RECORDING THE SINGLE – WE’RE UP TO 11!| The Pocket Gods | The Pocket Gods are the brainchild of singer songwriter Mark C Lee, who plays and sings all the tracks along with help from other guest musicians in his groovy kitchen situated in the Vale of Nub Country - otherwise known as somewhere near St Albans! The Pocket Gods had a track played on the Huw Stephens show on Radio One on 10 May 2006. |
My band The Pocket Gods have been sweating away in the studio for the past week recording tracks for our debut EP release. We have already decided what tracks we want on it – Vvbud, Sussex, Shark and Jombal Party and we are recording them at our drummer – Dave Morgan’s studio. Dave used to be drummer in Primal Scream and Spaceman 3 and is now an established producer in his own right. Monday 21 August 2006: 6.00pmI have just finished my first day at a new job in St. Albans town centre, been picked up by my wife and fed and watered and am now off to Dave’s studio in Marshalswick – the sound of the suburbs indeed.  | | The Pocket Gods in the studio |
Bill Johnson (bass meister) is also here and we are going to lay down the basic drums, bass and guitar tracks live for the tracks – Dave has set up all mics and amps and we’re ready to rock. Monday 21 August 2006: 9.00pmA few hours later, in between copious amounts of milky tea and coffee, we have “nailed” the basic tracks and they are sounding “moshtastic” as my mother-in-law would say! Dave the producer is trying to keep the lo-fi quirkiness of the pgs demos but giving them a professional polish - taking it up to eleven if you will - it’s starting to sound like a proper EP. Tomorrow it’s vocals - aaargggghhh scary mary stuff! Tuesday 22 August 2006: 6.00pmAfter another hard slog at the office learning my new job, am at bus stop awaiting the arrival of the S4 which’ll take me to the magic world of rock n roll – tonight I’m hoping to do a few guitar overdubs and get all the lead vocals done – though I’m sounding like Johnny Cash after 50 Marlboros at the mo! Am trying to psyche myself up for singing as recording is a completely different experience to singing live. It’s just you, a mic and the engineer - and I’m trying to get a good performance on tape rather than a note perfect soulless take – after all Neil Young is one of my fave singers… Three takes and three songs later we’re done – I always think that the first take is always the best as your adrenalin is flowing and you’ve still got that initial excitement to put into the performance. More tea and juice in rock 'n' roll suburbia and I’m trying to get a surfy “dick dale” (Miserilou fame) guitar line down on Shark but double stopping (as the technique is called) is pretty hard especially as this song is fast. STILL with the wonders of technology, I’m being dropped in to rectify any mistakes - due to sweaty hands of course – and who needs pulp fiction! To come next week:It’s Annie’s turn to put down her vocals and guitar (just hide the vodka Dave!) the finishing touches and the mixy disco! | 
