Everyone in Montreal seems to be perfectly in love. It’s a city of pairs, strolling happily hand-in-hand, cooing bilingually. It’s a city of endless possibility, but even then it seems all the best ones are already taken.
Read More »Category archive for ‘Dispatches’
Montreal Dispatch 1: flashbacks
November 19th, 2009 / 0 Comments
It seems that somehow, without fail, I make my way to Montreal each November. The annual trip, repeated so often, starts to feel like deja vu, and I think of the old things that lay forgotten. Of the first songs I ever recorded. Of the lost songs left behind in rehearsals. I fret there’s not enough time to remember them all, but little bits and melodies sometimes pop into focus.
Read More »Banff Dispatch 8: All things must pass
November 5th, 2009 / 0 Comments
Our 2 week stay at the Banff Centre has come to a close, and tonight’s the final performance, the final recording. Early this afternoon our gear was loaded up and taken from the hut where we’ve spent so many hours the past 14 days. One last play at the piano, one last song. (This one’s for Analog Bell Service, The Witchies, and Basia Bulat, to the great producers we worked with, and to all of the audio engineers who laughed at us when we asked for bottles of water, but would always go and get them for us anyway).
Read More »Banff Dispatch 7: An introduction to FOONYAP
November 4th, 2009 / 1 Comment
FOON: This is the first song of my song cycle, The Mes, The Mys, and The Swimming Pool. After hammering out some lyrics, I dashed over to Hut 10, and Mark and I recorded this song at 2 in the morning. We stayed up till 4 making more beats – if you are in Calgary for the High Performance Rodeo in January, come see my song cycle at the Midway. Otherwise, catch it as the opening act for Woodpigeon’s CD release.
Read More »Banff Dispatch 6: Wandering, walking, waiting
October 28th, 2009 / 1 Comment
Late last night, I wandered from the studio after recording FOONYAP’s amazing ‘Me + You’ and stopped in my tracks, encircled by elk. They grazed and I watched, both of us calm, eventually parting ways — me towards bed, and them down the road down into Banff township. I’m sure the animals here think these surroundings are just as beautiful as we do.
Read More »Banff Dispatch 4: Broadening horizons (ie. visiting other band huts)
October 22nd, 2009 / 0 Comments
12:30 AM. We spend most of the day working on our own thing while we’re out here. From our hut, we can hear the sounds of The Witchies, Basia Bulat, and Analog Bell Service practicing. But mostly, we hear Analog Bell Service – they definitely win the “Loudest Band at the Banff Centre” prize. But, they can also play nice and pretty too, and here they did just that after having heard the song in question all of once before recording. Win/Win!
Read More »Banff Dispatch 3: Shaking In My Boots
October 21st, 2009 / 0 Comments
3:00 AM. Swear to God, there’s wolves howling outside of my practice hut. Or maybe it’s just people, but either way I’m sticking inside for a bit.
Read More »Banff Dispatch 2: Hunting + Gathering (from a mountain-top cafeteria buffet, but still…)
October 20th, 2009 / 0 Comments
7:20 PM. Post pasta overload. Wondering what would happen if one decided to “rough it” in a mountain cabin with some duct tape, a cooking dish, and a copy of Julia Child’s best known work.
Read More »Banff Dispatch 1: Sleepy, Chilly, But Oh So Happy
October 19th, 2009 / 0 Comments
2:40 AM. Dark mountain-side studios, a baby grand piano, and thoughts of bear attack. ALWAYS BE PREPARED.
Read More »Ottawa Dispatch 2: Autumnal Landscapes
October 18th, 2009 / 0 Comments
A crisp early morning, and everything’s yellow, gold, and red. Too little sleep, but always more than enough energy to sing another favourite.
xox, mark + catriona sturton + shane turner
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