I wrote the song on acoustic as more of a John Hiatt / Keith Richards love child (don’t picture it) but in the recording it came out grungier, which I ended up preferring. Like if Alice in Chains (or, more rightly, a hack using their equipment) had covered it. The mix was done in my (very) small home studio using a Z24 digital mixer, some with mixer’s onboard mics, others (like the vocals) with a dedicated mic. The acoustic guitar is a spruce Martin, the electric a Gibson Les Paul Studio played with a heavy crunch. The bass is some cheap $100 Jaguar I picked up years ago, but I used the mixer to strengthen it while removing most of the extraneous sound. The guitars and bass in the song were pretty busy, so I used a cocktail drumset for floor and snare toms and turned the mic off the highhat, later deepening the sound with a filter, and kept the rhythm very straight-forward at 100BPM. I supplemented the rhythm with a simple pair of egg shakers and a ratchet. And voila!

I Can't Run Anymore

My second song out of my home studio. I've always been a big fan of simple song progressions that instead of adding complexity, they add complimentary layers of sound instead, one after the other, then pulling back again towards the end. This was my take on one, using a four chord progression that repeated over and over - although I did move the riff up on fret for the chorus (B became C, etc.). To play with  a number of guitar sounds, I plugged my Gibson Les Paul into a Fender G-Dec amp, and picked four different crunch styles. The main riff is played with the improbably named "Ladies Man" vibe, later supplemented by some "OutLaw" strumming. The solo work in the middle and at the end are all done on a setting 
called "Bakersfield" and the backing screaming crunch at the height of the song is the appropriately named "Screaming" crunch. I will admit, this has convinced me that in the long run, I need a pedal and matching system to switch sounds on 
the fly! Also, the drums are live, not computer, but played through a flanging filter for atmosphere.

Heaven Knows

The third song from my home studio, ‘Flight or Fight’, came as the result of two things – one, a new drum rhythm I wanted to test in my digital recorder, and two, much more importantly, David Bowie passed away. (And don’t get me started on Scott Weiland or Glenn Fry, I’m sad enough!) I didn’t want to try to make a David Bowie sounding song, but I did like something he once said in an interview. The interviewer asked Bowie what the most important thing in life was, and Bowie responded, (and I paraphrase, but I’m close enough for government work), “The most important thing in life is to learn to love and learn to be loved in return.” That stuck with me.
                As to the song, it’s really just a five track song, and just three chords to boot. I intended (and recorded) backing vocals, some lead guitar work with a solo, even a more complex bass rhythm ... but none of it sounded right. So I kept taking them back out. It’s just one vocal, an electric guitar, a 6-string acoustic, a simple bass, and a (I hope) hopping drum track. I should have down-tuned a half step for the vocals, but didn’t like to take the guitars out of standard. I guess sad times just call for simple happy songs, end of story.
                Hope you enjoy!

Flight Or Fight

A rock song I wrote about someone who goes through what we all do at some point - wondering where all our friends have gone. (Well, at least in this case, he makes it fun.) I like playing drums live, but this one I programmed the percussion, and the guitar's my Les Paul Studio edition with a couple of different crunches. Bass and vocals played through simple clearing filters. Cheers! (The pic, BTW, I took from the X Lounge in Vegas. That was the vibe I felt going in the song.)

Also at: https://youtu.be/HGYyHVQffNo

Turning To Stone

My fifth song, and an early birthday present to me! It's basically a song about how I fall for the crazy ones ... and that I wouldn't change a thing. Hoping publishing it on a Friday the 13th AND a full moon will bring luck. (The guitars are my Gibson Les Paul Studio and my Martin DCX1E.) 

The Phoenix

A wistful little song that started out as a simple C/G and D/A chord progression. Big thanks to Carleton Place singer Leona Wagorn accompanying on vocals, and keys provided by Sanjay Kanhere of Kanary Productions. Without them, the song doesn’t work.

This was the first song I tried mastering in the Reaper DAW, and so far, so good. Recording was done via an R24 Zoom digital recorded. The acoustic guitar was my Martin DCX1E. The electric was my Gibson Les Paul Studio, where I used EZMix software through Reaper to get the sound I wanted rather than via amp, since the song (for me) conjured an oceanside, nostalgic setting, and since my uncle was a big Jimmy Buffett fan, I tried to reflect that. The bass was an old Squire model through a Yamaha amp. The drums I programmed rather than played (it’s just so much easier) using the latest EZDrummer software, building it from the ground up, and giving it a John Bonham / When the Levee breaks style of echo.

Enjoy!

Lie To Me (w Leona Wagorn & Sanjay Kanhere)

Had a lot of fun recording and mixing this. No deep meaning to it, just aimed to make it catchy. Enjoy!

Awake

I'll be posting original music by myself, with friends and with local artists in Perth, Carleton Place, Ottawa and surrounding Ontario Canada regions.

Matt Holgate Music