Wednesday, April 30, 2014

New song! [Album 2 diaries - #6]

Hello my butterflies!

Today we worked on a new song! We got through the first verses, pre-chorus and chorus and I really like it so far. The melody is really cool, and even though it has some really high notes, the bulk of it is in a range that sounds really good for my voice. The music is also really cool and different from anything on "Daydreaming". We had to rewrite quite a few things, but it's definitely coming together. We got a lot done today and I can't wait to hear the full, finished song!

Monday, April 28, 2014

One and done [Album 2 diaries - #5]

Hello my butterflies!

Today we worked on a new song that I wrote and submitted and it’s a very happy, fun song! This song is one of my favorites and working on it today was very easy. Usually, we’ve been only getting half way through a new song the first time we work on it, but we did the whole song today; one and done! Even the lyrics didn’t need as much rewriting as the other 2 songs that we’ve worked on. There were a few tweaks needed, but I’m very happy with how it turned out.

Overall, I think today went well and I’m happy with it! 

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

2nd song done [Album 2 diaries - #4]

Hello my butterflies!

We finished the 2nd song today, which even though it may or may not make the final cut to be on the album, still makes me happy that we completed it. However, today just seemed like a bit of an off day in the studio. Though the song got completed, there were some issues with it that need to be worked out.

After we wrap up in the studio, I like to listen to some songs for inspiration and to give me ideas on how to work out whatever needs to be worked out. So today, I listened to “Explosions” by Ellie Goulding and “Don’t forget” by Demi Lovato. These songs have a similar tempo to the song we were working on (hint!). Also, the way Ellie and Demi sing these songs was very helpful to me in gaining new ideas to make this song better.

Overall, today was good because we got the song done. I’m confident that the issues in this song will be worked out, and hopefully it will make the final track listing!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Skittles & Noah the movie [Album 2 diaries - #3]

Hello my butterflies!

Today was a great day because we started working on a new song! We got the first two verses, pre-chorus and chorus done and I'm loving it so far! The melody is really complex, but in a really pretty way. I'll have to work on it to get it perfect, but I'm still learning it right now. Also, the notes are very interesting musically, so it'll be a challenge to learn for live shows, but it'll be fun.

We also had to rewrite quite a bit to give it a better and more cohesive story. I've found that even though sometimes it's sad to see my original lyrics crossed out, it's fun to rewrite. Yes it's sometimes hard, but you get to really be creative and get the ideas flowing. We got the parts we worked on to flow better and I'm happy with where it's going. And we had a lot of fun in the studio too! During the course of the session, Skittles and Noah the movie were mentioned! Sounds random? Well, it sort of is, sort of isn't. You'd have to know the song to get it! ;)

It was a great session and I can't wait to work on it more!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Ah, rewrites! [Album 2 diaries - #2]

Hello my butterflies!

Ah, rewrites! Rewriting a song is a necessary but sometimes difficult step in the process. It's necessary because 99 out of 100 songs don't hit the paper perfectly and need tweaks in lyrics, melody, etc. to make it a better song. Sometimes though, it's hard because you have to come up with new lyrics, etc. right then and there.

Today, we worked on getting the vocal parts for the rest of the song done. We had to rework the last two verses to fit the melody and the story better and also had to make minor changes to Wednesday's parts. My songwriting partner and label-mate Mario M (el Rockero) also added a cool new bridge, since mine wasn't working for the song anymore. It took a bit to rework everything, but I'm happy with how it turned out!

I also got to sing my song today to lay down a demo for it. It felt good to sing to a new song again. And I really loved how it sounded. It wasn't perfect, but that's ok because I was only recording a demo, so I recorded what's called a "scratch vocal", which is used for reference. Later on, before it's recorded for real, I'll work on it and get it the way I want it.

All in all, another great day! I'm very excited about the progress made so far! Most of all, I'm excited that we've finished a new song! Right now, there's no way of knowing if it'll end up on the final track listing, but I'm happy to have something in the "done" pile!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

New music is being made! [Album 2 diaries - #1]

Hello my butterflies!

As I tweeted, the process for album 2 has officially begun!! Woo!

Before I go on about working on my second album, I want to take a moment to thank you for the support of my debut album "Daydreaming"! The response to the album was great and I couldn't be making another album without your support! So, THANK YOU!

Now, there are two things that you should know about this new album: (1) I've been writing a lot for this album. As you might know, I wrote 2 songs that were included on "Daydreaming". However, for this album, I've submitted a lot of songs for consideration and my goal is to have more songs that I wrote on the album. (2) The style of the album will be a bit different from "Daydreaming". It's still going to have a country sound, but I've been inspired to share my faith more in my songs.

Now, on to what we worked on today! Today we worked on one of my favorite songs that I wrote and submitted for consideration and also ironically the last song that I submitted. We worked on the first two verses, pre-chorus and chorus and I'm really liking it so far. It's turning out really cool and it's not that different from the ideas in my head for it. It's also interesting because it starts with piano only and doesn't kick in with the full band until the pre-chorus. This means during my live show, I would be playing piano instead of guitar. That's exciting, because I'll get to show more of my piano playing like I did in my piano cover of Taylor Swift's "Ours". It's already different from anything on "Daydreaming".

There are two songs that we are using as reference while working on this song (a.k.a. here are some hints for you to refer back to when the album comes out!). The first is "Black roses" that Clare Bowen sings on the TV show Nashville, and we're using it as a reference because my song has a similar structure musically. The other song is "Love song" by Sara Bareilles. We're using it as a reference because my song really has that vibe. The attack and attitude that Sara uses on that song is also why we're referencing it. After we wrapped up in the studio for the day, I went and practiced "Love song" a few times to work on the attack and attitude in my vocals like Sara has in hers.

Overall it was a great first songwriting session and I'm so happy to be back at it!!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

New blog series!

Hello my butterflies!

First, I have to start with an apology because I've been blogging sporadically for 2 years! I'M SORRY! I honestly have let this blog fall through the cracks a bit! But I'm back to blogging regularly!

Next, I should thank you for continuing to check in and see what's happening on here! You are awesome! *virtual hug*

Now I should probably tell you the reason behind the title: I'm working on my second album!!!!!!! I'm so excited about it and what better way to share my excitement than by giving you a behind-the-scenes sneak-peek of the process with a new blog series?

That's right! I'm taking you into the studio with me, virtually of course! Every day, after I finish working in the studio, I'll come on and blog about what we did and how things are going! This way, you'll get an in-depth look at the making of the album and what goes into making an album in general. I'll be tweeting some things from the studio, but this will be way more detailed than 140 characters, I promise!

I won't be revealing any song titles or anything like that just yet. BUT, you will get to see my thoughts about the process and the songs every step of the way. Then, when the album comes out, you can come back and see if you can figure out which song each blog post is referring to!

I'm so excited to start this new blog series and to take you behind-the-scenes for this new album!