Since embarking on this ship called Beware! The Leopard last year, I've played a dozen plus shows, gained a small but supportive following, and created a web presence that is the beginning of world domination. For the most part, I've done this on my own. Granted, I have had help, from friends, coworkers, promoters, and even a rather large squirrel. but for the most part, I've been on my own.
This can be a bit daunting. It means more money (when there is any) for me, but it also means that all decisions are mine and mine alone. Everything from what the website should look like, to what the new part for song X should sound like is up to me. Thanks to the donations of the fans, I've managed to scrape enough to record an EP. Now I need to find the studio to do it in.
Choosing a studio is kind of like choosing a hotel, is it comfortable? are the toilets clean? can you afford the rate? are all questions that need to be answered, and if you choose a bad one, you might spend $2000 and all you have at the end is a poor night's sleep. The difference between a good and bad studio might not be easily apparent on the outside, lots of people have good equipment, decent rooms, and a selection of artists pictures on their wall. Few though have the talent necessary to put out a good record at a decent price. If I were in a band, choosing a studio actually would be easier. We'd all have our likes and dislikes, we could bounce ideas and impressions off one another and come to a rational conclusion (or of course we could fight and break up), but the other factor is that in a band we could divide the financing of the record between multiple people. In a solo gig, you reap all the reward, but you also shoulder all the cost.
I would love to be able to spend $1000+ per track to get this EP done, but lets face it, it is a debut EP, I'm unemployed, and my total budget is somewhere in the $2000 - $2500 range. There are a few studios who've told me they can do it in that budget, some will be a bit of a rush job, others will give me more time. The problem is the rush job guys are the ones that have put out gold records, and the laid back guys are the ones who spend most of their time recording Uncle Fred's cover of Mustang Sally. So it makes the decision a bit difficult.
Anyway. I'm blathering on a bit. Suffice to say, that I'm having trouble making my mind up, and it would be great to have someone else in this with me to keep my head on straight. But I'm committed to doing this myself. Being a solo artist means being alone, but even loners have accomplished great things.
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