In Studio - Steve O'Connor, Bryden Baird, Jim Cuddy, Colin Cripps, Chris Shreenan-Dyck
In Studio - Steve O'Connor, Bryden Baird, Jim Cuddy, Colin Cripps, Chris Shreenan-Dyck
Everyone has a system they use to keep track of all the ideas, parts, and unfinished thoughts moving around your head when making a record. Jim’s system (quite successful I will say) involves notebooks with indecipherable scribbles, ideas, concerns, lyrics, etc that only he can seem to read. Mine appears a bit more organized yet does look like grade 2 art class. It involves having a piece of Bristol board first drawn with grid marks where I can list the songs we are working on, the various parts we have either finished, considered or haven’t gotten to yet, and the overall picture of how the record is progressing.
When we started this record, we wanted to have as many of the ideas and performance of the songs come together as an ensemble (where everyone plays together at the same time) as we could and record it “live off the floor”. Much of that is the case, but there are always logistical issues, unexplored ideas or simply not enough hands to get everything down in one go. After the bed tracks are recorded, we then look at the additional parts, which will enhance or complete the songs. If you look at the chart, it is my “road map” in seeing how each song is progressing. Lot’s of checks, or “x’s” to see where things are at, some idea we originally thought would work doesn’t, while something spontaneous gives big results. All like painting and trying to figure out what shades to use.
By the end of the recording, you get this picture. It’s great to see so many checks, doodles, drawings and colours. It tells its own story, and as we sit around contemplating our efforts, (over too much great wine), I look at this board and feel we have come up with some great music.
