In a post last week I said that I was working on a new song. Well, I finished it over the weekend. It started with a little part I wanted to record so that I would remember it. From there it turned into a real pop song. Yeah, with words and everything!
A few quick comments before I turn you lose with this. Although parts of this recording are “finished”, this is very much just a quick demo, or, if this were one of my stories, this is a rough, first draft (don’t worry – if you have read a story on my blog, it was a rough draft….). I can hear many things I will change if I decided do this a little more seriously. And I might.
OK, I am writer and yet the words here are nothing super special. lol. I guess pop songs often are repetitive.
As to using my natural voice as opposed to using a vocoder (like the last few times I sang, like here), well, I do want to get used to my natural voice again. This isn’t great, but perhaps I will improve as I record – a couple of big things to help me improve are practicing and not being so intent on being almost in tune that I take any character out of my (high, thin) voice… We’ll see as time goes by…
I hope I did not scare you away! I do really like this and think some parts are really good. For the most part I am going for an 80s vibe, but with a modern take. I am also using some (70s) Prog influence on it (YouTube calls it Progressive Rock!) It is a first idea as I get used to writing this type of music, but I think not bad at all.
To me this doesn’t sound great on phone and laptop speakers and needs some type of external speakers – another learning experience! (There is a bass part at the beginning that I love that I don’t hear on my laptop…)
Anyway, here it is! I hope you enjoy this little ditty.
(click here if you don’t see the video below)
(Edit 11/28/2021 – I just posted a new version – click here if you don’t see it below)
Oh, you may notice a trend – my last YouTube post was an 80s style Thechno-pop song, though it was 100% instrumental. I was very pleased with the groove. It’s short (about a minute and a half). Take a listen.
(Click here if you don’t see the video below)
Notice a trend? I’ll talk about that later…
OK, back to this week’s song….
For those interested in such details, most of it was done on a Sequential Prophet Rev 2 and a Behringer Poly-D. I used an Arturia DrumBrute Impact as well. I played the drum machine manually for quite a bit of it! There is one pattern that I used in the main verse/chorus part, but that takes one drum channel while I played the other by hand. All other drum parts were by hand as well.
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Nice! I here The Smiths and Duran Duran vibes
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Thanks. I was thinking that time period if not any specific band, though I later realized that the one melody is similar to one of Berlin’s most popular songs.
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Awesome music that was fun. I would buy your album for sure. I think as artists we can be our own worst critic. You sound awesome.
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Thanks! My voice sounds so high and thin to my ears, but then, some of my favorite male singers have even higher voices, so…
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Nice work, Trent. The first song had a Bowie like intro and a Mamas & Papas feeling to it. I think you have an entirely respectable pop voice. Sounded good. Did you harmonize with yourself? That’s cool. The second had a good Abba like sound to it. So fun to hear your music.
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Thanks! Yes, I did my own harmonies in a few places. In the future I will most likely put more in. Not sure if I see/hear the Mamas and the Papas, but thanks for the compliment on all three (Bowie, M &P and Abba).
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Cool, I liked the harmonies.
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Thanks (maybe harmonies is where you were thinking the Mamas and Papas?)
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Yes, that’s right, like the song California Dreaming.
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Well done, Trent!
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Thanks, Colleen! Glad you enjoyed.
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You have a great voice. You should be able to use some of your poetry for your songs too. How cool!
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Thanks, Colleen. I’m not a huge fan of my own voice, but perhaps will warm up to it… I do want to try to transfer some of poetry skills I’ve been picking up to work with my music, which is one reason I smile when I write something a little banal, like this one :) Next song…
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I can’t wait to hear what you create next! Write ON!
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