Category: 2storeyheart

2024 was a year of learning. While exploring how to improve recording and bedroom music production, I came across many YouTube videos and Reddit threads full of advice. It’s amazing how helpful random people are on the internet.

Over the past year, I’ve learned about singing techniques, guitar chords, production tips, plugins, the importance of Dynamics Processing, amps, pedals, amp sims, and so much more. I didn’t even have to ask the questions – every question you can think of has probably already been asked by someone else on the internet. It’s just how the world works now.

Because of that, I’ve been able to record higher-quality music through constant practice and knowledge absorption. 

Let’s come back to the point of this post: I’ve got a new demo out.

This is dedicated to Miki, Vanessa’s dog, who passed away earlier this year. He’s one of the goodest boys. I’ve been playing the song at recent live shows and a friend asked me to record it so he could listen to it without coming to watch me (hah!). I put it off – until last night.

Feeling inspired, I set aside some time to record a demo of Miki before I played some nightly Dota. What I intended to be a two-hour session turned into four despite it being a simple, short song. I kept redoing parts until it got too late to yell (without waking up neighbors), so I settled with acceptable takes for vocals. Then I had to figure out how to stop tracks from clipping without being too soft, equalizing, compressing, and the whole shebang.

The result is a demo I’m mostly happy with. I can improve the vocals and drums significantly, but that will take another day. Here’s something that I believe is good enough to listen to. Maybe get a real bass for the bass guitar parts (but who listens to the bass anyway 😂).

Either way, my goal was to have the song recorded and out there for people to listen to – mission accomplished. I have a few more songs in the cooker but I’m unsure if I’ll be able to complete them before 2024 ends. Regardless, one recorded song this year is better than none.

Happy holidays everybody. Take care.

Miki
dry nose
I see you lying with your
eyes closed
staring at an endless
sunset
the sun won't rise again
even if you believe it

dry nose
shallow breathing with your
eyes closed
what you see is in your mind
it never used to be this way
but now it happens all the time

respond to me, respond to me
miki show me you're still breathing
call out to me, call out to me
miki let me know you're healing
come back to me, come back to me
miki I will be here with my arms wide open saying
I love you

I know
you're better off without this
pain I'd
like to believe you're in
peace all
dogs go to heaven,
at least that's what they say

I hope
it's more pleasant there, and
you're happy
someday I'll see you again
I'll make
sure to bring you a treat
you bet it'll be something sweet

I miss your tongue hanging out
the soft footsteps that you made
as you struggled up the stairs
but you never gave up hope
how you curled up when you slept
and scratched at the door to
go out to see the morning light
how you yelped when I hugged you tight
now all that remains are ashes of you


I’ve also uploaded it to YouTube and TikTok because Instagram no longer accepts posts or reels over 3 minutes (such a dumb dumb move).