Written and owned by Martin Minshall

Instrumentation: Vocals/Acoustic GTR/Electric (lead) GTR/Bass/Drums + Background Synths?

Overall, I want this track to sound - as impossible or strange as it might seem - like a cross between Coldplay on their 'Mylo Xyloto' album and Oasis on their '(What's The Story) Morning Glory' Album.

By that, I mean I want the texture and the feel that the thick, synth laden Coldplay album has, but this album looses a raw excitement, which I feel is a real compromise.  So, I want to try and keep that, with Oasis' '(What's The Story) Morning Glory' album coming to mind as an album that just has a raw energy to it.

REFERENCE TRACKS:

DRUMS:
'Lyla' by Oasis 
This song has a nice kick to it, with a raw, exciting feel, and some nice fills, that I think this song could use well in the main hook.

'Speed Of Sound' by Coldplay
I think in the verses of the song drums like this song might work, and could give it an interesting sound.

BASS:
I think the bass in the verses of 'Come Away With Me' might sound good in the same style as the bass in the verses of this song.

I think the bass would sound best with just simple 16th notes in the main hook line of the song.

Come Away With Me

Written and owned by Martin Minshall

Instrumentation: Vocals/Acoustic GTR/Electric (lead) GTR/Bass/Drums + Background Synths?

This track is a classic, Oasisesque comedy track.  The joker of the EP.
I want it to feel quite cheeky and innocent in a way.  A jumpy, lively, fun, simple track.  And in a way, this could be the most raw sounding track on the EP, production wise, but not so that it would stick out as an odd track.

DRUMS/BASS/OVERALL FEEL:
These are good tracks to listen to for the overall feel that I'm looking for, and are good to get bass/drum ideas from:

'Digsy's Dinner' by Oasis
NOTE that the electric guitars wont be as predominant as they are in this track.  It will be lead by the acoustic guitar.

'She's Electric' by Oasis

'Girl Called Jo' by Roddy Hart
NOTE that, though this is an acoustic track like Hey You! will be, I want Hey You! to have more energy and excitement than this track, and to just sound a bit more loud and less tame, like the Oasis tracks.

Hey You!

Written and owned by Martin Minshall

 INSTRUMENTATION: VOCALS/ACOUSTIC GUITAR/KEYS + BACKGROUND SYNTHS?

I want this track to sound quite ratural, and simple, but at the same time quite spacey with a bit of ambience.

Vocal harmony wise, I want it to have a real chorus feel.  Loads of vocals all around, like in 'Knights Of Cydonia' by Muse where Matt Bellamy starts singing 'Noones gunna take me alive...'

Another good reference track for vocals is 'Map Of Your Heart' by Roddy Hart.

For its secluded, ambient feel 'Slide Show' by Travis is a good reference track.  It also has a nice sound on both guitars and vocals, which make the song sound very natural and stripped back, something I'm looking for with this track.

Life Song

Written and owned by Martin Minshall

Instrumentation: Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Electric (lead) GTR/Bass/Drums + Strings + Background Synths?

This track is quite Snow Patrol like.  It has a sound of tracks of theirs like 'Chasing Cars' and 'This Isn't Everything You Are' by the band.

Really, I think it should naturally build, like a soundscape.  It starts off quiet and intense, and then it builds.  The tension is released as it just blasts out at the end.

DRUMS:
Something like 'This Isn't Everything You Are' by Snow Patrol.  I think if it starts quite quiet in the second verse, with a real tension, so we feel the release as it just goes for it in the loud bits.

BASS:
The bass line doesn't need to be too obvious in this track, but I think it'd be nice if it had some nice harmonies with the guitar, rather than just following it.

Good reference tracks would be 'If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It' by Snow Patrol, 'This Isn't Everything You Are' by Snow Patrol, and I think in the louder parts, paticularly in the instrumental parts even 'Best Of You' by Foo Fighters, because it has a nice fluid movement to it that I think might add something interesting and unobvious to the bass line in this song.

STRINGS:
I want the strings to sound quite lavish and smooth.  Nice long legato notes in the background to add warmth, texture and atmosphere, but I think theres possibly room for one nice phrase to be used as a hook line in the instrumental sections possibly.

The only reference track I can think of for strings is 'Open Your Eyes' by Snow Patrol, but I think the strings would work coming in at the begining, and should be thicker and louder in the mix than in this track. 

Please Dont Hide Away

Written and owned by Martin Minshall

Instrumentation: Vocals/Acoustic GTR/Electric (lead) GTR/Bass/Drums + Background synth?

A good reference track for this song in general would be 'Charlie Brown' by Coldplay.
It has a great dancy feel to it, and some great synths in the background which add atmosphere and thickens the song up.  But for this track, I want to take the idea, but keep it sounding rawer, and especially in the verses sound acoustic still.

DRUMS
'Charlie Brown' by Coldplay  has a strong, predominant kick drum throughout which I think would work  well on this track, and the drums in general have quite a dancey feel, too, without loosing a band sound.

If you was to adopt this idea, but maybe have busier drums in the main hook.  I dont think much is needed in the verses.

It might sound a bit impossible or contradictory, but I think something simple but interesting would work well on this track.

BASS:
'Charlie Brown' and 'Yellow' by Coldplay have bass lines in the sort of style that I think would sound good on this track.

faradayep