Acoustic Squeak

Last Friday I went into the studio to record the acoustic tracks for the new record. I get so tense as soon as I'm told it's go time. I can sit there and play the song perfectly 15 times in a row while we set up and I warm up and as soon as I'm told we're recording my hands get super tense and I press down so hard on the strings that I end up creating this super loud squeak on the fret board.

The fret board squeak is nearly always there on an acoustic guitar when you are sliding between chords and sometimes it's even charming and adds a sort of presence to the song. But the sounds that were coming off that fretboard last Friday were anything but pleasant. Nail on a chalkboard kind of stuff. I don't know what was going on with me. Some days I get more panicky than others when I record. It must have just been one of those days.

But we did manage to get the tracks down with minimal squeaking and we are now just that much closer to completion! We've got some electric guitar tracking to do, vocals, and then some additional instrumentation bells and whistles to add. Not literally bells and whistles...although, maybe? But some piano sprinkles, bits of percussion, and whatever else we find serves a purpose. I'm still trying to get a trumpet onto a song. Maybe this album will be it?

Tonight I'm heading to Lee's Liquor Lounge to play a solo set in an "in the round" sort of style with J.W. Schuller and Billy Dankert. We're gonna trade off little mini-sets all night long. Music starts at 9. See you there?  https://www.facebook.com/events/250222235170743/

I could play any one of these songs...