Evil Valentine
Hello all,
Welcome to Return To Blog. I plan to write here often, talking mostly about music. I'll happily welcome your thoughts/questions/ideas. I'm also very open to hearing/seeing/reading what it is that you are creating, if applicable.
I have a new record coming out on Jack London Records. It is called "Everything Around Me" and this song, Evil Valentine, is the first video to accompany what is the second single. I figured that starting here, and ultimately working backward, based on necessity, and forward as it arises, works well for me.
Maybe I'll break these into sections?
Let's start with the intimacies and finish with the operations.
The lyrics are a conversation happening within me. A duality featuring the me that is able to have cracks of grace, and the me that suffers from substantial anxiety. This conversation is about how one can constantly lie to the other; and about co-dependence through that abuse. The title of the song, and the final sentiment, is supposed to be a bit lighter than the weight that the previous sentiment carries; as a personal reminder that I can still laugh at myself a bit. The title is directly stolen from one of my best friends, Rob Connelly, who wrote a song with that same name for a band we were in together in 1992. I've since written many songs about him and I, and have stolen from him often and without remorse, as he is the most gifted artist I've worked with.
I originally wanted to write songs that were a topography of my depressive cycles, but before I could do that my Mother (who had been battling cancer on and off for 4 years) took a very bad turn. It was then that I decided to try to map her final months and her inimitable effect on my life.
In preparation to make the video for this song, the director Council Brandon, was made aware of how the intent of the record had shifted - from making maps of serotonin to the brutal deep sea dive of losing a parent. Given that we were in the early months of the COVID-19 restrictions we wanted to make sure we honored safety by paying stark attention to space and distance; a theme that seemingly infiltrated some of the storylines in the video. We filmed it in Shelburne, Gill, and Greenfield, MA. It was a relatively small crew, on three separate sites. More, if you include the footage that Council shot when I wasn't present; mostly the 8mm shots. The scenes of singing were shot with 4 of us sitting in the back of a pickup truck that was moving at various speeds, through the sticky warmth of 2:00 AM in the Northeast's onset of summer. We cut all of that footage in double-time, to lend that slowed-down feeling. I believed very strongly in Council's storyboard and her vision, having seen some of her previous work. I believe she sees the beauty in simple imagery as well as anyone, and I love her sense of color/template setting. We had fun, shining way too bright lights into the woods behind a school, always knowing that the cops could crash us at any moment, which added to the excitement. A charming crew of pros, they are. The finished product holds the song so well. Seemingly dark, distant, and from want. A simultaneous desperation and peace. And yes, the actor in the video wears my Mom's gold locket that you see slowly dancing on her as she runs. Her closing smile still moves me very deeply. It feels like warmth and relief; something I also hear in the final chord.
Engineered, Mixed, Arranged, and Written by me, at my then home on Ferry St in Easthampton, MA USA.
Mastered by the inimitable Mark Alan Miller at Sonelab Studios - also in Easthampton, MA
USA. Guitar: Alvarez Baritone Acoustic. Steel Strings .16 - .70
I recorded stereo tracks of roughly the same chord changes and attack. The rhythm tracks that pulse through the song are played with my right-hand thumb, without nail. 1 take for everything (I like 'mistakes'). I used a pick for the guitar melodies - D'Addario 1.0mm
Keyboard: Akai MPK Mini MK3 - Red. I used a string pad or two underneath the entire track. Using a pedal tone, harmonically.
Vocals were doubled with an MXL 990. Harmonies/Octaves used the same mic. Also doubled at times.
Yes, that is the sound of cars on a wet road that you hear right away if you listen closely. I tend to not close windows or turn off things like all good engineers will tell you is the wrong way to do things.
If you have any questions or thoughts, I'm more than happy to answer/hear them. I've also included some behind the scenes photos of the shoot, and a link to the video itself.
I hope this finds you well,
Mark Schwaber
