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Since my last update May 31st from the High Desert of Wyoming, we have been travelling steadily through Idaho, Oregon then back into Washington. It's great to be away from the high altitude, I'm dizzy enough with whisky, the thin air just adds another layer of craziness.
I booked into a rehearsal studio (Toad House in Portland, OR) where I would have space to spread out and rehearse for the recording sessions planned in June but I needed to get my instruments together.
My banjo and bass, outcasts living in our storage locker in Vancouver Washington, hadn't been played for over two years. They were well hidden right at the back, all wrapped up tight. Typical! After about an hour of climbing over mountains of furniture and climbing down the crevice where my instruments were, I wrestled them free and set off for Toadhouse.
The rehearsal studio was disguised as an old factory building about 6 minutes drive from where we were staying.. Difficult to find, locked up as tight as a drum but perfect if you need private space and want to make a lot of noise.
I was there most days and despite some times when I was dying next door to the loudest death metal band in the universe who rehearse at stadium concert volume, I managed to get through all my songs on all instruments. That's 6- string, 12-string, baritone and bass guitars, banjo, ukelele whistles, vocals... and yes - kazoo (for Big Tam). I can imagine the death metal guys were horrified by my banjo and kazoo... take that you wailers!!
My bass sounded "too enthusiastic" for recording (I had this problem last time too) - so I managed to borrow a Fender Precision bass from my pal and ex-colleague Tony Mills - thanks Tony - it worked out great!
On one of the songs "no reels and jigs on Sundays" I needed a fiddle part to "appear" part way through the song. So I got in touch with Lisa who I played with in Honolulu - she agreed immediately and has recorded just what I asked for and sent it to me - thanks Lisa you really are a star!
The recording at Nettleingham studios where I did "The Beginning" has gone well - but will need more time.. It's great to work with Kevin again, he is a Master of the studio - we'll be done mid-late July.
Working on your own songs is liberating and challenging for the same reason - there is nothing to follow, it's all yours. The songs are sounding great, I just hope people like them, I catch Kevin humming them as he gets infected by them - a good sign.
My plan was to record in June and start playing places again in July, I started playing again on July 1st, but I'm still recording - so much for plan A.
Right now we're up in Ocean Shores, Washington staying in the band appartment of the Galway Bay Irish pub. It's so convenient to just walk next door, onto the stage and start playing and at the end walk next door and relax after the gig. Brilliant. It's also great to be on the beach at the Pacific again.
It felt a bit weird to be playing live again after so much time working on my new stuff - but after a few songs and the crowd getting caught up in the singing etc, I was back in the groove. I have a lot of gigs lined up in July - I'm looking forward to playing them.
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Dorothy enjoying the Pacific too 