False Idols

Last Sunday I ate dinner with family & friends at Elmo's dinner in Durham, NC. A decade ago the joint went by the name Ninth Street Bakery. Not a few feet from where I sat was where bands used to set up for gigs.

In the summer of 1992, I my brother and I drove up to the Ninth Street Bakery to see Nikki Meets the Hibachi. John Gillespie and Elaine Tola comprised this original acoustic duo. I had heard Nikki on cassette, but I had never seen them live. As a soon to be high-school Senior, going to shows wasn't something I did very often.

As a thirty year old, eating a black bean burger not a few yards from where you saw one of the most influential and relevant shows of your life, I pondered the big questions: life cycles, friendships, destinies, histories. I didn't come to many conclusions. I just ordered the fries.

For the past year, John Gillespie and I have been working on the album that has become False Idols. John and I have worked together quite a bit over the past decade and a half. We shared scores of acoustic gigs in coffee shops/clubs in the South East. We've played in numerous bands together, including Kickball, the Happy Annies, and Collapsis (John was the first bass player for the group). For False Idols, I was in the producer's chair.

Working with John is a treat for any producer. He brings in good songs to the recording sessions. Also, he can sing a master take in a few passes. The same goes for his guitar playing and bass playing.

Because John knows how to efficiently work in a studio, he's able to make a quality album in less time. Also, the lessened need to focus on just getting a good take allows for more creative experimenting. On False Idols, we were all over the place with sounds, styles, and tracks.

8 of the 15 songs feature Kevin Rader-Rhodenbaugh on drums and percussion. We recorded his stuff on two different recording sessions. Also, for me, Kevin's kit was the first drum kit I ever professionally recorded. It was a real treat because it was so well kept. Recording drums isn't too tricky, but if you've never done it before, it can seem a bit overwhelming.

The remaining seven songs feature either no drums or some sort of drum programming on my part. Sometimes that programming consisted of Reasoned industrial beats. Sometimes it was cannibalized drum takes from old sessions. Sometimes it was Discrete Drums sliced to smithereens and reassembled for the song.

John's voice and acoustic guitar are the central elements that bind the record together. We tried to not lose sight of those things, even when the tracks got to their thickest.

If this project interests you, check out John's website www.purevolume.com/johngillespie He has quite a few samples up. Also, the album is available for sale at CD Baby and most of the digital retailers you enjoy (iTunes caries it).

On Friday, September 28th at 7:30 p.m., I'll be joining John and Athenaeum alum Nic Brown at the Cave in Chapel Hill, NC for a False Idols CD release party. I'll be playing bass guitar.