The Album In Writing

Where to begin? The beginning of course. But where exactly is that. I guess it would be the point in time when I decide that I would write an album. Though precisely when that was I am not so sure. I have always loved listening to albums. Holding onto the cover, reading the lyrics trying to get as much out of the piece of art that I could. I would wring it like a soaking cloth till it gave me all it had to give. Albums like Ten, Axis Bold as Love, A Northern Soul, Back In Black, Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Wires, Harvest, Lovers, Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, Sargent Peppers, albums that swept you away. Albums where you know the next track by heart. Where every tune seemed to relate to each other one way or the other. Like some kind of perfect spider web, that may fade but never lets go.



So why I've never recorded an album before some what eludes me. I have put together an album or a record worth of stuff with bands. But never set out to write one. The code was to have a set of songs to play live. And over time new songs would creep in and others slide out. Your mates could appreciate the tunes you had been playing for a while due to their familiarity and get a taste of some fresh stuff too. It was practical and made sense. And so this type of writing has consumed me for many years. I can not say how many songs I have written, but I would say well over 15 a year for the last 15 years. Not to mentioned failed tunes, random jams and hours of learning and noodling. I have documents of pretty much every song I've written. I will some day getting around to a least listing them, possibly alphabetically but probably chronologically, but will unlikely listen to them in full.

Many things have fallen into place this year. The numbers are adding up and I can sense a full circle has bound around to prosperous and successful times much like the era of completing high school. The world is again my oyster and I still hunger for more. The planets had aligned and I was looking for new challenges. Not to simply write another cool, satisfying song but something more. Something with more depth, something with more meaning, something bigger, more complex, more engaging. A meal not a mouth full. Lets just say it was time to write an album and once that was decided, an avalanche begun.

Though to this point the writing of the album has been solo, I have not been alone in my conquest. Many people have influenced, swayed and inadvertently contributed to this journey in one way or another. Having decided that I wanted to write an album, I dropped my ego and thought I'd do a bit of reading on the subject. Many years ago, during the days I had more time than sense I found myself reading up on pop songs of all kinds at the local library. A great place to hang out on a hot day and a suitable way to kill a few hours between meals and soap operas. The learning from these books was easily transferable into recognising the successes and formulas on the radio, but being one big Hendrix jam fan, not so easy to put into practice. However, with a change in life and less hours to whittle away at, the concept of writing a short, to the point song not only became necessary, but it also became fun and easy. When one is pushed for time, one seems to accomplish a hell of a lot more. If only someone told me this in my early twenties. As fear of not having enough time drove me to free myself up, but taught me little of managing and pooling time. Get busy living or get busy dying. I know both sides.

With the little hindrance of not having the ability to write radio savvy tunes out of the way(well at least write a song the length of a radio savvy tune), little was left to do but figure out what the heck to write about. We all know the answer to this one. Every great writer who ever lived and breathed has always said to write about what you know. One thing I do know about is my life. Which parts and why I would write about was another thing all together. This is where a little thing called parameters started to help shape things. This is also one reason why I elect to perform under an the artist name of The Sundanze Kid, of which of course is a very cool name. While the experiences I share in the songs are of the makings of Aaron Chaston's life, they do not encompass or represent these experiences in the way that could ever be sung, written or replicated in anyway. They are pieces of memories that make up Aaron Chaston as one entity. The living breathing man currently tapping away at a computer, silently voicing thoughts on the other side of the screen, is the result of all those put together. Who carries a story so long and so complex he has to at times make it up as he goes. As far as the name goes, it's a title to hang a few ideas on. Help with imaging, help with setting the tone and style. It's raw and free, it's open skies and endless nights, it's the devil at the cross roads, it's a blues mans suit in an old brown paper bag. Some day I hope to see people doing their own little Soundness all over the dance floor and turn these moves into a film clip or something - and so all the kids across the world can teach their kids how to do it. We could make it rain, hail or shine. Together.

The parameters began with a number of self imposed restrictions, ideologies and desires. The first was to get down my dream. To write down the album as best as I could see, hear, taste, smell and feel. Like a basketballer witnessing a free throw drop before letting go of the ball. Or a chef toying with flavours in his mouth before creating something unique and memorable. Or how a painter feels her way through the line of an object before she settles her brush upon the canvas. To paint the colour and grain. I really liked doing this part. Thinking about the colours of the sounds and the colours of the feelings. How the guitar part was going to growl. How my voice was going to rip and burn and bleed. How your foot would instinctively tap and you head bounce back and forth uncontrollably. How your body would want to find the space on the dance floor, stretch out and express moods and feelings that no longer seem relevant in our day to day lives. Like being involved with the music by dancing with it, instead of closing down our bodies and letting our minds over analysis it, like some soul destroying panel of critics how make one dream come true and kill off an entire village of love. Another time.



The past - my life divided into 3. The instrumental prior to these tunes would also represent a golden age, pre-language, pre-thought, visual, glorious, loving, memorable. Early memories - Into the Darkness. Thunder Cracks, The Setting Sun. The album moving from a dark to light to optimistic. A darker rock beginning for integrity, and lets face it, it's way easier to write about the sadness, the pain, the hurt. That's why I write. That's why I picked up a guitar in the first place. To express the unspeakable. For fault of no one to listen and no words to describe the pain.

The present - "current" events from my early twenties to now. Without Blood, Burning Lungs, Foot Prints. The album turns to current affairs, faith, globalisation, tragedy, betrayal, forgiveness, politics, environmentalism, lessons to learn and lessons to leave behind. It reaches it's extremes of intensity and beauty. Tempo, aggression, beauty, sadness, colour, all swirl to a solid beating heart.

The future - the knowledge that the unknown could be coming and if it comes certain things will be unavoidable. Unimaginable loss. Happiness beyond your wildest dreams. Sadness' untold. the ticking of time taking it's toll. The good, the bad, the ugly all adding up toward something that could be so fantastic if we embrace as much of it as possible, with love and patients and a deep desire to take it to the next level. To leave behind a world that you made a difference to. To have loved and learned and shared. Green grass, Red Sun Rise, Tears and Laughter.

The thought of altering the track order did cross my mind. But it wasn't hard to see that this was very counter intuitive. It would cut the album in strange ways. This is when I started realise that the thought behind the album would help it stand in a way that will recognise this as a piece of art and not simply a bunch of songs.

Following this, was to begin creative non-critical music writing sessions. Basically, a time where the critical song writer takes a back seat to the freedom to laying down and recording heart felt jams. Way too often would my playing become stifled with the desire to write songs when I could have been mindlessly writing some of the most amazing music to cross my subconscious. Too often have i stopped a jam and pursued a song, killing off the rhythm and flow to try and preserve a good idea - or half baked idea. However, with a better income and better recording technology I was able to simply hit record and find the groove. Two weeks of solid jamming, 14 hours of raw material, one day of slipping into over-critical-overdrive and a bucket load of ideas, saw the ball well and truly rolling. Great. But how does one sift through so much music. Take one ipod, one note pad, a pencil and the London Underground and you've got yourself plenty to get on with. Slowly, I begun to note and time reference many melodies and pieces that I found cool, placing stars and vibe notes around bit I liked. I also categorised into groups of things like bluesy, pull off madness, slide, vocal bit, beat box ridiculousness, and so forth. At the heart of it, I was listening for feelings that I though would suit the lyrical content I had in mind, the textures I was wanting pull and general rock blues ideology that I wanted to reinforce, praise, tribute, recognise and pass on.

The idea of having writing songs for so many years and not written an album seems strange. Strange that I hadn't done it before. I have gotten as far a singles, EP's, a set of songs, more than an albums worth. Even as I set upon this adventure it didn't seem so strange. But having complete the set of songs, having learnt a new style of writing, having found a new rhythm to beat to, I wish I done it sooner. But what good would that do. Like saying I wish the sun was out on a rainy day, or rain to come during a drought. In many ways it was out of my hands. Even if I wanted to I couldn't have pieced it together. Right now, I am up to recording the 3rd song in demo form. I am consumed with how I am going to get the drum sounds that I want. That I feel are natural, in time, authentic and make the listener want to tap their toes. I am enjoying putting down the ideas for each song, figuring out the structure of the pieces, becoming immersed in the piece and begin to hear melodies, counter melodies, counter rhythms to lay down once I have the foundation of the song in place. I have the arm wrestle battle of whether to try record the album at home with my limited recording skills (which would require me to up grade my gear and cost a bit) or to go into the studio and start working with an outsider (who would have to be really into the album, but would also cost a bit). I am also looking forward to how to release the album - itunes, indie labels, press 500 copies on vinyl and call it a day - the latter being my current favourite - achievable and super cool. But I tell myself not to fret about that until the thing is recorded nicely - though I do like to make sure the next step is ready to take in advance. I'm also focusing on how to get my voice just right. This is what I really want to shine above all else that has gone into this. Strong, grainy, powerful, smooth. So, I'm off to put some Jim Morrison, Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Tom Waits on for a bit of a humbling.