I finally go into the studio tomorrow to begin recording my new CD. I’m antsy as all hell. I can’t wait to be there, but I also have a good case of performance anxiety. It’s hard to play a song right from start to finish…and there will be five of us.
My original concept for this CD was to do all the recordings live in the studio–with the whole band. Last time it was a more piecemeal process. Doing it all at once will save money, which is probably the main reason. I also think the overall songs will benefit. They should have more immediacy, be more integrated. Such is the theory.
And that’s still the plan–sort of. The difference is we will put myself in an isolation booth, and Kellie in the booth with Bruce. We’ll still do it all at once, together (for the most part). But, frankly, I’m the one most likely to mess up, and probably with the vocal. I can put that to right when I am alone with Bruce, and not holding the rest of the group up. Again, Kellie’s part is easy to patch in.
Let’s see, what else am I nervous about? My singing. I’m not a good singer. I’ve gotten a lot better: I can sing on key better than when I made my last CD. And I sing with more confidence. I’ve made friends with my voice, to some extent. I still don’t think it’s a very good voice. I’m just not a good singer. If I were, maybe I would be trying to make it as a singer/songwriter, a la Sean Colvin, or Steve Earle. No, if I’m going to “make it” in any way in the music business, it will be strictly as a songwriter. Other people have to record my songs. So this CD is a means of getting my songs into the hands, and ears, of other singers. That’s all.
Then, what am I confident about? My songwriting. It’s the one thing in this world I am confident that I do well. I write lots of songs, and some of them are quite good. Period. I have found my passion in this world, and I am damned-well determined to keep doing it. Perhaps this CD–perhaps the whole enterprise of songwriting for me–is an ego thing. It’s an attempt to get ever more people to say, “That is very nice, Tom; what a clever lad you are.” Maybe. Fact is, I’m past 50 now, so I feel empowered to do pretty much whatever the hell I want to. If I don’t start doing it now, then I may not ever find the chance. So there.