The Beat Goes On...

No, the title of this post doesn't mean we're covering Sonny & Cher songs now.  The title refers to the completion of phase 1 of making our new CD, which is recording the drum tracks.  This is where the band plays together like a live gig, only you're not playing for drinkers while drinking and hearing everything distorted through crappy PA's & monitors. In this case, we were playing for one of the best producer/engineers in the business, Chris Wisco...and at his new & improved studio at Belle City Sound, you could hear and play everything perfectly tuned and balanced.

Making CD's is one of the few times drummers have the best job in rock & roll.  The rest of the band has to play all the attempts it takes to get the drum tracks right, then all their hard work gets tossed with only the drum tracks being saved.  Next, they have to do it all over again & again to record their various parts off the edited drum tracks.  All this, while "Yours Truly" kicks back on the comfy couch with a cold one and offers free advice on their work in progress.

In HWY 13's case, the drummer has an an even better job because his partner in rhythm...bass player Danno Armstrong...writes 98% of the songs.  Almost all our songs come from a riff or beat that one of us tripped over during a warm-up, but it's Danno who ultimately puts the complete package together with structure, lyrics and grooves that a drummer can truly feast on.  Also, Dino is such a great lead guitar player you almost forget what a great rhythm guitarist he is to play with.  Well played sirs!  

With such great songs & players to work with, we were able to get all the necessary drum tracks done in only two takes, with the first take selected for use on every song but two. As for the drumming itself, you never know how you're going to sound to the listener, especially without being able to hear all the other parts wrapped around it.  I can say, however, that the drumming felt good while I was playing, and as usual I tried to keep the beat strong & steady while mixing-in enough syncopation (off-beat stuff) to keep it from being too predictable or cliche song after song.  

You can be the judge when it's done, or you can get a sneak preview of the new songs at our upcoming gig Saturday January 11 at the Blue Rock in downtown Racine.  Thanks again for tuning into the blog and keep rockin'!