Studio Day

With the neighbour/Sovereign Housing problem causing severe upset at home I still had to fulfil a recording date with the band with no name yet. I was torn because while the situation at home was bad, and I felt awful leaving J for the day, I was also truly excited to get this band recorded properly at last. So, for ten hours, I put on my musician head and got on with it.

The studio was Woodworm, out near Banbury. Driving there was like going back in time. Past a house I had lived in with J, past my mum’s place, past the turn-off for somewhere I worked in my teens. When I finally arrived it was to a warm welcome of tea and biscuits. Bobby, our drummer was also there setting up his kit.

Once we had all turned up and got our gear in there was the usual long period of standing around while cables were plugged in, microphones placed and levels checked. When we started playing the first song I felt a palpable sense of relief and had a flashback to a night at my kitchen table with singer and lyricist, Emma. All the work we had put in, not to mention the work that had previously gone in to making the music right, came together.

The day moved on with us recording multiple takes of four songs. There was a brief fish and chips excursion and a visit from the talented keyboardist Colin Henney. After ten hours of work we had the majority of the four songs complete. But then, just as I was getting into the car I had a call from home. The neighbours were pumping their music through the walls and filling the garden with noise and swearing. I got home as soon as I could to find both children unwell and unable to sleep. The neighbour’s noise stopped almost the second I walked in.

The situation at home is still very bad but there is a tiny spark of hope from something we started on Sunday. More later, if this works.

The music was worth the time and effort. When it’s finished our band will have a calling card that will show what we’re capable of. I’m very proud of what we’re doing and can’t wait to share some of it.