Its insanely cold here, as in six degrees outside. Im actually typing this from within my igloo, set upon a majestic landscape of ice and fog. All sarcasm aside, I needed to write an update just in case there are any surviving Autumns Eyes fans out there who have yet to turn into skeletons whilst awaiting new music.
One thing you notice when working for yourself is that whenever life gets in the way, you make room and adjust. As opposed to working for a record label, having hard deadlines, and countless people waiting on your every move. Working as a stay-at-home musician has its perks, but also has immense downfalls. Its easy to fall into a rut every now and then, while allowing creative choices to extend beyond their typical boundaries.
I have a few dozen songs recorded, and there is an album in there somewhere. Right now is all about finding which of these songs work best together. Each one has to compliment the next, and fit together as a whole album. Having said that, I still wont bore anyone with the typical promise every musician gives when a new album comes out, saying things like “Oh its the best work Ive ever done!”. Its not the best, and its not the worst, its just another chapter in the book so to speak.
The music I have recorded is very hard and straight forward with a very natural feeling to it. Ive been finding a lot of heavy music lately is starting to sound extremely over-processed. The drums are crushed so hard they almost all sound the same, and the guitars are so distorted and ugly that you can barely make out what notes are being played. So this record Im working on has been an attempt to stray from that current trend, and find its own niche.
One thread I try to weave throughout Autumns Eyes albums is atmosphere. Many of my past albums have been keyboard heavy, with a lot of choir and fantasy driven sounds. That was mainly due to the always expanding sound library I had at my disposal. Every time Id sit down to record keyboards, Id stumble on some new sound that had to be incorporated somehow. Even if it was going a bit overboard at times.
I purposely limited the amount of sounds I had to choose from this time around, and its not only made things easier, but its made the songs breathe more than they have in prior albums. One lesson Ive learned in the past few years, and am starting to implement more here, is knowing what notes not to play. Leaving space open for music to breathe is just as important as any other aspect in the creative process.
Its nice to have finally hit a stride with the recording process where I have a ton of songs completed. Now I just have to put together a track listing and a promotional campaign to get everything out for all of you to absorb. That includes music videos, photo shoots, and all those other necessary goodies incorporated with an album release.
Once again I thank everyone for their support, their patience, and their craving for more Halloween inspired heavy metal!
