Kaslo takes Speakeasy through recording process
By Lisa Wakeland, Staff Writer
February 19, 2007 | 7:27 p.m.
Surrounded by a variety of instruments, music memorabilia and audio equipment, there is a distinct creative energy flowing through 3 Elliott Studio, where local band Kaslo is using the space to record their first album.
“It’s a very different vibe, which is nice, being in a place that’s well lit and comfortable,” singer Teddy Humpert said about the studio.
The boys in Kaslo, who picked the band’s name from an atlas, are juniors at Ohio University. They displayed a collaborative and creative confidence during their all-day recording session on Feb. 11 with 3 Elliott Studio co-owner Josh Antonuccio.
The band – Humpert (singer, guitarist and pianist), Luke Brevoort (drummer), Clay Flaherty (guitarist, who is involved with both Speakeasy and ACRN) and Max Wagner (bassist) – started recording the album toward the end of fall quarter, thanks to some help from Flaherty’s parents.
“I’ve wanted to get into a professional studio for a long time, and my parents gave me a pretty generous birthday present,” he said. “That was sort of a catalyst, and it seemed like a good time.”
When they decided to make an album, Kaslo had been together for about six months and wanted to do something collective with the catalog of songs they already had. Together, band members recorded homemade demos to get a feel for what they wanted.
Before going in to record, they gave the demos to Antonuccio and started playing around the studio. They chose 3 Elliott Studio early in the process because it is the best option in terms of “bang for your buck,” Flaherty said.
“3 Elliott is a really great place, but the only unfortunate thing is that we have to go in and make use of every single hour, but that’s the way it works,” Brevoort said. “If it was the kind of environment where we could have our stuff set up and work on it and practice in the same place we’re recording it, that would be ideal.”
Tracking instruments and vocals is about 75 percent finished, but there is still a lot of work to do, like outside instruments, mixing and mastering. During the Feb. 11 recording session, Kaslo was in the studio laying down instrument solos and vocal tracks. While Antonuccio made adjustments on the soundboard, the band sat in the same room listening to the songs or humming along.
When Humpert was in the isolation booth recording vocals for “Hospital Nights,” the importance of collaboration between band members really came out. After each take, the band and Antonuccio exchanged suggestions for the track, but the feedback was always positive and everyone seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the song.
“Josh is a really fun guy to work with because occasionally he’ll get really excited about some particular idea he has,” Brevoort said. “Things can get very large very quickly, and that happened the other night with ‘Hospital Nights.’ “
Another song that evolved while Kaslo was in the studio is “Charcoal Autumns.”
“When we went into the studio the very first time to look around and play with all the instruments, we all sat down and started playing it,” Flaherty said. “We slowed the tempo down, and Teddy started playing on the Rhodes piano, and everything just changed.”
For most of the tracks, initial recording took place in the main room, using amp isolation. As Humpert explained, his amp was in the closet, Wagner’s amp was in the front entry way, Flaherty’s amp was in the vocal isolation booth and Brevoort played drums in the main room.
With this method, if one person messes up a take and the other three have good takes, the track can still be used. But with overdubbing guitars and vocals, it could take up to seven or eight takes before the band got something with which they all were happy.
“Most of the songs that we’re recording, we’ve been playing for so long that everybody is really actively on the same page with direction, which helps infinitely in the collaborative, creative process.” Humpert said.
Although most of the songs are finished, the songs still need to be mixed, which blends all the tracks together. There are two aspects to mixing, Brevoort explained. The first part is looking at each individual track recorded and deciding if it sounds right or needs to be manipulated. The second part is getting the volume of the tracks right and deciding if any of the dynamics of the tracks need to be adjusted.
Most of the band will not be in studio while the album is being mixed, but they will get copies to listen to. Brevoort is studying abroad during spring quarter and the band will send digital files to him so everyone has a chance to give an opinion on the album. After mixing, the album will be mastered, bringing it to CD quality and making sure it fits with industry standards and is radio friendly, Humpert explained.
The album is still unnamed, but Kaslo has been throwing around different ideas. Most of the songs have titles, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Brevoort sketched out an idea for the record’s cover art, but the band wants to finish the recording process before moving on to aesthetics.
Once the record is complete, the band said they plan on having a record release party and playing shows around town to support it, which won’t be until fall quarter of next year. Currently, fans can catch Kaslo at ACRN’s Battle of the Bands at The Union tonight.
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For more information about Kaslo, check out the band’s MySpace.
For more information about 3 Elliott Studio, check out the studio’s Web site.