LEOPARDWOOD JOURNAL RAW
Notes taken while recording guitar and vocals in the Shearer’s Quarters on a station in the outback Australia.
6 days: April 26th – May 1st 2011
Donate to this project.
DAY 3: Wednesday April 28th 2011
5:56am. Awake and the horizon is at a slight faint glow. The sky is still full of stars and the moon is about 1/4 it’s full size. I find Myrtle (the dog you see in some of the photos with me) sleeping outside my door and I am grateful she is there. What an amazing dog, and a good friend!!
Myrtle and I, walking at sunrise.
6:42am Lead vocals done on the Leopardwood song! I did 4 takes last night, and it was the 3rd one that had the juice. Time for a sunrise walk.
7:54am Time to check out Top Shelf and see what’s going on.
8:46am did a bit of guitar work. it needs something… I hear this song but it’s not quite up to par at the moment.
9:31am Gold Field. More guitars. I think I should get Alvaro to record the double-time stuff on electric and just leave the acoustic simple and more sparse. breathing room is good.
10:55am Went up to the house for a little cafe. Wrote a little email to Kev and played Red Shoe Laces on the piano. The song is pretty much complete. Just a few deets to work out, but feels pretty good. I plan to, like the rest of the album, record a sort-of-RAW version of it. THe piano is very out of tune, but has a lot of character. That’s what we’re going for. Character. ha.
11:18am Tried doing some BG’s on The Chicken but the vocal chords aren’t quite ready to be recorded!
11:53am tapping rhythms on Gold Field. done that. Went outside and felt the sun. Sometimes it’s all you need. A recharge.
12:20pm Lunch. Had a listen to Photographs. Forgot I had put vocals on! did some editing.
12:44pm A gecko skiddled by me while I was eating lunch out on the steps in the sun. I feel so lucky. I feel powerful and grounded. I have so much gratitude for every part of this circumstance. My room, my space is perfect. Kalyanka is perfect, right now.
1:46pm Black Steps. Hand clapping and an attempt at whistling.. however, going to give it a go later. Also need to add some vox doubling and BG’s.
2:15pm messaged my family to let them know that I haven’t dropped off the side of the earth. Also, heard from appletreecafe that she arrived in Toronto. Very good!!
2:43pm Back working at Gold Field. The guitar parts need a redo. I’m wondering about the intonation on Maggie (the name for my lovely guitar). She’s wonderful but giving me a little grief with a couple of the parts!
Also, realizing that sometimes recording is just about having a little sass. a little attitude, a confidence… putting it out there.
It’s 4:16pm. I worked on Gold Field Vocals for quite a while. I’m not 100% sold on the lead parts. Might give it another go if I have time.
I think I need to do some yoga or something! The boys are out on the motor bikes ripping around.. not ideal for vocal tracking 
Am I just looking for excuses??
6:35pm Ate a fabulously delicious meal. Veggie stirfry. I’m lucky I love solitude, cause I’m actually happier than a pig in shit.. rolling around in all this alone time. And, I love making music. Here I am doing what I love.
I think a longer night is ahead. I’d love to really make some ground on the vocals. Also, I imagined that I’d be so ahead of the game I’d have time to take a break and go into Wilcannia for a few more tealights and some dark chocolate!!!!!!! That would be very rad. Eating clean is great, but every once in a while a little dark chocolate is just good for the soul.9:11pm I just put on my care bear pj’s and i’m gonna work until I’m too tired. Planning to lay down a shit-load of vocals and do all the editing tomorrow. Sending some love to Myrtle who is sleeping outside my door and the little green frog I saw, and didn’t step on, outside the kitchen house!
9:58pm Bed.