DICK cheney is at it again. this time on an aircraft carrier making threats toward iran. it seems to me that we need some new players representing us on the world stage. the members of king george II's court cant help but look foolish; or to paraphrase john stewart, the bush administration cant do anything at this point that doesnt seem ironic.
going into the studio today to finish up a new song and do some fixits (laying in some more taylor hawkins drumming). the remarkable engineer billy bush got us a couple of days at the old a&m, now henson, studios on the semi-down low. its good to have friends in high places. we worked yesterday and will again today. the studio is absolutely fucking perfect. the right amount scruffy character and then also, of course, it has all the great gadgets as well. the enormous kermit the frog on the outside aside, it has a great vibe. and i do mean 'vibe'. very seventies. i wish i could always work under such circumstances. well i get to today. im off.
About Me
- -ea.
- after an inauspicious stint as an unremarkable young man, a cursory tour of four high schools in three years with an early departure, perry farrell and i started janes addiction. ______________________________________________________________ i am admittedly, under the best of circumstances, an erratic email returner but if you want to speak directly to me give it a try at: crashintothesea@gmail.com
33 comments:
cool, can't wait to hear the new album! i love recording in old studios too. we recorded our latest album at goodnight audio in dallas....very 70's atmosphere. Stevie Nicks used to own it and recorded a bunch of her records there.
does your new label want you to tour? if that's not a requirement, how do they plan to inform people that it's out?
Curt
oops, it being the new record, i mean.
Curt
Hey Eric,
Long time fan of your Bass playing, and a more recent fan of your writings on this blog. You were an inspiration to me as a young musician just learning the ropes, and you continue to inspire me to this day. I spent many an hour playing along to Nothing's Shocking and Ritual. I think my favorite Bassline of yours is from the song "Of Course"...JK, I know you didn't play on that tune! BTW, this has been a burning question of mine for many years (I have listened to Ritual enough times to contemplate its finer points). Why didn't you play on that tune? Were you sick that day? Out doin' your taxes?? Just curious.
Seriously though, I dig all of your basslines (even the ones that have yet to be written), but if I had to just pick one, it would be "Comin' down the Mountain." It's just so fucking visceral, I love it! I still play the tune during soundchecks and usually 90% of the people in the club look up and immediately recognize the tune! BTW, I would have to say "Summertime Rolls" is a close second. Beautiful song.
Ahem. ANYWAY, I just wanted to send a short (but what ended up being a long) note, congratulating you on the upcoming release of your solo album. With your songwriting/playing and Taylor Hawkin's drum skillets, I'm sure it will sound amazing. Can't wait to hear it!
Take care,
Tom
Eric,
Do you compose on software at home? I'm a huge fan of Ableton Live. However, I find that my audio recording function on my cell phone is my most important instrument. How do you capture your musical gems?
cool. i believe that the henson studios (formally a&m) was originally charlie chaplins studios. sometimes in los angeles, a sense of history feels like a rare commodity.
perhaps a midnight lunch at "canters" ?
cheers.
Odd that this theocracy and the fuckwit in chief
hasn't taken physical action, but with a hostile
congress and the acute awareness of the election and the microscope being dialed in, combine to be
formidable obstacles. In addition, time waits for no man, and I think they might be reluctant to begin something that
will be shut down immediately upon a new
administrations assumption of power. Legacy and all
that....
Hope you find magic in the studio.
Be well,
SR
funny that that's where janes recorded strays. does herb alpert have any money?
Sounds like a joke, but yeah....in order of wealth
god
Gates
Alpert
I worked in a restaurant where he came in frquently after he sold the label. He was refreshingly humble, benevolent, real, and kind.
Be well
EA,
How much of your work are able to to record in your home workshop . . . if @ all?
Dig your new track. Atmospheric.
When can we fans look forward to the "obligatory MySpace" profile as you once put it? :)
I personnaly (even though i live in canada aka america jr) Cant wait till the current administration is out. Talk about un qualified.
I think your fans deserve a little more insioght into the story behind all remote and no control. Give us some storys of what inspired u to write it, and compose it!! please and thank you:)
P.S. I stumbled upon a Polar Bear song called Jig.
Two Words: Fucking Awesome
Hey EA<
Just read in this morning's news that Iran is completely willing to retaliate against us if the US organizes an attack. It's a sad, scary world right now and I know our leaders are responsible for a lot of it these days. It's very sickening. I like to sometimes be blissfully ignorant so I can focus on raising my son and shield him from this mess that's happening right now. Crazy.
Anyways, I hope you had an awesome session Friday at the old a&m! That's wild you have Taylor Hawkins drumming on some stuff, he's amazing. What's it like playing with him? He seems to be a very frenetic, energetic player and I wonder if you had to adjust how you play in order meld it all into a great song.
I'm starting to go into hard core practice mode this week as I'm playing a little show next Saturday with this band I occasionally play with called Pucker. A female fronted punk rock band. They have really great, well crafted songs. It's a lot of fun and allows me to keep playing with other musicians (they have different drummers all the time which keeps it challenging). Hope all else is well and you had good weekend. Talk soon, Matt
curt- it seems that working on daws at home has left us all really appreciative of the vibe in those old studios. what is your band curt?
we have talked about shows. maybe just a few. maybe more. webcast maybe. we will inform folks all the usual routes that we can find available to us. web, print etc.
thomas i- as i recall, i just could not for the life of me, find a bass line for that song. i forget who did it. ron champagne? im sure someone at xiola would know.
peter hook was always the guy for writing recognizable bass lines for me. actually alot of the post punk english bands were the ones who really gave the bass its first real place as the main sort of rhythm guitar role. because of that i remember learning quite late that i was supposed to be playing along with the kick drum. much more of a typical bass role.
thanks tom.
avrum 68- ableton is the one i am devoting some time to over the next few weeks, actually. i have only scratched the surface and used it very little. very powerful tool but the interface is different from pro tools and reason so it has fallen behind in usage. im just not as comfortable with it yet but it is a goal.
i use audio from anywhere i can get it. foley from films. little hand held recorder. here at home. at other folks homes. in a tree. with green eggs and ham.
dani- yes it is the old chaplin film studios. i was trying to dweeb out, wanting to find someone to give me a tour of the chaplin part. thats more interesting to me than the rock history part.
sr- indeed. i am so tired of hearing men, like DICK, talking tough whilst others are doing the fighting for them. that is the very definition of cowardice if you ask me. talking about how the american people dont have the stomach for a fight. he isnt fighting. he has make up on when he says these things for fuck sake. the fighting is being done by brave young kids in the armed forces.
anonymous- they recorded strays there. that is funny. that isnt really the musical mojo i was hoping to channel....hmm.
c. brian- i record lots at home. the last one i did, called 'unexploded', i did everything aside from the drums at home.
dont know about the myspace thing. i should figure that out.
george d-
-All Remote and No Control-
every man and every woman stood stock still
and turned to you
and everything looks too familiar well that means
that youve been still
when i can see it i can see it all that comes must go
when i cant see it i cant see it all remote and no control
when i can feel it i can feel it the whole world loves a cage
when i cant feel it i cant feel it all remote and no control
sun seems frozen low in the winter sky
metallic day both cold and dry
on every path at every station i see you all now as the wax keeps melting and i know that i cant stop to explain
when i can see it i can see it all that comes must go
when i cant see it i cant see it all remote and no control
when i can feel it i can feel it the whole world loves a cage
when i cant feel it i cant feel it all remote and no control
and i can only imagine when ill see this time this street again
the moments that tick by dont tick back by
it is a song that i built on themes that are rife in my work in general and on this record especially, the importance of making your lifetime matter, paying attention, watching for the habit of sleepwalking through life etc.
matt volpe- and to think that king george II handed iran the power we now feel threatened by.
taylor is amazing to play with. he has almost uncontainable energy back there. you know what was really great was sitting on the floor behind his drum stool for an entire foos set in moscow. he is one of those drummers that has, to use a boxing term, ring charisma. he is very watchable.
pucker is a great name for a female fronted punk band.
EA, Did not know that about King George the II, interesting, I'll have to read up on that.
That sounds like an awesome spot to be while watching one of today's greatest drummers!
Thanks for the compliment. If your interested, here the site for Pucker:
http://puckerupsucker.com/
Talk soon and be well, Matt
I hve become well aquainted with Why Something. Shafty is a fucking masterpiece. Thank you guys.
Be well,
SR
EA, Yes, I believe the liner notes state that Ron played Bass on that tune. Thanks for the information. I was making up all kinds of scenarios in my head as to why you didn't play on that track. So thanks!
One more quick Bass question for you (sorry, I know that you have probably replied to these types of questions over the years ad nauseum). Have you ever experimented with playing with your fingers vs. with a pick? You certainly nail the Bass with a pick. Just curious if you were ever tempted to incorporate finger playing into the mix. I tend to be primarily a finger style player, although I do use a pick from time to time.
I know you are extremely busy with recording your album, but I would love to get your feedback (good or bad) on my band, XXOXIA. Here is a link to our site: XXOXIA. Thanks.
- Tom
Eric,
I've scored two films using Ableton as well as use it as my guitar processing unit and songwriting tool. It's the only piece of software, IMHO, that facilitates songwriting rather than computer programming.
sr- thanks. glad you are digging it.
thomas i - i have sparingly played with my fingers. i generally give up some comfort and confidence when i do. you can often hear that difference in a performance. ive also found that i can mimic the finger played sound reasonably well by just playing with a soft pick, with little or no treble, and playing right over the pickups.
avrum 68- i hear you. i get why you say that about it facilitating songwriting rather than programming. it is called 'live' after all. i dont personally agree. i think it is apples and oranges. pro tools is like a portable tape machine to me. live and reason are instruments. i do want to have more agility with ableton than i do. ive been tinkering lately and it is all beginning to make a little more sense. what films did you do? anything i might have seen?
Eric,
I've always been interested in garbage and Shirley Manson. And i'd like to know if you can give any update on your work with Shirley. Is there going to be a song with her on your upcoming album? and if it's so, could you say what it's called?
thanks in advance,
Dima
from Russia
dima- yes shirley sang a song with me on the new cd. the song is called 'maybe'.
eric,
thank you for the info. looking forward to the album.
good luck!
What is the Shirley Manson song like, is it a duet? Is it rocky or mellow? There's a million Garbgage fans dying to know! Also is the Billy Bush you are working with, the same BB who works with Garbage? :-) Do you play bass on the new Garbage single?
So many questions; so much appreciation!
anonymous- the shirley duet is a slow song that shirl makes beautiful.
yes it is the one and only billy bush.
no i didnt play bass on their new single. shirl looks incredible in the vid for it.
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