New England, New Album (Day Two, Writing)
Welcome back to the continued chronicles of my Massachusetts trip, album recording adventures with North Attleboro's own "D.o.drent" my travel host/album collaborator and friend! Feel free to read the account of the prior day of arrival HERE!
Turn (Snow?)Pitfalls To Windfalls (Feb 2/15)
I woke around 6am and started my day as I always do, reading. Then I began working on some of the writing I was doing (for this piece "Flesh" for an avant garde sort of ep I've been writing on and off for a while). I found that I wake much earlier than Owen and, in his words: "My friends say I've got an overbearing amount of energy but you're on another level from me even, I don't know how you do it.". I think I'm just really hard on myself about relaxing so I'm sort of frantic and hyperactive, it certainly isn't always a good thing! Regardless, I started my day as I always do, reading. There was snow on the ground and, according to Owen's mother Libby, there was more impending. Our agenda for the day was really to finish writing our material for the record in anticipation of the studio the following day, and to attend a rap cypher at Providence's own AS220 at night. Around 11am Owen and I headed out to a quaint local owned diner called JD's and ate delicious breakfasts (mushroom/cheese/franks hot sauce omelet? My tongue is drowning in watery reminiscence!) We thought out some more lines and figured some verses, laughing self-consciously about these older folks starting their morning with some young jerks mumbling through raps excitedly over breakfast.
Snowed in: 12 Hours Of Writing and Rehearsing
We returned to the house as the snow began falling harder and upon arrival, were informed that there was definitely a foot or so impending, and it's likely a parking ban would be issued in Providence, preventing us from attending the event. Rather than get upset, we just took it as an opportunity to work more on our material. We now had an entire day and night snowed in to rehearse our songs, write the pieces we had to (Owen and I both had material for two songs to do for the Sunday afternoon recording sessions tomorrow). That being said, we holed up and worked on songs for roughly ten hours, taking breaks to eat and freestyle, toss ideas back and forth and just got to know each other better as people and as artists. Prior to this, I'd never really collaborated with another writer/rapper. I mean, Mr. Phillips and I did a few songs together, where he generously invited me on a guest verse (Check out his debut album "Songs For Selena") but never sat down in a room with a person and wrote with them.
Owen's writing style is different than mine, which is to be expected. His musical influences are totally opposite of mine for the most part, despite the origin of our friendship being a mutual appreciation for FL rapper 24/7 he writes very dense referential lyrics, similar to what I do, the difference being rather than most of my work being phonetic or simile-based plays on words with references, he utilizes a densely clever patchwork of nods to song titles/album titles and band names to create a sort of lyrical quilt or ransom note to paint his pictures and get his points across. Admittedly, a lot of what he says goes over my head, but then he breaks down why it's intricate and intelligent and I'm blown away by the amount of puzzle-riddle-meticulous work he has put in. Grindcore/hardcore music fans will probably need GPS diapers (because they're going to lose their shit) in the event of hearing his verses. He has grown a lot as a writer and performer in the year or so that I've come to work with him, and in the least condescending way possible, I'm proud of him and the direction he is taking his talent. The work I've put in on this project has been undoubtedly my most vulnerably introspective and stripped down to date. The messages and honesty I've worked to impart on this small batch of songs are on a totally different and from the response thus far, emotionally impacting level than much of my previously, perhaps more cryptic or esoteric and philosophy driven work. I am eager to share it with you, for I'm very proud of it.
By nightfall exhausted, excited, and elated I finished writing my last song worth of material with him, (A song he came up with called "Cause and Effect" which will be the album closer) and continued to tweak it syllable by syllable tediously and obsessively as I always do. I use the song as a platform to ponder who I am as a person and an artist, what my motives are and how I've gotten here, what this means to me. We got to do a 32 bar final verse where we trade off four bar phrases and that was a really fun new experience for me. It reminded me of a new era version of what I do at the end of Origami Observance with Joli Ienuso or at the end of Intertwining Storytime on my own. This segment is particularly strong I feel, some of my most lyrically clever/intricate work on the project as a matter of fact! I endeavored to end the album with boldly optimistic and strong statements regarding dedication to my craft, to myself and most importantly, that listeners will realize this same necessity for passion in their lives!
Turn (Snow?)Pitfalls To Windfalls (Feb 2/15)
I woke around 6am and started my day as I always do, reading. Then I began working on some of the writing I was doing (for this piece "Flesh" for an avant garde sort of ep I've been writing on and off for a while). I found that I wake much earlier than Owen and, in his words: "My friends say I've got an overbearing amount of energy but you're on another level from me even, I don't know how you do it.". I think I'm just really hard on myself about relaxing so I'm sort of frantic and hyperactive, it certainly isn't always a good thing! Regardless, I started my day as I always do, reading. There was snow on the ground and, according to Owen's mother Libby, there was more impending. Our agenda for the day was really to finish writing our material for the record in anticipation of the studio the following day, and to attend a rap cypher at Providence's own AS220 at night. Around 11am Owen and I headed out to a quaint local owned diner called JD's and ate delicious breakfasts (mushroom/cheese/franks hot sauce omelet? My tongue is drowning in watery reminiscence!) We thought out some more lines and figured some verses, laughing self-consciously about these older folks starting their morning with some young jerks mumbling through raps excitedly over breakfast.
We returned to the house as the snow began falling harder and upon arrival, were informed that there was definitely a foot or so impending, and it's likely a parking ban would be issued in Providence, preventing us from attending the event. Rather than get upset, we just took it as an opportunity to work more on our material. We now had an entire day and night snowed in to rehearse our songs, write the pieces we had to (Owen and I both had material for two songs to do for the Sunday afternoon recording sessions tomorrow). That being said, we holed up and worked on songs for roughly ten hours, taking breaks to eat and freestyle, toss ideas back and forth and just got to know each other better as people and as artists. Prior to this, I'd never really collaborated with another writer/rapper. I mean, Mr. Phillips and I did a few songs together, where he generously invited me on a guest verse (Check out his debut album "Songs For Selena") but never sat down in a room with a person and wrote with them. Owen's writing style is different than mine, which is to be expected. His musical influences are totally opposite of mine for the most part, despite the origin of our friendship being a mutual appreciation for FL rapper 24/7 he writes very dense referential lyrics, similar to what I do, the difference being rather than most of my work being phonetic or simile-based plays on words with references, he utilizes a densely clever patchwork of nods to song titles/album titles and band names to create a sort of lyrical quilt or ransom note to paint his pictures and get his points across. Admittedly, a lot of what he says goes over my head, but then he breaks down why it's intricate and intelligent and I'm blown away by the amount of puzzle-riddle-meticulous work he has put in. Grindcore/hardcore music fans will probably need GPS diapers (because they're going to lose their shit) in the event of hearing his verses. He has grown a lot as a writer and performer in the year or so that I've come to work with him, and in the least condescending way possible, I'm proud of him and the direction he is taking his talent. The work I've put in on this project has been undoubtedly my most vulnerably introspective and stripped down to date. The messages and honesty I've worked to impart on this small batch of songs are on a totally different and from the response thus far, emotionally impacting level than much of my previously, perhaps more cryptic or esoteric and philosophy driven work. I am eager to share it with you, for I'm very proud of it. By nightfall exhausted, excited, and elated I finished writing my last song worth of material with him, (A song he came up with called "Cause and Effect" which will be the album closer) and continued to tweak it syllable by syllable tediously and obsessively as I always do. I use the song as a platform to ponder who I am as a person and an artist, what my motives are and how I've gotten here, what this means to me. We got to do a 32 bar final verse where we trade off four bar phrases and that was a really fun new experience for me. It reminded me of a new era version of what I do at the end of Origami Observance with Joli Ienuso or at the end of Intertwining Storytime on my own. This segment is particularly strong I feel, some of my most lyrically clever/intricate work on the project as a matter of fact! I endeavored to end the album with boldly optimistic and strong statements regarding dedication to my craft, to myself and most importantly, that listeners will realize this same necessity for passion in their lives!
"The world a stage, one act play, we don't bow after
curtains closing. We, child actors? Earn Tonys! "wow-factor-in-
spread smiles past your sadness, Pagliacci performed that best!
Your role in Wonderland? The Looking Glass a Rorschach Test"
-My last lines on the album during"Cause & Effect"
Come back again to hear about the last two days in the studio recording of the album!
You'll always work harder if you love your work, but if you truly love it, you'll never notice it or care!
Much love,
AllOne!
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