Methodology

2020: We’re back at Alchemy Studio, recording a new Opposition album, with the new band; Bernard, Nico, David and myself.

For this album, I’m trying to leave my demos of song ideas as raw and basic as I can, so that Bernard, Nico & David can have some creative input. I want it to feel like this bands’ album. It still has that core Opposition feel, underlying the tracks as it starts with me.

Playing live with this band breathed life into some of the older Opposition songs. For this album I wanted to capture that power and passion that we felt on stage – to recreate the moment, the essence of a live band, which is the ‘holy grail’ in the recording studio.

With that in mind we’re going to record the drums and the bass playing together, which may seem obvious, but in a studio situation, isn’t the norm -as you’d usually record each instrument separately.

Even how we’re recording is slightly different. It’s a small room and David’s Ludwig kit takes up most of the room. Bernard is tucked into a corner with his foot pedals and amp and Nico is in another corner, at the electric piano and guitar. I’m upstairs in the control room, on a mic and guitar, with Kenny at the mixing desk. I can see the band on a small screen and we can communicate through headphones, but it’s a bit removed and strange not being downstairs in complete control!

For the first time we’re going to share this journey, in clips, photos and words as the album develops in the studio and also in rehearsals.