Bryan Lavigne has been playing guitar and drums in bands in the Oklahoma area, and has now released a new disc, Big Picture Idiot.
What was the songwriting process for Big Picture Idiot?
Bryan: Most songs started with a bad day at work followed by a mad 30 mile dash home to play some guitar. I would take an idea on guitar and build a rhythm track with bass and drums then add melody, lyrics, and lead guitars. I had to use the computer as my band so all of the parts were recorded one at a time until the song was written. This created some pretty rough sounding songs so I usually went back and re-recorded everything starting with the drums. I used the opportunity to finalize the parts that need tweaking. This process was time consuming, but I still found it easier than trying to get 3 or 4 musicians in the same room to play what was in my head. To this point I had the song in pretty good shape, but I still remained open to changing things if needed. I didn't have a schedule or anyone's feelings to worry about so if I didn't like something I would re-write it. The result was ten songs I can still listen to and be happy with.
|
|
You did all the recording/producing/mixing/mastering yourself, was that something you planned on doing?
Bryan: Simply put, yes. 'Hi, my name is Bryan and ... I'm an anal-retentive control freak'. The first album I worked on was co-written with a singer/bassist from Oklahoma City (about 2 hours away). During that time I upgraded from my little 4-track recorder to a Digital Audio Workstation capable of recording at a quality I had never dreamed I would get in a home studio. I became fascinated by the whole process. After we finished, I started writing some songs on my own to play around with mixing and mastering. Also around this time my friend moved to Houston and it was not going to be possible to start a new record for a while so I decided to try to make one by myself. Just one person with an idea from beginning to end which was totally different from the corporate workplace I went to every day. I really enjoyed the freedom of expressing myself without any outside influences. Toward the end I considered sending it off for mastering. I know that an experienced mastering engineer with some of the high dollar gear designed just for mastering would give it a more polished sound, but I still liked my idea of one person from start to finish. So I stuck with it and will probably do the same for my next CD. The results were, for the most part, what was rattling around in my tiny brain, and I'm happy with it. It seems like the production of music has become so complicated and expensive that you have to get a record deal to put out a quality CD. I think the new recording technology will change that. There are lots of musicians out there that can't get or don't want to get a record deal so they record in home studios. I hope to hear more of their (our) music on the radio, and less of the current fads in sounds and chord progressions from LA or NYC. I can’t imagine a novelist or artist sitting in meetings or getting direction from a producer during the creation of their works. I'd like to see the same process applied to music. Step #1 write music - Step#2 record music - Step #3 profit. This is art, not a Shuttle launch.
|
Tell me about your experiences making the record.
Bryan: I started recording after I left my job as a network administrator to be a stay-at-home Dad. It was very time consuming and I really only had the weekends to record. The biggest problem I could foresee was getting and keeping my chops up since I would play/sing every part on the CD. So I would take 2 or 3 months to practice each instrument (including my voice) then a month or two to record it. My biggest obstacle became guitar sounds. I had a problem getting what I heard in my head to come out on the recording (I did mention that I was slightly anal-retentive). So after I finished with the guitars, I found myself searching for a new sound. After a long search for the right instrument, I ended up re-recording the guitar parts. This set me back 9 months, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I also decided that instead of finding and bringing someone in to sing these songs, I would sing them myself. I had always sung backing vocals in my previous bands, but being the singer was a little frightening at first. It took awhile for me to get used to hearing my voice in the monitors. Once again I'm happy with how it turned out, and I only had to deal with my own attitude problems and ego (I‘ve been doing that for years).
|
|
|
|
Bryan on promo
|
'It's my belief that if my CD is good (and that's for the listener to decide so I won't tell you how great it is) and I get it to the right people then it will get some good reviews, internet radio stations will play it and people will buy it.'
|
|
What are your promo plans for the record?
Bryan: When I first started writing Big Picture Idiot I noticed the songs defined and clarified some of the problems in my life at the time. Songwriting became a way to release my frustrations and a way to help me figure out why I was so miserable Sunday Night through Friday Afternoon. While writing these songs I figured it out and left my career and probably added a few years to my life. This alone was worth the effort of making the record. So ten songs later I have a finished CD and now what? I'm a musician not a marketing guru. I've decided to dive into anything I can on the internet that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Music Submit is the first of those to show some results. In addition to finding Virus Zine, I've been contacted by internet radio stations, other ezines and, of course, companies wanting to sell their services. I plan to release more solo CDs and have a couple of collaborations set up for the future. So I‘ll figure out what works while selling Big Picture Idiot and have a more focused approach for my future projects. It’s my belief that if my CD is good (and that’s for the listener to decide so I won’t tell you how great it is) and I get it to the right people then it will get some good reviews, internet radio stations will play it and people will buy it. What it comes down to is that I found out that I enjoy writing music more than I enjoy making money while working in an office. So if it sells that’s great (because, of course I’d like to make some money), but if it doesn’t I’ll do exactly what I’m doing now, writing more songs to try again.
What’s the independet music scene like in Tulsa?
Bryan: Tulsa is a diverse town that has spawned everything from Hanson to Roy Clark. There is a big music scene down here. We have some nice medium size clubs that bring in a wide variety of acts. As I mentioned earlier my weekends are spent writing and recording so I don't get out much. I have heard of some local Indie groups, but I haven't seen them.
Where do you feel you fit within that ‘scene’?
Bryan: Referencing the promo topic above, my final attempt for promotion (if necessary) will be to start auditioning band members so I can play the songs live in the Tulsa area. I just don't know if I want to join the soap opera of band life at this time. Although I miss being on stage, I really enjoy the life of a songwriter/Dad. We'll see how long I hold out.... Until then my goal is to try to find a place in the internet Indie scene.
How important is it to you to be hands on about the non-music aspects of this endeavor? (cd artwork, fliers, etc)
Bryan: It’s very important to me. I’ve done the CD artwork, website, and all promo work so far. Doing these has obviously saved me money, but also allowed me to control the schedule, make the creative decisions, and simplify a complicated process. Instead of going back and forth with a graphic designer I was able to mess around with the artwork and website until they looked good to me. I’ve never bought a record because I liked the picture on the front, or because I thought the website looked cool. I have however bought from an artist that had music that I liked and had sound clips and info easily available. There’s only one band that I don’t listen to sound clips before I buy and that’s Rush. They’ve never disappointed me. This also gives me a chance to try to sell my music while being myself instead of paying someone to write an album description or Bio. This may not work and I might change my thoughts on this, but for now I want to try that approach. I don’t necessarily want to keep doing this stuff in the future, but I want to learn every part of it while I’m selling this record.
What are you up to now?
Bryan: I have 4 songs written for a future album. I had feared that without my problems fitting into an office environment and all the other incidental frustrations (moron executives, money, traffic, insurance...) I would have a hard time writing. This was not the case. There are plenty of subjects that fire me up including (I'm sorry to say) my poor wife going through some similar situations in her version of corporate hell. I also have a couple of friends that have set up studios in their homes, and I’m looking forward to writing with them.
|
|
The Playlist
|
Bryan's Playlist
1. Rush - Sweet Miracle
2. Beck - E-Pro
3. Prince - Face Down
4. Jimmie's Chicken Shack - Spiraling
5. RadioHead - Airbag
|
|
|
|
