Erin Lang Music

We returned to the studio revived and refreshed and the things we had worked out the night before on ‘Until Then’ turned out to be pretty nice and mario knew just what to do to make it just right! Working out a variation on the one bar pattern that really helped the song move along and all kinds of other nice parts and variations that fit into the song like puzzle pieces instead of the percussion just being its own part going along parallel to the song. Quiet parts being subtle, pickups to choruses, its so nice when little things happen to compliment the song so well. So then we moved swiftly onto ‘1000 years old’.

When we first got to Weilheim for this block we listened to some drum programing that Martin Gretchman from Console and the Notwist did for this song. We loved it right away and were very happy because this song had been a problem song from the beginning but it sounded really good and the ascetic had somehow totally changed in a very good way. Also Martin had become a part of the making of the album in a way because he has a studio and office at Uphon too, so we were often together having little breaks chatting about the future and important things like music, drinking apfel shorle and eating bananas. He was also really great at just popping his head in the control room and making me feel really nice telling me how he liked this song or the other and what it made him feel. So it was so nice that he played on 1000 years and really fitting in the whole scheme of things.
Somewhere along the lines in this block when we had found this really nice bass sound we quickly put in a bass line and Roger put a synth bass on the verses that worked perfectly. We closed up the song to work on something else and only came back to it today. Right away re opening it I was very happy. I always thought it was a strong song despite all the problems and it really seemed to be working now. I think it is so strange how a song can be so many different things but that is a long discussion to be had over tall cool drinks late at night i think. So we still thought the chorus needed a bit more.. just in general a bit more.. again a nice nearly intangible thing so we started trying things out and finally thought we needed another guitar part to add speed and width to the chorus. Meanwhile the first annual Uphon studio BBQ (or German- “GrillFest”) was gearing up. We had decided to enjoy the good weather and some burned and or undercooked things one fine evening.
So while Ron and I were finishing up guitars Martin made caprese salad and Mario sliced and grilled a giant zucchini from his mums garden.
Christoph made the journey from Munich back and it was the nicest way to finish recording on the second last day, to wander out into the warm evening and sit around with such a great group. Other friends came and i made guacamole while talking to Christoph about the album in the kitchen (i love to cook and talk!) which was really nice because as i was saying to him, getting so near the end and starting to doubt everything is tricky. He has been in the exact situation before many times and even with Mario and at Uphon of course since Mario has produced some of the albums Christoph has been a part of. Also for me not having that many other opinions through the process is a bit scary so Cristoph’s good ears and very eloquent way of speaking about music is always so welcome. He explained to me an expression in Germany about ‘hearing fleas coughing’ and thats what he thought we were doing since he thought things were sounding really nice.. which made me laugh pretty hard and put me at ease about everything for the evening.

After enjoying some amazing zucchini and wine and corn and salads mario directed me back into the studio to record one last guitar part that he Ron and Roger had worked out while i made mexican dips. We had layered a few too many parts and they were blending together too much so they made one really nice part from the important bits. a few takes later we were ready to go to cafe central for some vodka redbulls jacks and cokes and a new drink i discovered called a ‘happy maker’ which i have no idea what is in it but it sure tasted nice and refreshing on a hot night.