Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: loved
  • Music: The new episode of "Bones."

We will be wicked, and we will be fair...

I am currently in studio for my fourth album, titled Wicked Girls. It's my second album recorded at Flowinglass Music, with Kristoph Klover acting as my recording engineer and musical guru. There are going to be sixteen tracks, fourteen original and two covers (one by Dave Carter, one by Brian Gunderson—see if you can guess what they are). Michelle Dockrey appears on thirteen songs. SJ Tucker appears on two. Betsy Tinney appears on three. Amy McNally appears all over the damn place, burning up the floor with her fiddle. And it's going to be...

It's going to be damn amazing.

Vixy was down this past weekend to record her parts for the album, a process that required two days in the studio, and meant I needed to record my lead vocal lines for two songs, to give her something to work against ("Wicked Girls Saving Ourselves" and "How Much Salt?"). Working with her is a joy beyond belief, because we genuinely improve each other. I am a better lyricist for knowing that she's going to play a part in making my work come to life. Several of my better songs—"Wicked Girls," "Missing Part," even "Sycamore Tree"—were written, at least in part, with her voice in mind, either as a lead or backing vocal. I am a better vocalist because I know I have to live up to what she does.

It doesn't hurt that she's, y'know, one of my best friends in the world, and also a good sport about the amount of crazy that Kristoph and I can generate when left to our own devices. We just point her at a microphone and tell her that she's good to go, and wow...wow, does she go. I sit in the booth and I listen, and I rejoice that I have such amazing people in my life.

We listened to the rough playback of "Wicked Girls," totally unmixed, totally raw. Just voices, guitar, cello, fiddle, and djembe wrestling for control. And even without the polish that Kristoph is going to use to turn it into something real, it was...heartbreaking. We both just cried.

I love my recording engineer, and I love my Vixy, and I am going to love this album. I can't wait for you to hear it.
Tags: filk, good things, i make music, in the wild, recording, vixy
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  • 27 comments

vixyish

April 30 2010, 15:45:52 UTC 7 years ago

*bouncesnufflehug*

There aren't words, see. Or there are, but I'm not the one who's good at them. :)

("Tired of chains" was the moment I really truly lost it, sitting there in the booth.)

Working with you is a joy beyond belief. The only thing more amazing and inspiring than your songs is the freedom you give me to come up with ways to add my voice to them. It's almost like I get to do a little bit of composing myself, and I get to have the delight and satisfaction of that without having to do any of the actual work. :)

I love my Seanan!

seanan_mcguire

May 21 2010, 17:08:48 UTC 7 years ago

Love and love and always love.