False Starts & A New Vision

The sessions for PARADOR started out with producer Linus of Hollywood and I cutting in a 9′ by 9′ closet, at a recording facility in Hollywood. The room was so small that it was more comfortable for me to sit in a chair out in the hallway than to cram behind him at the console. Neither was the room air-conditioned. So we quickly frustrated of it. All that remains from that chapter is a chill, almost funky version of “Through Any Window,” the song that we’d later cut as a solo acoustic track with a popular video starring actress Jenna Fischer. Someday I’ll throw the chill version out there as a bonus track.

So our “plan b”, was to bring in the principle musicians from my 1996 and 1997 albums to see if we couldn’t record that band live. Amazing players all: Dorian Crozier on drums, Mike Ruekberg on acoustic guitar and producer John Fields on bass. Unfortunately, the sessions wound up being a jumble of odd energy. Honestly, my 1990’s albums were very different from the new material I was writing, and I felt self-conscious about that around my old pals. Head games with myself. But there were also logistical problems. I desired to record the band live, but that wasn’t simple because the studio didn’t have enough isolation rooms. A moment of hilarity came when we set up Mike with his acoustic guitar in a little ‘fort’ we made out of acoustic foam. Ostensibly, this would prevent the drums from bleeding into the acoustic guitar microphone––wishful thinking. Mike’s head was sticking out the top, like one of those 1950’s styled weight-loss sweatboxes. He couldn’t see the guitar or his hands or the microphone. Nor could he move without having the thing topple all around him. But seriously, our biggest problem was the presence of five guys, all producers in their own right, and not one of them feeling permitted to take control––most regrettably me.

Most of five songs were completely abandoned from those sessions. Emotionally, that set me back a chunk, without a firm vision. So, Linus and I took our time before plotting “plan c”––regrouping only many months later at Asylum Studios with musicians I’d never played with before –– and not without a little doubt in may head as too whether we’d get this project off the ground.

Eventually, sessions with the fantastic drummer Rob Kurzwreiter inspired Linus and me to hit full stride. I’d seen Rob play with a band in Hollywood and fell in love with his style and composure behind the kit. With his new energy I was unafraid to move into the future. Linus and I hit the ground running, adding samples, horn and string arrangements and a cast of characters on backing vocals. The 8 years between my previous album Turbosherbet turned out to AOK, as Parador would introduce me to a whole new generation of fans.

Co-writers include: Andy Dick, Andras Jones, Tracy McMillan, Rebecca Lord, Linus of Hollywood and Benno Nelson.

Photo credit: Dean Groover, Orrin Anderson