+1.5dbs at 2k, +1db at 4k
Yup. That’s right. We’re now 2.5 decibels from having a finished record. Spent last week, the weekend and yesterday mastering and it is really close. We need the mids to sizzle alittle more and then it’s in the can.
We played a really fun show on sunday. Mark Benson (of Lying in States) joined us as a 2nd drummer/percussionist. It was rocking and bittersweet. VJ leaves for DC this saturday and the show was his last as our drummer. Come september we’ll be joined by Robbie of Where the Moon Came From. In other membership news it is not impossible that we’ll be adding a cellist to the mix. I’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, we’re gonna be missing VJ something fierce. I’ve lived with him for two years now, and his insight and encouragement are writ large on our songs and our hearts.
Are all the best songs about leaving? The intersection of hope and regret? Wilco’s Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard.
little snip
we’re done mixing! tonight we drink the blood of kings! or whatever! (soy king blood?)
here’s a little tiny bit of a song that’s on the new record. Still needs to be mastered but i’m feeling pretty good about how it sounds…
Three Gut Records
I'm impossibly bummed to hear that Three Gut is closing up shop. The Constantines dedicated an Elevator to Hell song to the label when we saw them last week; it was a perfect tribute. Tense Forms and Three Gut started at about the same time (in fact i met someone from Three Gut when the Tundra Survey played Wavelength in Toronto) and they've served as a model and a beacon. Cheers to them and many well wishes to all involved in their next endeavors.
There's a nice article in Exclaim about the label. Be sure to check out the oral history at the bottom of that page.
We're still mixing, things continue to go pretty well. I'm looking forward to really digging in tonight; I don't have to work tomorrow so i think we'll plug away all night. I'm crazy tired though, the past days have been like this:
Wake with troublesome beer and cigarette mouth, make haste to work. Drink a pots-worth of coffee. Stumble through the dayjob, make haste to the studio in ulcer-inducing rush hour traffic. Mix, mix, fight, mix, smoke, hit stuff with a screwdriver until the static vanishes, smoke, Tecate, mix, more coffee, smoke. Drive home at 4am. Repeat.
The sleep deprivation is pretty rad, but the best part of this whole scenario is how rapidly it's accelerating my tooth decay. Goodbye meddlesome teeth! It was fun, but as i'm sure you know, I've been on the fence about this relationship for awhile and well, i just need more gums in my life.
in the studio
We’re in the studio again mixing. one song totally done, another very close. I’ll try to take some pics soon of the ginormous bruises VJ gave himself playing tambourine last night. I got to play this rad super green melodica that wasn’t quite in tune. We used the varispeed on the tape machine to ‘tune’ the stuff we tracked live to the melodica! Jason told us about how a bunch of early punk records were recorded at regular speed then sped-up slightly for mix down to add ‘pep’!? Crazy. Vic Goddard alludes to the practice in the middle of this really interesting interview.