ifitbeyourwill Podcast
“ifitbeyourwill" Podcasts is on a mission to talk to amazing indie artists from around the world! Join us for cozy, conversational episodes where you'll hear from talented and charismatic singer-songwriters, bands from all walks of life talk about their musical journey. Let's celebrate being music lovers!
Season Four runs from September 2024 to December 2024
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ifitbeyourwill Podcast
ifitbeyourwill S04E25 • Eden Sierotnik of COOL HEAT
Eden Sierotnik from COOL HEAT transports us into the beating heart of Chicago's music scene. Born amidst the vibrant streets of Chicago, Eden's journey from high school bands to being awestruck by iconic venues like the Aragon Ballroom is nothing short of captivating. Through Eden's eyes, listeners gain a unique perspective on how Chicago's rich musical history, with its roots in genres like post-punk and shoegaze, continues to thrive. Despite the challenges that have arisen post-pandemic, including the decline of DIY venues, Chicago's music festivals and the energy they generate keep the city's spirit alive, offering a fertile ground for both new and established artists.
Dive into the creative processes that shape Eden's music-making world. With a keen focus on balancing consistency and the need to recharge creatively, Eden shares insights into how platforms like Spotify can play a role in an artist's journey to success. As the conversation flows, we uncover Eden's evolution from crafting intricate studio recordings to developing a more direct sound he fondly calls "dream punk." The transition is inspired by the electric energy of live performances, and Eden offers us a fascinating glimpse into how these studio creations metamorphose on stage to offer an immersive, organic experience for audiences.
Eden opens up about the complexities of songwriting and collaboration, especially highlighted in tracks like “Change" on Abandoned. His meticulous approach to vocal production, from initial whispers to confident performance, reveals a journey of growth and introspection. With choir classes boosting his confidence, Eden has embraced the transformative power of vocal processors for live shows, creating a dynamic and engaging atmosphere. The exploration doesn't stop there; Eden discusses the potential of revisiting older tracks, keeping his music fresh and resonant for fans, ensuring every live performance is as exhilarating as the last.
I'm lost in your eyes, never last going nicely. As we go through season four, we've had some such amazing artists and today, no exception. I've eaten from Cool Capital, cool yeah, the Apple's important. And Eden, you're coming in from Chicago area.
Speaker 2:That's correct, yeah, yeah yeah, Chicago Illinois. Yep, yep, right on.
Speaker 1:And have you lived there? Most of your life is that where you're yeah, I, I.
Speaker 2:I'm living across the street from a hospital, so excuse the ambulance noises, but I was born at that hospital across the street. Wow, yeah, amazing. Yeah, I grew up in a suburb for a little bit and then uh came back here. I've been here. I mean, yeah, I, I, I've been here. I mean, yeah, I, I, I. I've been in in the Chicagoland area my whole life.
Speaker 1:So amazing, amazing, and what, what, like. What's the music scene in Chicago? Like, like, what. What's it like being an artist in Chicago?
Speaker 2:Uh, awesome it's, it's super inspirational. I mean, it's like the. So I started playing music in high school and I was like I lived out in the suburbs and I was like I think we did like some crappy battle, the bands competition and like chicago to like, oh, we can play in chicago and I I just remember actually going to see shows for like real. Then when I got into college and I was like, oh, this is such a cool place to like make music and it just the amount of like really cool bands and scenes here and stuff like that. There's been like this awesome explosion of like sort of post-punky shoegazy music that's happening just in general and chicago has like it's, uh, it's uh, you know growth right there and like, yeah, there's plenty of people rolling with it, yeah, yeah exactly and just like it's always had cool stuff, like I think I remember when garage rock was like breaking out like crazy, it was also like had a ton of crazy bands like that.
Speaker 1:So I don't know right, it's got a rich history.
Speaker 2:It's always kind of been a mecca for like yeah, yeah, yeah new genres and trying yeah, yeah, especially like pre-pandemic, it was definitely like more so. Like I think there was a lot of diy venues and I think that was sort of a staple of the city as well. There's a little less of them now, but that's like. You know, I think of any really cool DIY scene when you have, like such a large city of Chicago and you get people like I don't know coming together, just means there's a lot of stuff going on. There's some like amazing venues too that we play out here and they you know a lot of cool touring artists pass through here, which I think also lets the music scene being really cool.
Speaker 1:So yeah, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. It brings, like the spirit of music into the city.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Oh yeah, no, I mean, especially when it's, like you know, festival season, it's like the after show is crazy. It's like you know there's not a venue in Chicago that doesn't have some sort of after show going on, which I think is indicative of just like the wide range of genres of music and stuff. It's you know, it's a massive city.
Speaker 1:Amazing, amazing. So where does it start? For you, like, where did music start?
Speaker 2:like, if you, had to, like write your memoirs. You know you're, oh right, yeah, like a rocking chair, yeah, yeah uh.
Speaker 1:Where's the point where music uh started to like spark for you?
Speaker 2:uh, probably. Uh, I mean, I started writing music like in high school. I saw, I remember, just like on a whim, I went with my buddy to go see interpol and I hadn't really known where it was so much, and it was on their annex tour. So it was actually one of the first shows I saw in chicago. That like I really wanted to go see and it was at aragon ballroom and I just I'll never forget it was like I bought a bass. Like three days later the first system started playing.
Speaker 2:I was like I was looking at all the tabs of like I would look at like interpol, the strokes block party, because that's like what I was listening to at that time. So I just like learn all those tabs. And I was like, oh, I want to write music like this. So I just like have always sort of done it. And then, uh, I'd say, cool heat's just been like this like long.
Speaker 2:You know, I've always had like solo demos. I had a band previously here. But like I always had these demos that I had, that I was just like man, I just have like such a vision for this song. But like, let's just like bring it to the band space and like see what happens, but then, with cool heat, eventually it was 2019. I was just like I really want to just like, I don't know, give a project a go, or like I don't care if I play this live. I just want to like execute these ideas and like see how it sounds and like, even if it's an online only thing, it just is what it is. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it just grew it.
Speaker 1:Just that's amazing. Well, and and you're you're very right to say I mean, I've I've been perusing your bandcamp page um, for quite some time now actually, and you've got some great singles on there, some like I mean, and you tend to make your records relatively small but punchy right like they give you a like a haymaker in like 30, absolutely, yeah, that's a really good way to put it.
Speaker 2:I love like this, like I don't remember where I I can't remember which one it was, but there's, like you know, there's like so many of them that I like. But there was this like one in particular band that they had like this like eight or nine song punchy album and it was like just under 30 minutes and it just felt like such, just like uh, encapsulation of just like this like week where they took and they just like had these like sick ideas and they wrote them out. And that's kind of how I want to approach making albums. Like I just kind of like shut everything out and I just have like this, like, oh, let me just demo out like nine of these things as fast as I can right now, just to like catch that sort of vibe, and then, like I usually just know at some point I'm like okay, I gotta stop now. And then, yeah, I think it's just, it's also like a easy way for me to work. You know, I uh, it's a vacuum doing a solo artist thing, you know, so it's like sure for sure it's easier for me to like
Speaker 1:slice them when do you open the doors up to other artists that might come and collaborate with you in cool heat is? Does that happen or do you tend to keep this as a personal kind of like these?
Speaker 2:are your songs. You track them all I think well, overall it's personal I have done some like where I, where I feature some other artists, like on this recent album, I had, uh, an artist here in chicago called flower babe um we had just been like you know, getting friendly and just talking online and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:We played a couple shows together and then, yeah, I was, I was like, oh, actually it'd be really cool if you sang on one of my songs. So like that's like the extent of it will go. But in terms of like tracking and stuff like my whole like idea behind the project, which are probably never straight from, is that I just like, I'm in, like you know, I'm here, I'm, I'm the surgeon, right?
Speaker 1:So this is your bubble and you're you're the mastermind behind it.
Speaker 2:All right right, right and it's like, although it's like a double-edged sword of like I you know I say the vacuum earlier of like being like a negative kind of thing, it's also the like, the nice thing about it is that it is just me and I'm just like, here, left to like execute whatever I have that like, you know, whatever vision I have in my head.
Speaker 1:So amazing, amazing and like how does a cool heat song come to life? Um, um, when do you, when do you start to? You know, something in the back of your head starts to click thing. Hmm, here's something, I got it.
Speaker 2:Something's coming here Like when you get to that phase it almost always starts the same way. I usually just like well, like you know, I work with drum machines a lot in terms of recording Um, so I'll usually just layer out some, like you know, do some beat, and I'll just layer it out for like four minutes and then I just like will create some sort of ambient noise over it with my synth of the guitar. More often than not, those two first things I usually don't keep. I usually end up like kind of redoing everything after the fact and then, like, the biggest step is once I have that like base of like this, because, like a lot of like cool heat songs, like as you probably listen to, are very like washed out, have a lot of airy and like textural stuff going on.
Speaker 2:So once I kind of lay that like textural sort of like foundation, um, then I like go for the bass and then that's kind of where I really start to like write the song and for it to come together. And then, uh, the last thing I'll do is vocals, because I, I, I kind of hate them sometimes. So, uh, um, but then, like the most fun I have is when I'm doing that bass guitar. So like, like, once I get the rhythm down like I love locking in, like I. I think a key component of a lot of cool heat songs is like the locked in nature of like the bass and drums I know they have like they're very just, like that's like part of the haymaker you're describing earlier is just like.
Speaker 2:That's like a like the driving force behind the music. So once I've like fine-t that, then I just like it's really fun Cause I just get to do all the like really crazy melodic stuff. You know I love a lot of like ethereal guitar work and then I just sort of combine it all until it starts to sound like. You know, I've done it for so long now in a way of like writing music that I kind of just like I like.
Speaker 1:I'll know, oh, that's. That's sounding like a cool heat song. Now, right, right, do you? Does inspiration come like? Do you have to sit down, or can you be like driving home from work and it's like?
Speaker 2:it's mostly what it's all about, I'm always like, yeah, I'm always like humming stuff to myself. I never, like you know, not much of like a voice memo person, but like I'm always just like humming stuff or, like you know, like I'm also just inspired by a lot of stuff I'm listening to. So, so I'm sure just some song I've been really digging, I'll like just kind of come up with some beat in my head. That's like probably like some stuff I've been listening to recently, you know, just an amalgamation of stuff that I'm always inspired by. And, yeah, just a lot of it comes from my head and I'm just like, oh man, I'm really feeling the that translation from like what I heard in my head to like, oh, here's an analog drum machine and just a di bass I like that idea too that you're kind of use like the drum machine and like as a click track kind of.
Speaker 1:You know like it's just kind of like is the bones of it, but then it gets replaced with all this meat and skin and totally that's my track.
Speaker 2:I like just do not play the click tracks at all, so like, I just like a little like, even if it just is like a, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like I like, I just need like some sort of like thing to give me like, because it gives me like a little bit of feel, whereas, like, like you know, I I have no problem playing along, no click, but it just is like, yeah, I like to sort of have an idea of like, oh, what if I made a song? It's going to be like this sort of you know, quick, two and a half minute rocker that's going to sound like this you know, let's go like that.
Speaker 1:That's great, that's great and like your first record anyway, on low tide, on on band camp. I mean that's 2019, right? Um, yeah, yeah. And I mean you've been very consistent with, with your releases. Um, there's never much gap between. Do you ever run into a situation where you're just kind of blank, like it doesn't seem so from what you release, like you always seem to be inspired, um, with something yeah, I mean, every time I think that I have hit like a writer's block, I just I just get, yeah, just like something will click and I'll stop.
Speaker 2:I like I, I really thought I hit one when I was doing the first album. Nowhere like the first full length. Um, when I was, like, you know, halfway through the tracking of that, I was like, oh shit, I think I might actually be stumbling into like a real honest writer's book. I never had before. It was like weird, because I just generally always been like like, oh, I got an idea, let's just do it. Now I've got like I'm, I'm just writing recording, but yeah, I just took like it literally was just like two days off from just doing nothing.
Speaker 2:I think it just is like, uh, whenever I feel like I might be getting it, it just, it just needs a little bit disconnect. You know I always take intentional times off to to like keep myself fresh, like after I've done tracking everything. I don't go straight into mixing it. You know, I give myself like a week or two off to like just like not even listen to it at all. You know, even if I'm like, even if I'm like obsessively want to, I'll just be like I need to listen to some fresh ears, because just even that like small time off is like huge um and uh. I just like being consistent also, I think, with the releases, because I feel like it just I don't know, it's like a, if you like actually follow along. It's just nice to kind of expect to know that, like this artist is going to be maybe releasing music consistent, like on a consistent basis. I don't know, it's just kind of cool to me.
Speaker 1:So no, I do. I love that too. I mean, it's similar to this podcast thing I do. Is that that consistency of putting something out every week?
Speaker 2:right, right, it's good for like the algorithm too, you know like not that I like too much but like, like Spotify definitely likes when you release music on a consistent basis.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. How do you find that cool heat has evolved over time? Like, has your approach to writing songs or recording songs shifted over time? Have you learned like cool tips or shortcuts, or like, how has the music kind of like transformed itself as as you grow older as a musician and get more experience under your belt?
Speaker 2:that's a good question. Um, I'd say it has changed slightly in the sense of before I was ever like, when I was doing the first stuff, it was maybe about, like, I think maybe two years before I'd started actually like legitimately playing shows as a live band. So I've been recording music for a while and I found that, like, especially with the latest record, abandon, um, I found myself writing parts that were more a little retrofitted for, like, the people that play my live band, a little bit more so in terms of like, um, where before, like on Nowhere, the first album, I was like I don't care if I I never play any of these songs live, like, so I'm gonna make them as like dense and like intricate as possible, whereas this one, I was like I don't care if I never play any of these songs live, so I'm going to make them as dense and intricate as possible, whereas this one, I would kind of simplify certain things to be like oh well. And also there's this thing about the live performance band aspect. Um, that I think is really cool where, like, there's a lot more dreaminess and like softness that comes through in the recordings, but there's still a lot of dreaminess, but in live band. It's like a way more punchy and like almost like.
Speaker 2:I heard somebody describe it as dream punk one time. I thought that was a good way to describe it. So it's like I feel like the studio version is a little more dream pop and like live a little more dream punk. So I wanted to make like so lately the music I've been making has been a little more just inspired by like the energy. I think that like we have on stage so like songs like real life change and stuff like that that have like way more like that post-punk, like high energy, sort of like kind of thrashiness, almost are definitely informed by, like you know, my evolution of like playing as a live band, um, which I think is like a cool thing because it's like totally organic. I didn't really think about that until like this album that I did now, where I like kind of made a conscious effort to like put that front like kind of yeah, it's cool you're saying that, because I'm hearing that in abandon too, like it does have a little bit more of in your face, um, yeah, yeah, which is the intention.
Speaker 1:You could, yeah, like, and you can deliver it to another artist saying the structure is a little bit more concrete or or easily, more easily described than yeah, just make it airy right, right, right, because it's so easy just to be like, oh yeah, just like some do some airy bullshit in the synth.
Speaker 2:You know, like this is way more of like. You know, like synth wise, especially in this one it was like, um, you know, on nowhere my first album. I would tend to maybe just do like an insane amount of just like. I don't care how many layers of synth there are, whereas like a handful of songs on abandoned, we're just like no, I'm doing two synth tracks and like this is like. You know, I'm gonna make it more like that, which is why some of the songs I think have that sort of maybe like you know, I mean more punchiness to them, because they're not like focused on, like living in this cloud, you know, even though they are still very airy, reverb-y, but they're just not as like I don't know, stuck in that like my area yeah, yeah, no, it's one of the things I appreciate about your writing and your music is that, the vastness to it almost, but controlled vastness at times, like bringing us on this like, yeah, really cool, trip.
Speaker 1:Um, what is what is your? Your live setup? Like, like, how do you perform these songs live? Like cause I imagine, like you're a DIY artist, like you're doing most of this tracking yourself how does that translate from from the record to a live performance?
Speaker 2:Um, it's, it's, it's awesome. Honestly, I I've been really pining to do some sort of like live recording or some sort of thing I'd love to do like a live video session or something, cause I think it's really like it's one of the things when people see us it's definitely a thing that they know, like I wasn't expecting it to be so, like you know in your face or whatever like that, because it's like I'd say, just generally it's louder because there's five like so you're going from like a bedroom artist to like five musicians on stage. So we got like two guitars and like, whereas the guitars sit maybe a little like sometimes underneath in some of the songs not all the songs but whereas they're so also complemented with the synth. You know, when I mix I always like you know I I like I love things to be balanced, so there's never anything that's like too high up, but when it's live it just is, especially in smaller clubs, like you know, you're not really worried that much about balance in that in that same sense.
Speaker 2:So, like translation to it, live is just that you know, first there's like a full live drum kit so that you got a little more fullness there and then, like the synths go a little less like you know. You know they're still really airy in that, but when they mix with guitars it kind of turns into this, like it feels like a proper like sort of shoegaze, sort of like, you know, sound at that point like more noisy but like again in a controlled way, like you're saying that like controlled sort of layered noise, um, but yeah, it's, it's, it's really cool. It's like I, like I I love the dynamics so much that I don't want anything to change about it. You know, it's like I love having this, like this like thing I can record and like make it sound like in these like sort of concise indie pop songs that I can like turn into something more than just indie pop songs and then, like live, they turn into, like this, you know, really energetic, sort of like rock rock show, essentially.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, amazing. Have your live shows informed your home recording Like maybe a little.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean a little bit, definitely. I mean it's like so there's a song change on abandoned, which was like one of my favorites off of it, and that one was basically written from like a. I was like I want to write a song, it's like going to just sound amazing in the set, and I was like one of my favorites off of it, and that one was basically written from like uh, I was like I want to write a song, it's like gonna just sound amazing in the set and I was like it's like probably one of my like even heavier songs on that it's got like more of like a like sort of like rocky breakdown at the end and like, yeah, that was basically informed by just like the last few years of playing live and being like oh man, it'd be cool if I just like wrote a song. That was like a song I designed to be in the set. You know what I mean and that's cool yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 1:And over, like do you think of the collaborations down your road? Like I know that you've been doing quite a bit of this on your own, but is there that kind of live idea of I guess I'm trying to get at, like when you deliver a song to the musicians that are then going to play it with you?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:How much instruction and how much freedom are you navigate or allow them to navigate when they're, when you bring the song?
Speaker 2:Not, not much, not much. I definitely want like the like, especially when it comes to drums and bass, as as, as, as they'd probably say, I'm, um, I'm quite picky about it. Um, you know, I just, uh, I think that I'm a little more lenient when it comes to the, uh, the synth stuff, uh, because, like I'm more so, just, you know, I'll show him the. You know, I, I show them all the parts you know, like, they know what the parts is, they learn the parts, they're awesome at learning the parts you know, and they really knock it out of the park like they like completely bring these performances to life.
Speaker 2:It's like, you know, without them, if I was just playing alone to some stuff, it just it would like the energy would be just so lost. So, like you know, I'm forever grateful for that. But I'm also definitely like a stickler when it comes to. You know, I'm like, let's just like, because, like, my idea is that if we just like do what we're supposed to do with, these parts are, then the rest just takes care of itself by virtue of the fact that there's five of us playing this stuff live, as opposed to me recording it piece by piece, like we don't need to put anything else more into that. I'm okay with, like, obviously, little things of like. You know this is a drum machine, so like, play it like you're a drummer, you know what I mean Like that sort of stuff like that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:You know I'm not expecting like robotic stuff maybe I am, I don't know honestly, otherwise, so yeah, I mean I try not to be too much of a hard ass, but like I'm also just like you know, I get so like attached to the songs when I record them that I just sure, like you know, I think I, I think I just hear it differently than they do.
Speaker 1:So it's like right, right and in your recording process, like, what do you control the most of all the tracking? Like, is it more of the instrumentation or is it your every single?
Speaker 2:aspect. Yeah, no, yeah, there's not a single aspect about me. Yeah, so, like everything I record myself, so it's all done. It's all done here in my apartment. Um, there's, there's nothing, except for maybe the few features that I've done with some people who've, like you know, done some vocals on my thing or done something else else, like, yeah, I record every little instrument, so all the guitars, bass and drums and synth work, it's all. It's all stuff that I do so right, right.
Speaker 1:And when it comes to tracking too, like how would it, how long would it take you from recording those first quick tracks to actually having the song?
Speaker 2:finished. Um, honestly, it feels like like you. So you're saying from like a like from just start to finish, essentially like fully finished.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, the recording process itself yeah, yeah, I mean like.
Speaker 2:So the tracking instrumentation part does not take nearly that long, but it takes a long to do vocals. I mean it's probably like a good, like you know, I don't know as early as like three days, probably like a week or so, before I'm actually finished. Like I'm trying to average out the time I spend because, like, I do all the tracking for every individual song, so, like on, like on abandon, I had nine tracks done without any vocals, without any real inclination of what the vocals are going to be. I mean, obviously I start to sort of hum things along as I'm writing and recording and then that's when I take probably the most amount of time. It's like the tracking takes pretty fast because, like, I just find that I'm pretty comfortable and fast with it, but like writing lyrics and doing melodies and stuff, I'm just a lot more. Yeah, it just takes me longer. So it's like that period taking a couple months where, as opposed to, like I could track all the songs you know in like a couple weeks easy, like probably less than that Cool.
Speaker 1:And what is it about the, the vocals, that that that require more attention for you?
Speaker 2:Uh, I think that I'm just, um, I'm it's, it's like so I used to write a lot of music before I started like ever really singing, so I was never really that comfortable with it. So it was like always kind of was like lagging behind my instrumentation stuff when I was younger and I took a choir class and started singing more in my other band when I was like in college and that made me feel a lot better about it. I think I just have like a very specific I don't know. I feel like I'm just like way more hypercritical of that or maybe less confident of it sometimes. So I find that I have to listen to it way more as if, like you know, I just like, yeah, like I'm always worried about maybe like something sounds a little flat or if I can't really tell, whereas, like with the guitar, I can always just tell really easily if I made a mistake. I'm like that, whereas like vocals, I'm always, like you know, vocals are the thing that I'm usually most terrified of doing.
Speaker 1:So I'm always like you know, I'm like nine songs in.
Speaker 2:I'm like man, I just like ruin all nine of these songs, your vocals, like yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I always record. Uh, I like I always record one dry and I'll usually leave that one in, because that's usually the like, the take that I feel great about. And then I'll sort of do different takes at like different sort of, like you know, I I'll do lower pitches, I'll do something that's more breathy, and then I'll add all my reverb and stuff like that. So usually I have like three, four, even five of like the same vocal part layered on there.
Speaker 2:And I don't really do that much with the instruments, unless I'm getting like crazy on some sort of guitar part or something like that. But vocals I do a lot of layering and I like to sort of, like you know, stagger them a little bit so they have that sort of fullness. You know what I mean, um, but yeah, it's, it's just the thing that takes me longest and I don't. I don't know if I need to take as long as I do, but I just I don't know. I've done two albums this way and I feel pretty happy with my process.
Speaker 1:For you know, yeah, small little tweaks and whatnot yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, I agree with you, though your vocals have become much more, um, because pre, like older songs, you kind of whitewash them a little bit. Eh, because, yes, I understand, it's your voice. You can't separate it from your body like an instrument. You know, it's you right, right. So that intimidation, for sure I understand that. Um, you know, I remember being on stage sometimes and like I don't want to sing these songs, I'll play them. Oh, yeah, no.
Speaker 2:And then someone comes up to me afterwards like, yeah, I couldn't understand like what you're saying, because you're just like whispering the whole time and I was like yeah well, that's like the big thing for me is that, like you know, I spent a lot of the times like recording this stuff.
Speaker 2:It's like so I was saying the live band gets like a lot louder live but like what doesn't necessarily translate is like doing the vocals how I record them here really isn't feasible to do it live because, like you can't you know you turn the mic up. Be like you know, if I'm whispering the vocals it's going to feedback all time. So I finally invested in like a really nice vocal processor to like get like really good reverb and like chorus on there and that's been like the last like uh, maybe six months of shows I've used this and it's been like a huge game changer and that's like changed. But yeah, that's a good point. I mean because, yeah, and like my very early stuff when I was less confident, I definitely would like yeah, wash, like even more washed out, sort of to make it as just another instrument, whereas, like the last, the last maybe couple years of releases now have been more about like especially this latest album. I don't think I've ever had some up front, absolutely up front totally.
Speaker 1:I I like it sounds great to you and I'll tell you say that like it sounds really good. I think that all of this attention to detail has has trained your voice and and it feels like you've come to a stage now where you feel comfortable with it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is the most comfortable I felt with doing it. I was going to say earlier. It's also, like you know, I take longer, but I will say, with abandon, this was the quickest that I have done in terms of tracking vocals and feeling really good about them, and it was. I think that also translates to why, when I was mixing them, I felt very confident to like put them up front. You know more. So, yeah, absolutely how it should be, cause, like you know, I'll always go back and listen to my earlier stuff and be like well, it's just interesting to hear how the things have sort of changed a little bit, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Have you ever thought of like going back to some of those old tracks and like inspiring new life into them, or oh absolutely there's actually one that we play live.
Speaker 2:Now it's called always on time. It's like the second song that I wrote, maybe third it I think it was another 2019 release. This is when I was just doing singles, like I would just play my casio drum machine and just let it play. There's no real like manipulation or anything and then I just played over it and I was like, you know, the song took me like a day to make and I was like and that was one of the things that inspired me to keep making it because it's kind of like I think it's on soundcloud or something. It sort of like blew up or youtube I forget what it was, but we play it now because one of my guitarists is always like you gotta add this song to the set, you gotta do it and it's awesome. Now it really sounds great in the set and I sort of thought about going back and, uh, you know, maybe just like re-releasing as a single, because it's like, oh, it's a 2019 song, like who's really gonna care? Music anyways. So it's like yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:I mean, I was talking to an artist recently and he's about he's going back to his older songs, like he's recorded so many freaking songs and he's like put these new, this new air into them and it's just, yeah, it brings them back to life, you know, into the artist I used to do, andrew bird.
Speaker 2:He used to do a lot to his songs. Yeah, he would always, I feel like he had like three renditions of like a few different songs, um, and I always thought that was cool. Um. So it's like, yeah, there's actually, uh, on my first album uh nowhere there's a song called slow burn which was released as a single before. It was like my very first one. I took, took it down and then like I released some of like some other ones and I like had just like rerecord some bass and I think I had like another vocal take to make it sound a little fresher and like give it a little remix to match the rest of the song, and it was actually like one of like my most popular songs on the album. So I was like really happy to do that, you know.
Speaker 1:Awesome, Awesome stuff, man. Well, Well, as we kind of come to a close here, it's really cool to finally. I mean, you audience don't know, but Eden and I we've been playing like tennis with this podcast for a while.
Speaker 2:But we finally got it here, so it's really been a pleasure to talk with you.
Speaker 1:My last question is like what's, what's, what's coming down the pipe here in 2024, 2025 that you could tell us about with your music?
Speaker 2:in 2024, 2025 that you could tell us about with your music? Uh, hopefully a lot um I uh. So I released this album, abandoned with my label spirit goth and um, for the first time we're doing thank you. For the first time I'm doing vinyl, so, uh, that's in production I believe, or about to be in production.
Speaker 2:So I got all like the art and all that stuff sorted. So that's been like definitely a thing I've always wanted to do, um, but I never felt like, you know, I was never gonna do it just cause. So now there's a reason to do it, um, and that's great. Um, we just played our first shows like live band uh, out of town, out of chicago, so like a first little mini tour. So I think in 2025 I don't know where yet, but I think we're gonna do a couple like a couple weekends during the year where we're gonna go maybe west coast, texas or something like that somewhere around the states, but we're gonna keep getting out there and playing more shows, hopefully up to canada, maybe you know, love it, love it.
Speaker 2:I'll be front stage man yeah, but uh, lots of, uh, lot, lots more live shows. I mean, we have a ton of stuff booked. We have, you know, already november, december and I think january booked for here in Chicago and I'm actually already working on a new single.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Well, I will post whatever you put out. I always have, always will, and I wish you a lot of happiness and fun with this record. I love what you're doing. Keep doing this progress that I'm seeing happening in your music. It's been really fun to kind of follow along with you. Um and Eden, please come back, uh, when we have some other things we can talk about or new records.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, the next album I'll have to. I'll have to chat again after I do that. We'll talk about the process.
Speaker 1:Well, eden, you have yourself a great uh weekend. And again, thanks so much for joining me today. Awesome, thank you. Through shadows, the sun's eye, a light glows in your eyes. You wanna grow old Waste all the time? Live in a dream, then try to be one I've never taken. We'll see you next time. Stop and time. I'm going to go ahead and turn it off. Bye, thank you.
