Last month, just before Christmas, I brought a handful of songs to Nashville, Tennessee to record with my friend, Todd Gummerman. We had it all planned out. I’d arrive late on Thursday and depart early on Sunday, leaving two long days in between to get to work. So we thought.
Friday morning, while Todd fulfilled his dad duties with one of the most adorable toddlers I’ve encountered, I ventured out to explore a nature trail on the north side of the city. Nashville isn’t so far from my home in Springfield, but the landscape was foreign, so many of the trees all spindly and curving, creeping their way toward the sky. It was lovely and quiet and a nice calm before the expected rush of music making.
It was 1:00 and time to head back and get started. Todd set me up in a comfy chair, positioning mics, making sure I was comfortable. His studio is attached to his and his wife Laura’s home, a single car garage converted to create a cozy yet light and fresh space. Images of Freddie Mercury and The Beatles adorn the wall, at the same time inspiring me and prompting me to wonder why I’m even trying.
We’re all set. I pick a song to start with and do one take when… Brrrghghghrbbrbrbrh!! Brrrenggh, brrneghhg, brererrrrngghng! Chainsaws. A crew had just begun trimming the neighbors tree. We peeked outside to see that they were only working on one tree. One tree can’t take that long, right?
Long story short, yes. One tree can take a long time. In fact, we waited all afternoon and into the evening before giving up and eating dinner, I think around 7:00. The chainsawing and wood chipping finally stopped a little after dinner, allowing us to get started for real.
We worked three or four hours that night, doing vocal/ukulele takes, and for about twelve hours the next day, Saturday, working out additional parts, percussion, bass, keys, and background vocals. Let me say right now: Todd is a musical mastermind who brought new life to my songs.
In the weeks since, we’ve worked long distance through email and text to finalize arrangements and mixes, and as of today, I think we have it! I can’t imagine what this experience would have been like with anyone other than Todd, and I’m so excited to share our work with everyone.