It’s a rainy day in December a couple of years ago … for some reason I am listening back to the St Lo album in my studio, I can’t remember what made me go back to it for a listen. I am struck by how basic it all is. In many cases one or two guitars per track, maybe a keyboard, a sample or two, a bass, nothing more than that.
I remember making it while the next Lie Big album was on hold, which ended up being permanently on hold. It was done in a couple of weeks including the mix. I had it mastered by a guy I met in a recording forum online, he did a great job too, and then I had no idea what to do with it.
Feeling brave, and stupid, I decided to get some CDs pressed … 1000 of them, because I am an idiot.
Then, before the days of Bandcamp et al, I tried to get rid of some via Myspace and CD Baby, without much success.
How could I get rid of this lot and try to get people to listen?
I had a friend make a video for the track Remaining Days and put it up on YouTube.
It got about 5 views.
What next?
My mate Rod Taylor and his lovely then wife to be, were going to be doing merch desk work at the Marillion weekend in Port Zeelande, so I asked him if he could ask the organisers if I could give some CDs away in the bar at the event. Fortunately they agreed. I turned up with 500 CDs and a laptop with the video on, and sat at the end of the bar with a box for donations for the CD. Basically a free CD, but if you liked it then donations were welcome.
I made some great friends that weekend and everyone I met was generous with their feedback and their donations. I also met Brendan Eyre for the first time after striking up a hangover conversation, and you can see where that chance meeting led! It’s also where I first met Frans Keylard and his entourage who went on the be great friends and supporters. Frans was the first person to play Nine Stones Close music to a wider audience by later playing it on his radio show.
All 500 CDs were distributed that weekend and Nine Stones Close was finally off the ground. Over time the other 500 sold via different channels and has never been re-pressed.
So I came to thinking … what if I replaced my own hideous drone like vocals with those of a real singer? What if I changed that solo I didn’t like? What if I added another guitar there? What if I re-recorded the bass with my current setup? What if I extended that piece how I had initially imagined? What if I just deleted that track I can’t stand? What if …. ??
So it came to be that I spoke to Michel Simons, my friend and partner in general slackery and Jet Black Sea, about the idea of an upgrade to the album. I exported all the original tracks and sent them to Michel and we embarked on a kind of reimagining of the album and not just a simple upgrade.
Michel did an amazing first rework of the album and I added more to it myself, we also included some additional tracks which augment the whole thing. It’s sounding very good so far and vocals will be added by Aio, drums by Lars, additional keys by Brendan and will be finally mixed and mastered by our maestro producer Paul van Zeeland.
Hopefully this will see the light of day next year …. watch this space for more updates ….
Cheers
/Adrian