Friday, December 15, 2006:
Today is our first day of recording at Panda Records (in Binghamton) with Scott "Pine Top" Fletcher (as we've come to call him). I have to burn vacation days at work (otherwise I lose them at the end of the year), so I decide to take the day off. Izzy and I agree on driving together around two o'clock. It would also give us a chance to get a jump on setting up for Saturday's session. The drums tend to be a little trickier in terms of mic placement, and require a little extra care when setting up. Today's session is supposed to be the "set-up" session where we get all the sounds the way we'd like, so we can start the actual recording with fresh ears on Saturday.

Izzy and I arrive around 2:45, and start right in with the set-up. John, Ken, and Darin all arrive around 5:30 to 6. We have long since been done with our initial set-up and sound checks, and proceed to help them load their gear in, and get set up.

There seems to be an overall feeling of calm. Everyone seems pretty relaxed. I do have a bit of nervousness, which is somewhat normal when going in to record for me. I wouldn't call it "performance anxiety", but more just wondering if the project will turn out the way everybody hopes it will. This is not only a new collection of songs... but also our first trip into a new studio in over seven years, a new producer, and our first foray into the world of analog recording (or "old school" as some of us call it).

Things progress far more quickly than Scott anticipates, and we are actually able to lay down the basic tracks for three songs. Initially, Friday night was set aside just for getting set-up and sound-checks. The first song we actually work on is "Bury Me", followed by "Can You Tell Me", and "Settle Down". To my surprise, "Settle Down" goes down in one take. I thought this would be one of the more difficult songs to track due to a difficult "groove" and rhythm. I thought this one would take several tries. At this point, it is most important to get a good drum and bass track, and we are able to achieve this in one take. The guitars can always get over-dubbed later if there are any issues with them. The foundation is what needs to be there before the rest of the song can proceed.

Our friend Curtis and his wife Nikki show up to the session. They live less than a block away on Prospect Ave. (across from the Polish Community Center). Izzy and I know this very well from our many late night card games with Curtis. They are two of our most ardent supporters, and never fail to spread the word when we are playing in the Binghamton area. They've never been in a recording studio before, and are just pleased as punch to see how it works. I try to warn them that it can be very monotonous and boring, but they don't seem to mind. They are fascinated by the whole process, and often lend to the overall feeling of excitement that is beginning to grow in the studio. They can often be spotted dancing around in the control room to the music. Eventually, Curtis also becomes the official photographer for the sessions, snapping many great pics of the "goings on."

By around 11:30, we begin work on "Maggie". After several unsuccessful takes, we finally agree that it would be a good idea to go home and start fresh in the morning. Izzy and I eventually leave around 12:30 AM, and head over to Curtis' house to play some cards before we head home for some sleep. We all agree to meet at 10 the next morning. After the completion of our first evening, there is a real sense of optimism. Everybody is comfortable w/ Scott's abilities and work ethic, and we are extremely happy w/ the unmixed sound and performances.

Saturday, December 16, 2006:
After a quick trip to Tom's Gift Shop, Izzy and I arrive at the studio around 10:15. We actually arrive on time, but no one else does, so we decide to make the quick trip to Tom's. We actually begin "Maggie" around noon once everyone arrives and settles in. It goes much better than the previous evening, and we nail it in about four takes. Pretty good considering it's the opening song of the day. One of the highlights of the day ends up being "Sparkle Light Groove".

Inadvertently, Iz and I wrote out a list of stuff we wanted to record, and left that one off. It's a strong song (in terms of potential), but doesn't really get much time in terms of playing out. So "Sparkle Light Groove" was kind of a border-line selection for the disc. After a few quick run-throughs and a little planning, we are able to get a really good drum and bass track (along with John's acoustic track). John had been using Pine Cone's small Gibson acoustic on most of the tracks thus far, but wisely chooses the mahogany Martin D-15 for this track (which ends up translating well to tape). About half and hour later, Ken goes back with his newly acquired vintage 60's Gibson electric, and lays down a scorching lead that weaves in and out of the scratch vocal tracks melody. He does this in the control room, in the company of Pine Cone's parent's neighbors (w/ children) in tow, who are there to check out the building (which also includes a Fletcher family merchandising business). They are just pleased as punch to be in the room while Ken lays down some delicious guitar work. So far, this has gone from a nearly forgotten tune, to my new favorite of the sessions thus far.

The other surprise of the day turned out to be "Feets Don't Fail Me Now". After trouble (in several takes) getting the drums and bass to sync up in a manner where the song doesn't seem too busy, Scott and Brian (our wood be sound man and multi-instrumentalist) make the suggestion of playing half-time on the hi-hat. This essentially opens the song up for the vocal and instrumental melody to be more effective. We go ahead with this idea, and get a satisfactory take. Initially, I am not happy w/ this idea. It now makes the bass line seem awkward. It's left hanging out in the open. It seems too busy. I go home bothered by this, only to return to find that Darin has actually laid down a beautiful fiddle melody after we had left. It is absolutely gorgeous. With this new melody over top of the bass and drums, I feel a whole lot better about my effort. It now works, and also becomes one of my favorite tracks thus far.

Sunday, December 17, 2006:
Today we arrive around 11AM, and get started somewhere around noon. We have ruffly five or six more songs to get basic tracks completed (using the current set-up of mics and placement). Two to three additional songs are slated to record together acoustically in one room.

"Jug" and "Circles" are the two of the first to be laid down today. Around three o'clock, Noelle and the kids arrive at the studio to stop in and say hello to Ken. We escort them through Panda Records, and proudly play them some of our efforts over the control room monitors. This becomes our perfect opportunity to get some food. Brian, Ken, and John head down the street to the local watering hole for a beer after Noelle and the girls leave. PineCone, Iz, and myself begin our search for nourishment. After a few days of recording with Scott, I realize that we are not all that dissimilar in our basic needs... we enjoy good music; we enjoy eating; and we enjoy a good nap. Not only am I learning of the subtle nuances of analog recording, I am rapidly learning the ropes of where the best places are to eat in Binghamton. After a quick lunch/dinner break (at Moe's on the Parkway), we manage to buzz through the last of the initial songs fairly easily in Sunday's session. The last song we work on this weekend is "Motown Eddie". By the time we reach this song, I am feeling the effects of the rather large enchilada I consumed about an hour earlier. This song goes fairly quickly with the exception of a few false starts (which I immediately blame on the enchilada). As Iz and are leaving, Ken begins work on a lead guitar track for "Can You Tell Me".

Iz and I talk about the weekend's work on the ride home. We both seem to have an overall feeling of satisfaction so far. Some things could always be better (it tends to be the nature of recording music), but overall, it was a successful weekend of work. Everybody came to work, and we managed to get through what I thought would be the most difficult part. The initial tracks are the foundation of any recording. If they are not up to par, nothing else you lay down (no matter how good it is) will sound right.

Fetish Lane is an American Roots Music Band. Members include Ken Held, Israel Lorimer, Ed Gliha, John Edick, Darrin Trass and Brian O'Connell.

Photography featured on this website was done in large part by friends, fans and family of the band including, but not limited to the following folks: Nikki Bisaha, Sarah Lewis, Aliscia Gaucher, Stacie Edick, Noelle Dasilva, and Johann Cash.

Website design and construction by: Thirsty Fish Graphic Design and Fetish Lane.