It was a lot of fun, as recording in my opinion always is. I don’t come from the school that says “Oh…being a recording artist is so torturous etc etc etc”. Yes there were a ton of long hours and yes some songs were more difficult to complete than others but all-in-all it was good fun. I think this recording was much easier in a lot of respects because we learned so much from the recording of 4 a.m.(our first CD) The real issues come in when trying to get a good organization together to promote the finished piece of work (That’s a whole other story)

Layover took a little over a year to complete, this was in part due to the fact that we had the luxury of time. We could explore many different avenues and step away from songs if we needed a break or inspiration.

Most of my inspiration came from traveling across Europe a few months before the Layover session began. The previous year for me had been filled with a lot of travel and Jason had made numerous trips between Chicago and the West coast, Europe and Asia so the idea of naming the CD layover seemed a prefect fit. Although this recording doesn’t sound clubby it is most definitely connected to that world. After sessions we would normally end up at the only places in town open until 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning which were the clubs. For some reason the best work was done in the middle of the night.

Moreover, some of my best ideas came after calling it quits for the evening and speeding down 290 back into the Loop (Downtown) cranking the nights work in my car. Those were the times I really felt that something was being accomplished, “do I feel this while driving excessively fast?” With that said, the real test was, does this sound good the next morning.

Many times we would rewrite songs during sessions; unfortunately sometimes what you think in your head sounds good, doesn’t necessarily translate recorded. This recording saw a few songs being almost completely rewritten. This wasn’t a bad thing because they gave birth to other songs that ended up being far better. Also, the studio saw up grades in technology which at times affected the way parts sounded so we had to re-think how parts were to be played. If we weren’t in Jason’s studio this process would have cost us thousands of dollars.

The most rewarding time was when the last song was completed and the only thing left to do was master the CD. All the hard core artistry had been completed, the late nights were over and it was time to take the finished product to another studio and watch other people work. In Layover’s case the studio was Sterling Sound in NYC. It was a far cry from our humble abode. Maxwell had just finished a CD there and Bono had graced that room while mastering U2’s contribution to the Gangs of New York Soundtrack. It was a fitting way to end a years worth of work. I remember walking out of Sterling in a torrential rain storm with the CD 100% completed, it was a very nice feeling

Alan
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The Gear

Just for the gearheads, here is the rundown on the all the toys that make the noise:

Main Recording System:

Main recording platform: Sonar (that's right we're using a PC, not a Mac)
Soundcard/interface: Echo Layla
Analog/Digital Conversion (and vice versa): Crane Song HEDD - the HEDD rocks
Mixing Board: Allen & Heath WZ20S
Mic Pre: Vintech Dual 72

Mics:

Most vocals were recorded thru a Limited Edition Dragonfly from B.L.U.E. - very cool mic
Acoustic guitar and percussion - pair of Neumann KM 184s
SM57s here and there