Ellery Stimulus

So we have Saturdays and Sundays off from the studio.  But if you don’t mind, we’re not counting yesterday (Saturday) because we spent the day with the kind auto mechanics off of Ulster Ave.  (Our van had been overheating; turns out it was a seized fan, and it cost us over $500.  Ouch. *sigh*)

So today was our first free day in the Kingston area.  Justin made us breakfast (he gets so many points for this), and our plan all week has been to hike a trail somewhere in the abundance of beautiful forestry around these Hudson River Valley parts…

The Ashokan Reservoir had been recommended to us by a few folks, so we set out this morning with the promise of trails and shade and (bless our hearts) some lovable forest creatures.

As we drove on Reservoir Dr, the forest opened up to expose a bridge over the massive reservoir, and we were breathless.  It spilled out into an amazing scene: Mountains to the right, topped with cloud and mist, an expanse of water on either side of us, and forests ahead.  We took a few pictures–

Unfortunately, everywhere we looked there were chains along the roadside, blocking off the trees, and even blocking off the many trail entrances we’d spotted. (”No Trespassing Except for Fishing with a Permit.”)
Curious!  Where were all the hiking trails we’d been promised?! 

While temporarily confused, we did walk along a very cool pedestrian bridge, and we came across a sweet doe who had no problem with our close proximity.  (And - we confess - with our insistence on attempting to speak with her.)  We’re such city folk.

We soon had to *ahem* find a restroom, but I’m glad we forsook our original plan (drive around until we spot a trail?).  Because the kind man at the convenience store informed us that we could in fact hike on all those blocked-off trails, but, we needed a hiking permit to do so.  (Wow!  Our Ohio forests have spoiled us!)
To their credit, the permits are free.  Still, we’re permit-less.
No shady walks with forest creatures for us.

We were a bit disappointed, but it began to rain anyway.  So we headed back to Kingston, where the rain let up long enough for us to get a jog in around uptown.  (Uptown Kingston is historic, settled by the Dutch in 1652, and it’s quirky but nice.  Like a disheveled Marblehead MA.)  (Speaking of historic and Dutch, check out the nearby Hurley Stone House, where our NY guests are staying.  Seriously: The home itself (and its hosts) are amazing.)

We’d been invited to a Sun. evening barbecue in New Paltz, which we discovered today to be littered with musicians and former musicians.  Very fun.  Even more fun, we were able to finally meet (in person) my good friend Kate.  And let me just say, Kate Bradley is great at what she does.  And she’s a great person.  And she’s reeled me into this, which is so lovely.  If you’re a musician, look her up.

Now we’re huddled inside, a slow, dark evening under lamplight and the sound of the window unit.
Tomorrow we track drums.  I mean, tomorrow Josh tracks drums.
And I spend some time learning how to sing the new versions of these songs –

So it’s the last day of our first week, and here’s the update:

We had a crazy first three days.  There was a crazy amount of singing (for Tasha), lots of hot tea, tons of cough drops…
We tracked piano and guitar together, right off the bat, as well as several vocal takes for each song.  We may redo vocals later, but this process is pretty different than anything we’ve done before.  It’s a lot to dive into when you’re first beginning the record, but after the first week there’s just so much done already.  And a great foundation for each tune, for the other musicians over the next couple weeks.

We were joined this week by Max, a very kind high school student from England who assisted in the studio this week.  (And who makes a mean cup of coffee.)  We’re sending him off tomorrow, so safe travels Max!  We hope you got all the Reese’s you could handle.  And that all the screaming ladies you met will instant message you. 

We also did a fair amount of rewriting this week.  A few songs are in new keys, and the difference in sound/feel is fascinating.  There were new lyrics to be written, plenty of re-arranging, and general experimenting.
There’s one song in particular that I thought was going to be the death of me.  We wanted to include it on the record but it needed…something.  So there were many post-studio and early-morning hours I spent poring (obsessing) over the lyrics and staring blankly at the keyboard at the apartment, so worried that nothing good would come.
I think something good finally came, like five minutes before we began recording the song.  Seriously.  Although by the time this happened I felt like I didn’t know anymore which way was up when it came to that tune.  So I’m taking Justin’s and Malcolm’s word for it right now. 

But a lot of things in this process, especially in this first week, do start with a kind of blind faith in Malcolm’s ideas.  Given his history, we knew going into this that the faith would be well-placed.  It’s hilariously confusing at times, but you get a little bit into the tune and think, “Oh.  OOOOOooh.  I seeeee.”
What’s fun now is that we’re listening back a lot yesterday and today.  Malcolm’s playing bass these couple days, so we’re getting to listen a lot more, and we’re getting to see how good his ideas are.

So.  We have the weekend free to catch up on some sleep, think through musical ideas (things like extra instruments, background vocals, etc), and maybe hike a nearby trail.
On Monday, our drummer will join us… The very fine Josh Seurkamp.  (We have no small amount of excitement about this.)  Josh is so great at bringing songs to life, so we can’t wait to hear what happens when he and Malcolm get together…

We have some ideas for more fan love songs, and we need to get some video of the studio up… So there be more coming to you soon!
Thank you for being a part of this with us.  Please let us know if there’s anything in particular you want to see, hear, know… We’re so close to this project that it’s difficult for us to know what’s worth sharing; what’s curious, weird, interesting, unclear, etc… So fill us in.  We’ll see what we can do!

“Love Song For Three Fans”
Written and recorded Wednesday on breaks at the studio.

We feel the love - thanks for being a part of this with us!
Enjoy these songs? Know the people we’re singing about? Please share them!

This is only our third time making a record, but our limited experience confirms that the first week is the hardest.
(Not that we weren’t told so when we began that first record in Nashville.  “Don’t worry,” the guitarist said, “The first week is the hardest.  It’s hard for everyone.”)

The obvious reason is that it’s all us, all the time.  :)  Later on, we’ll get to watch and listen as other musicians breathe life into the songs.  Or we’ll get to sing and play over song foundations that have already been laid.  But this is the groundwork.

The bigger reason is that there are so many questions to answer.  We decide this week which songs will go on the record, and once we’ve determined the tracklist (which is still a bit uncertain), we decide how exactly each song will go.  How many verses?  How many measures before the bridge begins?  What kind of intro?  Should there be different chords for this part?  We’ve played this song this one way for three years, but maybe it’s asking for something different than we thought.  What if we try it in a lower key?  Can you re-learn the piano part?  What if we re-write the bridge for that one song?  Maybe the bridge of this song should really be the chorus of the song…

It’s hilarious written out, but while we’re in it (which is right now), it’s an emotional rollercoaster.  The process is terrifically vulnerable; it’s scary and awkward at times, and frustrating… Usually while also being fun and legitimately fascinating.
We’re being pushed, in a good way: In the way we asked to be pushed.  We came into this process saying, “Okay.  What is it that Ellery does, and where is the music going?  What are these songs asking for, and how can we translate it all onto a record?  How can we break old habits?  What limits have we unconsciously placed on ourselves?”
We’re finding some answers to these questions, and while the answers are welcome, they’re not always easy.  Rewriting a song you’ve known for years is challenging both emotionally and pragmatically, and singing all day is challenging no matter what the reason.

But the more we hear the results the better it all feels.  It’s the right direction.  Can’t wait to see what everything looks like on Monday. 

So our work in the studio is from noon to 10pm each day, with a couple breaks for lunch and dinner. An unusual workday but it works well for musician types…

We came in today with 18-19 possible songs for a record that will hold only 11-12. So we spent our first few hours listening to the tunes and eliminating.
I had wondered if we’d feel sad about leaving some behind, but the cutting floor was actually a relief. It just felt good to make a plan.

While we did make a lot of decisions, the full list is still a bit uncertain. So we don’t have a full tracklist for you yet… But, perhaps we’ll get to share it later this week.
Or perhaps we’ll keep it (mostly) a secret. Hmm. Options.

The first week is always the hardest; it’s just mentally exhausting — But we’re happy — it’s all fascinating. Malcolm has great ideas. Great ideas.

And we’ve got homework to do. Rewriting a chorus or two this evening…
Wish us luck!

More soon –

–tasha

Fifi the Wonder Cat loves her some Ellery. Photo courtesy her person, Laura T. Lolcats courtesy Justin.

Introducing the first Ellery love songs for our fans…

Thank you for what you’re doing to make this record possible!

In keeping with the previous post, we received this image via twitter just yesterday:

With the accompanying text:

“It’s quiet in Sarasota so we opened all the cabinets to “help” Justin sleep.” (From @mrs_simpleton)

I’m feeling the love, I’m feeling the love.

J.