29 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 29.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
29.05.12

Tuesday….in studio rough mixing the rest of the tracks…long day….



30.05.12
Wednesday…more mixing and recorded some tracks on ‘the promise’…spent a lot of time on this song and it still aint right….must get to grips with it.





31.05.12
Thursday…end of mixing….banged down ‘He said’ before quick mixing it and leaving to go to festival.
Rich and I have a 10 day break to come back refreshed with a new plan of attack…..I’m off to spend the time in the mountains.





1-6th June 2012
At JudeAnt fest near Abergavenney. I played everyday, jammed with peeps, played Samba, danced all night everynight and hung around afterwards to help with deconstruction and clearing up.
What an amazing time…totally gave me new focus as well as hooking up with loads of peeps in the industry to which I’m sure will benefit me in the future.

7-10th June….spent chilling in reflection.
Back in studio Monday 11th….yey.

28 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 28.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
28.05.12 


 

1.07am
Just realised I haven’t written a thing for a week, mad, it’s flown by. Back to the story….last Tuesday went into studio and wrestled a big Dogfish, got all sorts of mad shit goin on that neither me or Rich seemed to be in control of. Left a little baffled…we’d put some man hours into this and still not a product we were happy with.
I left Tuesday for some badly needed R&R, chilled in the sun, had a beer, received some badly needed hugs and met Amy Wadge on Thursday.
What a lady, spent hours gassing, I picking her brains, getting a broader perspective on things and she, trying to find out why she has this bloke sat in her studio. (only kidding) Amy has already got things in motion, she’s such a hot cookie, I can’t believe she wants to help me. Me….lmao.
Friday back in the studio, tried to understand Dogfish, laid guitar tracks, loads of vocal tracks and got some of the rhythm and production sitting nice…Left happy…..took Rich to the pub, he gave me great reassurances that I’m on to something new and experimental and also that he wants to work with me more….that I am ecstatic about….I have much love and respect for him and his art.
I then went for rehearsals with Trish till 11pm.
Saturday 26th, had gig at the Torch theatre. Me and Trish got there with 30mins to spare, soundchecked then hit the unsuspecting audience with 40mins of excellent songs from us both. I really enjoyed it, even had some whoops….in the theatre darling?? Lord knows whats next?? Smiling in public??
Anyway, good buzz, chatted to everyone, nearly blinded Perren with the peek of my cap when I dived in for a hug, Amazonne nearly lost a band member.
Got home 1am, exhausted.
Sunday 27th, saw the Olympic torch with the family then spent 6 hrs learning how to use my new loop pedal….I hope my ideas work….or rather I hope I can get them to work. I then had a jam with Pete Peric for a couple of hours. Had grub, went to pub.
Writing journal, going to sleep, alarm set for studio in the morning. Back to the coal face….

Dai Sharkey Project one 28.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
Monday 28.05.12





What a day in the studio. Got in and did some guitar tracks to finish Dogfish then discussed what we were going to do this week. I suggested some new songs to which Rich asked me to play them. When I played a song I wrote last week we decided it was the next one to do.
It’s called Anymore. I laid a pile of guitar tracks on then added a chorus line of vocals. Need to do some housekeeping with it but the buzz is gorgeous. Mellow but strong.

I’ve also been spending hours on my new loop pedal. Getting to grips with it. My timings getting better. It’s real precision work and I need to do it naturally so I’m sure I’ll have to put in the hours if I want it to be impressive.

Also forgot to say in my last entry that Rich put forward a mix of ‘my love is free’ for a TV advert, hope they use it and he also asked me to do some library recordings with him. That should be fun, also, Amy gave me loads of marketing tips and suggested we do some writing together and said she was going to chat to Ed Sheeran and get him involved.
I’m playing JudeAnt fest on the weekend so have also been organising my camping gear and stuff to take. It’s gonna be fun.

21 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one Monday 21.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
Monday 21.05.12




After an emotional weekend with a great Sunday afternoon gig at the Pontardawe food festival I got to the studio this morning still feeling a little shell shocked. We listened to the track we done Friday of the promise and sort of started again, laid the guitar and vocal tracks and by the end of a sunny day had a nice, simple song that sounds great. I even pumped some iron in Rich’s garden in the sun….lovely. Doing Dogfish next. mmm
Got a pretty busy week ahead, looking forward to meeting up with Amy Wadge Thursday.
Back to it……oh yes, and I’ve written a lovely song : what have you done to me? Nice….

18 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one Friday 18th May.


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
Friday 18th May.


Got to the studio by 9.15am and started work on the Promise. I spent all night, on Rich’s advice, working on rearranging the song but something felt uneasy to me. I arrived with a quandary, so me and Rich sat and chatted for an hour until my mind was settled on a plan of attack, a way to approach it that was mutually pleasing. Madly, we then built some guitar loops to hang the song on. By 4pm the song was arranged and sat awkwardly in time to be completed on Monday.
I just had a bad feeling today, something wasn’t right, some sort of disturbance in the force, I felt odd all day, mentally I was ok but my spirit was being poked somehow. It was a strange one. Glad to be sat on my own tonight, I’m going to attempt to write a song about it.
Hoping to go up and see Cheryl Beers Uke students tomoz and then playing at Pontardawe food festi on Sunday, the ‘work’ never ceases, just rolls on.

17 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 17.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
17.05.12




I’d just like to log my mental health at this time. The last three years of my life have been my musical therapy, having been in a really bad place in my head the music has provided me with expression and has eliviated the associated problems that I have.
My hallucinations have lessened, my stress levels have dropped, my ability to recall and retain information has increased and all the while I am cautious that I don’t over do things. I’m more than happy to take time out to recharge when needed. (I’ve never been able to do that)
I did have some mad visual hallucinations in the studio last week but managed to center myself, focus, use breathing to control my anxiety and spent a few minutes re-setting my barings and checking my place in time. In 5mins I was ok, didn’t have a major effect on the day. I was a bit tense after it but we recorded fine. I did go home and sleep like a log. Takes a lot of effort to control the mind, I tired myself out a bit.
Another breakthrough, I actually went to Rich’s local pub on my own for a pint, ok, there was only the landlord there but I felt really strong and in control, makes a change.

16 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 16.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
16.05.12


Ok, this wasn’t the plan but this is how it has played out.
It is somewhat ironic that this recollection starts with me going to a festival. I had planned to make connections, promote and play at the Cosmic Puffin festival, so I was picked up Friday afternoon 4.5.12, drove 5hrs and settled into the first festival of the season.
I had planned to soak in as much as possible and network with as many people as possible, I was really out of my depth, a Welshman, in Essex, at a space rock festival. I worked hard, soaked in as many avant garde experiences as possible, whilst chatting and passing my cards out to anyone involved.
I’m hoping that some good will come of it in the future.
I also played to a couple of small audiences whilst I was there and am sure I made some true fans.
I arrived home on the Monday and was promptly in the studio Tuesday to mash up No more, then hit Rock, Paper, scissors and you can tell I’d been to a festival, it sounds amazing, really experimental. Rich is brilliant like that, I shove mad ideas at him and he comes up with the most ridiculous solutions that work fantastically, it blows me away some days.
Wednesday, it was a case of, a little bit louder and a little bit worse. We were right in the swing of it.
Thursday and Friday we got all the tracks done and started to create a cohesive sound across the tracks. Friday we also set up the tracks for Insane Planes, got another mad thing going, totally me. It actually freaked me out Thursday because Rich had done such an amazing job of the sound I actually felt for a moment that I was a listener and that it was an amazing track, then realising, woah, that’s me that is….I was utterly blown away, shocking Rich by jumping out of my seat and striding across the studio away from it.
Saturday I was playing at an annual festival in Caerphilly, another early bird with hardcore festival organisers. Great jamming with Mad Toms Crowd, and plenty of spreading the word.
Sunday 13.5 Went filming with CTV for the documentary, Darren messaged me to say that he really enjoyed it and he has some great footage. I sang some songs, chatted a little, gave some background and also did an interview style chat about the stage that the Project is at.
The facts are, now I’ve created the wave I’m more riding it wildly trying to control whats happening. I have four more gigs booked and confirmation from Beach Break Live. Its all going swimmingly.
Also a dutch agent has put me on his books, hoping to get some good results from that by the end of the year.
Studio for the week, going to be mad. Also Jenny prompted me to get my arse in gear and organise some of the other stuff including having my Mentoring sessions with Amy Wadge. I messaged her today and will be meeting up for the first session next week. Looking forward to spending time to pick her brains and I’m looking to learn a great deal from her company, I hope I don’t wear her out. I do get a little intense. I’m sure we’ll jam and it’ll be cool.
Also playing in Pontardarwe Food festival on Sunday and torch theatre, milford haven on the 26th,?, I think.
Anway, it’s late, I’ve had enough of typing.

Dai Sharkey Project one Wednesday 16.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
Wednesday 16.05.12




Started tracking insane planes with Rich, we found a lovely groove using beats on a refrigerator door and an oven door that has a Middle American feel. Laid all the vocals and ran out of time. Went home and worked on some new song arrangements.

Thursday 17.05.12
In studio by 9am got coffee and hit Insane planes with a hammer. Rich certainly earned his bread today, we must have heard the song a thousand times, tweaking with each play. Got a lovely double bass and the guitar is mad. Added a little keys and mixed. 30 mins before I left, Rich was twiddling, I was observing wondering what he was up to, just to find he had grabbed a breath off one of my vocal tracks and proceeded to use it as sound, absolutely amazing. Just as I thought he was frazzled he pulls something spectacular out of the bag. Doing the Promise tomorrow, going to rework it tonight and see how it goes in the morning.

3 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 03.05.12


Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
03/05/12



Worked in the studio till 5, finished Honey. Sat and changed No more, tracked in samples. Lovely buzz. Rich was fantastic, although I think a little stressed by the time we’d done. I’m looking forward to Tuesday.
Went straight from Studio to Caffi Iechyd da for a gig, a songwriter rounds event with Ron Savory and Ian Shimmin. It seemed like they had been there for ages, all set up, sat down jamming before the punters arrived.
I grabbed my gear and set up, sound checked, then sat and had a beer and cake.
First set, amazing, 2nd set, even better. I love working with these guys, they are not only extremely talented songwriters and musicians but they are tolerant and helpful, caring and watchful with me. I feel so comfortable and safe in their company.
The venue was sold out, I was well chuffed.
Pleased to see some friends had travelled a distance to come.
Rik, a friend and local songwriter was there so I went back to his home and jammed for an hour or so. Got home about 2am. 17 hours at the coal face, so much fun.
Now packing for Puffin festival tomorrow.

2 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 02.05.12

Dai Sharkey Project one 2012
02/05/12

Great day in the studio, didn’t get much sleep but was still up with a spring in my step, organised and ready to go. I got there to find there was no water for the day….argh…no coffee. Finished the tracks on  ‘I love you’, Rich had obviously been working hard, the track sounded amazing, I bet it tested his abilities, my timing was a bit slack yesterday.
Got some great ambience, I asked Rich yesterday if he had a ‘7 knot breeze through 4 silver birch’ sample to lie under the 2nd verse….today we had a bontempi organ fan instead.

Got on with laying tracks for ‘Honey’, only took 3 hours to do all that was in my head and loads of Rich’s ideas, it sounded amazing, still a lot to play with but got a good vibe going.
Got home worn out, got camping stuff ready for festival on weekend, sat here, finishing writing this, then check my emails and then get a set together for tomorrows gig at Iechu da, Carmarthen and I’m getting picked up at 11am Friday and gone till Monday afternoon. Tuesday I’ll be back in the studio.
Hard life of a Rock Star…lmao.

1 May 2012

Dai Sharkey Project one 01.05.12.




Dai Sharkey  Project one 
01/05/12


Got back from the studio, really pleased to be getting results from the hard work.
Played a gig with the Strange agency Friday, lost myself a little over the weekend, I’ve been feeling a bit odd….it’s all a bit hard to take in. I think I’m getting to grips with myself now, and if it all turns to shit it really don’t matter.
Roughly finished I love you, I think my samba beat is great. Everything just sounds lush, full, clear, again, a little hard to take in, adding a few more tracks and then rough mixing before moving on to the next one…No more or Honey.
Got some gigs come through, Caffi Iecheu Da, Carmarthen, Thursday, cosmic puffin fest, essex on Friday, Pontardawe food festival 20th-ish, Milford Haven, torch theatre 26th, Jude-Ant fest, june 1-4th, Beach break live june 16th-ish (haven’t got my diary out)
Hopefully get some R&R inbetween the madness, at least I can lie in the grass at the festivals, a great battery recharger.
New guitar is starting to sound nice.