( This newsletter, like the last few, is read aloud. If you’d like to listen along, hit play above. I’ve really enjoyed reading these and uploading the audio.)
Good morning and happy Monday to us all.
Up before 7 this morning due to my sickness. My throat is so sore. I am having chicken and wild rice soup for breakfast. And tea instead of coffee. Bleh. No fun.
Have you ever taken a bite of hot chicken noodle soup and felt it in your ears? The soup helps with congestion. Do any of you possibly have a digital camera or an iPod classic you'd be willing to part with?
Here’s a photo off my flip phone from last week or so. Billy in the yard next to a 6-foot-high flame at a friend’s house.
If you haven’t heard, I had a couple new songs come out recently. You can listen to them here. I am working on a plan to put out two more to go along with this batch. All in due time. Stay tuned.
Anyways, here are this week’s “Quick Clips:”
* Here’s A Brian Eno quote Jack shared with me. Good grief. - “Whatever you now find weird, ugly, uncomfortable, and nasty about a new medium will surely become its signature. CD distortion, the jitteriness of digital video, the crap sound of 8-bit - all of these will be cherished and emulated as soon as they can be avoided]
* I unlocked the paywall on this subscriber-only post about my favorite free plugins. Maybe i’ll do another post about production soon, possibly in a video format.
* The first few takes of recording a song always seem the most pure. I told someone over lunch this week how I hate comping vocals. It's hard for me. So I don't usually do it when recording myself. I don't think Yo La Tengo comped vocals. That’s what I'm listening to now. God, I need to do more weird stuff in my recordings. But also maybe keep them more simple.
* “I’ve been asking something of my days again,” I told Harry this at the Secondhand Sound show after he asked how I’ve been. A Rainer Maria Rilke quote. At least I thought it was. Upon trying to find a link for it, I realized once again that I may have fabricated this “quote” from a number of different things I’ve read. I’ve been revisiting letters to a young poet, and it is so rich with needlessness. Rilke talks a good deal about being present. Which I know I struggle with. As does my generation as a whole.
* I made enough chili for 20 people this weekend and it wasn’t enough. I have never made that much chili. I was happily surprised to have had 40 people at my house throughout the night to eat the chili I had worked on for half the day on Saturday. The night included improvisational songs, hot dogs on the fire, and an age range of guests from 1 to 27. I originally thought maybe 10 people would show up. I felt like Jay Gatsby, and had a very good night. So many sweet faces, and souls.
* This week behind the paywall is a demo of “Billy Song.” A track that got away from me back in 2021. You can listen to it and other unreleased demos by becoming a paid subscriber. (UPDATE: I had to move the song to its own post to make the voiceover free. Click here to hear it.)
If you enjoy these posts, consider buying me a coffee by becoming a paid subscriber for just $5 a month. You will gain early access to upcoming music, unreleased demos, and extra posts.
As always, shoot me an email or give me a call if you want to work on music together! I am typically available to do remote or in-person sessions.
You can also email or call just to say what's up. I love to talk about writing, production, faith, and whatever else.
Yours Truly,
Jake Smith
(P.S. - Look at this Grammarly suggestion!?)
