journal: last recording session for The Grand Scream! (Patreon)

The fact that we're closing in on completing this album feels surreal! (The rest of the mixing + mastering still need to be done even though recording is finished!) I had an intensely difficult summer all around, though in the process I also broke a few major curses that are specific to me as a person. I'm so proud of myself for fighting tooth and nail to show up for myself and my art through it all. Right now I'm recouping physically and mentally so I can put my best self forward for the releases.

I'm meeting tomorrow with a videographer who is going to help me make some videos for social media to promote one of the singles. I know of her through my friend Justin, who contributed generously to the album budget outside of the Indiegogo and is guest-starring with some backing vocals and a small voice acting part on Call Me Dracula.

I met with Wyatt two nights in the past week to finish the album. During night one, we focused on backing vocals for Stunner/Square. I was pretty exhausted due to poor sleep (right now I regularly can only fall asleep at 3am or later) so I was having trouble focusing towards the middle of the session. I started having difficulty with hearing internally the notes I was supposed to sing while tracking harmonies. Wyatt knows me well and suggested I put a (powered-off) mini synthesizer within my reach so I could press the notes I was supposed to sing, knowing it would help me while I was tracking backing vocals. A bit later, I got a second wind, like I always do, and crushed the rest of the session.

During night two, we finished backing vocals for what was left of Stunner/Square and for all of Daisies All Around (formerly Confetti Falls On The Highway). There were times when I felt very energetic and hyper and had trouble containing those feelings while singing some really delicate lines. Not that I was over-singing, but it was easy to lose track of where I was in a phrase or stanza. In my head, I was thinking of getting to shift my focus to preparing to share my music with the world.

After recording the backing tracks for Daisies, we recorded synths for two songs. We adjusted the synths to sound like theremins! I had wanted to hire a real thereminist, but it was not within budget.

If I am lucky, a few things that are up in the air right now will come to fruition and I'll be able to surprise my fans with something really fun and cool! Though it may take several months to be able to get to the point where I can reveal it.

Thanks for reading! I'm going to sleep now so that I have a shot at getting more Machinery-related work done tomorrow (and regulating my nervous system).