My band's NPR Tiny Desk Contest submission (multi-shot/quarantine style)

[flamateurhour]

It only took about 3 weeks of running recording gear to multiple members of the bands, teaching them how to use said gear via Zoom, teaching ourselves how to mix, and also doing our best to line up 8 musician's tracks and personal interpretations of feel on the song. I'm stoked how this turned out, especially given the constraints of social isolation.

My lead singer summed up the song's meaning: "I wrote it earlier this year after an evening of mental down spiraling, switching from browsing social media (a great place to spend a down spiral, yeah?) to playing piano in a moment of panic that I would spend the rest of my life continually getting stuck in destructive thought patterns. Insecurities, negative comparisons of self, damaging internal dialogue, a desire to be either in the past for a do over or in the future where things may be *magically* better, all while neglecting the only antidote to it all, being fully present with myself, with compassion, and growing from there. There are things you can know in your mind that still take years to bring into practice, and writing this song was an important part of that practice for me, a spell of sorts that has helped ground me when my mind starts getting the best of me. I hope you enjoy it."

 

[Andy]

It's a brave move to record a song of this arrangement & dynamic type outside of a studio or live performance. Disconnection is a big challenge, especially judging dynamic. Nice drumming, and also playing by all!

 

[flamateurhour]

Wow, thank you Andy! I (we) appreciate your kind words. Disconnection of dynamic was a huge concern all the way through. We have until 9pm to play at our house each day and ran out of time with three good takes. We ended up sacrificing the ones that had more accurate playing for the one that we felt really displayed the dynamics of the song and therefore the live energy.

 

[gdmoore28]

Love . . . those . . . strings!

Excellent effort under very difficult circumstances.

I'm a very "hooky" type of listener and kept waiting for it, but it's not that kind of song, is it? Not the kind that has a strong climax with a warm denouement. And maybe totally appropriate considering the written background of the song.

So, did I like it? Yes. But I couldn't understand a single vocal line.

GeeDeeEmm