DAY #2!!!
I was given an address the previous day to where we would be going to record the demo at 11 o’clock. So our scheme was, after waking up and getting ready, to check out of our hotel room and get breakfast at the hotel. It was awfully expensive, so we decided to catch a cab and find the place we were going to go first, then find somewhere to eat. We imagined that it would be on a busy street with at least a Starbucks around.
However, the cab driver was unsure where this place was when we gave him the address. We start driving through a residential area.
“Where is this place?” our cab driver asked. “A friend’s house?”
“No,” we both answer. “It’s a studio…” We start driving up the hills, and we reach three houses connected to each other, with an electrical gate in front- we think it might be the place. The cab driver had us get out and check we were where we needed to be before he left. I saw the name “Taubenfeld” on the call box, so I dialed.
Oh my Bowie, I realized. This was his home! It turned out to be his home studio!
A guy in his pajamas answered the door. “Hi, I’m Drew. I just woke up.” Once I went up to him, I TOTALLY recognized him! He’s Evan’s younger brother, Drew Taubenfeld, who just recently toured this past summer as Disney Channel Star Demi Lovato’s guitarist. Though I guess he wasn’t used to people recognizing him!
Let me just say that their pad is SOOO sweet! Not ginormous, but spacious and modern- the kind of place where a musician has really made it. Lots of artwork, and well-kept for two guys in their 20s (must have housekeeper…)
Evan was downstairs making some phone calls (and I’ll let you know why he was on the phone later…), and since being an hour and a half early, we hadn’t eaten yet, so Drew invited to eat breakfast with him. Evan came up shortly after, and we started chatting about ourselves.
Only in my dreams something like this could happen, and there I was, eating organic cereal with soy milk, and talking shit about the Jonas Brothers with the guy who wrote, “Don’t try to tell me what to do/Don’t try to tell me what to say/I’m better off that way”. But nothing in my entire life felt so real than this. What was surreal was having to go home to live my normal life of taking the bus, finishing finals, and working retail (as much as I possibly could during the holidays).
Anyway… once we finished our cereal, we went downstairs to record the demo. But just before we did that, I want to quickly mention something my sister asked Evan.
K: “So, how did you get involved with this contest?”
Evan: “Honestly, I only just recently found out about it. That’s why I was on the phone earlier, because I found out this morning that I had to take someone out on a date.”
K: “But they put your name on it, how could they do that?”
E: “Managers say yes to things.”
Poor Evan.
This is where the magic happens. Recording, mixing, and what-not on his computer.
His guitars. The space second from the left is where his Taylor 810 guitar, which I used, sits.
Every multi-platinum album Avril Lavigne has, Evan has framed on the side wall of his studio. Although, he has it hidden behind the door, because he doesn’t want to show off his “trophies”.
First, I recorded a rough track for the guitars. We recorded it by chunks. Verse, Chorus, Bridge, ending.
Here, we’re getting the mic set up.
Then after the guitars were done, we recorded the vocals. I had accidently pocketed his pick as well. Shh!
Evan said that I got things down quickly. Originally, we had a 3 o’clock flight back home, but the Daisy Rock company wanted to make sure that I had enough time to record, so our flight was going to be instead at 6 o’clock. The thing is… I had finished in an hour and a half.
He then said that he would take a day with his editing guys to mix and produce, etc., then he would send the demo through e-mail.
Evan was going to get us a tour of Warner Records, but they were closed for Thanksgiving. Though before we left, Evan played us a couple of his singles that will be released in January. Let me just say that I’ve been craving “Pumpkin Pie” ever since, and you can bet that I’ll be first in line to buy his album!
Also, he gave us bracelets with his music company logo on it (see Photo 4 for the logo). They’re prototypes, so the public doesn’t have them yet! And he showed us logos and MySpace banners, and asked for our opinion. A few days ago, I noticed that the one I liked overall was put up! Check out his MySpace page.
I told Evan, “Let us know when you’re playing in the Bay Area; we’ll come see you.”
He said, “Yeah! Give me your e-mail, and we can hang out backstage!” Whoa. Not expecting that.
Drew drove us back to City Walk, so we wouldn’t have to take a cab. This picture was taken the moment we got out. We’re in total bliss here. Sigh. But we had nothing to do. We ate lunch, got bored and tired, so we were able to get an earlier flight.
A couple of days after, the demo was complete! I heard that my e-mail was lost (which I still need to re-give them), so it was forwarded from my sister. I know I’ve been neglecting on a lot of things because of the crazy holiday, and everyone’s (even friends of friends I hadn’t even met before!) been asking me about the trip and a copy of the demo. I’m hoping that this coming year, I’ll set up a website, music MySpace, etc.!
Watching:
Death to Smoochy, Warner Bros. (2002)
