Monday, August 27, 2007

we're still here

I hate when blogs start with "...so I know I haven't been good at updating this thing..." but the thing is, the new blogger format kept us from updating. finally got around to getting up-to-date with blogger. and now it is time for an update. there is so much going on right now...

1. moved into a new studio - red mountain church moved into a new building a few months ago, a building which was formerly a sound stage and film / television production house. So...I begged and pleaded with them to save me a room, and they generously did. the result is that we now have some AMAZING space to record in. uneven walls, great acoustics, an isolation booth, uneven floors, a good mix of carpet, hardwood floors, and exposed brick. believe me - after 4 years of working and recording in very makeshift space (read: janitorial closet), we are truly thankful to have comfortable, inspiring, efficient recording space. we spend so much time in the studio, and we really are thankful. (in these photos, frank is helping me install acoustic panels, which were given to me by creative wall solutions, in the iso booth) (thanks frank you are awesome).

2. progress on the new record is amazing - we have been working like crazy on the new record - what we're calling "the pocta sessions". we've got at least 11 songs that we feel really good about - and just last week spent two very late nights working on bass and drums with our friends jeff irwin and tripp etheridge. matthew smith was in town as well, and he spent some time hanging out with us in the studio as well. in this photo, we're packing out, finishing up two nights of very encouraging tracking. clint is the one in focus, talking to matthew. clint and I plan to be hitting the studio very hard in the coming weeks finishing out guitar and piano parts, as well as getting together with vocalists and other musicians for final tracks. our plan is to begin post-production by late-september, and have the record out by early december. things are looking good, and so far we are on schedule. maybe soon I'll post some demos / rough mixes. these songs are really exciting.

3. new spots material - I go back and forth on whether or not we should mention the spots when it comes to red mountain - but the truth is - the spots is a band that formed very much out of the music at red mountain. especially our instrumental music, which is found on all of our records, as well as every night at our church, during communion. this band grew out of some requests from friends to play instrumental music at parties and private events, and has grown to be a pretty cool band, getting regular play in birmingham. we've been getting great press, radio interviews, and have a monthly gig at a downtown bar where we routinely pack it out with 150 - 200 people. I'm always surprised when people show up because, well, we just play. no specific songs. just music. but to be honest - it's the most creatively satisfying band I've ever been in, and for some mysterious reason, people really connect with the music. it's been a great outlet, and the band is mostly made up of red mountain musicians, and carries a strong red mountain vibe, so the world should definitely know about it.

oh, and at our last gig, we made a live recording (over 2.5 hours of incredible live music that I'm still sorting through, when I'm not working on pocta...), and paul scodova (our mix guy for the red mountain stuff) came down to record everything for us. and as is paul's custom when visiting birmingham, he changed a flat tire. last time - clint's flat on the interstate in sub-zero weather. this time - my flat in my driveway in 110 degree alabama heat. thanks paul!

- Brian T. Murphy

8 comments:

Peter said...

Can't wait to hear the final product!


Also, will the Spots be selling their albums officially or are they only sold at concerts? I love the instrumentals, and would love to get a hold of more of your stuff.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update, Brian, as always.

Benj said...

Excellent. The studio looks and sounds amazing. I'm really glad you guys have been able to upgrade.

Jeremy said...

me so happy!!!

shawn avery said...

you guys did a great job on the studio.

paul did a great job on the recording...

considering the only released material by the spots was recorded at RMC, i'd say the spots are very much affiliated. and our most prominent song was composed on easter sunday at RMC.

i have some incredible visuals ready for sept22.

Brandon said...

Brian, thanks for the update. Can't wait for the new CD.

Red Mountain Music said...

wow - people actually visit this blog! who knew?

peter - we are working with a local record store in birmingham - lasers edge - they will be the exclusive place to get the spots cds, other than our live shows. I'll be posting more info about this soon, but in the meantime:

http://www.lasersedgecd.com/

rae - no problem.

benj - thanks man. it really is wonderful new space. clint and I, I think, wrapped up our initial set of guitars for the record. "why should I fear" sounds particularly amazing. can't wait for you to hear some rough mixes. that song actually gave me chills last night, playing it back in the studio.

jeremy - thanks. me too.

shawn - cool. yeah - it is really amazing space. we'll get the spots in there soon and mess around. will be fun. and yes, the spots / RMC ties are pretty close. can't wait to see the visuals.

bnun - thanks. we're working hard now to get it wrapped up soon!

The Sooz said...

Thank you for posting. I enjoyed an update.