My New Project

I've titled this entry as “My New Project”, but this isn't really my project, and although it is new for me, the group have been together for over a year. However, the project is new to me and I'm quite excited about it, its a project that will need a lot of work and it will need to be pushed hard but its a project that I think has potential.

So what is this new project? Well before I explain what the project is, It is important that I explain how I got involved in it. The reason for this is that for as long as I have been studying music and the music industry, everyone as always said to me that networking is the most important thing which is something that kind of went over my head a bit, I thought that really when put into practice the only thing that matters is that you are the good at what you do. Boy was I wrong about that! Of course it is important that when you are asked to do a job that you do it right and play to your best, but I have discovered that you are far more likely to get work in the music industry if you are hardworking, committed and if you take advantage of every opportunity.

About 8 months ago, I received an email from my course leader (an email that everybody got). The email was forwarded from a 3rd year student on the record production course asking if their were any drummers available to lay down some drum tracks for his project. I replied as soon as I got the email, very eager for some recording experience. Although (in my opinion) I didn't play that well on the recording the guy seemed pleased with it. One of the guys recording me was Steve, another 3rd year. I got on well with Steve and he seemed to think I wasn't a bad drummer. After the session I didn't see Steve at all, until I went to do unpaid work experience at Bliss Fields. Steve was the stage manager on the stage I was working on so we spent the weekend back stage loading and unloading the stage. It was there that Steve told me he needed a drummer for a one off gig in Bournemouth the following weekend. So I took the gig, there was no rehearsal, I was just given a CD and told that I needed to learn the set from it. After listening to the CD I felt that the music had great potential, the gig went a lot better than expected and I was asked to stay on as a permanent drummer. The reason I am telling this long winded story is that I think it is important to take every opportunity presented to you, regardless of how trivial it may seem.

The Project

So I am now working for a singer/songwriter Lauren Bannon, she is signed to Midtone Records. But most of my work is with her boyfriend and guitarist Kristian Pearce, as he is the main song writer and I rehearse with him. Its hard to describe the style of music that they play, it is not typical singer/songwriter style, there are some elements of indie rock, blues and swing in their music. Lauren has quite a deep voice with a really full and round tone which works really well with Kris's guitar playing. As they haven't had a drummer before, I have had to write my own drum parts for them. I try my best to write to the song, but I have to remember that it is their music, not mine, I'm just trying to add to their sound. Often, Kris will tell me to change things if its not quite how he wanted it to sound, this does mean that we have to have a good working relationship because I am there to add to his music, and if he wants it different then I have to respect that.

We've had two gigs so far and we've got our next one on the 6th September, so ill write about how that goes! Im not sure what will happen with this group, I'm hoping that it will go somewhere good and I'll get plenty of work. Although its not down to me in slightest, I would like to re-record the EP, with a bigger band, I would add another guitar, I would like Sander (the bassist) to play electric bass on some tracks, and double bass on others to give variety, I would also like to add a keyboard player to pad the sound out a bit. A string player would sound great too, on the EP on the myspace there is a cello on most of the tracks, unfortunately he left the group, but the cello sounds really good. You can check out Lauren Bannon at www.myspace.com/laurenbannon, none of the records on here have me on them as I joined the group after the recordings were done. If you see her playing at a venue near you I would encourage you to show, would be worth your while! Ill give more up dates as things progress!