Recording My EP on Music Row

Today was bananas. In the BEST possible way.

Remember when you were a kid and you'd go swimming ALLL DAY long on a hot day with your friends? And at the end of the day you'd realize how exhausted you were, but it didn't matter because you had so much fun playing Marco Polo, Sharks and Minnows, and doing flips off the diving board?

That was today. Only the pool was the studio.

It was an entire day of eyes bugged from being so focused...
Heart racing from adrenaline pumping...
Ears buzzing from amps blazing...
And brain spinning from quick decision making...

I was "Mayering" all day. Definition of Mayering: Tweeting all day about recording an album. :) I liked that one. John Mayer has officially become a verb. :)

I knew today would be amazing. But I didn't REALLY know all at the same time.

This time I am coming from such a different perspective. We recorded the first record before we had a band and were playing out very much. So playing with the musicians was the first time I had heard the songs with a full band. But THIS time, we have been playing these songs for a while. I know them all so well. So hearing the new ideas and approaches the session players bring makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.

I can't wait to go in and listen to everything tomorrow.

You know what was crazy, though? The only cover song we did - "Devil Went Down To Georgia" was by far the hardest one of the day! That REALLY threw them (and me) for a loop! I wasn't expecting that at all. We have played that song for so long I almost forgot how tricky the form is. But it's not at all like the typical "verse, chorus, Verse, chorus" form. So you have to KNOW it to be able to play it. Michael Rhodes told me he was glad we did that because he had never had to play it before! And Gary said that he doesn't even think he has ever listened to the whole thing.
Everyone studying/ writing/ rewriting/ trying to understand their "Devil" charts


You know it's the REAL DEAL when 7 out of the 9 people involved in the session are wearing Chucks.


This was a puuuurty room:
Rhodes Basses & Audley's guitars


Gary's guitars - same room, other side... the one on the chair reminds me of a Vans Sneaker. Remember those?


Everybody! (Well, CJ, the studio manager, was taking the pic)
Left To Right:

James you know... Bavendam :), Audley Freed, Gary Burnette, ummm... me, Greg Morrow, Ben Strano, Scott Velazco, Michael Rhodes

The 1/8 note I found on the pavement in front of the back door of the studio :)


And just so you know... THIS is what you get when you pay for a high class studio on Music row:


I can't believe today just happened.

Peace, Love, Fiddle,
~natalie

What You THOUGHT You Sounded Like In High School

Got all the session players nailed down for recording the EP next week :) I don't think I could really emote through words just how ecstatic I am to be recording some new music finally!!!! Some of the guys I have worked with before, but we've got some newbies as well.

Greg Morrow on drums
Michael Rhodes on bass
Gary Burnette electric/acoustic
Audley Freed electric/acoustic

When Ben told Audley the rest of the band today... he said "Best Band Ever" :) It's always good when the session guys are excited about who they're playing with! They do this every day. So it's no big deal to them. Yet it is UNBELIEVABLE to me. I can't believe that I get to work with players like them. I wonder how many hundreds of millions of records have been sold that they have played on combined? I mean, I know Greg has played with Martina McBride, Ray Charles, Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland, Reba, Trace Atkins, Steve Earle, ummm do I need to keep going? And that's just Greg. Rhodes has played with everyone, too. I haven't met Gary or Audley, but I have heard so much about them. Audley is the guitar player in the Black Crowes! AHHHH. SO AWESOME.

Tonight Ben described Gary Burnette's guitar playing as:

"What you THOUGHT you sounded like in high school"

I freaking LOVE that. I know exactly what he means by that, too! This EP is gonna be so good!!!

Speaking of new music...
I went to the New Faces show tonight at the Basement to see my good friend Jenn Bostic play. Her new songs sounded incredible and I can't WAIT to hear her new album! I LOVE getting to go support my friends that are working so hard at this business, too when I am home. It is so inspiring!

Tomorrow, we get a new air conditioner!!!! WOO HOOO!!! Exciting times.