The Great Deep is an album I loved making, but also one where I learned a lot. I thought I’d paint a brief picture of what I learned which hopefully informs those who follow my journey about where I’m heading.
- Surround Yourself With People Who Are Better Than You
Two artists I really admire – Sting and TobyMac – share one thing in common. They both talk about being surrounded by those who are better at things than they are.
It’s something I tend to audit my life on. If you want to be a better husband, then hang around older, wiser, more mature husbands. If you want to be a better dad, do likewise. If you want to be a better athlete, train with those who are stronger and more knowledgeable than you and learn from them.
That aside, I realised that I needed better musicians than myself to help orchestrate (pun intended) what my imagination was telling me but my abilities couldn’t execute. The strategy was:
- Buy an iPad
- Record songs on it
- Send them to Brent Quinton to polish up
Brent has been many artists go-to man in KZN and further afield. Why? Because Brent is better at everything.
- Work hard… and fast
As an artist, I realise there’s another reason why I gravitate towards people like Sting and TobyMac. They work hard.
But they also work often, and fast. If I had an idea, it was a case of track it and get it done. Who cares about the next door neighbour’s lawnmower in the background? If it sounds cool and authentic, and it doesn’t get in the way, it’s done.
Most of my tracks were recorded that way, and sent off to Brent to polish up. Interestingly enough, he works the same way as far as polishing goes.
- Go Where The Song Is Leading You
On The Edge was primarily acoustic-driven. The Great Deep was not. The idea was to treat each song for what it was. If it was a dance track, go that way. If it was slow-lounge vibes, go there. Acoustic singer songwriter? Go there. Hip hop? Go there.
As such, I have loved exploring the soundscape of my PRS electric guitar, and the myriad of other things (keys, bass, drums) in GarageBand.
- Go Narrow and Deep Rather Than Broad And Shallow
I’ve loved writing extra about the themes and ideas in the music. I’ve also loved making podcasts as a spin off to the album. I love where it’s taken me as a creative thinker, and I love where it promises to lead me. As time has gone on, I’ve grown to appreciate that the packaging changes all the time. But the essence of what you’re saying remains.
For example, swimming out into the ocean in a suit for a photo is as much about the experience as it is about getting the photo.
