Blog #7

Wa-hooo! This Sunday I was able to complete all of my lead vocals for Leave a Light On and it only took a little over 3 hours. I’m incredibly excited to prepare the different takes and for the few guest musicians who are coming in to sing on the songs. Tracking vocals is never usually fun for me but I had a great time tracking these vocals. Most of the songs are really laid back and I was able to relax and mess around with my voice. Jason is incredibly patient and helpful in making various decisions such as how to phrase a specific line melodically or which lyrics could be slightly adjusted, as well.

On Monday we began to edit all of the different vocal takes in Studio B. It took a grueling 5 hours to finish 5 songs-worth of material but was well worth it because we got to hand-pick the sections we liked the most.. The songs are beginning to sound like finished songs and I’m getting more excited to add all the harmony vocals and to record some more ambient soundscapes. We still have two songs to finish editing and then we need to book more time to record the rest of the group vocal harmonies. Needless to say we are closing in on finishing the record.

Blog #6

This weekend I updated the Lee’s Manifold Facebook page, which can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/LMMusicOfficialPage/. Jason and I also began recording vocals for the songs “Let You Go” and “Sweet and Low.” We were able to finish the lead vocal on both songs in one session which was really exciting! We also discussed having my BFA Film pal Lee Manor come in to record some video of us tracking vocals with the future guest vocalists who are singing on the record. I’m incredibly anxious to continue working on the vocals and to edit them further until they are just right.

Blog #5: Valentine’s Day Suprise!

First, Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!! Second, now is as good a time as any to share the first Lee’s Manifold single with you. The whole idea was to create a project that featured different musicians on all of the tracks. However, I began this journey with the first group of friends that I ever played music with in a band called Happy Birthday Dr. Jim. This Summer I was fortunate enough to talk Maximillian Moore, Gabe LaVine, and Nick Kozak into recording this song with me at The Recording Company with Tim Lynch who produced and engineered a lot of our older music and always shared his talents and kindness with us. It was an incredibly rewarding experience that I’ll never forget because even now it’s crazy to think that eight years on we are still playing music together and remain great friends. Thank you to everyone who made this song possible and to Steven Meara for mastering the track. And last, but certainly not least, thank you to my beautiful and talented partner Paulina Meneses for inspiring me everyday and for inspiring this song. I love you with all of my heart!  Please take a listen to this labor of love and share it with your family and friends.

https://leesmanifold.bandcamp.com/track/i-want-you

Blog #4

This past week we began recording more guitars and editing a lot of the tracks we recorded in the previous weeks. Little things needed to be re-done and tracked again due to the lack of tightness. Jason and I also decided to re-record the drums for “Sweetest Love” because they just weren’t locking up with the rest of the instrumentation. We are really gaining momentum right now, seeing as it’s already been a few months worth of tracking. The idea is to continue with all of the vocals and then start to add additional instrumental layers such as strings, ambient soundscapes, etc. It’ll be really fun once the vocals are all done and we start to arrange string parts and add aspects that compliment each song. I’m excited to see what the next few weeks have to offer.

Blog #1

Hello, world! Welcome to my very first blog post as Lee’s Manifold. I began this recording project in October with a handful songs and vision. I wanted to collaborate musically and hear my songs through other peoples ears.The meaning behind the name of the band comes from the concept of the word “manifold;” or a whole that unites or consists of many diverse elements. That is the most integral part of understanding how the music will come together. I’ve chosen specifically to write songs that will feature different musicians, all working together to create something special. We began by uploading all of the demo tracks I initially recorded so that we could make sure the songs were arranged the way they were intended to be and so I could begin recording the simple drum and percussion tracks. Jason Maurer (pictured above) signed on as the engineer and co-producer and will also play drums on the song “Sweetest Love.” We have booked a bunch of studio time and have planned to record the entire album in the next few months.

Blog #3

The next recording session we booked was incredibly fun and full of spontaneity! My buddy Steven Meara came in to record banjo, guitar, and some keys on bunch of tracks including “Caught Up,” “Plans,””Sweet and Low,” and “Let You Go.” The cool part was that we were able to have access to a bigger studio and a larger live-room that came equipped with a Fender Rhodes. My friend Lee Manor was also able to join in and play some slide guitar on “Caught Up.” It was a busy day for Jason being that we were recording so many different things at various times but his energy never seemed to waiver. It was also enjoyable as a songwriter to hear different musicians and friends interpret my original songs and melodies in their own way. We were able to finish tracking almost everything during this session, with the exception of a few overdubs and tweaks that we made during a different session later that same week.