jacob detering is making records

Unique Genius

2010-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Are we making your record - or are we making another record I should know about?

I ask this question of nearly every prospective client. It's just my way of knowing what we're getting into - and my way of establishing value alignment from take one. Because obviously - it super important to make the record the artists wants. A record should be legacy.

98.99% of artists claim emphatically that we are making their record. That they are willing and committed to taking the time and energy [emotional] to find and create their sonic and emotive signature. But invariably, shortly into the process, it becomes clear that we are (re)making their favorite record(s). That we are in essence inserting them into a pre-existing archetype or concept. Akin to using stock photos in your personal photo album or b-roll video in your own home videos.

I'm not sure if it's always been this way, but I notice lately that most people define success as successfully imitating something else successful. Whereas even a decade ago, entrepreneurs (artists are the quintessential entrepreneurs) the idea was to do something new - something that would become the definition of success, nowadays the idea is to clone what's already a proven winner. The net result is often a product that's unremarkable and expendable - measurable by looking at the absence of modern recording artists with career longevity.

I'm always astonished how with all of the different guitars, drums, mics, mixing consoles and most importantly artists available, most popular music sounds +/- the same. In a world of infinite creative options, it seems both artists and the bulk of consumers want the same song - over and over again? That music has been reduced to a brand of soda or cigarettes. I'm a Nickleback man?!?

My two cents - do yourself and your fans a favor. Do something unique. Do something new. Do something you.

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Results, The Bi-Product of Behavior

2010-05-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

If you're paying attention out there, talk of utilizing social media metrics to measure the size and engagement of your fan base is nothing new. Topspin, Next Big Sound, Rockdex and others are now offering pretty cool aggregation and analytic tools - which in my mind are key to understanding and moving towards your market. All that being said, even the best data is worthless if not extrapolated into actionable items/behaviors aimed towards improving your business. Coming from the business world, root cause analysis, action planning and repeatable routine are a familiar ethos for me. But in talking to artists, it's evident that there's a lot of confusion and frustration around what all this information means and how it's a value add.

Information which should be empowering is instead, overwhelming.

Results - either good or bad - are the bi-product of behavior(s). That being said, my first step in action planning always involves a fact finding mission. Out of the gate, capture as much data about your business as possible. Below is a great little eye chart penned (literally) by music business guru and friend George Howard. Here, George suggests taking a baseline of current performance across all areas of your business: Twitter Followers, Facebook Friends, Myspace plays, email addresses gathered at shows, email addresses gathered online, average net take from shows, etc. With this data in hand, draw a spaghetti diagram of all the behaviors connected to each result. What does getting people to sign your email list at shows look like? What actionable steps are you taking to add Twitter followers (spam-bots don't count!) Remember, include as much detail as possible, here. Key is understanding the whole process involved in arriving at any given result.

From here, some opportunities may become very obvious. One example would be: I don't get any email addresses at shows because I don't bring a list with me. Others, may be more elusive and difficult to understand. Using the email list as an example, begin to change behaviors around email collection at shows one behavior at a time. For example, for two weeks bring a list to every single performance. At the end of two weeks, measure your data, document your progress and re-evaluate.

Go figure! The simple act of bringing a list meant you captured 23 email addresses over two weeks! Next, dive back into the behaviors: Do you mention the email list during the performance? Do you have someone soliciting emails? Do you offer free media for an email address? Change those things, one by one, measuring after each trial. Absorb what works, toss what doesn't. And of course, iterate.

My suggestion would be to dissect every aspect of your career using this process. The great thing about working this way is that it focuses on facets of your career you CAN control. Instead of being pissed that you don't have a label deal, there aren't 400 people at each show and that a limo isn't driving you to said show, you work on incrementally changing each aspect of your business one thing at a time. The theory of small wins - you can see your progress, even if small and this, makes the effort worthwhile.

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The Creative Climate

2010-03-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last few days in the studio with New Hampshire artist Amy Petty helping to navigate the production of her new record. I'm not sure if it's that I'm tired or that I'm getting my first dose of sunlight in what feels like months but something has me mulling over the process of record making. It's been a few years since the release of 'Mystery Keeps You'. Last Spring, Amy and I started toying with the idea of embarking on her second record. Directionally, our biggest concern was that the new record not be a remaking or re-inventing of 'Mystery'.

Fast forward almost a year, skip over the week I spent in New Hampshire wading through Amy's catalog of material to me sitting at my console, listening to possibility. I'll be honest, here - making records from scratch takes a strong stomach. It's not a job for those uncomfortable with uncertainty and being uncomfortable. Even after steering dozens of records to completion, I still find the process a bit unnerving.

While a great amount of care is taken to select and then tweak the source material (songs) , each tune must still endure quite a bit to reach completion. The right part, played by the right instrument, performed by the right player, captured by the right microphone positioned at just the right place all impact the end result. A well written song aside, the above things are what make or break a song's ability to elicit an emotive response from the listener.

At the end of the day, about all that comforts my record making anxiety is the team of people surrounding me. I am at best, an average musician with a few good ideas. My strength has always been in surrounding myself with amazing musicians; selfless players that aspire to make great, emotive records. I like to call them all 'ultimate character actors' in that while each of them is brilliant, skilled and accomplished in their own right, they choose to play whatever roll necessary to further the story. They truly play for the song.

Beyond their art, they are all easy people. As session drummer Joe Meyer told me once: "We make records here. If you are here, the expectation is that you can play. From there it's all about donuts and coffee. Can you sit and make your client feel at ease and as if everything is under control? Can you hang?"

Instead of trying to remove discomfort from the process, my new goal is to get more comfortable being uncomfortable. After all, great art is born at the fray of normalcy; reaching into the unknown is always a bit scary. And too, have the courage to let other people (the right people) into the process. It's difficult to create something new and other worldly when creating in a vacuum. And most important (most obvious and often overlooked) let the team know and feel their value.

It's an honor and a privilege, guys. It really is.

###

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(Re)Defining Music as Business.

2010-02-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever, I was accused by a friend, artist and client of thinking too much about the 'business' side of the music business. While I admittedly took slight offense, I find in retrospect that I'm really quite proud of his observation. Endemic to the music business is the idea that creators should focus on what they do - making art - leaving someone (anyone) else to deal with the business side of things. Trust me - I get it. I'd much rather spend my time writing great songs, making amazing recordings than participating in countless conference calls, returning emails and action planning around next steps for my business.

I've run a few million dollar businesses. I say this only because when comparing my experience in different industries, I notice a sizable chasm between the way in which musicians and other more traditional business people deal with moving a brand forward. Most significantly missing in artists is an over arching sense of urgency with regards to brand survival. This is to say I'm always shocked at what musicians are not willing to do to survive making a living doing what they love. It's a culture full of people doing what they do - instead of doing what needs to be done. I don't want to get too in depth about the minutia of a day in the life of a musician. This blog isn't about playing gigs, collecting emails or social networking but rather about a much larger, all encompassing cultural shift that really needs to take place should musicians really want to make art their business.

First and most overlooked is thinking of yourself (or your band) as an upstart business. Read anything and everything you can get your hands on around starting a business and building a brand. While a great deal of time should be spent shedding, practicing and arriving at your vibe; your sound - an equivalent amount of time should be spent locating your market, finding out what the market commands and ultimately delivering product to the marketplace.

Just do it. Being a perfectionist, this has been a hard one for me to learn. I do lots of stuff - but almost always cling to ideas, products and blogs too long before pushing them out into the world. Don't wait for approval from anyone (even yourself); at every turn, someone will be there to knock you down. You'll probably never get the approval you're looking for so you might as well not even try.

As anyone who's worked with me on a record will tell you, the iterative process applies to both art and business. Build, release, iterate. The iterative process applies to every single aspect of your business in a significant way. For example, I like to think of every process as a build and release phenomena. The way you book shows, the way you promote shows, the way you perform shows and the way you sell merch during and after the show are all separate (yet connected) processes. Analyze each process, break processes down into behaviors, measure outcomes, root cause, set new goals/new behaviors and repeat.

Always be the weakest person in the room. The people surrounding you should be people that you'd want to work for; people that are faster, smarter and generally better than you. While creativity is not a democracy, having strong, thoughtful personalities in an organization is key to getting the best results.

Create an environment of learning; don't relish in what you know but instead be concerned about your knowledge gap. When talking to artists I'm frequently confused by the disconnect between what they want to accomplish in the music business and how little they know about the music business. Find an artist you admire whose career reflects a realistic next step for you and see what you can learn by researching their career path. Heck, you might even try contacting them (respectfully) and asking a few key questions. I also find immense value in scanning other industries for valuable practices or ideas. The internet is full of great information should you take the time to filter and look. And from time to time when stuck, hire a consultant or adviser to help you un-stick you.

Have short, medium and long term goals for your business. Few of us travel long distance without a map yet I'm shocked how many artists go day in and day out without a career road map. Once a year, sit down with pen and paper, break your business down in to manageable categories, set goals around those categories and develop action steps around each goal. Your road map should be a living document consulted and adjusted on a day to day basis!

I've been apart of many conversations comparing the music business culture to a battle between left and right brain governance. I'm sure the truth is somewhere in the middle; great art doesn't sell itself and business doesn't create great art. All the more reason artists that straddle both the creative and commerce sides of the business will be the new industry trail blazers.

###

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javier mendoza 'you' | that's a wrap!

2009-09-06T06:21:00.000-07:00

After several months of tackling one song at a time, I'm happy to say that Javier Mendoza's new record 'You' is drawing to a close. Working on this record with Javi has been a rewarding experience - the most significant take-away of which has been the building of a creative closeness and friendship with Javier.

If you have followed this project at all, you'd know that in early March, I joined Javier on a quick performance trip to Kentucky after which we set up a small demo studio in an ridiculously quaint cottage just outside Cincinnati courtesy of Rick Cobourn and Janine Hooverman. And course, I cannot forget great indie music advocate Jay Brandt for his help in orchestrating such a great trip.

The goal in making 'You' was to really take Javier's music in a different direction while offering the record in two versions; Spanish and English. I feel that this record offers a new level of songwriting for Javier and directionally offers truly amazing supporting roles by the usual cast of characters: Joe Meyer and Dennis Stringfield on drums, Eric Grossman and Logan Detering on Bass, R. Scott Bryan playing percussion and nearly everything on the track entitled 'You', Jim Stevens and Dawn Weber offered great horn work, Jim Peters on guitar and of course, Javier on guitar and vocals. As I have said before - I am so thrilled with pianist David Aholt's contribution to this record. Great, great work.

Although I contributed significantly to the arrangement and direction of 'You' - I actually played very little on this record. Instead my role has been more engineer and over arching captain of the creative ship. In this regard - this record has been a shift for me in that it's required a more indirect influence on the creative space. Mixes are nearly done and we're scheduled to hit mastering first part of next week with guru Brad Sarno - I can't wait to hear Brad's work.

The release show is already booked and tickets are on sale. The first three hundred tickets sold will receive a free copy of the new record. Get your tickets today by clicking, here!

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new england | i wish it was home.

2009-08-23T14:02:00.000-07:00

The last 1o days have been jam packed full of great people, great music and amazing conversation. More than anything, I am so touched by the generosity and hospitality of all my friends out here - I am so, so grateful for the time and connection with all of you.

I landed in Manchester, New Hampshire hopped in Billy Petty's car and after a quick pit stop to grab dog food for Dora, trekked to Portland, Maine for a gig at a tiny, eclectic place called 'Blue'. It was here that I tasted one of the most amazing beers ever - Allagash Curieux; a tripel ale aged in used Jim Beam barrels. Ah - and prior to Amy's gig, we saw the red-headed woman from 'Sex in the City' at comic shop in Portland.

The next morning, Amy and I headed out early for a gig a The Berkshire Muse Fest in Pittsfield,MA. Despite being super hot and sweaty (amplified by carrying all of Amy's stuff around) it was a day full of great music. Just prior to Amy playing her set, I had a chance to talk with Sarah Bettens in person - which after shooting demo reels around for months and months was a real treat. It's always nice to finally meet someone in person and make that connection. All in all, it was just great to see Amy share a stage with the likes of Sarah Bettens, Melissa Ferrick and Susan Vega.

After grabbing breakfast with friend, I drove North of Portland to Lewiston, Maine to hang with producer, engineer and songwriter Taylor Mesple. After showing me around his studio in downtown Lewiston, Taylor pit stopped at a teeny tiny place a grabbed a handful of Maine lobsters for dinner. The rest of my evening was spent with Taylor and his amazing family eating lobster while trying to trick his kids in to eating ANY part of their dinner. (I never realized how much time is spent getting kids to simply, eat!).

Tuesday Amy and used as a day to rifle though her catalog of tunes. We begin working on a new record for Amy in the fall so having the chance to get in on the songs at the ground floor has been great. I have to say, her new record is going to be stunning; I can't wait to get started.

Wednesday Amy and I spent the day in a few of my favorite places in New England - Rockport, MA and Gloucester, MA. We ate at the Red Skiff - walked beaches and more or less talked about big and little things for the better part of the day. The only thing that would have made that day better would have been to have Billy around - but he was busy working.

Thursday I took a trip thru Cape Cod and jumped a ferry to Martha's Vineyard to spend a day with my friend George. Beyond great conversation around the music bizz and business in general, George drove from point to point of the island culminating with a stop at the cutest grocery store I think I've ever seen. We grabbed a few steaks, tomatoes, corn and bread - and then drove to a nearby beach and strolled a bit. The highlight of the day had to have been listening to George's daughter Annabelle outline in detail all of the careers she was going to have when she got older. Sure, we all talk about what we want to do when we grow up - but this amazing kid had well plotted business plans at the age of 5. Awesome.

Friday I drove back from the Vineyard, swung thru Derry, New Hamspshire grabbed Amy and Billy and headed back to Portland, Maine for another Amy-gig. The gig was at this great little place called North Star Music Cafe. Amy shared the stage with two other super talented songwriters - Rebecca Katz and Putnam Smith. It was a songwriter in the round type show - a format that I really love. All in all - a great night of music.

Saturday inolved a trip to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to catch up with an old, dear friend - and today, Sunday - I spent the bulk of the day hanging out with guitarist Bill Derby in Manchester, New Hampshire. All I can say about that is that I might have to sneak back to Bill's house, steal most of his guitars and his cat - a Maine Coon kitten.

Altough fairly sure I've thanked all of you personally for your generosity and time, I figured I'd do so here, too. It was so great to spend what time I had with all of you and I look forward to seeing you all sooner than later.

Best,

J.

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mastering :: loudness wars.

2009-08-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

I've been trudging through old blogs on myspace lately and re-posting those that I feel are still relevant or interesting. The one I'm re-introducing today was written after a visit with mastering engineer M. Brad Sarno @ Blue Jade Audio Mastering.

I don't want to get into too much detail on this topic. Suffice to say, if you know what the 'loudness war' is, the attached video is very informative. If this is a foreign topic for you, please watch and listen carefully.

**I just realized that the embedded file didn't carry over to my facebook feed**

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ

brain surgery at home for fun and profit!???!

2009-08-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

It's pretty comboggling (a great word created by my friend Josh Meng - which in Menglish means confusing / mind boggling) to think that the portion of my life spent making recordings now exceeds time spent NOT making recordings. Over the years, it's fair to say that I've recorded on nearly every format available and in just about every environment imaginable.

In the early days, I'd hole up in what used to be the old coal room in my parents basement with my Yamaha four track recorder writing and recording several songs a week. On occasion I'd even rent a Tascam PortaStudio from my local music store for a month at a time. I would use these machines until they literally stopped working... And while at the time I knew nothing technically about recording and even less about gear, the whole experience was an immensely valuable learning in songwriting and process.

Since then, in addition to owning several of my own work spaces (I never liken them to world-class recording facilities) I've worked in a myriad of spare bedroom studios, semi-commercial rooms and full-on pro facilities.

Several years ago, I stumbled on Sear Sound Studios in NYC. Both Sear Sound and owner Walter Sear are mainstays in the studio world and have been for many years, advocates for the professional studio environment. And while I find myself far less rigid than Walter in his insistence of working in a world-class facility, I do find a great deal of wisdom in the analogy he draws. I decided to repost this blog because as of a few months ago, www.searsound.com was redesigned, eliminating Walter's 'articles' page.

I guess too, I decided to blog about this after discussing the decline of music qualitatively with my new-found friend George Howard (@gah650) over dinner. And while I don't think either of us really arrived at a definitive answer to the question, advances and the proliferation of music technology did get strong mention. But I think beyond everything, what's often omitted from the record making process these days is experience. And the decline in experience and wisdom throughout the recording process is at the heart of Walter's blog. Again - I'd link to the blog, but it's no longer available; the following is from a web clipping I grabbed long ago.

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++++

DO BRAIN SURGERY AT HOME
FOR FUN AND PROFIT

I'm not very technical but I just love doing brain surgery. I couldn't see wasting all that time to get an undergraduate degree in science, then wasting four more years in medical school and another three or so as a resident, but I'm sure that I can make up for the deficit with my enthusiasm and my love of brain surgery.

First of all, you really don't need to be in a big fancy building like a hospital. I use my ping-pong table in the basement to do my surgery. (I do throw a plastic sheet over it to preserve the paint). By doing it at home, I save on rent. I admit that sometimes the neighbors complain about the occasional screams that they hear, especially late at night.

Next thing is the equipment. They have all of that shiny stuff in the operating room and believe me, you don't really need it. I equipped my Operating Room at my local 99 cent store. At the hardware department, pick up a hack saw. This is very handy for cutting off the top of the skull. If you want to get fancy, pick up a cross-cut saw, for emergencies. A good claw hammer is handy for removing any extra bone that you missed with the saws.

Move on to the housewares department. Here, for $.99, you can get a whole set of steak knives. These are very sharp and they are good for the fine work. For the rough work--get a bread knife.

In the sewing department, you can pick up a sewing kit with all kinds of needles and different colored threads This is handy to sew the scalp back in place. You can also get a set of three different-sized scissors. Sometimes they come in handy.

There! For $7 to $8, you can completely equip your operating room.

On TV, you see the OR full of assistants. This is a waste of space. If you really watch them, they are all just standing around doing nothing. In my home operating room, I have eliminated all of these unnecessary people. I do, however, engage the family dog to sit under my operating table to clean up the scraps.

You see how simple it is to do brain surgery at home? Anyone with a love of brain surgery can do it. I never read Grey's Anatomy although I did see a copy once. Very nice pictures but half of it was in Latin. Who wants to bother with that! If you really want to be a brain surgeon, all you need is the desire and enthusiasm.

My prices are very cheap since I don't have all that stupid overhead.

ANYONE NEED TO HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR REMOVED? CALL ME.

Walter Sear

co-creation & intention.

2009-07-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you've long ago abandoned your myspace page. Anyhow, while perusing my page (http://www.myspace.com/jacobdetering) I stumbled on an old blog/image that startled me, again. I thought I might as was well post it again as it speaks volumes about me as a person:

"It's strange how every once and awhile, you stumble on something or someone that encapsulates something you think or feel so perfectly, it's almost shocking. If you're ever wondering what the hell i'm thinking - this postsecret.com entry pretty much says it all."

planning to make a record, what's next?

2009-07-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

My partner Lauren Markow mentioned in passing conversation that in addition to blogging about the goings on in my musical world, I should begin scripting short utilitarian blogs about the record making process. As with most things, getting started is always the hardest part and at first attempt at writing, I got stuck in the usual places: What do I know about anything? Where would I begin?

Here's a novel idea - how 'bout at the beginning?

Making records is an often cathartic, emotional experience for artists. After all, it's in many ways akin to the birthing process; watching a song enter the physical world, growing from nucleus of an idea into a full on art piece. That being said, I feel it critical when considering the record making process, to set those feelings aside and honestly assess what the record needs to do for you and your career. Are you making a record as a keepsake or benchmark of your artistic growth? Or are you crafting a tool that will serve to further your career? Answer dependent, you should then decide direction, approach and ultimately the budget for your project. This considered, the following are things I frequently run into as a producer/engineer which have potential to make or break a project:

Songs are everything (songs are boss!)::
Send me your demos sooner than later. And while at it, send me everything! Songs are obviously the cornerstones of a good record. No amount of polishing, gear or playing can change that. I like to be involved in helping make play list decisions and working thru re-writes if necessary. I have a gigantic imagination, so don't bother making clean demos; if I can hear chord changes and words, I'm usually fine. If I tell you a song is 'weak' it doesn't mean I don't like you or your songs. It simply means I think you have better material in you.

Right part, right instrument::
Nothing will impact the sound or landscape of a recording like the right part performed on the right instrument. If I had a dollar for every time a drummer loaded in a 27 piece drum kit complete with piccolo snare drum and roto toms and proceeded to tell me he fancies John Bonham-esque drum sounds I'd be a wealthy man. Despite what you might think, you cannot make something sound like something it's not. Carpenters and mechanics all adhere to a simple philosophy: Use the right tool for the job, people!

The studio is not your basement::
Playing in the studio is a honed skill. For drummers, studio work is far more about playing the room and self-balancing the kit (kick to snare, snare to hat, etc) than it is about chops. Be organized about your ideas and execute them in an articulate, organized fashion! This means, don't noodle; play parts. Most brilliant session players I work with are systematic in their approach usually playing just time and fundamentals for the first several takes followed with crazier approaches after we're sure we have the part. Listen to your favorite records and REALLY assess what you hear. Here's a secret: You don't hear drum fills, guitar solos and noodling. Instead, you hear organized, memorable parts and usually, SONGS.

Listening is an art, the studio affords perspective::
Making records allows you to really hear what works and what doesn't. If you come in too sold on your own parts, you often lose the benefit of perspective that the studio offers. My guess is this is why the great players, engineers, producers and mixers all say that making music is truly the art of LISTENING, not playing.

Make your best record, not a record that's already been made::
People often ask me what happened to the music business. While I could give you a million answers, - I think the most accurate one has something to do with artists defining their success relational to something else they know as successful. Writing and making records has become a winnowed process much like a funnel. As you pour your ideas in - the options are abundant; you have creativity in writing, arrangement and engineering. But as you apply the 'success filter' to your process, you start trying to make your art sound like something else already deemed successful. You in turn choose from a palette of five 'successful' guitar sounds, three 'hot' snare and kick drum samples and you abandon your own creative, sonic signature.

Plan your work and work your plan::
In conversations with artists over the last few years, I've been offering the following advice: Assume the record itself will change nothing and that it's everything else that will make or break your career. Trust me, as someone that makes records this is tough for me to say. However, I truly believe that success with selling a record has far more to do with support/sales systems created than the creative/sonic perfection of your recording. Spend time planning about how to increase your visibility, ability to sell product and merch both online and off the stage.

J.

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javier mendoza | wrapping up

2009-07-28T04:54:00.000-07:00

Seems like not so long ago that I was sitting in a cottage somewhere in Ohio listening to Javier play thru candidate songs for his new record. It's hard to believe that the record is now nearly complete.

This week marks the end of vocal track after which we have a few tiny detail overdubs to do; then mix. While we are still working thru logistics of the offering, it's exciting that every song on the record will be offered in both English and in Spanish.

Going into this record, Javier was insistent that this be a very different record; that it stand apart from other records and songs in his portfolio. Out of the gate, the idea was to make this a very simple record both in writing and in arrangement/production. Having worked on several of Javier's records in one capacity or another, I really feel that in this record's simplicity, Javier's passion and fire are somehow allowed to shine brighter. Without spoiling surprises, this record is much, much more organic and features great supporting performances from one of the greatest groups of musicians in St. Louis.

A big, big part of this record is the bi-product of the musical mind of pianist/writer David Aholt. Again, I don't want to steal the thunder - but at first listen, you will understand David's immense influence on this record. Also bringing so much to the table - drummer Joe Meyer, bassist Eric Grossman and multi-instrumentalist/writer R. Scott Bryan.

Javier's new record will be available in stores, on itunes (and many other digital avenues) and at shows early fall 2009. I hope you all enjoy the record and if you do, please share your enthusiasm with those around you.

Thanks, all.

J.

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other interesting news | caleb travers & taylor mesple'

2009-07-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy, busy few weeks. Beyond pushing ahead full on with Javier Mendoza's new record, I've also started working with brilliant singer/songwriter Caleb Travers. I started receiving demos from Caleb several months ago. After working thru material, writing and re-writing, we decided to move forward with a handful of tunes. We've spent one evening in pre-production thus far with one more evening scheduled before we begin tracking. Most times, beyond getting MP3's emailed to me, I have very little time to do pre-production on material; it was nice to sit with Caleb, drummer Joe Meyer and bassist Eric Grossman and hash out tempos, feels and parts.

I also had the pleasure of mixing a song for my good friend Taylor Mesple'. Hailing from Portland, Maine - Taylor is a great, great songwriter and amazing pianist/multi-instrumentalist. In addition to being a great songwriter and performer, Taylor owns two Portland mainstays - The Maple Room and Old Port Records.

I've also continued to work on Nashville pianist Chris Walter's new record. My last session with Chris included drummer Jim White and was completely amazing. Chris recorded saw player Natalia Paruz for one of the tunes - video of that session is amazing and can be seen, here.

Best,

J.

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javier mendoza :: tracking the new record.

2009-07-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

The last few months have been so, so busy...

Making records is often a very cathartic experience for me. Working on a full length project from the ground up is always such a humbling and grounding experience. There's something about taking a record from infancy to fruition that is demonstrative of how important PROCESS is in life. I realize while making records how much time of my life is spent wanting to be somewhere other than where i am. I often wish I was farther; wish I had this or that. It's often easy to overlook the importance of each brick in a wall; each step along a path. Making records is one aspect of my life where I see this, clearly. A good idea, the right people/ideas bolstered by the right intent and will builds things of relevance and beauty.

After a writing trip in Cincinnati with artist Javier Mendoza, we set up in the studio to begin tracking. Contributing massively on the record are the usual suspects - Drummer Joe Meyer, Bassists Eric Grossman and Logan Detering, Pianist David Aholt, Multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan, Guitarist Jim Peters and of course Javier Mendoza. I've actually played very little on this record but have found my role to be more concept directive than in past; it's a different but great role to play.

What I am most proud of really - is Javier's willingness to let his songs be pushed and pulled by PROCESS. In some ways, his songs have been reworked several times, now. First in Cincinnati where we rifled thru the best ideas and reworked them and then in the studio where we really started assessing chord voicing, tempos, etc. Javier has been so gracious in this often difficult process. Too, I am so honored to work and play with a group of such consummate and giving musicians. Their dedication to music and craft is second to none.

This record is a new turn for Javier - the songs, the arrangements and the playing are all a leap in a new direction which I think you all will love. We plan to mix and master a tune next week which will be uploaded for you all; I hope it effects you like it does me.

++

Almost a month ago, now - I participated in an amazing show the historic Sheldon Concert Hall. On the bill were four of my favorite artists: Kevin Bilchik, Amy Petty, R. Scott Bryan and Javier Mendoza.

Having worked with all these artists in the studio and being completely immersed in their material, it was so unreal to see them all on one stage with nothing separating them from the audience except an acoustic guitar. Oddly, despite knowing the songs front to back, I felt like I 'heard' the material in a new way. During one of Kevin Bilchik's songs, I noticed each on of the artists attentively listening and smiling after cool emotive moments. This compounded with an audience that was so focused and attentive, made the evening one (of many, I hope) I will always remember.

I have the coolest job. For this I am so thankful.

Till next time,

J.

http://www.redpillonline.com
http://www.jacobdetering.com
http://twitter.com/jacobdetering
http://www.facebook.com/jacobdetering

chris walters :: songwriter, pianist and super nice guy.

2009-04-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Just this last weekend, I started work on a record with pianist and songwriter Chris Walters. Chris has a long, long pedigree playing for all sorts of music greats which reads something like this :

New Orleans born pianist Chris Walters has resided in Nashville since 1989, moving from New York to serve as music director for country music legend Barbara Mandrell until her retirement in 1997. He then joined the group Alabama, touring and recording with them through 2004. When not touring with his own band, Chris performs and records as the keyboardist with various artists, including the Jeff Coffin Mu’tet and Peter Mayer. He's performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and recorded the soundtrack for a documentary film scored by Bela Fleck. #

Also involved with this record in the producer role is my dear friend R. Scott Bryan. Our first day yielded great results with more to come soon. I'll will get some audio up as it's available - for now visit Chris, here.

Please visit me on one of my many sites:
http://www.jacobdetering.com
http://myspace.com/jacobdetering

Best,

J.

progress report | drew johnson

2009-03-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

A few weekends back, Drew Johnson and I embarked on the journey of making his new record. As I have been talking with Drew about this project on and off for quite a long time, it was really great to finally get everyone in one room and start hashing our way through ideas and material.

The beginning of every record is always hard; it's always a bit scary. As a producer / engineer, I am always a bit shocked and bewildered that an artist would entrust me to make their record?!? At times it's overwhelming - juggling so many ideas, personalities and most of all, managing the environment in which the songs are crafted. Of all the things I've come to learn (which extends far beyond faders, knobs, eq's and even performance) it's that interpersonal environment is everything when making a record. Great work happens when artists - both songwriters / artists and session players - feel safe to explore. Great recordings are made when people trust and have faith that the process will not fail them.

I was tickled to find this vlog on Drew's personal website - in which he talks about this very idea. Much thanks to drummer Joe Meyer, bassist Eric Grossman and most of all, Drew Johnson for a great start to what will be a great record. For more updates, check http://www.drewjohnsononline.com or http://www.jacobdetering.blogspot.com.

To watch the video - click, here.

Spring is here!

J.

javier mendoza :: writing retreat cincinatti, ohio

2009-03-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure last week of traveling to Cincinnati, OH with artist Javier Mendoza. Although I've spent much of the last several weeks on the road, spending quality 'windshield time' with Javier talking music biz and listening to music was just great fun.

We landed in Crestview Hills, Kentucky were Javier played to a packed crowd at the Argentine Bean Bistro. I had then pleasure of sharing a beer and dinner with former St. Louis native Jay Brandt (Brandt's Cafe'). After packing up, we drove north just outside Cincinnati, Ohio to our home away from home 'songwriting safe-house' graciously donated by Rick and Janine Hooverman.

The cottage was just perfectly quaint and the perfect environment to buckle down and help Javier finish songs for his forthcoming record. For the next few days, we played, wrote, played more, ate, and then played some more. I'm happy to say that the week was very productive; we actually completed four new songs. Many thanks to Jay Brandt, Janine and Rick Hooverman and the Argentine Bean Bistro for such immense kindness and generosity.

Beyond all the productivity, highlights of the trip included my introduction to Cincinnati chili which is made with chocolate and cinnamon - and - maybe the best part: watching Javier eat wasabi peas. Awesome.

We begin formally working on the new Javier Mendoza record in April - I expect great, great things. For updates on progress, please visit http://www.javiermendoza.com or watch my blog.

Best,

J.

josiah rosen | nashville songwriter

2009-03-05T09:56:00.000-08:00

Sometime last year I received a phone call from Nashville singer - songwriter Josiah Rosen inquiring about working on new material. For those of you that are not familiar, Josiah was one of the founding members of the band Augustana and holds some amazing writing credits for songs such as 'Boston'. After leaving the band, Josiah settled in Nasvhille and is currently working on his own material along with co-writes with several major label artists.

A bit over a month ago, Josiah and I finally made good on our promise to begin sketching his new record. Lending supporting performances to the tune were drummer Joe Meyer, multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan, pianist David Aholt and yours truly.

After tracking and mixing the song, I took a trip north to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit friend and engineer J. Christopher Hughes and mastering engineer Trevor Sadler.

One tune down and plans in the works to start sketches of several other songs. You can follow progress on my blog or by friend requesting Josiah on Facebook, Myspace or by visiting http://www.josiahrosen.com.

Take care,

J.

drew johnson - march marks the beginning.

2009-02-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

I can remember listening to Drew Johnson tunes years and years ago. Fact, I remember my dear friend and producer/engineer J. Christopher Hughes playing me Formula Kid board mixes several years and just being shocked by the talent and ability of songwriter and front man, Drew Johnson.

Strange how things go - several months back my phone rings - on the other end is Drew. Drew mentioned following my progress over the last few years, and that he had decided that I was the guy he wanted to make his new release.

I would go on and on about the development of our relationship - but heck, Drew does a great job in his vlog located, here (the video takes a bit to load). All I can say is that Drew is far too complimentary about my skills - peruse his site, listen to some of his demos and you will get my drift. I am so happy to be a part of this record and just know already that it will be a must have. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on both http://www.drewjohnsononline.com and on my blog.

take care,

j.

kirk ward sessions

2009-02-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

So - for several, several months I have been working on a new record for songwriter / artist Kirk Ward. For those of you not familiar with being locked in a studio with an artist, charged with helping with the safe delivery of their creative work - it can overwhelming and sometimes downright difficult.

While some artists are very phobic about dissecting material in front of other people and instead prefer to have their material mapped out prior to coming into the studio, from the word go I could tell that Kirk was comfortable working out ideas with and in front of me.

As session drummer Joe Meyer started to bang out material, I could tell that Kirk was very comfortable outside the box - letting Joe explore different feels, approaches and textures. From our first overdub session - Kirk and I were handing guitars back and forth - and in some instances, Kirk was truly producing me as a player.

The record features brilliant pop songs with a faith based message and brilliant playing by the usual cast of characters. Kirk is currently interviewing for fans - and would most likely love to have you -- visit him on facebook or on myspace. The record should be wrapping up shortly - look for release dates sometime in early fall, 2009.

'it's your life' - a new release by r. scott bryan.

2008-11-22T16:13:00.000-08:00

If your memory servers you well, you might recall a blog I wrote several months ago about a record I was working on for singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan. For those of you that don't know about R. Scott Bryan - you should. Over the last decade or so, Scott has shared both stage and studio with a very, very impressive list of 'A-listers' such as Petery Mayer, Mac McManally, Russ Kunkell, Levon Helm not to mention a long stent as utility player Sheryl Crow.

After a year plus in the works, Scott and I have put the finishing touches on his second full length release entitled 'It's Your Life'. The record features brilliant songwriting as well as Scott's ability to play a wide range of instruments namely percussion and Hammond B3 Organ. 'It's Your Life' also offers stellar supporting performances by Drummers Joe Meyer, Dennis Stringfield, Grover Stewart, Pianist David Aholt and saxophonist Jim Stevens. I produced, played, engineered and mixed the record which was mastered by my dear friend and mentor M. Brad Sarno at Blue Jade Audio Mastering.

Given Scott's history and pedigree in this business, working on this record was a real honor and priviledge. 'It's Your Life' will be released by Lauren Markow and me on the Red Pill label and will be available for purchase the first week of December via iTunes with hard copies available at Nimbit and CDBaby. Grab your copies and spread the word - thanks for supporting independent music.

real life with ring, cicada.

2008-11-21T15:04:00.001-08:00

One more thing.

As the story goes, sometime back someone passed me a record of local prog-rock band called Ring, Cicada. The record entitled 'Good Morning, Mr. Good' was engineered and mixed by legendary audio guru Steve Albini at Electrical Studios in Chicago. Seriously folks, when I heard this record - correction - when I heard this band, I just absolutely had to make a record with them. Ring, Cicada is one of the coolest primarily instrumental bands around - lots of odd meter stuff, meter changes, great melodies and all around great playing.

The record was cut live at my place and is a real gem. Anyhow, I've just heard a few songs fresh out of mastering and am really tickled with the results. Please take a listen and watch for the release of this record. As far as I know the record will be called 'History's End' - look for it online or at your local record shop soon.

J.

sunmotel - powerful, power-pop.

2008-11-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years I've had the pleasure of logging quite a few hours of studio time with artist Javier Mendoza. After engineering and mixing his first self-titled release, Javier brought me in to work on his first Christmas record entitled 'Feliz Navidad'.

For quite some time now, Javier has been working on a side project with my brother and fantastic bass player Logan Detering and long time friend and session drummer Dennis Stringfield entitled 'Sunmotel'. New to the band is guitar player John Frischer. Early this fall Sunmotel contacted me about completing their first record to compliment a handful of other tracks completed by my suite-mate and ultra-awesome engineer Jason McEntire.

Anyhow, the tracks were cut entirely live with exception to the vocal tracks - one of the cuts I did is posted on my myspace page - or you can visit Sunmotel, here. Happy Turkey (or tofurkey if that's your thing!).

J.

fruits of labor | brian owens - ‘cole’s song’

2008-08-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

I don’t want to go too in depth on this one - as I have been posting quite a few blogs lately - but I did want to take a second and introduce you all to songwriter/vocalist Brian Owens. Several months ago I did a chunk of session work with Brian and his band working on what would grow into and EP format release entitled

"The Cole Sessions". At the time of tracking - Brian’s wife was in the last stages of pregnancy with their first born son, Cole. I’ll tell you - the two best things about the "The Cole Sessions’ were listening to Brian sing -- and likewise witnessing Brian’s excitement about the pregnancy, fatherhood and getting to finally meet Cole.

Of all the tunes we worked on, I was most touched by the track entitled ‘Cole’s Song". A sort of Lanois-ish tune, ‘Cole Song’ is more or less, and open letter from Brian to his unborn son, Cole. The song is beautifully touching and features Brian on vocals, Eric Warren on stand-up bass, Mark Colenberg and me on guitars. I've added 'Cole's Song' to my player -- please give a listen and let me know what you think. Brian is a truly gifted writer and vocalist - please visit his page for information on point of sale. Thanks for reading, all. Have a good weekend.

brothers lazaroff

2008-08-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Monday morning.

Over the weekend I assembled masters and completed file back-ups for a great band - Brothers Lazaroff. Although I don't yet know the title of the record, I expect the tracks to hit mastering and replication shortly. The recordings feature fantastic collaborative songwriting by brothers Jeff Lazaroff (St. Louis, MO) and David Lazaroff (Austin, TX) as well as outstanding supporting roles from Austin based bassist Lindsey Greene and Austin's own pedal steel guru Gary Newcomb.

This record was a real treat to work mainly because it is so divergent from my usual recording experience. The recordings were completed (for the most part) during two, two day sessions and were cut for the most part, live. For those of you know most of my work as being calculated and clean - this record is definitely more 'in the moment' and in a totally different direction. The mixing of the record took similar shape, really keeping things minimal and true to the tracking ... no editing - no BS.

Anyhow, I'll keep you all posted as to the release date - for now, check out the folks referenced in this blog. Thanks, all.

R. Scott Bryan. Man. Myth. Legend.

2008-08-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

R. Scott Bryan. Man. Myth. Legend.

I mentioned several months ago that I've been working on a new recording for singer/songwriter and all around 'I can play anything-er' R. Scott Bryan. Fact, I think I remember even telling you that the 'R' in his name stands for Roy. I did tell you that didn't I?

I wanted to give you all an update on the recording as we actually have audio for your review posted and available for you listening pleasure. At this point in time, the record is about 76.4% done with five tunes tracked, mixed and released in a promotional EP format. We have several other tunes heavily under construction - which should be all wrapped up shortly.

A few days ago - Scott calls me bustling with excitement about a new tune fresh off the press. The tune is entitled 'It's Your Life'. A song about taking life as it comes - accepting all things; Life's blessings and hardships. It's an interesting tune in that the arrangement and recording of the song thus far has been very stark and simple - very dark in moments with subtle lift in others.

I digress.

I'd love for you to take the time to listen to some of the new record. Tho I have a few tunes on my myspace and facebook pages, you'd be better served by visiting Scott here.

amy petty 'mystery keeps you' now available!

2008-08-05T06:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me, you've heard me talk about and might have even heard snipets or rough mixes of my work with artist Amy Petty. For those of you that don't know me and are snooping around my page reading my blogs, you should know artist Amy Petty. Really, you should. Amy's songwriting and voice are truly stunning and a 'must listen' in my book.

I worked on 'Mystery Keeps You' for about 5 or 6 weeks in total. However given that Amy hails from the east coast, our work together tho concentrated, spanned the course a year. Final mixes were completed early summer 2008, mastered by mastering engineer M. Brad Sarno and released on the east coast mid-July. Release dates for the mid-west are slated for early fall.

Beyond featuring brilliant songwriting and stunning vocal performance(s), 'Mystery Keeps You' offers outstanding supporting contributions from singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan, drummers Joe Meyer and Dennis Stringfield and J. Christopher Hughes, bassists Eric Grossman, Logan Detering and of course my long time friend and brilliant pianist David Aholt. Being a part of making this record, with these people was a truly amazing experience for which I am so grateful.

And get this - not only is this record special because it was made with so many special people (except Joe Meyer, he's a totally different kind of special) 'Mystery Keeps You' is ultra special in that it represents the second release for Red Pill Entertainment - an indie label focused creating ethically driven, creative partnerships with musicians.

The record will be available for download very, very soon on CD baby, iTunes and all the other usual download places. Here's the catch, tho - in order to keep making great records, we have to sell lots of them. If you are interested in grabbing a copy or two, or three - send me an email. If you're good I could even get your copy autographed. Thanks for reading - and thanks in advance for supporting independent music.

Session Updates: Kevin Bilchik | Auset

2008-07-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I spent a few days with singer / songwriter Kevin Bilchik. The idea of the sessions was to focus a bit on some new, forthcoming material - and to create a new ' live release ' for Kevin to pitch to festivals, venues and such. In addition to recording live audio, we also set up a few lights and a dv camera with the idea of using the audio and video in tandem as a booking tool. At Kevin's side was multi-instrumentalist / songwriter R. Scott Bryan playing his world-beat kit.

It's been such a long time since I've worked with Kevin in the studio environment. So much time has passed since his first release 'Paper Money' - so much effort extended in booking gigs and performing live all aimed at supporting the record. Tho I know I am echoing my last blog, here - I just want to say that it really is as simple as putting a microphone in front of someone that does what they do, well. In that the recording was designed to be a 'live capture' we had to deal with phase issues of having lots of microphones up in one room - but beyond that, placing nearly ANY mic in front of Kevin's voice yielded stunning results. No cutting and pasting - no tweaking ... just a really great, honest delivery of great material.

Of all the material, my favorite tune of the new bunch has to be 'Nickajack'. A tune about a guy (Johnny Cash?) that climbs into a cave to die - and is saved by luck - or faith - something. It's such a well written song - the kind that makes your mind swirl with imagery - and likewise sends you on metaphoric journey. I cannot wait to work on a full length release with these new tunes -- I am just so, so excited.

Artist Kevin Bilchik in the studio - for more photos check my myspace page.

Coming directly out of my sessions with Kevin and R. Scott, I went to work on a new record with singer/songwriter Auset. Tho the primary idea was to capture solid drum tracks and assemble the bulk of the record later, we set the whole band up live, tracking 18 inputs at once. Beyond great material, this session marked my first time working with mastering engineer and long-time friend M. Brad Sarno and drummer extraordinaire Andy Marks. I have no idea about timelines for this record - but can tell you that reflects a great new batch of material authored by Auset - and a new 'band' approach and feel. Check Auset's page for updates.

Drummer Andy Marks in the studio - for more photos check my myspace page.

Goldtooth | Rock Revival

2008-06-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I received a phone call from session drummer Joe Meyer inquiring about my interest/availability to begin working a new record for his hard rock band Goldtooth. After setting up, getting sounds and beginning to track - I realized once again how easy making a good record can be - given great players and good songs. The band literally tracked in total - 4 songs from start to finish in about six hours.

I am holed-up in the studio today mixing the tunes and am tickled at how great the work sounds, really. I think back to days, hours and minutes suffering from such myopia about where to place which instrument in the room, what microphones to use, compressors, pre's, etc. I remember a numerous occasions reading vague and cryptic interviews with my favorite engineer/producers in which they make recording some of my favorite records sound as if it's all a breeze. A walk in the park. I remember thinking 'what a load of shit' ... I remember just absolutely KNOWING that more than setting a microphone in front of a drum, amp or singer had to have been done.

The truth is that the ONLY piece of gear that an engineer cannot function without is a truly great performance. Nothing impacts sound more than the part, playing and intention ... Tho that seems like a very simple notion - it amazes me how inclined players are to move a microphone or change preamps before that change amps, guitars or parts.