ben wakeman : : Journal

"Keep it Down" is Coming Up

August 10, 2006

Progress. Baby steps towards completion of the new Ben Wakeman solo CD. Next week I go into Gerry Hansen's studio where he will lay down drum tracks for five of the songs on the record. Gerry has played on so many records and is such a wonderfully solid player, it will be a pleasure to watch him work. Additionally, I was able to line up Glenn Matullo to do all the mixing which I'm particularly psyched about. Glenn has amazing ears that attach to his surprisingly small head given the caliber of work he's done over the years and who he has worked for: John Mayer, Shawn Mullins, Collective Soul and Indigo Girls to name a few.

I think I've also nailed down a title for the new CD: "Keep it Down." It is not a song from the record and has no direct reference to any lyrics, but it seems to be a good umbrella for the collection of songs that will be on there. It seems like my music making these days must fly under the radar given that I have to keep priorities in order--- family, work, etc. It's also kind of fitting since I did quite literally have to "keep it down" while recording most of the record so as not to wake up the boys sleeping directly above me. One night soon after I got my new Djembe drum, I was doing some experimental recording with it on the song "Break Even." I felt like I was playing pretty soft for the most part, but half way into the track Dylan opens the door to the office rubbing his sleepy eyes and says: "Dad, drums are too loud." Nothing like being scolded by a 5 year old.

I'm hoping to release the CD in Early fall -- maybe the first week of October if all goes well. There's a lot to do between now and then: drum tracking, final overdub fixes, mixing, mastering, cover art and duplication. It is hard to justify pressing CDs anymore since most people simply rip the songs straight to an iPod and use the CD as a coster or door stop, but there's something about having that physical manifestation to bring closure to the years of toil that go into doing any kind of recording project.