Sifting Sands

Sifting Sands (MMT)
Written and Recorded 2011
Sifting Sands Revised
Arranged and Recorded 2012

 This one takes was written at the tail end of our time in Baraboo when I was getting ready to start up the Miss Misery Trio. The first version is a mishmash of influences. It still has massive focus on the bass part but is starting to incorporate Fleet Foxes-esque harmonies. This one helped us realize that this style was not going to work out. One thing I've really latched onto over the years is how important it is to realize what doesn't work and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses therein.

• This song's lyrics are based off a book called "Soon I Will Be Invincible." I can't remember a lot of the details, but it's basically a novel about superheroes and villains. One of the perspectives it is told from is supervillain. I thought it'd be interesting to write from the perspective of the bad guy. Feels unnatural to me, which is probably a good thing.
• The vocal harmonies are too much on version 1. They overpower the overall simplicity of the song. They work much better when I changed it to lyrics instead of "ooos". It's definitely more in line with the more bluegrass style of version 2.
• It took a long time to figure out how to adapt this song from versions 1 to 2. Because the chords are so simple, it almost left me with too much room to explore. Sometimes I feel my options are limited because of chord progressions or melodies. Restrictions tend to spurn creativity for me, so no restrictions made this one difficult.
• The structure and key on these are identical, but the stylistic change is so important. A word I think of when I hear version 1 is "sleepy." It's very lethargic, but there is power that comes in at the end when I hit the overdrive on the bass. That dynamic change comes way too late.
• Changing to a bluegrass style for this song was band-aid. I was able to add quite a bit more contrast in different sections, but I was never convinced that this song was that good. Definitely not a terrible song, but it misses the mark in many ways.
• The second version has some issues coming out of the solo. I miscounted and didn't bother to fix it. I believe it caused some problems when rehearsing and subsequently performing this song a few times. In the last year, I've made a real effort to make my demos as accurate as possible.

Eagle Trees

Eagle Trees
Written and Recorded 2003

I shall always love the rock band Clutch, this much I know. Did I used to really, really, really love Clutch? I believe this song serves as proof of that. One of the first dozen songs I ever wrote, this demonstrates more imitation, not only in terms of the style but lyrics as well. For those unfamiliar with the work of Clutch, much of their music is riff-based and you can rest assured it rocks pretty hard. The vocals are gruff and powerful, but usually still melodic. It'd be hard to say that the melodies of Clutch are memorable, it's more about the delivery of the lines and the guitar work. They also usually have some pretty groovin' beats. This song was never performed...in any context.

• The lyrics of this song are part Clutch/part Magic cards. Starting to play Magic at a young age, the illustrations helped form my imagination. When writing lyrics for this song, I remember visualizing a Green card with a monstrous looking tree that also had wings, talons, and a beak. Then, being the cause-hungry teen I was, decided to make it about deforestation as well. Deforestation of fictional trees. 
• How do these lyrics fit in to the Clutch influence? Aggressive is another word to describe their music, and the Eagle Trees story brought that out a bit in me. They also can have some tongue-in-cheek lyrics, too. You may hear a line in this song that starts "Those lions and tigers and bears, oh my." So there's that.
• I'm not sure where the idea for two different tempo/feels came from, but the chorus riff and the vocal line is the same, and pretty weak. I clearly worked a lot hard on the intro/interlude and the verses.
• For the longest time I thought creating melodies over riffs was the hardest thing ever. I couldn't understand how a guy like Chris Cornell could come up with such memorable melodies over single note guitar lines. It wasn't until college music theory and Youtube where I started making the connection. Youtube helped me find "stripped down" versions of songs where Cornell would strum an acoustic guitar and sing the song. It was definitely a revelation seeing that there are chord progressions outlined with those riffs and they sometimes even spell out the chord. 
• Guitar solo...A for effort, D for playing notes in the scale. In 2003 Nathan's defense, he didn't understand what scales were or why they are important. Oh well.

Poor Man

Poor Man
Written 2011
Version 1- Recorded 2011
Version 2-  Whiskey Doubles, Recorded 2014

No matter where my musical future takes me, this will be a song that I can always come back to and be proud of. It's a fairly simple and straight-forward song, but has enough intricacies to keep the listener engaged. I always tell folks, "This was the first song I wrote on banjo," and I think you can hear a little of that excitement and exploration in the original recording. After Of the North decided on the folk direction, this song was written and became our most accessible tune. It has stuck with me throughout the tenure of OTN, and now into Whiskey Doubles.

• The first version was recorded with no microphones, just the wonderful on-board mic of the MacBook. Before I bought my Zoom recorder, I would record all of my ideas straight into Garageband and build on them right away. The more I think on it, that's probably a contributing factor as to why I started adding instruments right away and didn't focus on the song itself. It was right there and I liked how the song sounded, so I just went ahead. Nowadays, when I record on to my Zoom, I record multiple versions of the same guitar accompaniment until it is right. Then I typically try to sing with the recording and craft some lyrics. Adding instruments has almost been removed from the equation. 
• Version 1 is almost more of a sketch than anything else, but I'm pretty sure I gave this to the band as a completed song. From there were worked out some structural things. Though the banjo part has nearly stayed the same the entire time.
• In Version 2, aside from more instruments and better quality, you'll also hear more dynamics and an alteration to the verse's chords. Rather than stay on C, the second phrase shifts to an Am. After 3 years of playing this song, I began to feel it needed something more. So I started exploring the chord progression, adding more chords and things like that. But in the end that little tweak is enough to keep it alive.
• When I started this blog, I didn't want to use any recordings from Whiskey Doubles CDs, but I cannot find any other versions other than these two. I'm kind of glad, though, because this really demonstrates the beginning and end of the song's evolution (so far)
• The banjo/vocal melody line on the verse is where everything stems from. At the time, I had no idea that I was writing in mixed meter, and admittedly have never taken the time to figure it out. It's a funny thing, because I don't think audience members hear it either.

Too Early (Climbed to the Top)

Too Early (Climbed to the Top)
Written and Recorded 2010

This is essentially a sketch, not a complete song. I had the music for a while before trying to put vocals to it, but it just never went anywhere. I love the soundscape that I created, but there was some sort of roadblock in the way that never let me finish. The first part of the title, "Too Early," refers to the fact that I thought it was too early in the morning when I started this song. Pretty deep stuff.

• I remember starting with the drums on this. The MIDI drums in Logic aren't too bad and I really loved the groove. Then I added in the static noises as well, not sure why, but I like it.
• If memory serves, I had the melody line and was doing my typical game of singing the line with whatever syllables feel right. It's funny how I often I find myself ending phrases with the "ooo" sound, and this sketch actually helped me discover that.
• Being early on in the Baraboo days, I was still working on finding my voice. While this song does extend to some of my higher range, I sing with a lack of authority and confidence, especially on the "This mountain's coming down" line. Singing it now, it is still up there, but I sound much different. Again, I have to attribute a lot of that to the community choir director we had there. 
• I'm not sure what happened at the end. I think I started a new loop too early and never bothered to fix it.
• I still wish there was more of this, but even now there is a block there. I'll keep this sketch and maybe it will surface again in the future.