Declan recommends…

Declan recommends

1. Not hitting your head with a surfboard. Fuck it still hurts.
2. The new Jape album “Ritual”.
3. The debut Yurodny album “The odd set”. Saw them last night and it was massive.
4. Louisiana hot sauce.
5. Lithuanian Rye bread.
6. Replacing the word “fuck head” with “Mugabe”.
7. Tents that set up in 30 seconds when it’s pissing rain.
8. Burning the television. (ok go recycle it)
9. Avoiding You Tube.
10. Getting outside.
11. Surfing as the sun comes up.
12. Breakfast.
13. Laughing heartily.

waSSSUP

A FIRE TO SCARE THE SUN….I have mixed 3 songs already. Recording Cora on violin in a few hours. Then i will head west for a few days of surf before returning to record Brian Hogan from Kila on bass and lapsteel and Mary on cello. I am booked for mastering on July 14th. Then it disappears out of my hands and should surface in September. Yay!

As i mentioned, i will be putting out a lot of music this year. I have a head of steam up now and can’t wait to get stuck in.

One of the projects will be a collaboration with Cora Venus Lunny we have no rules for what will happen. Turn the microphone on and go…can’t wait.

Here is a clip of Cora playing, as you can see she is a pretty fuckin’ awesome on the ould 4 strings. I am really excited and looking forward to seeing what we can come up with together. Fun, Fun, Fun…

Adam Buxton is funny as fuck.

Hurtling towards the finishing line…

Almost there. James Dunne came in and layed down some drums and he scared me. Everything in one or two takes. The second was usually just for luck. I met james touring with Julie Feeney and knew it would be lots of fun to record him. For you techies…two overhead condensers and one condenser abut 50 cm off the ground slightly to the right of the kick about 90 cm away.

The rest of the crew are coming in next week to lay down buts and bobs. Mary hurry up and get back from Cuba! (Mary me longstanding and suffering cellist got married and is away on honeymoon…some excuse)

I sat down and played some of the rough tracks to Cora Venus Lunny last night to get a second pair of ears on some choices i had to make. Nice getting an outside view. I have been up me own arse recording this for so long. She also played me her album in progress but it needed nothing added or taken away.

Anyway this week i took the razor out and lashed into tracks stripping away the fat. I even killed two tracks, resurrected one and wrote recorded and mixed one (in one afternoon). If only they all came out that way.

I am getting lots of emails asking about how i record so i am going to document the next one and make a wee vid to show people. THanks to everyone who has been emailing me with support.

There will be a physical release and a digital release.

hope everyone is well…thanks for your patience.

The Revolution will not be televised.

I watched this last night at about 3am. Two documentary film makers are with Hugo Chavez when the coup happens. You couldn’t write a script like this. The scenes with the footage from the privately owned TV stations had me transfixed in horror and repulsion as did the quotes from the US state dept. as all of this was happening. I sat with fists clenched, yet wanting to laugh at the absurdity.

Anyway do yourself, make yourself a nice cuppa tea or whatevr you drink and check this out. People power at it’s best. Link

Thanks to Graham for posting this link on why that’s delightful, I had been looking for this film for ages.

Album update…

This is taking longer than a fuckin Def Leppard album. Well my deadline to finish is June 30. Which means with all the hoo ha involved in releasing an album we should see September for a release.

The good news is that there will be a physical release of it aswell as download. I am still working out the best way of making the cd version as appealing to people. Which to me spells something unique…mmm…lot’s of ideas. But for the moment i have to get me head down and finish the fucking album.

May was a wipeout because i had to finish an animation for the Irish Film Board. I am also working on some scripts for a tv series which are almost finished.

So this week has me back in me studio and I am excited because now all the cool musos come and lay down lines. I have a brilliant Drummer called James Dunne coming in on thursday so i am scrambling around borrowing microphones from friends.

Anyway…i will keep you all posted.

Stay well.