Hi Everyone! It has been a few days since I have posted. My days are busier than ever now as we draw closer to the release of the new project, Weightless.
Anyone who resides or has spent anytime visiting in my home state of Louisiana certainly knows the value of a good bowl of seafood gumbo. These days, with the turbulence in the gulf, the value of gumbo or any other dish requiring fresh Louisiana seafood is way up.
When I got ready to build Weightless, I decided that I wanted to put it together like a good bowl of gumbo. I didn't want to fly solo in production and tracking. I wanted the input of other producers and musicians on this one. I felt like and feel like the songs on Weightless are my best writing to date and I wanted to give the songs everything that they deserved. Like a good bowl of seafood gumbo, production in music is the same in every aspect. Too much of one thing can spoil the entire production. I wanted to bring in studio quality musicians to play all of the parts live in the studio. So, Casey Campbell, my talented producer, has worked with me in hiring and bringing in some of the most talented players to contribute to this project. Casey and I sat down and had long conversations in pre-production work as we decided which instruments would best compliment the writing.
So, if after August 28th, the Weightless Release, you should decide that you are interested in producing a project with the same flavor as mine, here is your recipe:
Greg Hayden (Writer, Co-Producer, Guitars, Piano, Organ, Vocals, Perc)
Casey Campbell, (Producer, Engineer, Acoustic and Electric Guitar)
Ben Manuel (Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin)
Ray Carr (Bass Guitar)
Jemario (Bubba) Gros (Drums)
Scott Eisenogle (Acoustic Upright Bass)
Jivka Jeleva (Violin)
Ernie Wilkinson (Accordion)
Cary Riche (Back-up Vocals)
I am very proud of the many flavors that have gone into this work and I can't wait to hear the finished product. The musicians who played are all from different backgrounds and their styles vary from Classical to Bluegrass to Cajun/Zydeco to Folk. In the end, I am certain that Emeril himself would be most pleased with this recipe!!!
A collection of thoughts, ideas and words about music, art and life
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Off To Record
Weightless is progressing with each session. I thought I would post a short blog this morning before heading off to record. Today's session starts at 8.
Weightless has ten tunes and while they aren't exactly the ones that I thought for two years would make the cut, along with my producer, I believe that the line up is my best effort so far. Click Your Heels, Louisiana, Weightless, Wouldn't Change A Thing, The Hill, Disappear, Ghostly Writer, Cloudy Days, Time and Hey Babe are the ten that made the cut. Speaking of Hey Babe, I loaded a demo version that I had recorded earlier this year at my studio on to my new website @ www.greghaydenmusic.com and it plays when you hit the site. Of course, this is not the finished version but it is a good example of what you will hear on this project. When you hear it, you will instantly be able to tell the difference in feel between Weightless and Directions. More on that subject later. Anyway, I had sixteen songs ready to record on this project but I was only looking to use the ten that best complimented each other in subject and style.
Some of the tunes were written right after Directions was released three years ago and others like Hey Babe were written just months ago. The hardest part for me is to settle on which tunes to choose because my taste and style in writing is always evolving. I guess that is natural with any songwriter.
Most of the tunes are blocked in and we are down to recording counter melodies, fill instruments and vocals for the next weeks until we reach the finish line. Our release is scheduled for August 28th and there is no moving it. Ok, short today, but I have to get rolling to the studio. I will blog again soon with an update on our progress from today's session.
Have a terrific day!
Weightless has ten tunes and while they aren't exactly the ones that I thought for two years would make the cut, along with my producer, I believe that the line up is my best effort so far. Click Your Heels, Louisiana, Weightless, Wouldn't Change A Thing, The Hill, Disappear, Ghostly Writer, Cloudy Days, Time and Hey Babe are the ten that made the cut. Speaking of Hey Babe, I loaded a demo version that I had recorded earlier this year at my studio on to my new website @ www.greghaydenmusic.com and it plays when you hit the site. Of course, this is not the finished version but it is a good example of what you will hear on this project. When you hear it, you will instantly be able to tell the difference in feel between Weightless and Directions. More on that subject later. Anyway, I had sixteen songs ready to record on this project but I was only looking to use the ten that best complimented each other in subject and style.
Some of the tunes were written right after Directions was released three years ago and others like Hey Babe were written just months ago. The hardest part for me is to settle on which tunes to choose because my taste and style in writing is always evolving. I guess that is natural with any songwriter.
Most of the tunes are blocked in and we are down to recording counter melodies, fill instruments and vocals for the next weeks until we reach the finish line. Our release is scheduled for August 28th and there is no moving it. Ok, short today, but I have to get rolling to the studio. I will blog again soon with an update on our progress from today's session.
Have a terrific day!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Early In The Morning
Early In The Morning
6/23/10
So, this morning, like many mornings for me now, I woke up just before 5:00 A.M. It was still dark out and as I got up I asked myself a question……..Greg, what are you doing up? After all, it’s 5:00 A.M., there is no school today and this is summer vacation. Then, I had a very specific thought……..How many days in our lives do we really get to spend being awake, alert and observant of all that is going on around us at the start of our days? The answer…..not many!
So, I rose and walked to my bay window in my dining room and observed what was going on. I could barely see the light peaking through what looked like clouds. Moments later, I heard a loud sound of rain pounding on my patio. I thought, could it be raining this early? I walked out and sure enough, it was flooding but only for a few minutes. It was cool and it almost seemed like the perfect irrigation system that quickly watered creation and subsided within minutes. As the rain ended and the light became more apparent, I walked out to observe. As I walked down my driveway and out to the street, I only saw one paper and wondered where the other was. Suddenly, an old car comes speeding by, the horn blew, the driver waved and the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate landed by my foot. I waved back, reached down, grabbed the paper and thought……..Nice Arm Dude!
If you are like me, during the work days of the year, I hardly take notice of what is happening around me early in the mornings because I am usually on a mission to reach my destination. Once I leave for work, my mind is off to the races with the challenges of the day. It was a crazy thought this morning, but I really asked myself, how many sunrises have I actually witnessed taking in all that is around me void of the everyday distractions? The answer for me is very few. This morning, I stopped and asked myself, “How many are we guaranteed to have”?
Recently, my very talented producer/engineer, Casey Campbell, turned me on to a couple of really talented singer/songwriters from the Nashville area that write and produce music that is similar to mine. One of these artists that I have become a big fan of is Andrew Osenga. On my laptop, where I do a lot of work and writing, I have several of Andrew’s songs in my Itunes library and I seem to play one of his songs titled Early In The Morning more than any other. In this song, Andrew’s keen observations of this time of day come to life as he describes the minute details of the sun rising and all that we have to be thankful for. It is stirring, inspirational, brilliantly designed and well produced. My favorite line from the tune comes at the end where Andrew refers to time and says….”Let us not take this for granted”. Andrew’s simple, yet brilliant melodic interpretation of this quiet, undisturbed time of day is perfect. As a songwriter, my goal is to always take the listener to the place where the song inspired me and to deliver the message with an accurate musical interpretation. Andrew perfects this in Early In The Morning. If you have not had the pleasure of hearing Andrew’s music, then you should treat yourself and check it out.
Who knows what tomorrow brings, but if starts in anyway like today did, maybe I will be fortunate enough to rise Early In The Morning and see it all again……
You can check out Andrew’s music at www.andrewosenga.com
Have a great day!
6/23/10
So, this morning, like many mornings for me now, I woke up just before 5:00 A.M. It was still dark out and as I got up I asked myself a question……..Greg, what are you doing up? After all, it’s 5:00 A.M., there is no school today and this is summer vacation. Then, I had a very specific thought……..How many days in our lives do we really get to spend being awake, alert and observant of all that is going on around us at the start of our days? The answer…..not many!
So, I rose and walked to my bay window in my dining room and observed what was going on. I could barely see the light peaking through what looked like clouds. Moments later, I heard a loud sound of rain pounding on my patio. I thought, could it be raining this early? I walked out and sure enough, it was flooding but only for a few minutes. It was cool and it almost seemed like the perfect irrigation system that quickly watered creation and subsided within minutes. As the rain ended and the light became more apparent, I walked out to observe. As I walked down my driveway and out to the street, I only saw one paper and wondered where the other was. Suddenly, an old car comes speeding by, the horn blew, the driver waved and the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate landed by my foot. I waved back, reached down, grabbed the paper and thought……..Nice Arm Dude!
If you are like me, during the work days of the year, I hardly take notice of what is happening around me early in the mornings because I am usually on a mission to reach my destination. Once I leave for work, my mind is off to the races with the challenges of the day. It was a crazy thought this morning, but I really asked myself, how many sunrises have I actually witnessed taking in all that is around me void of the everyday distractions? The answer for me is very few. This morning, I stopped and asked myself, “How many are we guaranteed to have”?
Recently, my very talented producer/engineer, Casey Campbell, turned me on to a couple of really talented singer/songwriters from the Nashville area that write and produce music that is similar to mine. One of these artists that I have become a big fan of is Andrew Osenga. On my laptop, where I do a lot of work and writing, I have several of Andrew’s songs in my Itunes library and I seem to play one of his songs titled Early In The Morning more than any other. In this song, Andrew’s keen observations of this time of day come to life as he describes the minute details of the sun rising and all that we have to be thankful for. It is stirring, inspirational, brilliantly designed and well produced. My favorite line from the tune comes at the end where Andrew refers to time and says….”Let us not take this for granted”. Andrew’s simple, yet brilliant melodic interpretation of this quiet, undisturbed time of day is perfect. As a songwriter, my goal is to always take the listener to the place where the song inspired me and to deliver the message with an accurate musical interpretation. Andrew perfects this in Early In The Morning. If you have not had the pleasure of hearing Andrew’s music, then you should treat yourself and check it out.
Who knows what tomorrow brings, but if starts in anyway like today did, maybe I will be fortunate enough to rise Early In The Morning and see it all again……
You can check out Andrew’s music at www.andrewosenga.com
Have a great day!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
BAAM
Blog entry
6/22
Baam
So…….you want to be a musician? Stand on stage and perform? Write music and sell cds? Well, you better bring your “A” game, come early and plan on staying very late.
After teaching and performing music my entire life and three years of working as a singer/songwriter in the music business, I can tell you that it is much like any profession that you enter where success is rewarded by hard work, patience, resolve, confidence and an honest approach to the whole venture. Being honest with yourself is without a doubt the most important attribute that any musician could have.
In my experience, I have found that knowing your goals and where you are interested in going as an artist is absolutely paramount to you not getting sucked in to the hype and smoke that often follows those who choose this Yellow Brick Road. From day one,to keep your sanity as an artist, you have to set measurable and attainable goals for yourself and steer clear of PIPE DREAMS that can set you up for ultimate failure.
On my journey, I have discovered milestones that are defining moments for me to measure my success. One example of this is where recently, I logged on to my Itunes account where my music is sold, while there, I discovered that I had sold a substantial amount of music through ITunesEurope this year. Also, a cd was ordered from my website and delivered to a Japanese Citizen in Tokyo, Japan who discovered me through my website. I have received complimentary emails from across the US where people have discovered my music.
I don’t know how anyone measures success, but for me, the thought of sitting on a lake right here in South Louisiana and writing songs that one day end up across the world is pretty awesome. For me, it feels like success and it fuels me to work even harder each day.
In my opinion, the only way to achieve success in this business is to work tirelessly at every part of it. In my case, it means writing songs, recording and co-producing a new cd, hiring a producer, hiring musicians, hiring a webmaster, promoting the new project, booking gigs, promoting the songs, myself and my band, rehearsing the band, playing gigs and most of all selling music.
So, you ready? Don’t let me scare you away! But, you should know that when you come to play in the music industry, you should bring your lunch pale and plan on staying a while. Posers need not apply and the weak ones just FADE AWAY (NPI) in the music industry’s version of Survival of the Fittest! Emeril calls it “BAAM, Taking it up a notch”. That is exactly what describes the attitude that drives success in the music business. BAAM!!! Bring it, or just stay home!!!
As I prepare to launch my second project, I feel like I have only started to learn about the business, but I can certainly say without a doubt that I now realize that the farther I go in the music business, the harder I have to work to reach my goals and to take it up a notch.....Baam!!!
6/22
Baam
So…….you want to be a musician? Stand on stage and perform? Write music and sell cds? Well, you better bring your “A” game, come early and plan on staying very late.
After teaching and performing music my entire life and three years of working as a singer/songwriter in the music business, I can tell you that it is much like any profession that you enter where success is rewarded by hard work, patience, resolve, confidence and an honest approach to the whole venture. Being honest with yourself is without a doubt the most important attribute that any musician could have.
In my experience, I have found that knowing your goals and where you are interested in going as an artist is absolutely paramount to you not getting sucked in to the hype and smoke that often follows those who choose this Yellow Brick Road. From day one,to keep your sanity as an artist, you have to set measurable and attainable goals for yourself and steer clear of PIPE DREAMS that can set you up for ultimate failure.
On my journey, I have discovered milestones that are defining moments for me to measure my success. One example of this is where recently, I logged on to my Itunes account where my music is sold, while there, I discovered that I had sold a substantial amount of music through ITunesEurope this year. Also, a cd was ordered from my website and delivered to a Japanese Citizen in Tokyo, Japan who discovered me through my website. I have received complimentary emails from across the US where people have discovered my music.
I don’t know how anyone measures success, but for me, the thought of sitting on a lake right here in South Louisiana and writing songs that one day end up across the world is pretty awesome. For me, it feels like success and it fuels me to work even harder each day.
In my opinion, the only way to achieve success in this business is to work tirelessly at every part of it. In my case, it means writing songs, recording and co-producing a new cd, hiring a producer, hiring musicians, hiring a webmaster, promoting the new project, booking gigs, promoting the songs, myself and my band, rehearsing the band, playing gigs and most of all selling music.
So, you ready? Don’t let me scare you away! But, you should know that when you come to play in the music industry, you should bring your lunch pale and plan on staying a while. Posers need not apply and the weak ones just FADE AWAY (NPI) in the music industry’s version of Survival of the Fittest! Emeril calls it “BAAM, Taking it up a notch”. That is exactly what describes the attitude that drives success in the music business. BAAM!!! Bring it, or just stay home!!!
As I prepare to launch my second project, I feel like I have only started to learn about the business, but I can certainly say without a doubt that I now realize that the farther I go in the music business, the harder I have to work to reach my goals and to take it up a notch.....Baam!!!
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