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.