it’s vocals or over dubs or whatever you’re
doing, if they put on the cans and what they’re
hearing is not inspiring or musical or doesn’t
sound great, you’re not going to get the best
performance out of them.
All that to say is, when we were doing vocals
with Russ on this record (I think the majority of
the lead vocals) we always did a scratch vocal
on the rhythm sections. which was always a
great take. But before we’d dig in and sit down
to get the lead vocals done, we made sure we
had our guitar solos mostly comped and our
drums sounding good.
We had a track that not only sounded great
in the control room, but that sounded great
on a set of headphones. So he’s hearing
what we’re hearing, hearing something that’s
inspiring to perform to, so we’re getting his
best, and there is a whole synergy there that
I think often gets overlooked. Especially when
you’re doing a Worship album. If you’ve got a
real tender song… something as uplifting as
“We Will Stand”, for most people if you take a
song like that in gospel music (one of the few
genres of music that really connects us) how
do you go in there and be inspired to deliver
a performance that’s supposed to lead other
people to worship when what you’re listening
and performing to is lackluster? If you want to
get a performance out of somebody you’ve got
to give them a performance to listen to.
[WM] Russ, what sorts of things make for a
better vocal performance for you?
[Russ] I sing, and I’ve always sung, and it’s
pure emotion. That’s what I thrive on, just
feeling it, feeling it, feeling it. If I can feel it, I can
give a better performance. And Phil and Mark,
hearing him describe the headphone mix and
things like that… I can sing to a basic track, and
I can do it okay, but when you sweeten it with
some strings, and Mark builds the tracks and
adds some stuff to it, I feel it more… so I can
deliver better. I sing so hard, I have to have it so
loud sometimes.
When you’re standing outside and you’re time getting me in the sweet spot. And when
screaming as loud as you can, and then I’m there, I can deliver. But if Mark doesn’t have
trying to hear something coming through it set just right or get me at a place where I
your ears… I think my headphone mix would feel it way down deep (because I’m not a
probably deafen everybody. But for me, it has clinical singer) I can’t just do a performance.
to rise above that loud volume, and with the The kind of singer I am… I have to feel. By
headphones there, and the mixes there, and all them spending time with me and getting me
of the gadgets and the new stuff (that not all of comfortable, which Phil and Mark are both so
the other studios have yet), it takes it to a level good at, you start a vocal and you immediately
that is so exciting to sing to. are into the song… not thinking about what I
want different. They create a really great sweet
And Mark will work with me and try different spot for me, so that I can deliver the way we all
things and we will spend a good amount of want me to deliver.
January 2019
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