#hugesally

I have decided to combine my three independently produced seven-song EPs into one album to represent 2016-2017, which I will name Relics ’16-17. Fourteen of the twenty-one tunes have been selected, and this collection will take the place of my homemade EPs over the last two years on my merch table.  These are home recordings, in a home studio (a garage??)…but they don’t sound like it. They turned out pretty artsy!  How?

Well, I’ll tell you.  

First off, I was sponsored and pushed by my dear friend Kris Farm over a decade ago to learn, and fail, and learn again, how to produce quality tracks in a home studio.  I was tutored by my amazing friend Ryan Ferris for several years on techniques and tricks.  When I was lucky enough to find myself in a “real studio” with a “real engineer”, I paid more careful attention to the technical things going on than Anyone else suspected.  Obviously it is expensive for studio rental time, plus a producer, a studio engineer, a mastering engineer, a disc replication company and a promotions expert…in order to produce and share the Newest Songs…and is that investment worth anything more than personal vanity, if the record doesn’t “connect” with an audience “somewhere out there…”?  

I’ve got songs, and I believe in them, so here’s what I do to get them produced at home.  Thanks for reading my blog!

I start as soon as I first imagine a new tune.  It comes out of nowhere, and I get obsessed with it.  We make it to the demo stage after an aspect or two of it gets stuck in my head for around twelve hours.  Not every song idea gets to this stage!  

The drafting happens all inside my head, rolling through the hooks and turning over and over again in a meditative fog until they start to congeal into progressive parts.  Then, it is time to attempt to record a demo.  

I bide my time, imagining and drafting, until I come upon a day where I know I have a minimum of eight hours to myself.  

I clean The Space.  

I pull out all the instruments I think I might need.  

I pull out microphones, cables.  I wire everything up, create a computer file, link up all my inputs.

I try to relax, and let the music flow out of me.  By the time the first studio performance is done, I have a pretty good idea whether I should leave it as a solo performance piece, a raw piece...or spend some time layering it with various supporting instruments.  If I have enough time left in my "time block", I start This following process:

Tracking parts, first.  

Not worrying about "how they will settle in the overall, eventual, theoretical future mix"...just playing music, free and clear and as close to the original hauntings as I can muster.  

By the time I get through a few of these bursts, even for a three-minute song, my time block is usually up.  So I tear down, clean up entirely, and rest.

And reflect.

I imagine even more.

I try to relax.

If the tune is good enough, the intrinsic hooks continue to constantly pound in my head.  Sometimes, going through the initial demo process teaches me that the song idea itself is actually pretty dumb, and I abandon it!

I wait patiently for my next chance to do more work.  Maybe I burn a CD with whatever I have so far...and drive around listening to it both first thing in the morning on my drive to New Seasons, later at night, lots of various situations and in various moods, by myself.  Trying to get a grasp on whether or not I am on the right path with communicating this particular idea.  

In the few and best of cases, my original recording is built upon, layered, added to, explored with mixing techniques, and turned into something that I self-master and add to an EP that I give away at shows.  In many cases, something goes creatively wrong or gets lost in translation, and I face the daunting emotional task of STARTING OVER (OH GOD...this involves more waiting, the worst of all scenarios);

OR

adding to, re-adjusting, re-balancing, trying to work with that soon-to-be-elusive original "vision" and trying to make some kind of two to six minute "listening experience" that makes me "feel good"...like I have accomplished something, Done something, made my momentary existence worthwhile.

When I get to a stage where I feel like the recording itself makes sense to me, in a recorded, independent-listening, any-mood situation, I painstakingly remove all the technical errors, one by one, very carefully, as far as my knowledge will allow.  

I create artwork somehow, print it all up, and share.  Then, I spend the rest of my life second-guessing every aspect of the mix!  Each of the seven-song EPs from the past two years took about 4 months to track, mix, and finalize.

Thus, does the music advertised as “…Sessions” come to be found on a table labeled "make a small donation and take a free CD" or "Support Local Music" or some such wordage at a live performance of mine.  

"to Keep Us Close" (spring 2016)

"The Baron Ward Spring 2016 EP"

"Wherever I've Been, Wherever I Go" (fall 2016)

"About What You'd Expect" (March 2017)

“Relics ’16-17” —> (coming February 2018) (preview at https://soundcloud.com/chrisbaronmusic)

And Now:

Another successful trip to Texas and back, from May 10th to May 22nd.  Dawn and Henry picked The Baron Ward up on Wednesday in Houston, and we made it back to the beach that very night, after a Welcome Back dinner at Sake To Me in Lake Jackson (sushi!).  The beach house was cleaned up scrubbed and totally ready for us…and we were overcome with gratitude…and nerves, for the tests to come.

Thurs

Our first gig day was a double-header: Bridge Bait (Freeport) in the afternoon from 2-4, and Sake To Me (Lake Jackson) that night from 5-9.  Bridge Bait was another classic…hot sun, cool crowd, hoots and hollers, Here.We.Are.In.Texas.  We started off with an enthusiastic bang, and almost wore ourselves out those first two hours.  At Sake, we played acoustic in front of the aquarium, and the stage was nicely set, and the mellowness of it was perfect.  Friends were popping in left and right, including Billye and Sam, Matt and Julia, even Jake Riggs, who drove over from Austin to spend a couple days.  We met Dianna Chenevert.  We plan to book both places again in October.  

Fri

Once again: Bridge Bait in the afternoon…and by this point, the locals seemed to remember us…memories flooded back from prior years there, and we got some great pictures for Facebook and Instagram.  HUGE SALLY was fully present…I talked Jake into coming up to sing Never Rain Again, and after that, he just grabbed his guitar and started busting out.  The version of Emily we did that afternoon, with three-part harmony, is one of my favorite phone video performances ever.  We played Dido's that night, all acoustic, once again with Jake in the band.  We knew he had to take off on Saturday, so we made the most of that night, body-surfing in the ocean until 3a.  

Dianna

Dianna is a woman with a long history of acting, music booking, promoting, charity organizing, and social medianating.  This point in her life finds her with a worldwide network of friends, a son who once held an NFL contract in his hands (now he's a pastor and activist), a small yacht that she currently pilots between Florida and Freeport TX, and some fascinating memories that are steadily being transcribed into a memoir.  She made a connection with The Baron Ward through Henry and Dortha Pekar, our stellar and hospitable hosts in the Texas Gulf.  We hung out for the next ten days straight.  

Columbia Lakes Resort

La Casona was our Saturday night show: the mexican restaurant that resides at Columbia Lakes Resort.  The last time I was at this place, it was 2010.  Will Downing was alive and jamming.  Jake and Megan and I were staying in "The Beatles Room", a rental cottage on the premises.  We were all in the midst of a visionary cacophony that was shivering our connections to each other.  There was tension, there was venturin', there was raw interaction.  

Now that I am sitting in the future drinking coffee and scotch, I realize fully just how foundational that trip was for William and I, for Dawn and I, for Megan and I, for Jake and I.  Small memories came rushing back as I walked the grounds.

The gig itself was outdoors and very pleasant.  John Downing was there…so we sang him His song, "Johnny On The Farm" (Track #1 on Will's forthcoming, postheumous third album).  We shot more videos with Dianna.  And then we ate mixed fajitas, charro beans, y guacamole.  Home by midnight, with a check in hand, and with an inkling that it was all getting stronger.  

Mothers Day

We played a long brunch set at Dido’s on Sunday morning, and then we climbed aboard Nancy and Fred and Bob's paddleboat.  It was a glorious ride up the Brazos River!  We played a few songs, told a few jokes, whipped out a dance number for Sissy and Fred, and of course, dedicated everything to Captain Bob.  This show marked the first time we were requested to play "Outlaws" (another Will Downing tune from that third album) more than three times in the same set ("…umm, we already played that, it was our first song" … "Well Play it again!")  We actually obliged…and that dustballed into performing it three or more times per night for the rest of the trip…hm…

Mon-Wed

We had these days off, and spent them writing, rehearsing, filming videos with Dianna at the Yacht Club and on her boat…beach walking, beach cleaning, swimming, brisket smoking, string buying, email writing, TURTLE PATROLLING.  

Yes, on Tuesday May 16th, we witnessed a Galveston scientist and her crack team evaluate a sea turtle nest site, and prepare to dig up the eggs and transport them to South Padre Island, a protected area.  They measured the lengths, made notes on the facts.  They drove a regular truck.  I wrote a song.  We filmed a very short version standing in the surf and put it on Facebook.  We debuted it live on Friday afternoon…and as of this writing, its been requested at every single show I've played since then.  Thank you to Henry for putting that short video up on FB and sharing it around.  Thank you to Dors for not being annoyed at the catchy annoying melody, and memorizing the lyrics real quick.  Thank You to the scientists who actually do the real work.  I never got her name…

The Haus'

Wursthaus in Lake Jackson was one of my first big gigs in the area: 2014.  It was a leap-of-faith solo jaunt in the midst of a Huge Sally tour.  Huge stayed behind in Austin, and I rented a car and drove out on an instinct.  I met Dido's, Wursthaus, and Bridge Bait on this fateful trip.  Richard Wood and I made a connection, and ever since, he has booked my band when we come through!  First, it was Thursday night at Growler’s Pourhaus, his new place.  Our local friend Eli opened the night with a startlingly funny introduction, and we had a Great time with the staff and all our fans.  Then on Friday we did the Wursthaus thing.  Both nights were super fun, high-energy, and with an aura of peace, professionalism, and power.  I can't recommend these two spots in Lake Jackson highly enough.  Both have inventive menus, both pride themselves on their beer selections, and both hire real good people.  

The Heights, Houston

We met Jeannette Waldie, and saw Houston's superb house concert venue Visionary Heights.  Wow.  Doverlaff House Concerts in Portland has a surprisingly similar outlook on lifestyle, community, and song circles…they are two thousand miles apart, and have never met, and yet have each arrived at the, I SAY, right conclusions!  Jeannette's son Owen, Ted Miller, and Ken Gaines also play a big role in this vibrant and seriously interesting Scene.  We met a new band member: the amazing Addison Freeman.  He is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter-singer, and comfortable jammer.  We hung out with him nonstop our last two days.  He is invited to come up to Oregon in July and join us for quite a few gigs.  Can't wait to welcome Addison to the Pacific Northwest!

Its good to be home.  Oregon is beautiful.  Texas is welcoming, amazing, a unique experience.  And yes, turns out not where but who you're with that really matters.

Today’s Topic: Texas Spring Tour 2016, Day 3.

Here we are on Day 3 of the Remember Will 2016 spring tour.  In February 2015, I was solo, from Austin to the Rio Grande Valley to Surfside Beach/Lake Jackson.  This year, we are a crew of five: Megan Cronin on violin, Dors Ward on vocals and shakers, K8npdx on photo/video/socialmedia management, and Erin Ward on merchandise.  Going on any road trip, especially when your only chance to afford it is based on merch sales, performance contracts, and the appreciations of others...is a tremendous leap of faith.  You never know what to expect.  

THANK YOU so much to Dosey Doe, in Conroe TX.  It was our first night, just landed, and we walked in, and were greeted with the kindnesses that travelers desperately need: coffee, water, dinner plates, and gifts of hand towels.  They had never met us, probably never heard us (other than the booking agent), and there was barely anybody there at the gorgeous big room venue.  But we were inspired, and ripped off our ‘power set’.  Soundman Kevin Langford is apparently a sonic genius, and a highly skilled vibe technician as well.  I loved Dosey Doe, and am very very grateful we were lucky enough to get a booking, and be able to pull it off.  It set the tour off Right, convincing us we were doing the right thing.  Later that night, we drove 2 hours south to Surfside Beach to stay with my friends Henry and Dortha Pekar, set up by their daughter Dawn, our main local promoter for the trip!

Dawn stayed up late to meet us, and the next day, we met up with her at our first Will Tribute gig...at Dido’s in Brazoria!  Fred and Nancy were incredibly kind to me last year, booking me two nights in a row and befriending a lone traveling musician playing weird music that they had never heard before.  This year, I knew, of all the places that I wanted to return to, Dido’s was at the top of my list.  The show was so much fun, and we met a lot of great people.  I had met much of Will’s family and local fans before of course, and Megan had met a few as well, and it was very cool to be able to introduce Dors to everyone!  There was much goodwill (ha!).  We performed a full set of Will Downing tribute music, and then a short set of our originals.  We were asked to come back on Sunday the 24th, our last day before heading home, and perform on their boat tour!  

Night 3: Brownsville.  My first time ever in this particular town.  El Hueso De Fraille means “The Home that is all Fired Up”.  I know good musicians when I see them, and I know good people.  These folks were the BEST people.  EVER.  Their story is fantastic.  Follow them on Facebook for current events, and their website is http://www.brownsvillecafe.com/.  They are multi-talented instrumentally and vocally as a “family & friends band”, and have a stage countenance that bespeaks great depth of character, the same on, the same off.  This place is truly a GEM.  It reminds me of Artichoke Music in Portland Oregon, when the place was under the direction and vision of Richard Columbo.  We got to jam with Dabs’ trumpet player Walton (sp?)...and his ear and skills are quite pleasing.  We were beyond honored and excited to have been a part of what was an insanely magical night, and want very much to have a chance to come back.  GO TO THIS PLACE if you are EVER anywhere near Brownsville...its worth the trip.  

 William Downing was my former bandmate, and my friend.  He lived in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas until he passed away in 2012.  When Will recorded Outside The Mission, his first album, in Portland Oregon in 2007, he and his mom were invited to stay at my friend Dors Ward's house, where I was also staying as it were.  The album took a week to make, and in that time, Barons and Wards and Downings intermingled.  Rob Lewis produced that album, his first…and then went on to produce much more music, including 2008's Claire Avenue, 2009's unreleased I Ain't So Dumb, and of course Huge Sally's Cold-hearted Bastard and my Searchlights In Mexico.  William's songs always struck me as brilliant and beautiful… and I was most certainly biased.  Of this widespread community of musicians and makers, Will was closest to Rob, and then Jake Riggs of Huge Sally and myself…but Dors was there from the very beginning of it all.

 And that is why it is so cool that The Baron Ward will go to Texas in April 2016 and perform a Remember Will Downing Tribute Tour, with Megan Cronin accompanying on viola.  Of course Dors and I have snuck a few of Will's songs into our setlist over the years…but this is going to be Different.  

 William lived his last days in the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas, in the town of Mercedes.  We will visit "The Valley" and perform at La Palapa, Johnny Downing's farm and restaurant.  We will perform in the town of Surfside and Brazoria county, where Will's surviving immediate family have made their home.  We will reunite with Huge Sally and Jake Riggs in the Austin area.  We will Remember Will Downing.

Here's the link to last year's tour page:

https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBaronPlaysWillDowning