How I spent my summer

08.29.2007- CST

Hey everyone. I'm sure you're dying to know how I spent my summer? OK, so here's the skinny:

I knew I was committed to going to Martha's Vineyard for the entire month of July and that place (unless you're James Taylor) is not the most conducive to staying inside and writing songs for your next album. So I holed up at Stratosphere and my home studio for a good part of June writing Brookville songs and working on tunes that will form a new band me and Dominique (singer in IVY) are starting. She and I even managed to rope in Adam for a very short week at Stratosphere in an attempt to start the new Ivy album, but at the rate we're going it won't be complete for another 8 - 10 years, so I've been focusing on these other two projects.
June went well actually, so much so that I even deceived myself into thinking I should keep cranking it out through July. Hell, why stop? So I packed up the most insane amount of gear - Pro Tools, mic pre's, mics, guitars, cables, hard drives, etc. - and brought it all to the little island. 

The next time I saw that stuff was unpacking it again back in NYC a month later!

Oh well. Guess that means I had a great vacation with my kids? Yes. Will they appreciate the undevoted attention I gave them 10 years from now? Ummm....nope.

Anyway, this all means I better bust my butt and get cracking again in August.

Problem with August is... that's the month I have to go with Dominique to visit her family in France. She's French. She has an attitude. Not going is not an option. Plus her dad would kick my ass. But I started feigning panic attacks and Dominique aquieced - allowed me to blow off half the trip and remain behind in NYC to continue writing and recording. That proved to be an awesome time alone (no family, kids, friends, no showers, just me in the studio 24/7) for almost 2 weeks. Great. Then I headed to France to make amends with her family. Did my kids even miss me? Ummm....

The reason for the panic attack (yes part of it was not feigned at all) is because I have a pretty big production coming up, looming over me, that's starting in November. So whatever I need to get done has to be done this summer and finished by fall. I'm producing the new Trashcan Sinatras album starting November. I've been a huge fan of theirs forever and was lucky enough to mix their last album. This time we're doing the whole thing together. Almost a month of tracking in Studio A (definitely using the Baldwin piano, as this band has the most delicious piano parts) and then 2 weeks of overdubs in - of all places! - Martha's Vineyard where I'll bring all that junk with me again that never got used.



So, with that band coming from Scotland I'm running out of time to get these things done and on a release schedule for spring 2008. Pray for me...

Andy