Tag: independent artist journey

  • Recording Touch – New Single by Jody Whitesides

    Recording Touch – New Single by Jody Whitesides

    Come in the studio with me as I work with George Leger III at his Utopia Parkway studio to record the final vocals on my upcoming new single “Touch”. Get a sneak peek of what it’s like in the studio and working with a good friend from Canada who helps create some awesome magic.

    Find out who I got one of the guitars used on the song from. Figure out a particular guitar riff I play while waiting for George. Hint, it’s from an amazing guitarist out of Texas.

    Enjoy the video:

    YouTube player

    Transcript:

    We’re in Los Angeles. Taking off in a moment in the car. To get over to the studio. Time to start recording some vocals.

    Ok, here’s the humor. I’ve just rolled up to the parking lot of the studio where I’m recording with George Leger, over here, the third. He’s got sore feet. So, we’re walking in. About to get started with doing some recording and having some fun. Of course I’ve got to have some tea before I start yodeling out of my mouth. [yodel yodel] But it will be an awesome day of having fun in the studio. Enjoy. See you soon.

    Currently we’re working through some issues that George has with playing the mix back, before we get into the concept of me actually opening my mouth and making some more vocals. That are not just demo vocals.

    Bonus points to YouTubers who can figure out where that riff comes from.

    We got the mics all set up and what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna test out this particular setup to make sure it sounds, fucking brilliant. [fucking brilliant].

    Turn back the click on?

    Don’t you love that? That’s George’s dyslexia in action, right there.

    That’s Canadian speak isn’t it?

    Canadian speak, ha ha ha.

    Eh?

    Just for those out in YouTube land. This is a Parker Fly guitar.

    Yes, very nice guitar. Wish I had one actually.

    It was given to me by somebody that is very big in the independent music world. Or at least was at one point in time. He’s now kind of retired. His name is Mr. Derek Sivers.

    Derek Sivers, thank you very much for your contribution to this song. That we’re using with your Parker Fly, that is, well apparently it’s now my Parker Fly.

    We’re doing a little production work at this point. We’ve decided to nix the pre chorus, which you’ve already found out. And we’ve decided to nix some vocals in the chorus there were, uh, filling too many holes. After we do a bit more production work, we’re going to ad some ad libbers. Ad libbies. No? We’re not, we’re not doing any? Oh, cause there’s not enough holes. Not enough room. So much for ad libs.

    You know what they say about ad libs? Fuck ad libs.

    You say you want to try another octave higher. I’m not sure that’ll be overkill, but I’m certainly willing to try.

    Well then, shall I double the other choruses first?

    Ah, no. I’m just going to use this part for all of them.

    No, no, no.

    Yes, yes, yes.

    No, no, no.

    Yes, yes, yes.

    I don’t like cut and paste.

    Dude. I don’t care. This is not really that important.

    It is.

    fuckin prima donnas.

    I don’t feel like a prima donna, but thank you.

    You’re a fucking leo, what are you talking about.

    That doesn’t make me a prima donna.

    Yes it does.

    No, it just makes me king of the jungle. Or my jungle anyway.

    It has been an awesome trip. The vocals are done. It’s time to do the mix. Back to the studio. So long LA, it’s been fun being back. It feels like a slice of home. See ya on the flip side.

  • No Shows, No Problem: How My Sync Work Made 2009 a Silent Smash

    It’s been a crazy end to the year. A vast majority of the time spent between this update and the last update was in preparing a library of music…

    The cool news is a song I co-wrote with Robert Navarro has helped a video win the Audience award at the ProMax conference. Here’s a little better representation of it: “A track of music by Navarro & Jody Whitesides called ‘Ripper Deck’, produced for Boosey & Hawkes’ Strip Sounds Library, won the Audience Choice ‘Battle Trax’ live promo competition at the 2009 PROMAX UK show.”

    Additional bits of news include being hired to sing some movie trailers, finishing a song with Heather Bradley for a TV show and doing some cues for another trailer company.

    The performance schedule has been unreasonably light this year, but little elves are telling me that will change for next year in 2010.

    I hope you all have a great holiday season and New Year! See ya on the flip side.

  • From Airwaves to Trailers: My New Music Journey Beyond the Stage

    Hero Unexpected has been getting radio airplay in Canada. Shortly we’ll be making the push to CMJ to start with going for radio play in America.

    In the meantime, I’ve been holed up in the studio. I’ve been writing material for film trailers. Currently awaiting word on a new trailer that I’ve recently finished a song called Apple of My Eye. I also created the theme song to a fun little program called Hollywood Dish. It should begin airing in the next several weeks.

    I’ve also been writing with Heather Bradley and Jan Linder-Koda. We’re going to be completing a full CD of childrens songs. So far we have four songs that are all very catchy and very cool for kids and adults alike.

    Heather and I will also be writing music for other ventures as well. We’re starting on that this week.

    To top things off, I’ve been getting into a writing situation with Troy MacCubbin of TaTu fame. We’ve already got one song nearly finished and will certainly be going for more soon.