Hi everyone.
So as you can see, this is my first ever blog post. I’ve done some things like this before on my webpage news, and sometimes on Myspace, but the latter always seemed like a pain in the butt. Anyway, here I am. And it only took about 5 minutes to set up the page. I don’t know a lot about how this works yet, so bear with me and I’m sure I’ll figure it all out soon.
My initial reason for setting this up, is that I’m nearing the end of my latest album and thought it would be kinda cool to post about how it all happens. I often get into conversations with non-musician and musician friends of mine about the ‘creative process’ if there is such a thing. It made me think that it would be a good idea to share that with all of you and maybe give some insight of how it happens for me specifically as well as keeping you updated on the songs progress. I’m sure I’ll talk about other things as well, because pretty much everything that happens in my life ends up helping me along the path to a song, lyric, musical idea etc… so it may not only be a record of the CD.
So here goes. Now that I’m writing I think I have something to say (which I didn’t when I started exactly).
This will be my fourth album. My first came out at the very beginning of 2002. So I’m averaging 1 every two years. This makes me think about why. I always try to have a ‘new’ sound when I record. While I don’t think I’m hitting Radiohead-like areas of reinvention, I DO think all the albums have their own thing going on. I actually listen to my own stuff quite a bit–hey I wouldn’t write the songs if I didn’t like them–and back in May I was driving out to my brothers house and listened to the first 3 CD’s in a row. It’s interesting to hear them all in their entirety since I usually only ‘hear’ them when performing and the set lists are never in order and there are some songs never played live. The other thing that struck me was in how each one builds on what came before, why certain songs end up on a particular album, and if I’m getting better at song writing.
My first album was recorded at a time that I never had really played with a band. I was solo acoustic guy. Plus I only had an ‘all in one’ hard disc recorder which was a lot of fun at the time. So it was a huge learning process. I play nearly everything on all the albums (someday I’ll learn drums) as well as recording and mixing–pretty much everything that goes into making a record I do. This was the first one I listened to on the drive. It’s not too bad. Some good songs. A few good mixes. Very quiet and acoustic-y. Some songs are much much better live because now I know what they are really supposed to sound like with a band vs me and a bunch of instruments trying to sound like a band. I fought for a long time with everyone who told me how mellow the disc was when I knew in my head some of the songs ROCKED. Well, you are all right and I’m wrong but come to a show and you’ll see what I meant. : )
‘Reach’ came up next. I really have a fondness for this album. It was recorded in a falling down farmhouse that I was staying in. ’Falling Down’ is the first track. I did everything different. This is the first song I ever did that did not have one acoustic guitar on it. Loud and distorted. I even sang through a distortion pedal. I liked it. Best of all, this is how it really sounds. Raw and live. When the band was on tour last fall, we played this song every night. As well as many songs from this CD. I think of it as my ‘rock’ album and the songs are great live and fun to play. Again, some change live for the better. Particularly ‘Pouring Rain’, ‘ Wake Up’ and ‘Dreamless Man’ with the last one being longer, more intense and energetic. You can hear a live version on webpage by clicking on the link to the right. One song that is never played live, but is one of my personal favorites is ‘Sleep’. There is just something about that one that really grabs me. I’ve never done another song like it and I always crank it up when it comes on my I-pod. ”Song for the Rain” is in there too. This song ended up being my first ever radio single. I actually wrote it for the first album. It came out in one take. The acoustic guitar, bass and vocal you hear are all the first time I ever played them. Even the words came out in that moment. I never changed a thing even though I always told myself I’d go back and record ‘real words’ and a good vocal. But it didn’t seem finished and I couldn’t figure out why until about a year later when I added the slide guitar part. That was it. It was done. Sometimes it’s that easy and that hard. When I hear it now I always try to picture it on the first album, and while it fits mood wise, there is something different about it. Moodier. Prettier. I also think it wouldn’t fit the ’story’ of the first album and is much happier with the group of songs on ‘Reach’.
Yes–there are ’stories’ the the albums. They all have a theme to them. And the songs are in the order they are in to reflect that. With all the talk about downloading and singles and the ‘death of the album’ I still think that is important and I still do it. I wish ideally, that everyone would listen to the albums straight through and take the journey. This even goes to the album art. A lot of thought goes into making it represent the songs and story. I miss records. I bought the new Radiohead on record. It’s way cool. And it sounds amazing.
Back to ‘Reach’. Looking back I realize that in a way it’s been the easiest one to get out. The songs were strong and a couple, like “Song for the Rain” just came out all at once. ”Wake Up”, “Stupid Song” ‘Untitled’ and ‘October Leaves are all pretty much first or second take. Lyrics and all. Also, the songs covered a lot of topics I was thinking about. We were not yet in Iraq, but heading there and 3 of the songs are about that. Others are about friends with addictions, people I worked with who had no ambition, how the fact that we are all here and sharing the world may be the only thing to keep us from killing each other.
Listening to it on the ride it stuck me how many different styles of music are on that record as well. By the time it finished, I couldn’t even remember where it began and I wrote the damn thing. Which I think is pretty cool.
Then ‘Myself Again’ began. Wow does it sound different. Part of this is because it is the first time I recorded with ‘real’ recording stuff. I had gotten Pro-Tools. Man what a difference. So it’s the best sounding CD quality wise. It’s always funny to me that everyone says it’s my happiest record because to me it’s the most personal and it mainly deals with the aftermath of my mother passing away. But it is a joyful album somehow. Bouncy riffs, a lot of short ‘poppy’ songs. Many songs about ’seizing the day’ as cheesy as that sounds sometime. I really love the songs and they sound great live and they are fun to play and everyone always sings along. Which is the best thing that can happen when you are a performing musician. Of course my favorites are always the less accessable tunes: This Dream, Run to the River, Mountain Song and My Soul Is High are my personal picks from this CD
It also is the first radio success with over 180 stations playing it. I even get to hear myself on the radio thanks to WEXT here in Albany, NY. Special thanks to them for playing some (now up to 5) of the songs every once in a while. ’California’ appears on this CD as well. I re did it because it has always been everyones favorite song and it sounds different with the band than the more acoustic version on ‘Stay Awhile’ so I re did it in a more band-like way. I guess it payed off because several stations had it in their Top 10 and it is in the finals for the soundtrack to the PBS show Roadtrip Nation for 2008. We did a 15 date tour from October-Dec 07 behind the record, had many interviews/articles written, got some great press and met a lot of cool new people.
Which brings me to the new songs. I started working in January. Quickly I had 45 songs. Sounds like a good problem. I’m not complaining, but trying to whittle it down to 10-15 songs for a CD has not been easy. Every time I get my ‘final’ song list, a new one will appear. As of today I have it down to the final 20. Wish me luck! I have been tracking demos. They range from just a guitar to more fleshed out arrangements. Some have words, some barely have humming in tune. I always come up with music first, then a melody, then hopefully words. There is going to be a lot of piano and keyboards on this one. Lots of harmonies and counter melody vocals as well. I’m excited.
I think I’ll be done by the end of August. But I said the end of May back in March, so who knows. I just want it to be as good as I can get it. One song that is my absolute favorite thing I’ve ever come up with is nearing completion. It’s called “Come With Me”. Here it is for you to listen to. The singing is terrible (I always do this to myself–sing at like 3am when I’m tired until the final version, someday I’ll learn!) The bass is full of mistakes–well, the whole thing is a mess. It’s NOT done. It’s going to be a lot better. I promise. But listen to it in that spirit–an unfinished demo and I think you’ll like it. I hope. It’s a ‘read between the lines’ situation when I play demos for people, and usuallly I won’t put anything out before it’s 90% done. This is about 50%. Keep that in mind. This one came out in one of those spurts I talked about. I turned on the recorder and the lyric was 90% there, and the bass and electric and piano parts I added that night. It’s nice when that happens.
Come With Me (rough demo) copyright 2008 Michael D Grutka
I hope you like it. I will be posting more here as the days go by and sometimes it’ll be long and rambling like this, sometimes just a new demo. Come back and check.
Thanks for all your support over the years. I hope to see many of you this fall on the road.
Back to work.
peace
Mike
