My initial idea was to record the dozen or so songs we had been playing and put them out as a ‘live trilogy’ to serve as a reference of what we sounded like live as well as being promotional ‘tickets’ to play out more, not just in Atlanta but for future touring. This was also meant to buy some time while plotting out the next full length. Rather than put all the songs out on the same CD I felt it would be better to divide the music up in three five-song EPs so there would be a better chance of every song being heard equally and to avoid the monotony of listening to dual-guitar and dual-vocal music for an hour... not that there’s anything wrong with that! Today they serve not as a present reminder of the sound of Magic Apron live but instead, and not unlike ‘Orphan Harmony,’ a relic of an old incarnation that no longer breathes.
I would like to stress a couple of things pertaining to this music and the next three releases that will be featured here for your downloading pleasure. Aside from the two instrumentals, there are absolutely no overdubs on these recordings, they are all pure performance. I am very proud of this achievement. While playing with Lisa, we played together a lot and took the time to get (or try to get) every note of every song as right as possible. I played music with her between 2007-2010 and these recordings were made in 2009. Something I was very vocal with her about, as I have been with others who have played with me under my moniker is the importance of craft and on developing it, you have to let it breathe and grow on it’s own accord. In this case, Time is an ally.
Surveying today’s musical climate, I find there is still a weird and unnecessary pressure to race and force out as much music as fast as possible, as if that alone somehow validates one of being a musical artist. It also seems to buy into this mythological and silent ’understanding’ that it’s imperative to deliver when you’re ‘young’ and not ‘old;’ 22 and not 52. Now it’s one thing to be prolific, but another to rush and to hurry your sound. I hope that the 21st Century will help do away with this silly mode of thinking. I see composing music as being more like committing to a pregnancy of sorts and one that you must submit to and let ride out until it’s ready for deliverance. Especially these past few years, there’s been a certain MySpace-type mentality of “Hey, let’s start a band and within a month put up tracks on our page!” that seems to be more popular than say “Hey, let’s all get in a room and play (and learn to create together) to see if we can maybe develop our own musical vocabulary.” And while it’s not entirely about a wrong way or a right way or about choosing or feeling the need to take a stance, I do think the former approach tends to lead to an immediate compromise with the music to be simply a product or a file more so than the thing itself.
Now what I would really like to mention is what a wonderful recording experience this all truly was. I think that the sounds in these recordings indicate all the time, energy, and love given. This was recording done right, with the right priorities, the right intentions, and the right people. This was one of my fondest musical experiences and also one that helped make peace with past recording endeavors. Nathan Brown was definitely the third or hidden member (he’d like that one) of Magic Apron for this period and I seriously hope to work with him again down the line. I can’t thank him enough for his time, energy, and care. Over a couple of months in the Summer of 2009, the three of us would sneak into Eyedrum and record Lisa and I playing, hoping to capture some special takes. Some songs would be nailed first take and are what you hear now while some would take a few attempts and a couple of versions before realizing which was the best rendition. Attention was key to each song. Like children, I found they all had different and natural gifts while at the same time asking and requiring different things to help them achieve their full beauty. The right environment along with the right people at the right time led to the cultivation of this music and I for one am very proud of the results.
I would also like to point out and thank Seth Bolton of Living Rooms who we also did some initial recordings with and had a most excellent time. “Twiggy Tea” and our Book of Love cover “I Touch Roses” are the takes we did with him that made the cut; also making the cut are my home recordings of the first Magic Apron song “Vowel” and a Jano outtake “Lasso.” The other eleven were recorded with Mr. Brown. The artwork was a collaborative effort I did with Atlanta’s favorite son Adam Bruneau ( Dust Bunnies, The Spooks, plus a hundred other bands) with Adam providing the cool visual tones to my visual concept.. a very special thanks to him! I would also like to thank Susan Jermain and Matthew Bagshaw for their illustrations that are featured, Clementine Trameri for her service, The Big Haus for hosting my installation for the used visuals, and to Sunni Johnson for turning me on to a particular song.
-Dayvid
