It's official, "Waiting" will be making it's radio debut in March 2008! The Rock Show (CKMS 100.3 FM, Kitchener / Waterloo) will be featuring the music of Jay V. Marshall with the first ever radio broadcast of the ever more popular single "Waiting", as well as a special airing of a second song from my upcoming CD "Devil On My Shoulder".
Several other radio stations are also lining up to play the new single and it certainly looks like March will be a huge month for me, with more announcements on the way shortly.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
"Waiting" to be on radio stations soon
Things are really starting to come together! The first two songs for the upcoming CD are now finished and we are moving on to our next two tracks in the recording studio. I've heard from two radio stations (in Central and Southern Ontario) already that are interested in playing the first single "Waiting" on their 'Indy Music Hour' shows. And I have put up a 60 second long preview from the actual CD version of "Waiting" (the full length song is 4 minutes, 5 seconds) so that anyone can have a sneak peek. It's available through www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall and it's player embedded at http://jayvmarshall.blogspot.com
As a result of that interest I've decided that I may not have been setting my goals high enough. Previously I had just been looking forward to hearing my song on one radio station in Southern Ontario and seeing how that works out, but now that the interest in the music is growing I'm thinking that I should take the time to put some extra effort into making sure I have enough demo packages ready to go that I can mail out 10 to 20 of them at once to ensure a much wider scope 'radio release' day. (Anyone know any good radio stations that are airing new artists?)
So now as I prepare to mail out demo packages and .mp3's I will be focusing on getting my name out there so that people are listening for when my new single "Waiting" hits soon. Give the 60 second clip of "Waiting" a listen, and if (or when) you like it (or love it) tell someone else you know about it so that they can check it out too. This song in particular has always been special to me since it was written to be a song that would help give strength to people who are coping with Cancer in their lives or the lives of their loved ones.
Later World,
Jay V.
As a result of that interest I've decided that I may not have been setting my goals high enough. Previously I had just been looking forward to hearing my song on one radio station in Southern Ontario and seeing how that works out, but now that the interest in the music is growing I'm thinking that I should take the time to put some extra effort into making sure I have enough demo packages ready to go that I can mail out 10 to 20 of them at once to ensure a much wider scope 'radio release' day. (Anyone know any good radio stations that are airing new artists?)
So now as I prepare to mail out demo packages and .mp3's I will be focusing on getting my name out there so that people are listening for when my new single "Waiting" hits soon. Give the 60 second clip of "Waiting" a listen, and if (or when) you like it (or love it) tell someone else you know about it so that they can check it out too. This song in particular has always been special to me since it was written to be a song that would help give strength to people who are coping with Cancer in their lives or the lives of their loved ones.
Later World,
Jay V.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
80%Rock, 20%Talk - A Radio Single Is Almost Done
Hello World,
A friend of mine asked me for an update about how much progress is being made now that recording sessions for the album are in full swing. I'm pleased to announce that the recording sessions have been going incredibly well, with two songs already around 80% recorded and ready.
What do I mean "80% done" you ask? Well it's like this. The lyrics and chord progressions are written by me before anyone else is involved. This is, after all, a solo album that is being produced and released independently in my own name (Jay V.Marshall). Once the basis for the songs is finished then it's time for me to bring in the rest of the crew to take things to another level.
So next I brought in Darryl G (drummer) to replace my computer synthesized beats with the actual drum tracks for the album. Darryl has a sweet 10-piece drum kit put together in my studio right now for recording. He and I spent a couple days together speeding things up and slowing parts down, plus adding and removing different drum rolls and fills. Definitely a lot of fun jamming in the studio.
Once that was done I had to take a couple more days isolating myself in the studio re-recording all of the rhythm guitar tracks and vocals I had previously layed out to match the new rhythm and pacing that we'd created. It was actually a couple weeks before I was satisfied with my vocals again.
Next came the background vocals. I brought in Christine F, an excellent singer who I've heard perform dozens of times in front of large crowds at bars and taverns all over. She's pretty much a "Karaoke Diva" but I think that's mostly because she's been too busy living her life to try to find a more serious venue to show her vocal talents in. Fortunately the background vocals for the first two songs have only involved some singing of key notes and a few lines of lyrics during the chorus' so there wasn't much in the way for her to stress about. A true professional, she was able to perform excellent takes again and again, right up to the point that I was certain she had nailed her parts exactly.
And so now I am at the point where I just need the bass guitar recorded and the songs will be done. But much the way that life always goes, my close friend Dave M who performed Bass for me the last time I was in a band has moved on in life and started a family with his (gorgeous) new wife Jennifer. Which brings me to my new bass guitarist Chris B who I have asked to finish up his tracks and bring these first two songs on the album to the finish line. I've given Chris a CD with the rest of our tracks mixed down already so that he can relax with it and get some practice in with the final recordings so that when he comes to record his tracks things should go extra smooth with no surprises.
So basically if you made of list of all the steps it takes to record music in a studio for an album like this, the checklist for my first two songs would look something like this:
Lyrics & Music: done
Lead Vocals: done
Rhythm Guitar: done
Drums: done
Backing Vocals: done
Bass guitar: pending
The goal by the way, is to record 15 songs in total and release the album using the top 12. Assuming that things get wrapped up with these songs in the next two weeks, I should be able to send out the first single as part of a promotional package to several radio stations sometime in early March. In the meantime I ask people to just keep checking in at www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall and at http://jayvmarshall.blogspot.com/ for the latest news.
Remember, I still have an old demo of Waiting available to listen to at reverbnation which was recorded using sythesized (fake) drums and bass. The music was created solely by myself as a preview copy which I gave to the rest of the group to familiarize themselves with the song before we got into the studio. If nothing else, it offers a chance for you to preview what kind of lyrics to expect from the CD later. But of course remember that the music you will hear on that cut is nothing like what you'll be hearing from me soon (after all, I'm no drummer or bassist!) and the vocals were not something I cared about at that point. I just like to let people see a little bit of the creative process as we go along, as a Back Stage Pass if you will.
Later World!
A friend of mine asked me for an update about how much progress is being made now that recording sessions for the album are in full swing. I'm pleased to announce that the recording sessions have been going incredibly well, with two songs already around 80% recorded and ready.
What do I mean "80% done" you ask? Well it's like this. The lyrics and chord progressions are written by me before anyone else is involved. This is, after all, a solo album that is being produced and released independently in my own name (Jay V.Marshall). Once the basis for the songs is finished then it's time for me to bring in the rest of the crew to take things to another level.
So next I brought in Darryl G (drummer) to replace my computer synthesized beats with the actual drum tracks for the album. Darryl has a sweet 10-piece drum kit put together in my studio right now for recording. He and I spent a couple days together speeding things up and slowing parts down, plus adding and removing different drum rolls and fills. Definitely a lot of fun jamming in the studio.
Once that was done I had to take a couple more days isolating myself in the studio re-recording all of the rhythm guitar tracks and vocals I had previously layed out to match the new rhythm and pacing that we'd created. It was actually a couple weeks before I was satisfied with my vocals again.
Next came the background vocals. I brought in Christine F, an excellent singer who I've heard perform dozens of times in front of large crowds at bars and taverns all over. She's pretty much a "Karaoke Diva" but I think that's mostly because she's been too busy living her life to try to find a more serious venue to show her vocal talents in. Fortunately the background vocals for the first two songs have only involved some singing of key notes and a few lines of lyrics during the chorus' so there wasn't much in the way for her to stress about. A true professional, she was able to perform excellent takes again and again, right up to the point that I was certain she had nailed her parts exactly.
And so now I am at the point where I just need the bass guitar recorded and the songs will be done. But much the way that life always goes, my close friend Dave M who performed Bass for me the last time I was in a band has moved on in life and started a family with his (gorgeous) new wife Jennifer. Which brings me to my new bass guitarist Chris B who I have asked to finish up his tracks and bring these first two songs on the album to the finish line. I've given Chris a CD with the rest of our tracks mixed down already so that he can relax with it and get some practice in with the final recordings so that when he comes to record his tracks things should go extra smooth with no surprises.
So basically if you made of list of all the steps it takes to record music in a studio for an album like this, the checklist for my first two songs would look something like this:
Lyrics & Music: done
Lead Vocals: done
Rhythm Guitar: done
Drums: done
Backing Vocals: done
Bass guitar: pending
The goal by the way, is to record 15 songs in total and release the album using the top 12. Assuming that things get wrapped up with these songs in the next two weeks, I should be able to send out the first single as part of a promotional package to several radio stations sometime in early March. In the meantime I ask people to just keep checking in at www.reverbnation.com/jayvmarshall and at http://jayvmarshall.blogspot.com/ for the latest news.
Remember, I still have an old demo of Waiting available to listen to at reverbnation which was recorded using sythesized (fake) drums and bass. The music was created solely by myself as a preview copy which I gave to the rest of the group to familiarize themselves with the song before we got into the studio. If nothing else, it offers a chance for you to preview what kind of lyrics to expect from the CD later. But of course remember that the music you will hear on that cut is nothing like what you'll be hearing from me soon (after all, I'm no drummer or bassist!) and the vocals were not something I cared about at that point. I just like to let people see a little bit of the creative process as we go along, as a Back Stage Pass if you will.
Later World!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Are You Ready?
Originally Posted on January 23, 2008
(This is the third and final re-posted entry)
It's a new year now, and time for another update. Things have been delayed and pushed aside during the winter months as we all had family matters and other issues to deal with, and as a result the recording of my new CD has been delayed over and over again.
...until now. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new chapter, and the dawn of a NEW DAY. As I look across my living space behind me I can see a metallic glint in the darkness. I see a full set of drums waiting there, waiting for the chance to scream out loud as Darryl brings forth beats and rhythms to drive our new sound.
I've had a preview copy of one of my songs ( Waiting in case you're unsure) available to listen to at various internet sites that I've been keeping updated for a while now. I picked Waiting as the one to use as a public preview for two reasons, one being that it's a decent song with a strong message that people can relate to, and two - it may be a great song, but it's not one of my ultimate songs. No, those songs are still here, being kept locked safely away until the time is right to unleash them. Truthfully, Waiting wouldn't be my choice for the first song to use as a single. But I felt that it is good enough to get people to notice us beforehand and raise a little interest in what's going down here.
I'm pleased to tell you that I was right about that as well. The host of a weekly radio broadcast music show of new artists has expressed interest in featuring my music on an upcoming show after listening to my songs posted here. This basically served as the catalyst we all needed to get us focused again on making great music NOW. If all goes well I should be mailing a package down to the radio station in just another week with our first single from the upcoming album!
Who knows, a couple months from now you might be at work on a friday, waiting for the weekend to start and listening to the radio when you hear these words "....coming up next, a new song from a Canadian artist, here's Jay V. Marshall with his new hot single..."
You can believe now or you can believe later. Either way you better get ready. I'm going to be lighting this fuse up real soon.
Later world.
(This is the third and final re-posted entry)
It's a new year now, and time for another update. Things have been delayed and pushed aside during the winter months as we all had family matters and other issues to deal with, and as a result the recording of my new CD has been delayed over and over again.
...until now. Tomorrow is the beginning of a new chapter, and the dawn of a NEW DAY. As I look across my living space behind me I can see a metallic glint in the darkness. I see a full set of drums waiting there, waiting for the chance to scream out loud as Darryl brings forth beats and rhythms to drive our new sound.
I've had a preview copy of one of my songs ( Waiting in case you're unsure) available to listen to at various internet sites that I've been keeping updated for a while now. I picked Waiting as the one to use as a public preview for two reasons, one being that it's a decent song with a strong message that people can relate to, and two - it may be a great song, but it's not one of my ultimate songs. No, those songs are still here, being kept locked safely away until the time is right to unleash them. Truthfully, Waiting wouldn't be my choice for the first song to use as a single. But I felt that it is good enough to get people to notice us beforehand and raise a little interest in what's going down here.
I'm pleased to tell you that I was right about that as well. The host of a weekly radio broadcast music show of new artists has expressed interest in featuring my music on an upcoming show after listening to my songs posted here. This basically served as the catalyst we all needed to get us focused again on making great music NOW. If all goes well I should be mailing a package down to the radio station in just another week with our first single from the upcoming album!
Who knows, a couple months from now you might be at work on a friday, waiting for the weekend to start and listening to the radio when you hear these words "....coming up next, a new song from a Canadian artist, here's Jay V. Marshall with his new hot single..."
You can believe now or you can believe later. Either way you better get ready. I'm going to be lighting this fuse up real soon.
Later world.
Originally Posted on November 11, 2007
Waiting for the waiting for 'Waiting' to end!
Well it would seem I am going to have to acquire some patience for the next two weeks as unfortunately my drummer Darryl was unavailable to get in our recording space this weekend due to some large renovations going on in his home which simply could not get completed before our 'window' of recording time passed by. Two more long weeks to go now until the next chance to get some drums tracks done.
It's frustrating when all I have to show people is a demo version of 'Waiting' made of temporary fill-ins on drums, bass and lead guitars that I've put in as place holders until the rest of the band can coordinate some time together. Oh, if only people could hear the song that's burning up space inside my mind, instead of having to wait longer!
Something special is beginning here, I can feel it. In the meantime just consider this demo version of 'Waiting' to be a Back-Stage pass, offering a glimpse of what is to come.
What I have built here is a house frame, with no roof and no floor. But if you look closely and listen carefully you'll see that there is a foundation here embedded deep into the earth, waiting for a group of individuals to band together and build a monument.
Waiting for the waiting for 'Waiting' to end!
Well it would seem I am going to have to acquire some patience for the next two weeks as unfortunately my drummer Darryl was unavailable to get in our recording space this weekend due to some large renovations going on in his home which simply could not get completed before our 'window' of recording time passed by. Two more long weeks to go now until the next chance to get some drums tracks done.
It's frustrating when all I have to show people is a demo version of 'Waiting' made of temporary fill-ins on drums, bass and lead guitars that I've put in as place holders until the rest of the band can coordinate some time together. Oh, if only people could hear the song that's burning up space inside my mind, instead of having to wait longer!
Something special is beginning here, I can feel it. In the meantime just consider this demo version of 'Waiting' to be a Back-Stage pass, offering a glimpse of what is to come.
What I have built here is a house frame, with no roof and no floor. But if you look closely and listen carefully you'll see that there is a foundation here embedded deep into the earth, waiting for a group of individuals to band together and build a monument.
Originally Posted on September 28, 2007
One Step Closer...
As some people may have heard, I have begun recording a new album. The goal is to have the first single completely finished in time to release it for internet downloads and radio play by January 1st, 2008. I've been working hard at it whenever my son is gone to visit his mother and the progress is coming along well, with 3 songs having a rough cut recorded now.
Today was an exceptional day for me as I had the opportunity to speak to Darryl, my first choice for a drummer and I let him hear a bit of what I've been working on. They say timing is everything and I would have to agree, as it turns out Darryl hasn't been working on music for anyone lately. He immediately said that he's ready to take on the drummer job for me on this upcoming album.
That makes me two for two, with both my first choices for lead guitarist AND drummer deciding to come on board. I've got two picks in mind for my bassist as well and once I'm sure which direction I need to go there the core set will be complete. Darryl is an excellent drummer, I remember being quite impressed 10 years ago when both his band and my own played a "Highway 12" party the same evening for a couple thousand people on the edge of our little town. With Darryl's band being comprised entirely of people several years older than mine they certainly had more polish to they're sound and better PA speakers, but the crowd got into both acts with lots of vigor that night. Needless to say, 10 more years of experience since then has done nothing but further compliment Darryl's skills.
And as far as my lead guitarist Kevin goes, I'd have to say that he has more skill at slinging an axe than anyone inside 50 miles, any direction. His specialty may be playing the blues a la Stevie Ray Vaughn, but Kev can rock a stage regardless of what style he's asked to do.
The pieces are coming together and every time we hit that record button my goals become one step closer.
One Step Closer...
As some people may have heard, I have begun recording a new album. The goal is to have the first single completely finished in time to release it for internet downloads and radio play by January 1st, 2008. I've been working hard at it whenever my son is gone to visit his mother and the progress is coming along well, with 3 songs having a rough cut recorded now.
Today was an exceptional day for me as I had the opportunity to speak to Darryl, my first choice for a drummer and I let him hear a bit of what I've been working on. They say timing is everything and I would have to agree, as it turns out Darryl hasn't been working on music for anyone lately. He immediately said that he's ready to take on the drummer job for me on this upcoming album.
That makes me two for two, with both my first choices for lead guitarist AND drummer deciding to come on board. I've got two picks in mind for my bassist as well and once I'm sure which direction I need to go there the core set will be complete. Darryl is an excellent drummer, I remember being quite impressed 10 years ago when both his band and my own played a "Highway 12" party the same evening for a couple thousand people on the edge of our little town. With Darryl's band being comprised entirely of people several years older than mine they certainly had more polish to they're sound and better PA speakers, but the crowd got into both acts with lots of vigor that night. Needless to say, 10 more years of experience since then has done nothing but further compliment Darryl's skills.
And as far as my lead guitarist Kevin goes, I'd have to say that he has more skill at slinging an axe than anyone inside 50 miles, any direction. His specialty may be playing the blues a la Stevie Ray Vaughn, but Kev can rock a stage regardless of what style he's asked to do.
The pieces are coming together and every time we hit that record button my goals become one step closer.
Welcome to the Back Stage Area
Hello World, and welcome to Back Stage With Jay V.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Jason and I am in the process of establishing a new career for myself as a musician. I write all my own original song material which I then sing as well as perform on guitar, something that I've been doing for well over a decade now.
My full name when I'm performing is Jay V. Marshall and this new Blog is your back stage pass to read about the on going journey that I have begun, as I establish myself as a new musician. Think of it as a chance to start reading the diary of your favorite rock star before they became one.
I had been using another blog previously however I've found the options and features of that website to be lacking, and so I'm starting over again here. First I'll be re-posting a couple of my key blog entries from the old site to here, so that you can get the jist of what has happened so far with my quest.
I hope that you will enjoy reading this "Diary of an undiscovered rock star" as much as I enjoy sharing my experiences with all of you.
I'm Jay V. Marshall, thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoy your Back Stage Pass.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Jason and I am in the process of establishing a new career for myself as a musician. I write all my own original song material which I then sing as well as perform on guitar, something that I've been doing for well over a decade now.
My full name when I'm performing is Jay V. Marshall and this new Blog is your back stage pass to read about the on going journey that I have begun, as I establish myself as a new musician. Think of it as a chance to start reading the diary of your favorite rock star before they became one.
I had been using another blog previously however I've found the options and features of that website to be lacking, and so I'm starting over again here. First I'll be re-posting a couple of my key blog entries from the old site to here, so that you can get the jist of what has happened so far with my quest.
I hope that you will enjoy reading this "Diary of an undiscovered rock star" as much as I enjoy sharing my experiences with all of you.
I'm Jay V. Marshall, thanks for dropping by and I hope you enjoy your Back Stage Pass.
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