DAY 2

Waiting for Corey Roederer our stalwart bassist to arrive and chaperone me to day one of tracking. The old fears of committing to anything (relationships, words on a page, song structure) are coming back but are nothing that the fine people at Cazadores and Pfiser can't help with). While it's a wee bit early for a shot of tequila, I do feel it's suitably rock and roll to partake, especially if it's going to help the process.

Saw a look a like (or look-e-loo) as they say in Blighty for our guitarist Max at a red light and then a homeless person collecting cans with a "Massive Attack" jacket. Max is from Bristol, home of Massive Attack, perhaps best now known for the HOUSE MD TV theme. I'll accept this again as an omen that the rock gods are smiling. Actually, it's most likely the bubble gum New Order gods that should be smiling... Rock Gods I'm sure would avoid my sensibilities like the plague.

Which brings us to the sound that we're going for. Corey has dubbed us Wilco meets New Order which I think is better than a "Gay sounding" Replacements. Either one works, really however...

The plan for the day is two songs, drums and bass laid down. It seems possible. My sister suggests via email that the blog should be optioned and turned into a screenplay about a bunch of middle aged guys who form a band and record an album late in life and then in turn learn something. I'm hoping it's not "don't leave expensive equipment in an unlocked garage".

I do have the niggling thought that we're going to have to spend some time with a piece of paper going over lyrics, structure, etc. which is always annoying for all involved, especially my because on paper the lyrics appear even crappier than when sung. It's odd, but for a writer, I really can't come up with anything that gets past a Lindsey Lohan "B" side when it comes to lyrics. Sad, but true.

DAY ONE.5

Have restrung my semi trusty Gibson 330 that was purchased about six years ago by swapping in two guitars and a little bit of cash to get me the same guitar that Bernard Sumner of New Order sports and Johnny Marr claims is his favorite. With that kind of pedigree I knew I had to have one, and while they're shockingly expensive somehow I've managed to make this part of the guitarsenal.

My strings haven't been changed since New Order last released an album... not in any kind of protest, just out of sheer laziness and fear that I'll do a crap job of it.

Mr. Thomas has graciously given me what appears to be a rather expensive set of Gibson reissue strings which seem appropriate, however now that they're on they seem dangerously low and slightly flat. Could be a problem tomorrow, but the beauty of Electric Thomasland Studios is there are about 15,000 guitars to chose from (burglars take note).

I've also been counting on the fact that we'd do two of Henry's songs tomorrow simply because I'm a neurotic mess and hate things like deciding keys, etc. on songs that I sing on. However I've just gotten a text that he's going to have to head to the doctors since he and the Mrs. are expecting a baby. That means I have to arrive, 12:30'ish prepared to choose a key and an actual structure to two songs.

I shall awake early, attempt to go to a yoga class to de-stress (feel free to punch me in the face for this but I suffer from a genuine anxiety disorder) and then frantically write out lyrics, changes, etc.

Someone said something about it being good to face your fears. Slightly afraid of tomorrow so I guess this is a good thing. I'm also hoping to pick up an SD memory card so we can document some of the goings on.

'Til tomorrow then.

DAY ONE

Today was day number one of preparations for the first Farspeaker EP, tentatively titled, "Go Tina".

We've essentially rehearsed for five months, sans drums in a garage studio that can only be described as luxe. Due to the combination of Christian and Henry's wife's band along with our group we have assembled an array of equipment that could finance a small war. So, if the whole music thing doesn't work out for us, and you're looking for a regime change... I'm just saying...

The day was off to a good start when after a forty five minute walk down Franklin toward what I affectionately refer to as "Electric Thomasland Studios" I see the familiar Honda Civic of bassist Corey Roederer stopped at a corner. This is a truly random and fortuitous occurrence since this, dear reader, never happens to anyone in LA with the exception of myself. I still maintain the New Yorker's ability to bump into people I know wherever I go, be it LA street corner, freeway or foreign country. This trims a good half hour off my walk and retains probably a good three hundred calories that I was going to burn off.

I arrive to find guitarist, Max Biscoe, crouched outside muttering something that sounds like "I must have a cigarette" but could be "I have to return an email" as he's puttering with both cigarette and Blackberry. Slight delay before Henry lets us into his gated enclave and then it's stand around and nervously await Christian, a "gasp" real musician.

Christian has kindly agreed to both drum and produce our EP and from my dealings in the past he's always been extremely friendly and today proves no different. He plays along with our songs to learn the drum parts and stops us after our first song, telling us that we sound like a wall of sound and not in a good way. We have three guitars you see and with three guitars playing approximately the same thing it's like a bad sonic punch in the face. We agree to divide things up a bit more and carry on this aesthetic for the rest of the rehearsal... Less is more... a motto that while we all knew, ignored simply because when you have a vox AC30 at your disposal sometimes more seems more.

Tomorrow at high noon our band of merry men reconvenes to lay down two scratch tracks to start us on our way to the ultimate goal... Sunset Junction in August.

This is the beginning my friends, and hopefully not the end.