Pre-Production: Day 3

Hello Friends!!!
So, today I had pre-production DAY 3!!!! It was probably not as "climactic" as the first two, but we got a lot accomplished in a very short amount of time, which is awesome!!!! We have *officially* finished editing all of the songs and we're going to have one more day of pop vocal coaching before I actually get in the studio.
You guys!
I'm recording...in less than a month! I cannot wait for you all to hear the songs! I can't wait to share it with you. Jordan, my producer, said he really is excited about the project as well. I feel like it really means a lot coming from someone so experienced, you know? :-) Anywho...other than that, there's not much more to report. I'll try and take some videos once we're in the studio and I promise to keep you informed!
On the songwriting front, I've managed to push out 3 more new songs in the last two weeks that I'm excited about. All of them deal with choices we make while in relationships. Cool stuff.
Anywho, I hope all your Thanksgiving's were seamless and wonderful.
Love you all lots!!
Always,
SirenSinging<3

Sneak Preview!!!!!!

Hey all!!!
As promised, I have a Thanksgiving Day Sneak Preview for you! This is a clip from a song off the EP called "Ironic." The song is about being in a frustrating undefined relationship and how ironic it is that though undefined, there are still expectations and feelings involved and that in the end, there's no way around it.
I've placed the lyrics to the clip below. This recording is from one of the pre-production days where we laid down the drum parts. Please keep in mind this song is still a work in progress, as it is still a little rough and not the best of recording. PLease feel free to share this with friends, co-workers, family and anyone else you think might enjoy it!
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!!!
And I hope you enjoy this clip from the song "Ironic."

Ironic by sirensinging

"Ironic" Lyrics:
"It's all the same and I'm just the fool.
Believed all your little games & lost my cool.
I'm in a rut, but what the hell?
I know he didn't mean it, But why can't I tell?
Why can't you see this is killing me?
This part of me isn't free.
It's so ironic.
I've caught you on it,
I want it.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!
I'll be posting song samples from the EP later tonight!!
Once again, sorry about the annoying background noise!

We're on Mypsace!!!

Hello all!
This will be brief, I promise.
I opened my myspace today. Please add me!
SirenSinging On Myspace!

Love always,
SirenSinging

Pre-Production: Day 2

Hey guys!!!
So, today was the 2nd day of pre-production and it went wonderful. Today my producer, Jordan Feliz, brough the studio band with him which included a guitarist, Sam, & the drummer, Tyler.  All quirky, crazy, and way talented musicians. We managed to get through all of the songs for the EP today and get most of the drum parts down. It was such a blast not only to be finishing up, but to be working with such great people.  The drummer was awesome. I'm so encouraged to know that I'm not the only music geek with a broad knowledge of all the rock/pop/folk artists out there.  We have one more day of pre-production (this Monday) and then we're homefree and recording in December. :)   So, I have a special Thanksgiving treat for you all. I'll explain!
Whenever we do a session, I record the whole thing on my computer so I won't forget anything. So, basically I have a bunch of raw takes on almost all of the songs now and I've been editing them down so you guys can hear some clips of the songs! I don't want to show you too much because I want it to be a surprise when it all comes out.  I probably won't post anything for maybe a couple days....but I will be for sure so you can hear some stuff. If you want a really good, free audio editor that works pretty good & is easy to use, try out WavePad.  This is the program I'm using to edit the audio samples from the pre-pro sessions.

I'm so excited to share it with you and I hope you all enjoy it!
I'm gonna head to bed cuz I'm sleepy. *yawn.*
Have a goodnight!!!
Love always,
SirenSinging<3

Check It!

Day 2 of Pre-Production with the full band begins in 10mins!!!!!! Can't wait!
Will give an update soon!!!

Potentials...

So...
Here's the deal.
I'm in the process of trying to look around for venues and am working on scheduling gigs. Although, I must say it is quite difficult to do without the EP, because people are asking for song samples and I have to give them really rough recordings. Lame. I know.
C'mon December recording session!!!!
Get here faster!

Anyways, to keep you all in the loop, there's nothing officially scheduled but there are two things are that "potentially in the works." The first one being a launch party, which would be A LOT of fun. This party would possibly include featured bands like SeeYouSoon & A Current Affair and then I'd do a set...obviously. Like I said, this is all still very tentative. The second gig would be that I'd get to sing at Biola University's Homecoming Eddy show....now this would be AMAZING!! The Eddy's at Biola are seriously legendary in my mind. Not only do you get pretty good crowds (and sales), but previously on the stage include people like Amy Kuney *sigh*, Scott Heinricks, and Cold War Kids. Pretty freaking good. Plus, it's homecoming weekend for Biola so I'd have a larger audience than normal....which would be phenomenal.  I emailed the head honcho and he said he couldn't promise me anything, but would put down as a likely candidate. Honestly, the fact that I'm a "likely candidate" sounds pretty freakin' good to me. And...plus, it's like my school and I'd get a lot of support from my friends. This would be an ideal gig, so let's all keep our fingers crossed & pray, yeah??? :)

Anywho....
That's what's going down, kids.
T-3 days until next pre-pro day. Love it.
Back to studying for my test.
Goodnight ladies & 'gents.
Always,
SirenSinging<3

This Week's Playlist:

Here's what I'm listening to this week! You should too!!!!

1. "New Romantic Way" -Laura Marling
2. "White Blank Page" -Mumford and Sons
3. "Hope in the Air" -Laura Marling
4. "We R Who We R" -Ke$ha
5. "What's My Name" -Rihanna ft. Drake 
6. "Take My heart" -Soko
7. "Brand New Key" -Melanie
8. "Je ne sais pas" -Joyce Jonathan
9. "Diamond Day" -Vashti Bunyan
10. "Oh My God" -Lily Allen
11. "We Will Become Sillhouettes" -Postal Service
12. "White" -Lights
13. "Losing It' -NeverShoutNever
14. "Kill the Light" -Kitten
15. "Generator First Floor" -Freelance Whales
16. "Up in the Junction" -Lily Allen
17. "Luna" -Fanfarlo
18. "Hannah" -Freelance Whales
19. "Frozen" -Madonna
20. "Meteor Shower" -Owl City
21. "Right Through Me" -Nicki Minaj
22. "Sleepyhead" -Passion Pit
23. "Don't Quit, Not Quite." -HeyHiHello
24. "Leftovers" -Johnny Flynn
25. "Home" -Edward Share & the Magnetic Zeroes
26. "The Gardener" -The Tallest Man On Earth
27. "Everything's Wonderful" -Lily Allen
28. "Here Is A Heart" -Jenny Owens Young
29. "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks  " -Los Campesinos

Little Update

Sometimes I wish that all I could do was sit at a piano and write songs.
Life would be so much more simple.
I'm close to attaining the goal of the song re-write. I wrote 1.5 verses and a chorus. I'm proud. I also have a couple more songs in the works.
I can't wait for pre-production this Saturday!!!!!

That's just a tiny little update! :D

Eggshellz (w/ Player!)

Hey guys!!!!
I FINALLY got the embedded player to work out. I'm using a player provided by SoundCloud.com. I also found a free .mp3 encoder, which is pretty sweet. Thank you to singer/songwriter Amy Kuney for the info. So...now you can hear the song "Eggshells" I have been working on. Once again, this will not be on the EP, but this is a preview of what's to come.
Please let me know if the player is not working. If it isn't, here's a link to where it will definitely play. Feedback on the song would be greatly appreciated! :)
Enjoy "Eggshells"


Egg Shells by sirensinging

Photography & Such!!!

Ok...Just kidding.
That wasn't all.

I've been debating whether or not to get new pictures for the EP because I'd be using some older pictures that are semi-new....but are a little darker and outdated. So, I've been looking amongst my friends for photographer's and people to do my album artwork. And yes. I found them!
1. Photographer Chloe Segovia:
    She is a long time family friend of mine &....also a friend of mine. I knew this girl when she was little cuz she was BFF my sister. ANYWAYS! I love her work and I think you will too! Hence, she will be the one doing the pictures. I'm wayyyy excited...hence the use of multiple y's in "way." Here's a link to some of her work.
  Chloe Segovia

2. Joshua Dildine
  He is my cousin and a fantastic up and coming artist. He just graduated from Claremont with an MFA and has been hosting tons of art shows up and down the California coastline and in the Central Valley. He will be doing the artwork for the EP, once the photography is done. Here's a link to his website.
   Joshua Dildine

Ok.
Now I'm done.
Always,
Sirensinging <3

Goal of the Week

Musical Goal of the week:
Besides picking out Christmas songs to learn for a gig in 2weeks and getting through ungodly amounts of homework and testing this week.....
Complete a song (a ballad!) I started about 4 months ago.
And once again, my reward will be 2 glorious days of pre-production.
*Sigh.*
I love my life.

That's all.

PS:
Hope you all had a fab weekend and have a great week!!!!!

Always,
SirenSinging <3

Pre-Production: Day 1

Hey everyone!!!

Today was the first day of pre-production with the producer of the EP. The producer I'm working with is the lead singer from the band Current Affairs, Jordan Feliz of JAF Productions. Working with him was such a great experience. It's such an exuberant feeling to hear your own music being played and produced well...and having someone other than you believe in it. When we started running through songs, I seriously like...had waves of pure joyfulness. It's like getting a high on something, like...if you're riding a rollercoaster, but better because you created it. Anyways, I think you get the picture. We made really good time today and got through 2 full songs, "Wish I Could" & "When I Saw You" in about 4 hours. I can't tell you how pleased with the product I am. I was a little nervous at first because you never know what a producer is going to do with your songs--what they're going to hack out and what they're going to add. I was really lucky that we only had very little changes and only added things to the songs. 

So for those of you who are curious as to what pre-production actually is, I'll explain.

Basically, in pre-production, we clean up the songs which includes editing/rewriting lyrics & melodies, editing, restructuring, determining instrumentation, brainstorming ideas for the record. So, basically I show Jordan (the producer) my songs and he makes them fancy by adding synth's, instrumentation, etc. and also cleans them up/share ideas. This is one major aspect of pre-production. Another aspect is getting the band together and actually practicing together. However, that will be on like pre-prod day 3 or 4 or something. 

Pre-production is done before the recording process. The recording process is the actual "production stage." The final stage is "post-production," which basically takes all of the recorded material, cleans it up, puts it together, and creates the record. 

FYI: I'll be recording at JSM Studios with sound engineer Justin Rosander. The nice thing about working with Justin & Jordan is that they're affiliates and they're friends...and also they're just great people who genuinely care about the artist, the process, and the music. Furthermore, they're not just in it for the money, like you hear major producers/studios are. I really appreciate this about them both. And...since Fresno, CA is kinda small, we actually all have mutual friends...which makes it nice.

Anywho!

That was my wonderful, exciting, fulfilling day. It was so much fun...to think I could actually get paid to do this. It is "work," but it's really fun work and its so personal because songs are a part of you. It's more like perfecting my craft and it's so fulfilling. 

Stay tuned for more & if you're lucky, I'll post some snippet's of today's work. 

Always, 

SirenSinging <3

Eggshellz

I wrote anotherrrrr song.
And as always....I want to share it with you, but check this out!
I found this great site that hosts mp3's for free and gives you a little player to embed them in on your website. In English: You get to hear a clip from the song below!
The song will be called "Walking on Eggshells" and it's about fixing things in relationships and how fragile things can be.
I just wrote it when I recorded this, so it's rough.
If for some reason the player isn't working (I was having problems with it), here's the link you can actually download the file at:
Walking on EggShells
Enjoy!!!!

Introducing the Vlog!!!!

PS: Sorry for the annoying background clicking noise in the video.
*Bleck*I don't know why it's doing that. I'm gonna try to get it fixed.

Don't Test Me.

Guess what dudes!?!?!?
I wrote yet *another* song.
I love this kick I'm on. I have Kate Nash, Lily Allen, Eliza Doolittle, Vanessa Carlton, & Regina Spektor to thank. Seriously. I love them. They're my girls. And yes. I have a snippet of the song for you.  The song's called "Don't Test Me."
PS:
I hope to do what the *brilliant* singer/songwriter Charlotte Sometimes does (eventually) and post audio snippets so you can hear and then (eventually) vote on the ones YOU WANT to be recorded.
<3's.

"What the heck could 

you be thinking?

Keep your mouth shut

 Or I’ll have you sinking.

You make me nauseous 

And quite livid

Called me gorgeous

Don’t try to test me, kid."

Set List!

Hello beautiful people!!!
I'm pretty sure I know which songs are going on the EP now.
Tonight I did a run through of the songs I'd be doing if I did a concert and it gave me a lot of perspective. I'm going to talk to my producer about it but....my mind's nearly made up.
However!!!
If I evver have a full concert where I play more than just the songs on the EP, I'd definitely do an 8 song set. Here's the setlist if I did it:

1. I Know
2. Ironic
3. That Way
4. Drives Me Crazy
5. When I Saw You
6. Wish I Could (new song snippet I just posted.)
7. Adore
8. Mr. Fearless

If I didn a smaller gig, I'd take 2 or 3 of these out and also, depending on the venue and audience, "Adore" may or may not be on the list. To tell you the truth, I'm still figuring out if it should even be on the EP at this point. If it doesn't make it, I'll definitely be replacing it with "Wish I Could."
Anywho!
I'm so excited to finally share my music. I wish I could already start doing gigs and begin the process, you know? :) I promise to keep you updated and in the loop. I really hate when artists don't do that..especially when they're like your favorite and then they randomly just drop off the face of the planet. I'll try to get some song samples up for you so you can actually  hear parts of the songs to know what I'm talking about. I know it's all very vague at this point.
Well, I love you all!
Always,
SirenSinging <3

Lily Inspires Me

Hey dudes!!
I wrote  a new song yesterday!
For a tune/beat, think of a major key, ska/reggae beat, a Lily Allen's song.
Musically & lyrically, she kinda inspired me on this one.  This one probably won't end up on the EP, but I thought I share it with you. One of the reasons I love Lily Allen is because she has no fear and no shame in her song writing. Granted, this is probably one of her assets that people in conservative circles may find quite shocking given her choice of subject matter, but I find it somewhat refreshing. Call me crazy. Also....this is why people like her because she is so sharp and quick-witted. As a disclaimer, I'll say that I won't venture to write songs as crass as some of hers are because I don't think it's entirely a right thing to do. Generally speaking though, I do aspire to be open with how I'm feeling when I song write. I feel song writing is one of those emotionally safe places where I can have a voice, you know? I write some mean stuff, but most of that will never see the light of day or will all be edited *if published.*  Finding my voice is important to me and finding a complete writing style is something I look forward to developing. Anywho, Lily inspired me to write these lyrics and I'll admit it felt good to write this. I've been wanting to write a song with more lyrical "edge." I haven't in awhile.
Anywho!
Here's a snip of the lyrics:

"Been under the weather, that's nothing new.
Wish we weren't together, wish we were through.
You think you're so special, wish I could too.
You get me regretful, makes me hate you.

Now I wish that I could say this right to your chubby face
But I know that you would hate this, and put me in my place.
So I'll just keep on lying to keep you on your feet.
And when your words start flying, I'll quickly claim defeat."

It's Official!!!

Hey guys!!!!
Today I put the downpayment in for the EP, making it official!

I'm recording in December!!!!!!!
I'm so excited! I'll be updating regularly with vlogs and I hope to open a site pretty soon.
Until then, my blogger is the place to be for regular updates and news!

Even more exciting, I'll be starting pre-production with my producer Jordan Feliz this Friday. I originally gave them a list of 10 songs to choose from. I'll be doing  a 5 track EP, but I think I've pretty well narrowed it down to about 6. I wish I could record all of them and I wish I didn't have to still eliminate the 6th song. They're all so close to my heart. But, I can't afford to pay for more than 5 songs at this point. Either way, I'll be putting lyrics and videos up in the near future so you can all have a preview of what's to come.
I know.
December.
It still feels like forever!....but it will come.

Here's the list of  the original 10 songs I submitted.
I've starred the top 6 and five of those six will be on the EP.

1. That Way*
2. Ironic*
3. When I Saw You*
4. Drives Me Crazy
5. Mr. Fearless*
6. I Know*
7. She'll Be Okay
8. Adore*
9. Seeds I Sew
10. Caught

Hope you all have a good night and check back soon for more updates!

Always, 

<3 SirenSinging