footage, though I couldn't find them again after the gig to ask what they were filming for. Either way it was a great gig and we got an offer to play another gig off the back of it as well as a record company A&R guy asking for our name. I would have liked to have stayed around the gig for a bit longer to network more but, as always, there was equipment to shift into cars and take home - I'll try and delegate this job to someone else in future!
I met with our friend Michael who will be directing a promo video for us which will be shooting this coming Saturday, 27th. I have contacted a friend who I recorded with a few years ago who now does on-site live recordings using a portable rig and he has agreed to record a live performance for us. The plan is to film an acoustic performance of three of our songs as well as have an interview situation to introduce the band to our audience. Our singer, Hollie-Jay managed to get her friend Anthony Crank involved to be the presenter which is great as he has worked on MTV as a host and now has a show on BBC Radio Manchester. I'm hoping that the finished product will look really sleek and professional. We have called in a lot of favours for this one so I am very much looking forward to seeing how it will turn out!
I'm happy that I'm keeping lots of things going: gigs, recording, videos. Hopefully this will help extend my contacts in to the media side of things. The majority of the crew who will be helping out at the shoot on Saturday work at the BBC so it will be another great opportunity for networking. Onward and upward!
We managed to pull in a crowd of around 100 people and there were photographers from NME and Q magazine taking photos. There was also a film crew who took some video footage, though I couldn't find them again after the gig to ask what they were filming for. Either way it was a great gig and we got an offer to play another gig off the back of it as well as a record company A&R guy asking for our name. I would have liked to have stayed around the gig for a bit longer to network more but, as always, there was equipment to shift into cars and take home - I'll try and delegate this job to someone else in future!
I met with our friend Michael who will be directing a promo video for us which will be shooting this coming Saturday, 27th. I have contacted a friend who I recorded with a few years ago who now does on-site live recordings using a portable rig and he has agreed to record a live performance for us. The plan is to film an acoustic performance of three of our songs as well as have an interview situation to introduce the band to our audience. Our singer, Hollie-Jay managed to get her friend Anthony Crank involved to be the presenter which is great as he has worked on MTV as a host and now has a show on BBC Radio Manchester. I'm hoping that the finished product will look really sleek and professional. We have called in a lot of favours for this one so I am very much looking forward to seeing how it will turn out!
I'm happy that I'm keeping lots of things going: gigs, recording, videos. Hopefully this will help extend my contacts in to the media side of things. The majority of the crew who will be helping out at the shoot on Saturday work at the BBC so it will be another great opportunity for networking. Onward and upward!
©2010 Steve Campbell
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Gig plans finalised...
I followed up an email I had sent to David Foran today, regarding the 'Forever Manchester Music Festival' we had been invited to play at, with a quick phone call. I talked with him about the gig and managed to secure us a 7pm slot on the event's main stage at the Printworks. This was big news! Being on the main stage will mean that everyone who walks in to the Printworks will be able to hear us playing so it will be a great chance to gain a lot of exposure.
I also got a call back from Bozo of Beatbullyz this evening and he said that he would be happy to perform on our song 'Devil's Little Finger' at the gig too. So far things are going well. I am currently reading through a message I was sent on Facebook by, a friend of a friend and promo director, Sharon. She had a big hand in organising this gig and has offered to help promote us and give us advice on ways to improve our band's image and media recognition.
Upon reading her message, it will indeed be a good idea to design a logo for our band and make flyers and even a banner to help promote ourselves to the audience on the night of the gig. Too many times have I been to and played gigs where the audience has no idea which band is on stage at the time. I think it is really important that we make an impression on people at this performance and ensure that they go away knowing exactly who we are. I can look back and see now the many opportunities where I could have gone the extra mile for a gig and really made an impact as opposed to just going up on stage and playing the songs well and so I'm determined not to waste this great opportunity!
I also got a call back from Bozo of Beatbullyz this evening and he said that he would be happy to perform on our song 'Devil's Little Finger' at the gig too. So far things are going well. I am currently reading through a message I was sent on Facebook by, a friend of a friend and promo director, Sharon. She had a big hand in organising this gig and has offered to help promote us and give us advice on ways to improve our band's image and media recognition.
Upon reading her message, it will indeed be a good idea to design a logo for our band and make flyers and even a banner to help promote ourselves to the audience on the night of the gig. Too many times have I been to and played gigs where the audience has no idea which band is on stage at the time. I think it is really important that we make an impression on people at this performance and ensure that they go away knowing exactly who we are. I can look back and see now the many opportunities where I could have gone the extra mile for a gig and really made an impact as opposed to just going up on stage and playing the songs well and so I'm determined not to waste this great opportunity!
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Let's push things forward...
So, this morning has been quite an exciting and slightly nerves-inducing experience. I received a call from, our lead singer, Hollie-Jay's mum, Maggie, this morning telling me that she had been on the phone with David Foran from Manchester Radio Online. He is helping organise a big festival at the Printworks in Manchester and was very interested in having Jeanie in the Radiator on the bill. It sounds like a great weekend festival; it's going to be free entry too so they're hoping to get thousands of people down to the venues that are showcasing the live acts.
After noting down his details and beginning to phone the rest of the band regarding availability for the gigs, I get another call from Maggie saying that she had had a call from a band manager, expressing their interest in managing us having seen something David Foran had written online. He had apparently listened to our music on Myspace and posted that he loved it, which, according to this manager, was a very rare thing for him to do! Good news all round then, but it sounds like a lot of good things could come of this gig so we better start working hard!
I'm awaiting a return call from Bozo of Beatbullyz to see if he can make the gig, but apart from him it looks like we should all be set for a date on 20th November. Here's to lots of practices...
After noting down his details and beginning to phone the rest of the band regarding availability for the gigs, I get another call from Maggie saying that she had had a call from a band manager, expressing their interest in managing us having seen something David Foran had written online. He had apparently listened to our music on Myspace and posted that he loved it, which, according to this manager, was a very rare thing for him to do! Good news all round then, but it sounds like a lot of good things could come of this gig so we better start working hard!
I'm awaiting a return call from Bozo of Beatbullyz to see if he can make the gig, but apart from him it looks like we should all be set for a date on 20th November. Here's to lots of practices...
Monday 18 October 2010
Devil's Little Finger first (of at least 2) radio plays..
So I got the news today that we had one of our tracks, Devil's Little Finger, played on BBC Manchester's 'BBC Introducing' show. The slight problem was that I had accidentally sent in an unfinished version of the track which had the rap verse at the end of the song missing. A stupid mistake which I quickly rectified today by emailing the correct one to the host of the show. Luckily they said that they had enjoyed the unfinished version so much that they would happily play the finished one! They were excited to see that Bozo from Beatbullyz appears on the final version of the track too...
So the result is that the finished version will be played this Sunday on the BBC Introducing show, and I plan to send in more tracks and maintain correspondence with the show from hereon. And in future I will ensure that I am sending the right thing in...
Also their reaction to the collaboration with Bozo has shown me how much a more established name can help to promote one's own material. Here's to more collaborations, more networking and more radio plays in future!
Jeanie in the Radiator on the BBC Introducing 17.10.10 Tracklist
So the result is that the finished version will be played this Sunday on the BBC Introducing show, and I plan to send in more tracks and maintain correspondence with the show from hereon. And in future I will ensure that I am sending the right thing in...
Also their reaction to the collaboration with Bozo has shown me how much a more established name can help to promote one's own material. Here's to more collaborations, more networking and more radio plays in future!
Jeanie in the Radiator on the BBC Introducing 17.10.10 Tracklist
Sunday 17 October 2010
Jeanie in the Radiator debut gig..
Last night I played one of the best and most enjoyable gigs I have ever played. I had organized it a month prior to the gig, with Alex McCann who runs Designer Magazine gig promotions. It was the launch night for his new event 'Fish, Chips and Rock & Roll' where the idea is for the people who buy tickets get a free portion of chips and the option of buying fried fish and deep-fried Mars bars at the venue. It was a great way of getting people's interest, but gimmicks aside it turned out to be a really good night!
It was our first gig and with an acoustic setup necessary to cater to the constraints of the venue, it was both interesting and good fun to adapt the very electronic sounds of our songs to simpler, stripped down versions.
We were surprised at the turnout, with the venue's (Altrincham's 'Slug and Lettuce') performance area packed with almost 100 people. Despite a few issues at the sound technician's end at the start of the set we played a smooth, well practiced and tight set and I think the people who knew the songs enjoyed the different spin on them with the acoustic guitar and live percussion.
It was great to play in front of an enthusiastic audience and be so relaxed. I think playing for League Liege is a bit more of a burden as the music is so much more complex. Having only the responsibility of the acoustic guitar and a few backing vocals in a live performance allowed me to have a lot more fun on stage and playing with a group of people who I trust and know so well is always comforting under pressure!
All in all it was a great gig, enjoyed by both the band and the audience, we made a bit of money towards the next practice room booking and we all gained a lot more confidence in ourselves as performers, and in the songs. A great success!
It was our first gig and with an acoustic setup necessary to cater to the constraints of the venue, it was both interesting and good fun to adapt the very electronic sounds of our songs to simpler, stripped down versions.
We were surprised at the turnout, with the venue's (Altrincham's 'Slug and Lettuce') performance area packed with almost 100 people. Despite a few issues at the sound technician's end at the start of the set we played a smooth, well practiced and tight set and I think the people who knew the songs enjoyed the different spin on them with the acoustic guitar and live percussion.
It was great to play in front of an enthusiastic audience and be so relaxed. I think playing for League Liege is a bit more of a burden as the music is so much more complex. Having only the responsibility of the acoustic guitar and a few backing vocals in a live performance allowed me to have a lot more fun on stage and playing with a group of people who I trust and know so well is always comforting under pressure!
All in all it was a great gig, enjoyed by both the band and the audience, we made a bit of money towards the next practice room booking and we all gained a lot more confidence in ourselves as performers, and in the songs. A great success!
Saturday 9 October 2010
Rather good drums recording..
So today was spent in the company of local Manchester experimental group Swansea Love Story whose E.P I am producing. I made the decision awhile ago to start looking for young artists who might be looking for a cheaper recording solution than going to big expensive studios. Not only is it an opportunity to make some money, but it is a great way to get my name out there as a producer. You've got to keep your fingers in as many pies as possible!
I've known these guys for a fair few years, having gone to the same school as them, and they have a sound which is truly rare for a Manchester band, more reminiscent of artists like Subtle, Ratatat and in their more ambient moments, Sigur Ros with an electronic twist. It is a project I am happy to be involved in and it's good to be able to see music writing from a fresh perspective. It can be difficult to write and record one's own music from start to finish whilst maintaining an outsider's point of view with regards to the overall impact of the end product.
We recorded drums for 4 of the tracks off their planned E.P. Using the SSL studio at Futureworks College we were able to spend a good 8 hours in their, which gave us enough time to hone the sound of the drums and make the recordings. I still find that projects like this, which are separate to and less personal than recording for my own songs, are perfect for practicing different recording techniques with a more objective point of view. It was good experience and I feel more confident than ever, now, recording drums in a studio environment!
I've known these guys for a fair few years, having gone to the same school as them, and they have a sound which is truly rare for a Manchester band, more reminiscent of artists like Subtle, Ratatat and in their more ambient moments, Sigur Ros with an electronic twist. It is a project I am happy to be involved in and it's good to be able to see music writing from a fresh perspective. It can be difficult to write and record one's own music from start to finish whilst maintaining an outsider's point of view with regards to the overall impact of the end product.
We recorded drums for 4 of the tracks off their planned E.P. Using the SSL studio at Futureworks College we were able to spend a good 8 hours in their, which gave us enough time to hone the sound of the drums and make the recordings. I still find that projects like this, which are separate to and less personal than recording for my own songs, are perfect for practicing different recording techniques with a more objective point of view. It was good experience and I feel more confident than ever, now, recording drums in a studio environment!
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| Drum Mic setup.. |
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| View from the SSL desk.. |
Thursday 30 September 2010
The beginning (and brief introduction)..
It's not a particularly inspired title but it is undoubtedly a good place to start. I have decided to keep a record of all my activities within the music world throughout the year as I aim to forge a career in it. I am currently studying for a BA degree in Music Production at Futureworks college in Manchester, as well as producing my own music for my bands Jeanie in the Radiator and League Liege.
Last year I co-wrote and produced a 3 track E.P for League Liege which I now look back on as my first major step in to the world of music production. We recorded the tracks between the D-Command studio at college and my simple Mbox 2 Protools setup at home, mixing the tracks and organising the mastering and pressing of the CDs as well as releasing the E.P on iTunes and Spotify amongst other online retailers. It was a great feeling to have produced something from start to finish like that, which would have a permanent online presence and which we managed to have a release party for at Night & Day Cafe in Manchester and get played on Marc Riley's BBC Radio 6 show just a week after it's initial release.
Since then I have been writing and producing songs in my newer band Jeanie in the Radiator as well as more recently recording tracks for alternative electronic band Swansea Love Story. In the first few months of this year I also recorded a cover of 'Mrs Robinson' on the acoustic guitar for use on an episode of Channel 4's 'Shameless' and recorded a session with Daniel 'Bozo' Dubose from Beatbullyz for a collaboration track with Jeanie in the Radiator. Working with more experienced people has certainly inspired me to work harder and given me insight in to the nature of the 'Music Industry' and ways to push forward within it.
Anyway, this isn't a CV and so from now on I will be blogging in the here and now.
Reflection over, I'm here to make music.
Last year I co-wrote and produced a 3 track E.P for League Liege which I now look back on as my first major step in to the world of music production. We recorded the tracks between the D-Command studio at college and my simple Mbox 2 Protools setup at home, mixing the tracks and organising the mastering and pressing of the CDs as well as releasing the E.P on iTunes and Spotify amongst other online retailers. It was a great feeling to have produced something from start to finish like that, which would have a permanent online presence and which we managed to have a release party for at Night & Day Cafe in Manchester and get played on Marc Riley's BBC Radio 6 show just a week after it's initial release.
Since then I have been writing and producing songs in my newer band Jeanie in the Radiator as well as more recently recording tracks for alternative electronic band Swansea Love Story. In the first few months of this year I also recorded a cover of 'Mrs Robinson' on the acoustic guitar for use on an episode of Channel 4's 'Shameless' and recorded a session with Daniel 'Bozo' Dubose from Beatbullyz for a collaboration track with Jeanie in the Radiator. Working with more experienced people has certainly inspired me to work harder and given me insight in to the nature of the 'Music Industry' and ways to push forward within it.
Anyway, this isn't a CV and so from now on I will be blogging in the here and now.
Reflection over, I'm here to make music.
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