I've started work on a new record. It's been an exciting process thus far. It's been such a long time since i've really written and worked on my own music. Sometime shortly after moving to waterloo, i came to realize that i hadn't done much 'creating' in the past few years, and my last attempt at musical creation was during the Bethany days, long before i officially joined the audio workforce or even went to school to study in this type of thing.

It's been a fantastic experience, and i've enjoyed the complete lack of pressure surrounding the whole thing. I've been able to do things at my own pace and in my own way, quirks and all. i've taken to putting songs together as they come, and i've put an effort towards being very aware of myself... which is to say... in the past, i would sit down with a pen and paper in one hand, a guitar in the other, and 'decide' to bang out a song. these days, i'm spending a lot of time listening to my own mind, jotting down thoughts and ideas, forming strings of lyrics throughout the day, and putting them together when the timing fits. to be honest, the concept of writing lyrics first, and adding music second is completely new to me, but i love the way it works. melding lyrics to music allows me to put undiluted thought into what i'm saying, and how i present my ideas. adding music allows me to come up with sounds on guitar that suit my thoughts, that 'make sense' with the direction i'm going. As well, it puts an inherent focus on melody, because indefinitly, i have to spend time making the lyrics fit into some sort of timing structure, and as such, the melodies are always being challenged.

soooo... the sound will be a (hopefully) more grown-up version of my previous self. i remain primarily acoustic, as it's my primary writing tool, but i'm sure i'll find the odd opportunity to sneek in a friend's tele (electric). one might say that i actually learned how to play guitar since my last record (chuckle chuckle).. which is to say that stacked against my former self, i would pick my current self 10 times out of 10 (though stacked against the plethora of players i might call influences, i'd find my current self stairing at my shoes like the chubby kid in gym class). there will be drums, or samples, or neither, or both, but most likely both. i have 3 songs well on the go already, and i'm pleasantly surprised to find that there are heaps of vocal tracks filling out each track.. i've spent a lot of time listening to music critically over the past few years, trying to figure out exactly what makes me like certain bands.. the answers vary, but the usual suspects tend to be lots of overlapping and layered vocal lines with great harmonies, energy shifts from section to section, and destination.. meaning that the songs go somewhere. here's hoping we'll get there with this record! :)

if i were to jot down the records that have found their way into my player the most over the past 2 years, the list would likely be graced with names like James Taylor, John Mayer and Jimmy Eat World. So if you picture James Taylors 'down-home-ishness', and John Mayer's 'everything-but-blues-ishness' and Jimmy Eat World's 'structure and layered melodic goodness-ishness' all getting together for an evening coffee on a clear winter night, you'd be headed in the right direction.

i presume production will last for several months yet, as the process is, as i said, unrushed and 'by inspiration'. recording will happen at my place, partially at home in Leamington (drums, bass) and at work (CTV). mixing to follow at CTV, mastering location TBD, manufacturing TBD, distribution TBD.

i'll keep you posted!!! I'm excited... hope you guys are too!!

J