Okay, so today’s recording session is for a song we’re pitching for a project that revolves around a holiday. They’re accepting originals and covers, so we’ve picked a cover. This is my second time working with Ken Eros, and may I say, it’s fun! He seems to be my go-to guy for fun & creepy tracks. Doesn’t that sound pitch-worthy? (And I think I just gave away the holiday.)

Most recording these days doesn’t happen in a traditional recording studio but in someone’s house, and that’s the case today. Ken has a bitchen studio set up in a spare room with a little vocal booth in the corner.

I wish I could say more about what he came up with, but I can’t talk about it until the song is accepted or rejected. But I will just say that I don’t really know where he gets these trippy ideas but I’m glad to be able to work with them!

Once upon a time (oh, about five years ago), I went to Austin to record the vocal tracks for Cinderblock Bookshelves. I was intimidated at the prospect of attempting to realize the vision I’d had in my head for so long, and relatively inexperienced at singing in an official studio. A common refrain from Mark Hallman was “Uh oh, Timid Girl is back.”

Deep breath. “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough…” Dig in. Luckily Mark is the voodoo master upon sensitive female singer-songwriters (and not in a creepy way).

But then Mark and I did Internal Combustion, and if I can sing “Let’s Get It On” in a studio full of guys (particularly the line “stop beating around the bush”), then I can do most anything, studio-wise (except maybe cover “Love to Love You, Baby”).

So I had to laugh when I did a few takes in Ken’s studio (which were going very well, btw), and then he said “Okay, now why don’t you do that line again, but a little less ‘sexy’ this time.”

Okay, okay. It’s just that I’ve spent the last four weeks in sweatpants driving a kid to basketball practice, so I’m breaking out a little.

And this is today’s dispatch from the exciting, glamorous world of an indie recording diva! Next post: everything you wanted to know about Synch!

Awesome CD release party at Zoey’s!

Writer Of The Week: Rain Perry

It’s finally here, the day I’ve worked the last two years to reach: the official release date of my new album Internal Combustion. It’s been on my calendar – a glowing, pulsing deadline – with hundreds of “next actions” on my lists that had to be done in order to get here – and it’s here! Fireworks seem appropriate! Bouquets of flowers!  Massive checks arriving by FedEx!

But…you know what? I spent most of the day in my pajamas, filing the massive stack in my office, emptying my email inbox, stuffing a few CDs in mailers. All the work comes before this. The writing of the songs, the negotiating with the family for travel time, the wonderful time in Austin with Mark working on the record, the back and forth of the mixing and the graphic design, the new website, the new email service, the occasional freaking out by me and the shoring up by my husband, the hiring of the publicist and the radio promoter, the submitting to iTunes and Amazon and CD Baby. The urgent last-minute trip to Indiana to mail the CDs to the radio in time. The millions of emails alerting the world that the CD is coming. All done. Now it’s out into the world and there is nothing to do but…let it go. It will get played or it won’t get played. People will buy it or they won’t. I’ve worked with the most awesome people, I’ve done the best job I could, and now it’s done. Phew.