Previous: How Great Falls got started
Before Rhys and the band went into the studio to begin recording Great Falls, they did two days pre-production with producer Thomas Johansen. Around this time, Rhys began to keep a diary of proceedings. Here’s an extract.
Grove Studios, London, England.
25th May 2009
So, in seven days time, I start working on my second album. It’ll be produced by Thomas Johansen, recorded in London and Washington (DC, not Tyne and Wear) and will feature Mark Ferguson on bass, Sam Stopford on drums and other singers and musicians yet to be recruited.
It will see me bid farewell to girly country, favouring instead spangly-trousered, big-haired, 70s powerprog. Possibly. Either way, I shall be keeping an online diary, posting pictures, updates and maybe the odd off-cut from the studio floor (no, I don’t know what that means either). If it’s anything like last time, I will stall after 7 days, meaning that the world will know an awful lot about how we got the drum sound and not so much about any of the interesting bits.
Sam Stopford, Mark Ferguson and Thomas Johansen
3rd June 2009
A very good two days in pre-production with Thomas, Mark and Sam. Yesterday was a bit flat after two weeks off from playing but today we got right back up to racing speed. Can’t wait to get started. It’s been great to get Thomas’ fresh perspective on things. He’s made some really good suggestions – mostly tightening up arrangements and getting rid of unnecessary instrumental cul-de-sacs. He also pressed a button that made our voices sound really high. That was cool. I think he was a bit alarmed at the level of banter in the room. I don’t have to be in till lunchtime tomorrow. Result.
