Recording Hairy Parrot: Music to Ride Elephants to, The Host

Greetings once again friends, listeners, and people who stumbled upon this blog by mistake! If you've been watching Hairy Parrot's activity online in the past month, you will notice that I just released a new song a few days ago (and that I haven't posted an entry since the beginning of the month, but lets not dwell, right?). The new song is called "The Host," which brings me to three total original songs that I have released for public enjoyment. The new song (as well as Do Math!, Music to Ride Elephants to, and my Stargate SG-1 themesong cover) can be found on the Band Profile tab on the Hairy Parrot Facebook page, the Hairy Parrot Reverbnation page, and my personal Soundcloud page. So for example, if you have a personal vendetta against Facebook (not sure why you would), you have an ample number of other options! Which means you have no excuse.

I would actually like to go into a bit more detail about the process of writing and recording Music to Ride Elephants to (just Elephants for short) and The Host. Why not Do Math!? No point really, it was the first thing I recorded when I got my 8 string guitar. Not a real complicated process for that one.

Even though Do Math! preceeded it, I consider Elephants to be the first real Hairy Parrot song. Stylistically, I wanted it to include the rhythmic complexities that I have come to enjoy so much, as well as a melodic element taken from my love of more traditional progressive metal music. I employed a "record-as-I-write" method that involved recording each section of the song as it was written, rather than writing the whole song and THEN recording it. Since I have the convenience of keeping all my instrument settings exactly the same, I was able to record a couple sections one night, come back to it the following night, and none of my recording settings would have changed. Once I had the drums, bass, and guitar for the entire song completed, I looked very closely at the song and, using virtual instruments (choirs, strings, various synths, etc.) I filled out the song with flavorful embelishments. Only after all this was finished did I start to think about lyrical ideas, as well as who I might want to sing and/or play a guitar solo on the song.

After some experimentation, I decided on my friend from school (and now fellow bandmate) Mikey Marrero to do the vocals, even though his primary instrument is guitar. I felt that his voice most accurately suited the range that the song demands, as well as the right timbre to mix well with the rest of the instruments. For the guitar solo, I asked Anthony Basini (also a friend from school) to write one that he felt would suit the section I gave him. He came at it from a very unique approach, telling me he wanted to make a guitar solo that sounded like animal noises.

Writing The Host was a process that drew upon a more extreme example of one of my influences: Meshuggah. I litterally started writing The Host by thinking, "I want to make a song that sounds exactly like Meshuggah." It was much more difficult than I imagined, not because the rhythms were difficult to write and record, but because I am still too drawn to the presence of a melodic aspect, something that Meshuggah rarely, if ever, employs. Because of that, the pre-choruses in the song still bear some semblence of melody, even if it is just bluesy. I used the same recording method, recording as I wrote, following the complete structure with some programmed, virtual instrument spice (in particular, I like the dancy synth I used during the pre-choruses ), and then started thinking about lyrics. In line with the Meshuggah theme, I wanted the lyrics to be dark and scary, with the vocals to match. I knew I wanted to record growls for most of the song (which I did, but which is not representative of all future songs), but found myself facing a certain difficulty when deciding what to do about the clean vocals. I considered having a guest sing them, but it just seemed like there were too few spots to justify inviting someone to do it. So I tried it myself! Not something I plan on doing for future Hairy Parrot songs, mind you... I gave myself a headache recording those spots...

But The Host is finished now, and it is live, as I said! I have two more songs left to have vocals recorded for (both will feature guest vocalists and guitar soloists) and release. When those two are finished as well, then I shall release all five (Do Math!, Music to Ride Elephants to, The Host, song 4, and song 5) as the first ever Hairy Parrot EP. Be on the lookout for the next one!

Here are the links to where you may listen to my currently available recorded songs:
https://soundcloud.com/#cole-millward

http://www.facebook.com/#!/HairyParrot/app_2405167945

http://www.reverbnation.com/hairyparrot?page_view_source=facebook_app

Cole Millward

Not Unlike the Proverbial Progress Bar

Here begins a progress update on the... well, progress of Hairy Parrot and S.I.Q. I've been hard at work making some headway on the plans for forthcoming activity of both entities, and I must say... Lots of fun lies in the near future. 

So lets start with Hairy Parrot, the project about which I can share the most information! Obviously, I have already released three songs: Do Math! and Music to Ride Elephants to (both originals) and Djentgate SG-1, a Djent cover of the Stargate SG-1 theme song. I will be releasing three more songs in the close future, all originals. The first two originals plus these three will make up a complete EP, which I will be releasing for FREE for a full month, after which I will charge $5. All these songs are already recorded (save for guest vocals and solos). I am also already making plans for a second EP as well as a cover or two (which will occur after a slight change in gear). It is unlikely, however, that HP EP 2 will be created nearly as quickly as the first, as me fifth semester of college begins in two weeks. 

As for S.I.Q., all I can say is it is not S.I.Q.  anymore, and we are creating music together to that end. Wish I could say more about it, but I can't! Sorry!

I think that's all for this little progress update. It's a short entry for once!

Cole Millward