Some heavy bouncing in Logic.

Tomorrow and Saturday I’m having friends over to record backing vocals. It should be a treat rewarded with a meal which I’ll be cooking. It should be great.

I won’t give names of songs away but it’s going great. I have 7 finished and ready to go. Next week will be working in another batch. By the end of February it should be ready to mix. I’m very happy with the shape this record is getting. I’m sure you’ll like it too.

Started working on a piece titled “The Welder’s Son”. Going slowly but with a very basic rhythm section ready to develop. Hope it all goes well since I’m very fond of the lyrics.

I’m really proud of “Frau Cabaret”. I wasn’t sure of it before adding instruments but now I’m pretty sure it fits the new album beautifully. Of course, it can change in context with the other cuts. Day off tomorrow and an informal rehearsal with Big Problem Sunday morning. I’m picking up the notebook after writing this to rewrite another song in dire need of adequate words. Have a nice weekend.

In 2003 I wrote concept of a song which stayed as bunch of one-liners until recently. It’s called “Frau Cabaret” and the only thing set in stone was actually the title. Today I started a demo sketch of it which will eventually evolve to a full featured song. I’m very happy with the lyrics but the music needs a bit of tweeking. Tomorrow I’ll keep trying it and surely it will become aparent if it’s a hit or a miss. In the meantime I have shortlisted the rest of the songs I’m planning to record. Still a long way to go, if you ask me.

We’ve been having a very bad weather these past few weeks. There have been floods in my hometown but, fortunately, as far as I’m aware, no one’s been hurt. I’m really looking forward to less rainy days. About the iTunes promo - it’s over. Please don’t send more receipts as I can’t send you more gift cards. Stay tuned for further promos. I finished recording another song, “We Got This Far”. I’m really proud of it. We’ll have to see if it ends up on the new album. The rest of the week it’s for me to record a bit more. I’ll try a couple of other tunes and keep you posted of the results.

The lads got together last Sunday for a brief run of the last gig setlist. Bleeding noise piercing ear drums, that’s what it was. Next time it’ll be even better. I’m campaigning for a gig in late February or early March. Will keep you posted.

I’ve spent two days producing a demo for a high profile American artist and although it’s been very rewarding experience in terms of mixing old and new sounds, the overall experience wasn’t as pleasant as I thought it would be. Perhaps we weren’t in the same wavelength. This week I’ll be recording a few demos of my own. I’m also giving my previous two albums for free in iTunes. Well, not exactly for free but, after purchasing any of them, send me your iTunes receipt and I’ll send you an iTunes gift card of the same amount for you to buy other music you enjoy. It’s two albums for the price of one (or four for the price of two). This week only.

I’m currently writing and recording at a slow but steady pace. Last week I worked on a long forgotten song and this week on a groovy bossa nova tingled number. I also recorded a cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect day” which suits the mood of what I’m doing. The first one is called “No place like home” and the latter is “Stockings never lie”. My version of “Perfect day” is likely to be shelved (or perhaps used as a bonus track for charity). I’ll be posting updates on a sort of weekly basis. Everything is sounding good and serving the purpose of unblocking my mind to what I really want to write about.

As I grow older I’m developing a less rocking approach to music in general. It seems that old folk and bebop influences start to creep into my fingers. It’s where my mind is going, to old places, to music from when I was growing up. Everything is sounding like the 70s which is where my roots are.

It’s Christmas again and this year it’s very different as I’m still finding ways to cope with dad passing away. I don’t really know if I’m writing about it - it does seem like the music is coming from a different era, sort of like revisiting my dad’s childhood through my own memories as a happy kid in northern Portugal. Dad used to bring me lots of second hand books and records, stuff as varied as traditional Portuguese folk, protest records and early rock’n’roll. Somehow these all seem to melt into whatever it is I’m heading to.

I wish you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope it brings you the joy we all need to face the chalenges of growing older.