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TAPE

Posted by brokenglow on

Long-time fans of Broken Glow have seen the band in various incarnations, from their beginnings as a riffy 5-piece in Connecticut to the current power trio line-up down in the low country of Savannah, GA. Through it all, Paul and Garrett have kept the flame alive for fans of fiery rock music. Last year Sara joined the group to fill out the vacant bass slot, and the release of “Live Like An Animal” in the summer of 2014 served to jump-start the band into a new-found groove and energy. Since that time the band has toured the northeast, played with killer groups around the south, packed out downtown clubs, entertained small house show gatherings, received airplay on Savannah’s Rock 106.1 and received a giant check (clearly the lifetime goal of any sane individual).

Now, on the heels of their Battle Of The Bands victory, Broken Glow is proud to announce that they will be recording a brand new full-length album this summer! With the help of local musician/engineer Donald Moats (Habitat Noise, Sins Of Godless Men, COEDS, etc), and producer/musician Christopher Horton (IAMSOUND) the band will spend 3 days tracking in a fully analog studio onto 2″ reel-to-reel tape. In case you’ve only ever seen a ProTools or LogicPro session, analog recording is the way of the past. Though the method has become more desirable in recent years as audiophiles search for the truest, warmest tone available, the limitations of tape recording can be daunting as digital editing exits the picture. Want to chop a track up? Better be savvy with a razor blade…

TAPE

TAPE

The band is excited for their first time utilizing this method of recording. When asked  about the decision to use a reel-to-reel recorder, guitarist/vocalist Garrett Deming had this to say. “There is always heated debate among engineers and music lovers between the audio quality of digital recording vs. analog. Some swear there is no discernible difference between the two methods, but others have differing opinions. I’ve always admired (record engineer) Steve Albini, who’s worked with acts like Nirvana, The Pixies, and Jimmy Page to name a few. He runs a fully analog studio in Chicago, and has a lot to say about the sound quality and process that go into and result from analog recording.

“For my money, I think of sound in terms of the physical waves, the actual material process of moving air at certain speeds. As such, the mechanical aspect of analog recording appeals to me. Whereas digital recording simply samples the waves that are being created and converts them into numerical data which is then translated into a replication of the original sound, recording to tape yields a direct mechanical representation of the physical waves being formed. There’s no piecing the puzzle back together after the fact, and I feel this results in a recording which is truer to the original take.”

While the idea of recording straight to tape is alluring, it also presents its own set of hurdles. Digital softwares such as ProTools allow for virtually unlimited numbers of takes, overdubs, editing options, post-production effects and pitch-correction. They also make transferring sessions from one location to another much easier than does a cumbersome, heavy reel of delicate film. Though the band acknowledges these benefits to the digital approach, they say the challenge is part of the fun. 

“We only have so much time in the studio, only so much tape,” says Deming. “As such, we have to go in and nail our tracks on the first or second takes. That’s a lot of pressure when you’re spending time and money in a studio, but it seems to me that this is how rock n roll should be made. Not to a grid, chopped up and made perfect. You need the sound of a band in a room, that live, frenetic energy that only a live band can generate.”

Listeners should also expect some new tricks from these old dogs. “While the rhythm tracks will be the whole band playing in the same room live, we do have some room to overdub various instruments. Expect to hear my Hammond organ, some 12-string acoustic guitar, maybe some guest appearances from local Savannah music veterans.” These recordings will also mark the first Broken Glow tracks featuring bassist Sara Clash on lead vocals. A veteran of the NYC underground music scene, the Swedish songstress has flexed her vocal muscles in bands such as Skunky Sara & The Nuggets, punk duo Chicks Throwing Bricks, Savannah’s own Culture Vulture, and space-rock duo SubZero, to name a few. 

“This is going to be the definitive Broken Glow album,” concludes Deming. “We’re going to pull out all the stops.” It certainly seems so. Tune in for more updates and announcements, including upcoming shows in Brunswick and Charleston, as well as new videos, local show announcements and a studio journal.