Kadman’s first record was one of the first Baltimore records I heard after I moved here a bunch of years ago. It was simply not anything I had heard out of Baltimore. Or what I thought “Baltimore” sounded like (little did I know!). I thought this band was incredible. There was something different about them. I’ve still yet to find a band here in Baltimore that sounds like them. That said, I am drawn to bands that think outside the box and do things differently. That is one reason why we worked so well together. We did a mini-EP last year (that will hopefully someday see the light of day), but I felt like we could do so much more together. I was happy when Dave (the singer/guitarist) came to me to produce his sophomore effort.

Anything
[See post to listen to audio]

This record went through a few stages. We scrapped the drums a few times, muted a ton of guitars, re-tracked bass tracks, wrote one song in the studio, I played theremin, re-thought the vision and then rinsed and repeated. It was a four month process from start to finish but felt like one. Dave was a great musician to work with. I’d ask him to “add this pedal” or “let’s try this room mic over here” or “hmmm, this section really doesn’t need that acoustic guitar in the chorus” and he wouldn’t flinch. Of course, Dave brought his own thing to the table as well. He’d bring in a keyboard part or a drum idea or a harmony. It was a two way road in building this record.

Mountain Song
[See post to listen to audio]

Dave put together a solid and vibrant band for a rather subtle yet dynamic sound. Frank Corl, the drummer, came from more of a pop/rock background but really understood the nuances of Dave’s music. He really put forth the art of the snare. We ended up using a half dozen snares on the record. James Bahleda came from an electro/goth background. But he is this beast of a bassist who can not be stopped. Be it on upright or electric. There are some lines he put down that still amaze me even after the umpteenth listen. And he has good taste in Scotch. Last but not least, I brought in Dawn Dineen and E.Joseph to sing on a few tracks. Dawn duets with Dave on one song called “An Army Rises.” E. Joseph and Dawn are both amazing singers and writers on their own. Both due out for another record soon, as well!

There are really few words to describe the record, it should speak for itself, but I’ll try. It’s a record of nuances. It’s intense – it’s acrobatic – it’s very different than their last – it’s dreamy, it’s loud, it’s quiet, it’s dense. Enjoy the samples!

Little Darling
[See post to listen to audio]

1. Practice! If you don’t practice you won’t sound good. Bottom line. If you are planning to use a click in the studio, learn how to play with one.
2. Tune, tune, tune! If you don’t know how to tune, check out this link or ask a friend who does. When going to record in a studio, work with an engineer who knows how to finely tune your kit.
3. Put new heads on. That said, if the existing heads aren’t excessively worn or dented and you like the way they sound, they are probably ok. Keep in mind new heads may need a couple days of playing to break in. Check and tune as needed in between takes/songs just like a guitarist would.
4. Try tuning the drums to the fundamental key of the song played on. When drums ring in the key of the song, the ring is more pleasing to the ear.
5. Lube your kick pedal. No one likes a squeaky kick pedal unless you are listening to Zeppelin.
6. Tighten up the nuts and bolts of your lugs and make sure nothing is loose.
7. Pick up new sticks. Try wood and nylon tips. Sometimes the song warrants one or the other. Or one wood and one nylon in different hands.
8. Use gaffers tape and a bit of a sponge and/or wallets placed on a snare to provide some muffling as needed. Ringo used a pack of smokes. Moon Gel works great too and doesn’t cause cancer.
9. Change the tension of the snares to fit the song. If you have more than one snare, don’t be afraid to use them at different times to fit the song.
10. Move your kit around the room. Drum sounds vary depending on how they are bouncing off the walls. Experiment.