Brontide - A long time coming
October 23rd saw the release of my album, Brontide. I’ve been writing these songs, although I feel like I should really say I’ve been collecting them, for more than 3 years. Some I’ve carried across continents, through good times and bad, various living situations - including a short stint living out of a car in Europe - while others were born out of necessity as the end line grew ever closer and I realised I needed more.
A big part of this album, perhaps my favourite, was that it brought me together with a producer who has taught me more in 2 years than I managed to figure out on my own over the previous 20. James Bunton is the school teacher you wish you had. The kind who encourages your work and lets you believe you’re onto something without ever interfering or adding his own agenda. But perhaps that analogy doesn't really work, because he’s a great friend too and I think we learned a lot from each other while making the album.
I learned the value of not only writing songs from a place of honesty, but the importance of the re-write. The train-of-thought or stream of consciousness approach to writing lyrics is always a good way to get a song written. But the re-write is where you fine tune your ideas and cut any excess fluff that doesn’t add value. I remember I was told as a kid, “don’t get it right, get it written”. And I agree. Get it written… then re-write it.
James and I started recording together in late 2018. I flew to Toronto twice to work alongside him and various musicians. Then at home in London, I recorded some vocals and guitar parts as they were needed. Early 2019, I sent the album - at this point unmixed but largely complete - to Audio Network, the label through whom I am releasing Brontide.
The plan was always to record strings at Abbey Road. As the label are there most days recording other projects, fitting me in wasn’t a big ask, thankfully. I was given my slot with a double quartet in Studio 3 of Abbey Road in March 2019. Walking those hallowed halls was quite an experience. Nearly as powerful as sitting in the control room while 8 top-tier musicians are lead by a conductor as they record the parts you and your producer have written… wild!
At this point, the album was “finished”…. it just needed to be mixed.
I was grateful to have another friend and long time collaborator mix Brontide. Ryan Miller has worked with me since 2017, and I trust his ears like no one else. He is both patient and a perfectionist, which when working with me, goes a long way. With our mixes in the bag by August 2019, I only had to submit the final files to the label.
‘So why didn't this album come out at the end of 2019, Nick?’, I hear you say!?
Well, politics. The label are big. REALLY big. They have hundreds of albums on the go at any given time. They can’t release them all at once and so I, along with others, wait patiently in line. That’s just the way it is.
Those 6 months waiting, soon to become 12 - thanks covid, were the longest I’ve experienced. I had way too much time to second guess my work on the album. Never a good thing. But then along came October, as if 2020 hadn’t really happened at all. A blink and you miss it kind of feeling. The opposite of what I was expecting to be a long, drawn out year stuck at home in lockdown.
An album (10-12 songs traditionally) takes a long time to finish. You first have to write the songs, which can take years alone, and then you record demo’s. I did the demo’s myself at home, mostly. Then you enlist a producer if you’re planning to use one, discuss the project, work on the demo’s, discuss a budget, discuss studios, choose musicians and finally, a start date! This is all before you meet for day one of work! So I’m actually amazed we managed to start recording within 6 months of our initial chat! Little did I know it would take two + years for Brontide to see the light of day.
It’s a relief to have released it. Like a bird leaving the nest, I am proud of what I’ve achieved. I’m only looking forward now. I’m writing new music everyday and recording the ones that seem to stick. Maybe 2020 isn’t such a bad year after all.