Zephyr Chimes
Hi Folks!
Over the past few weeks, I've been working on the recording of song #10 for the new album, and I just finished in the studio for the day/night, tonight. I had recorded the acoustic guitar track and vocal track for this song a while back and, more recently I've been adding “Zen Bells” and “Zephyr Chimes” to it for some subtle, atmospheric parts that have been incredibly fun to create. I bought these instruments a few years ago, during the height of the Covid pandemic, because I loved the unique sounds that they made, and I did so without knowing whether I'd ever write a song that would call for adding them into an arrangement with other instruments. I mostly just liked the way they sounded and wanted to play with them! They definitely are not heard on commercial albums that I'm aware of – I can't think of even one – and it's taken until now (three years after I bought them) for me to have written a song on which I feel confident that it makes musical sense for me to explore what they can add to the song arrangement, and specifically in an "Americana Music" context. Honestly, before I began trying, and more so before I wrote this particular song that I'm working on now, it seemed like it might be a challenge to make it work. But, as it turns out, it's been an amazingly gratifying experience of experimentation and discovery. On some level, I guess it would be ok to say that the sounds that can be made with these instruments are “esoteric,” but that might distract from the simplicity and lightness of what they offer sonically, musically, and from how much fun and easy they are to play, as well as from the unencumbered qualities that drew me to them. That said, though, I guess one of the reasons why I'm so much enjoying recording with them is that I've been finding ways to create unexpectedly complex and lush rhythmic and tonal textures with them, and, given their simplicity and pervasive “randomness,” I'm actually surprised at how easily they lend themselves toward that aim. So, over the past week or so, I've been immersed in a happy, deep dive into recording this new song with these instruments. They've just drawn me into the song so much, as the sounds that I've found in them have, in turn, been finding their places in the song in ways that have made these “unusual” instruments, “obvious” choices for this composition. Tomorrow, I plan to add a second acoustic guitar part to the song. I was playing along to the playback at the end of tonight's session to see if it would work with what's already recorded and… it fits. It all fits just right, and I am really excited to get back to it tomorrow to see where it will go from here. I just wanted to take a minute tonight to thank you all for your support, and for being present here as I am finding my way to bringing these songs forward for you to hear and share. I am so very grateful for you. Please continue to check back here from time to time for the latest news and updates if you are so inclined.
With so much love and gratitude,
Bill S.