2nd rehearsal

Awesome setup
Originally uploaded by Sarathine.

Everything went well last night - we have one more to go before the big session.

Getting excited but also nervous!

xx

EP FAQ

'Cause you asked.

What does "EP" mean?
EP is the original name given to a single with more than 2 songs. Wikipedia has a great page on it here.


When are you recording? You keep giving us different dates..
We are confirmed for the day/evening of Saturday April 8th.


When will the EP be available?
I'm expecting to announce that close to the date.


How can I get one?
I will be selling them on the site by Paypal and through a few other online retailers. I will announce this in April.


How much will they be?
It depends on where you purchase them from, but I plan to offer them on my site for a low price with very competitive shipping prices. I will announce this in April.


What songs are on it and can I download them?
The track names are Hiding, Bright, Find the Light and Break Your Heart. 30 second clips will be available on the site for download around mid-April.


Is it costing you a lot to make?
Well after the recording and mixing costs, there are printing and duplication costs. It is a fair amount of money, which is why I am selling the EP rather than giving it out to friends.


Will the new tracks go up on your MySpace?
I think so. I'll also link there with how to purchase the EP.


xxx
♥
--Kat

Rehearsal snapshot

EP Rehearsal
Originally uploaded by Sarathine.

Here's a shot from our first rehearsal last week. We've got another scheduled for tomorrow night, but I'm not sure on the venue yet.

And for those curious cats, we're recording Saturday April 8th.


xx
--K

First rehearsal

Last night we had a rehearsal at my place with the proposed recording band for the EP: Nick on guitar, Stu on bass. I also invited guitarist Andy along as well, even though he is not free for the EP: he knows the material and could offer advice on it, as well as help me with some of the more irregular chords.

Chris also attended, as he is my extra pair of "ears" - and his ears are good. He hears a lot of things I don't (and a lot I do) and we work really well together. He ran through a few (really good) ideas for his backing vocals last night, especially on Find the Light. It's going to be great to have his voice on the tracks as well as his creative contributions.

Rajeev came along as the 'documentarian'. He filmed the rehearsal and will film the recording day - it'll be fantastic to have that record of it. Eventually I will have a DVD as a keepsake, but I have no deadline on this as I know he is going crazy at the moment finishing other projects.

I think it went well. They're getting to know the music now and moving towards a better product. Once I have the date confirmed I can start getting excited. It's all coming up soon. Next rehearsal is March 28th.

Oh! and for those of you who are wondering, 'EP' stands for "extra play" or "extended play" - the original name for a 7-inch single record with more than two songs. :)

"EP is the name given to vinyl records which are too long to qualify as singles but too short to qualify as albums. Typically an album has eight or more tracks (anywhere between 40-60 minutes), a single only one or two (5-15 minutes), and an EP five to eight (or around 15-35 minutes.) Some artists, especially in the days of vinyl, have released full-length albums that could fit the definition of a modern-day EP."
(wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ep)


xx
--K

Getting shorter, getting longer

1. Find out dates for Auckland.
2. Finalise recording time that suits all involved.
3. Continue to rehearse my own piano and vocals parts to confidence, but not overkill.
4. Book another rehearsal with everyone before the date: Stu, Nick, Chris. Next Tuesday, maybe?
5. Confirm Rajeev and Neha for recording day.
6. Record record record.
7. Stick around for the mixing process, if possible.
8. Finish cover design, name the EP.
9. Organise cover with printers.
10. Organise masters and copies with STL.
11. Arrange with Jeeves to run copies off at the Dub shop with the master.
12. Finalise business cards.
13. Set up online shop.
14. Promotion.
15. Party!


♥

Play it

Our next rehearsal is Tuesday, and everyone's coming. Should be great. I'm hoping to have a few more before we record.

I have a few more people to confirm with, so I'll let you know what date we actually worked out after I know everyone's available!

Thanks for keeping up, it's great to have people interested in the project.

And I'm still listing

Yah, me again. Aren't you glad you're getting every thought process? Didn't think so.

Date is now probably the 28th. I'm meeting with the studio this week to finalise. But the songs are finalised! So now the cover can be finished, finally. :)

Hiding
Find the Light
Bright
Break Your Heart


Still to do..

1. Find out dates for Auckland.
2. Sort out a recording time when we're all free.
3. Organise with STL what works for them time-wise, the drummer, the electronic stuff, strings, etc.
4. Rehearse my own piano and vocals parts to confidence, but not overkill.
5. String arrangements/sound effects?
6. Rehearsal with everyone before the date: Stu, Nick, Chris
7. Try and get Rajeev for that day.
8. Record record record.
9. Stick around for the mixing process, if possible.
10. Finish cover design, name the EP.
11. Organise with printers.
12. Organise masters and copies with STL.

And we're off

You know how they say when God closes a door, he opens a window?

The sudden postponements of the Australia/NZ/Japan/Hawaii U2 concerts has given me an open weekend - a weekend I thought I'd be flying to Melbourne on.

I am now hoping to record my EP on Friday 24th March. At the moment I am waiting on the studio and will have to iron out details on the drummer etc, at the studio.

Chris and I had our little song session last night, and it went quite well. We are currently decided on:

1. Hiding
2. Alive
3. Bright
4. Break Your Heart

Subject to change.

At the moment in addition to my piano/vocals on all tracks, we are having guitar/bass/bass drum on Hiding, bass and possible drums on Alive, bass/guitar/possible strings on Bright, and just my vocals/piano on Break Your Heart.

More news to come soon.

1. Find out dates for Auckland.
2. Sort out songs with Chris.
3. Organise a night to rehearse and arrange the chosen songs with Andy, Stu and Chris if he is free, otherwise organise a separate rehearsal with Chris.
4. Sort out a time when we're all free.
5. Beg work to let me have a(nother) day off.
6. Organise with STL what works for them.
7. Rehearse my own piano and vocals parts to confidence, but not overkill.
8. Book a 2nd? rehearsal with the boys to make sure things are smooth (and that we don't take too much of their time/STL's time/my $$ in the studio).
9. Book Rajeev for the studio day, if he is available, or at least the night part of the shoot. Otherwise Chris can possibly take photos?
10. Record record record.
11. Stick around for the mixing process, if possible.
12. Finish cover design, name the EP.
13. Organise with printers.
14. Organise masters and copies with STL.

xx
--K

The hard part

I'm kinda at a standstill at the moment. I'm waiting on some people in Auckland to get back to me on the current situation with a dance album I'm involved with. I'm going up one weekend soon to record with them and work on the video shoot, and this might throw a few of my plans out of whack. Lucky I have nothing concrete booked in yet.

Once I know those dates I will book in a day/evening with STL, though I still don't know how I'm going to work it. I'd need a day off from work, or even a half day if I have to (which is kinda bad as I go to Melb for the last weekend and am already taking a day then), to lay down the basic vocals and piano for the tracks, and then I'd need Stu, Andy, Chris and possibly a drummer to come in after that and record into the evening. How do I book an afternoon-evening that everyone is free? It's a nightmare at the moment. Friday nights aren't good for Andy or Stu. Chris works a fair bit.

I need to take in albums of artists whose sound I want to emulate. While the idea of sounding like anyone else irks me, I understand that there needs to be an example for mixing and mastering. I am thinking of taking Vanessa Carlton's Harmonium and a Sarah McLachlan album. Damn I wish I had strings.

I still need to sit down with Chris and go over the songs. I need to rehearse backing vocals with him to a guide vocal (so things need to be pre-recorded at home). And I'll need to rehearse with Stu and Andy as well, which will most likely be one night in Newtown.

SO!

1. Find out dates for Auckland.
2. Sort out songs with Chris, possibly rehearse if we have time.
3. Organise a night to rehearse and arrange the chosen songs with Andy, Stu and Chris if he is free, otherwise organise a separate rehearsal with Chris.
4. Sort out a time when we're all free.
5. Beg work to let me have a(nother) day off.
6. Organise with STL what works for them.
7. Rehearse my own piano and vocals parts to confidence, but not overkill.
8. Book a 2nd? rehearsal with the boys to make sure things are smooth (and that we don't take too much of their time/STL's time/my $$ in the studio).
9. Book Rajeev for the studio day, if he is available, or at least the night part of the shoot. Otherwise Chris can possibly take photos?
10. Record record record.
11. Stick around for the mixing process, if possible.
12. Finish cover design, name the EP.
13. Organise with printers.
14. Organise masters and copies with STL.

Phew. I'm tired just lookin at that list.