Dai Sharkey Project one 31.07.12

Dai Sharkey Project one 31.07.12

Back in the studio today after a week off. Spent my week listening to the 12 tracks we have finished. I’m really pleased with them.

Today had a good chat to Rich about where I need to take this work and where it could go. He suggested I need to find good management who would then sell it to record companies, publishers and agents for me to take it as far as possible.

He also gave me a lecture about not believing in it enough and aiming too low, when in his words, it is worthy of the top.

He also suggested I get back to the arts council about getting further help to promote and further the work and also start to think about the next album and getting funding to do it.

I just don’t know. I’m not sure what I’m doing. I so need help and don’t know who to turn to for that help.

I’m in a real quandary.

Recorded Schizophrenic today and then started recording Son-shine. They both sound great. Can’t wait till Thursday.

I’m also getting worried about money. Funds are low and everyone seems to be saying I need to do so many things that I just can’t afford to do. If I need money to further my career it looks like it will end when my funding does. Ce la vie.

Dai Sharkey Project one 29.07.12

Dai Sharkey Project one 29.07.12

Well, as ever, July has been a mad month. My personal life has been in chaos but on the up-side we’ve spent all month mixing, re-mixing and re-recording the 12 songs completed up to this point.

It has been intense, analytical and challenging but the end result has exceeded my initial expectations.

Every day when we’ve finished I’ve taken the mixes home and gone back the next day and tweaked them a little more. Small things. A volume change here and a reduction of effect feedback there. The end result is impressive. Well, you can judge for yourself but In my opinion the tracks are bang on and sitting lovely together.

Next we have to record a few more songs and build the songs as a body of work, beginning to end.

The challenge for the next few months is to get management, an agent and healthy interest from Record companies and Publishers.

I’ve given in and joined PRS, and I’m going to join MU and PPL. (selling out I know)  

Dai Sharkey Project one 14.07.12

Dai Sharkey Project one 14.07.12

My thoughts…..I’ve just split the 12 songs recorded into 3 ep’s.

project one – all the acoustica

project two – all the madness

project me – all the rest

my thoughts listening to WAVs on headphones.

Project 1.

Anymore.

Slightly over compressed but what a powerful song. Nice one Rich.

I love you.

Track a bit quieter than the last. Vocals have great tenderness. Need to automate a volume drop on the high “love you” at the end of the 1^st chorus.

BVs could go up a notch. Beautiful. Harmonics need a clean one as well as an effected one.

My love is free.

Vocals could be a bit less harsh, rounder. Sounds live, sweet. Main riff could be louder. Maybe drop some of the percussive stuff in m8. Much, much better than the last mix.

Paradise.

A little over compressed, vox and all over. Sweet soundscape stuff, nice. Feels a bit linear. Needs more room. What a song, sounds great.

Project 2.

Insane planes.

Too much phasing on BVs. Too much compression on mix, space is squashed a bit. Nice bass. Think new BVs could drop in the mix a bit and maybe lose a few to stop repetition. Otherwise…mad song, great.

Rock paper scissors.

Cool start. Turn up mix on lead vox echo. Still feels a little over compressed. 2^nd chorus has much more space. Hows that? It’s lush.

Smack Daddy.

Wow, what a start. No need for first woosh. Lead vocals are over gated.  I still think the guitar should stay in the chorus mix. Nice space. Ducks…lmao.  Bass effect before 2^nd chorus and ending needs an octave above note too, to cut the mid range with the groove it creates. Loops at end only need 3 before the smack daddy bit. End horns need to cut more and carry on beyond the end. String loop needs to come in later and have a spoken word part put over it to fade. Amazing song. Where’s the backing vox?

Promise.

Bring main guitar in earlier and less reverb. Less reverb on strings and drop volume. Chorus needs a double time snare hit, it sounds like a ballad.

Dodgy cymbal hit before last chorus. Nice ending.

Project me.

Dogfish.

All changed now but I do like this mad mix. Suppose the fans will love a never released version when I’m dead.lol

He Said

The mix is dated 31.05. Not the latest one.

Honey

Raise guitar volume at intro, or is it a low mix volume?. Repeat bass pattern before 1^st chorus. Pull out lead vox on “down, down “ repeats.

Remove extra hisses after 2^nd chorus – “cross”

Sounds fantastic. Really pleased.

No More

Great start. Leave out some of the rim-shots on 1^st verse. Lead vox sound great. Wow, great mix. Raise vox in m8 and ending. Clean up riff guitar on outro. Move speaking part later in ending. Brilliant mix.

Dai Sharkey Project one 13.07.12

Dai Sharkey Project one 13.07.12

What an amazing idea – I’m going to give away Smack Daddy to see how many radio stations ban it.

I’ll encourage radio stations to campaign for freedom of speech by not censoring the song, maybe joining/liking a social network page to show solidarity. This should drum up plenty of free publicity and hopefully a ban from radio one which could change my life, for the better.lol

Rich says if I get it played on Radio 1 he will eat his hat. I just have to find out which hat he intends to eat before I get on the campaign.