Okay, this is song #3 on my April folklore hit list (2 weeks left to go). The tune is about a tired, burned out vampire who is trying to fight the urge to feed. What I am going to do is to combine 2 songs (both written a very long time ago) into one. I'll have to rummage through some of my storage boxes to find the cassettes for the original. The bass groove for this tune is going to be awesome, kind of James Bond-ish.
4-14-10, Alrighty then ! It seems I am going to take a bit of a u turn. I finished cleaning, protecting and backing up the data for "Doppelganger Blues". After that I went through my storage and found the cassettes for all the songs that I wrote many years ago. I was driving around in my jeep checking out the 2 tunes I planned on using for "Where's The Sun". The song is definitely going to workout, I just need to think it through a bit more. The cool news is that I stumbled upon another tune that I had all but forgotten about, called "Coming For You". It's a very simple, and fun, love song. Who would have thought ? The vampire song will just have to wait a bit longer.
4-17-10, After finishing up "Coming For You", I began putting the drums together for this song. It's kind of cool because I am blending 2-3 different kits together. If I do this song right it will be a little bit on the scary side.
4-19-10, (12:30 p.m.) I got the drums recorded last night and started to work on the bass. There is a lot of chromatic fingering in the bass line for this song (D# is the only note not used). I was having trouble with a dead fret on the G# (4th fret on the E string). To remedy the problem I tuned the E string up to an F#. The other 3 strings are still in standard tuning. I did some experimenting with the drum track, and there is an eerie section that occurs after chorus 2 and at the end of the song. I made the section up with no idea what will be played over it. Maybe the spontaneity will lead to another song idea, like what occurred with "Sweet Adelaide". The bass line will have to wait until later tonight, because I have to go to the courthouse and take care of my speeding ticket ... thanks again Officer Friendly. (11:00 p.m.) I think the bass is finished. I'm still not 100% happy with the arrangement. At this point, there seems to be a lot of awkward tension. I did want the tune to be a bit on the scary side, so maybe that's a good thing. I think I might need to add some keyboards before I tackle the guitar. Maybe it will help spice up the composition. I want the guitar to have some personality, not just a bunch of power chords.
4-20-10, Smoke em if you got em ! I wish I did, but I don't .. Oh Well. I had an excellent recording day ! I recorded some keyboard tracks that are perfect, they brought the whole song together. I ended up using 3 different keyboard effects (Church Organ, Glisten, Dreams and Ritual). The eerie section worked out real well, it even makes way for an ominous chant at the very end of the song. The thing that has me the most excited, is that I also worked out the guitar track !!! I did a scratch track to check it out and it rocks ! I will probably get it recorded tomorrow.
4-21-10, I did it !!! The music for the song is finished. I also cleaned the tracks, protected the song and backed up the data. I am very proud with how this tune turned out. I think I did a good job of capturing the scary, chilling vampire vibe. The chant at the very end is excellent. The guitar track, though simple, still rocks ! The James Bond-ish bass line during the verses is perfect. April was supposed to be my folklore month ... and it was ... and more ! I finished all 3 of my planned songs plus a redo of "Coming For You". The amazing thing is, that there are still 10 days left in the month ! I'm not sure where to go now. My only other somewhat worked out song is "Simple Minded", an acoustic Rockabilly Christian tune. I am also entertaining the idea of doing a CIA/spy song called "Wilderness Of Mirrors" (the lyrics are worked out, but nothing else). For now, I'm going to take a day or two off ... and relax. The weather is nice and warm, maybe I will go and enjoy a couple beach days.
5-20-10, Another good night at the studio, I think I finished the vocals for "Won't Be Home Again". That means that this song is next on my vocal hit list. It is the last tune left of the first 12 that I have recorded. This song is going to be a blast to work on ! I am going to use a lower range, scary/vampiric, voice for the verse sections. I will definitely need to find a real cool vocal effect to make it happen. On my first Cd I recorded another vampire song called "Oh Desiree". With the recent successes of "True Blood" and "Twilight", I think the market is ripe for a song like this. The lyrics for the tune are awesome, very chilling ! A vampire song called "Where's The Sun" ... what more could you want ? (7:00 p.m.) Yep, "Won't Be Home Again" is good to go ! I have also worked out the rest of the lyrics for this song, so everything is ready to roll. I'll need to wait a day, or two, for my voice to recover ... but once it does, I'm going to own this tune !
5-22-10 (5:30 a.m.) Another fun and grueling night at the studio. I am pretty sure that I nailed the vocals ! It took me a while to find the right mood, but I did find it. I will need to listen back to it when my ears aren't so tired, before I give it my final approval. I found a cool vocal effect that worked real well. It actually did turn out to be a bit on the scary side, which means I did a good job of selling the drama. Well I am exhausted ! Time to go to bed.
5-23-10, Yes !!! I did it ! This song turned out excellent, very chilling .. yet a bit playful. Unleash the vampires ! I am glad I saved this song until last, because it was a blast to work on. All that is left now is to write 2 more songs. I still have 8 days left in May and the entire month of June to work with, so I am way ahead of schedule. Yes !!!
UPDATE (2-16-14): All songs from my "Crazy Like A Fox" Cd can be heard in their entirety through the tune player below. Please make sure to also check out my home website at: www.foxmanmusic.com
About Me
- Foxman Music
- Tampa Bay, Florida, United States
- My name is Brian Fox (aka Foxman) I am an Independent artist, songwriter, photographer and actor from Tampa Bay. In 2001, I founded Foxman Music and began writing/releasing my own albums. I currently have 7 albums to my credit. I am best known for being a creative writer who employs a bit of a Hollywood approach, which means that I don't always write through my own eyes. I am the primary musician (bass, guitars, keys and percussion) and vocalist on all of my releases. Outside of the music, I am an accomplished artist and I have also had background acting roles in 2 Netflix movies (Bloodline and The Last Thing He Wanted) and 1 Independent film (Killer Grannies). Foxman Music Videos are where all the magic comes alive ..... the perfect blend of music, art & theatre. I am currently in the process of writing/recording my next album.