Your long awaited debut album is due to hit the shelves in April. Tell us more about it?
Recording the album was a really special process. My label at quite short notice decided that we needed to do the album and so it was quite a rush to finish up the songs and find a place to record.
We wanted to steer clear of a big studio to save money and just have a space we could let it all hang out a little. Low pressure – high inspiration. They mentioned a place they used to stay as kids – an old Victorian hunting lodge in Northamptonshire.
I made a call to the owner and told her that I’d look to book the place for a week to do some writing. It was kind of true – but the mental image she may have had of us sitting around with acoustic guitars was a bit pared back from the reality.
We drove up with three cars jammed packed full of recording gear and instruments.
The place was beautiful – in the middle of nowhere, secluded, old, cool, chilled. We scoped it out – there were about ten rooms so we figured out where we should setup the main studio hub and then we setup the drum kit in the stairwell, and guitars, bass, organ and so on in different rooms.
It enabled us all to have a little space to make noise but also to play off each other. Each day we’d wake up really early, have a coffee and then start talking about the songs we’d work on that day.
It was an amazing week – we really captured the heart and soul of the songs. It was pretty exhausting and I sang myself to a standstill relying on the numbing powers of fiery ginger beer to keep my voice going through the week. We got all ten tracks down and only had some extra “icing on the cake” stuff to overdub when we got home.
It came together beautifully – it sounds amazing, at times tender and at other times quite huge, and the songs really tell a story about the journey I’ve been on for the past few years. I’ve invested a lot of heart in it – as have so many people that have made their own heartfelt contributions to it. Read the rest of this entry »
Today is finally the release date of my debut album I Think We Both Know. I spotted last week that the album found its way onto one of the torrent sites – I actually felt stoked someone liked it enough to want to share it. And subsequently I’ve had various emails from radio stations around the world that I wouldn’t have heard from otherwise. So I guess the point is that sharing is good. And so I’m super keen to share it with the world. I hope you appreciate the generosity and talent of everyone involved and that the album becomes more than just a bunch of digital files to skip through. Live with the songs and let them speak to you. For this week, to celebrate the launch, its FREE! Simply go to store.krismorris.com to have a listen to all the tracks and download the album.
“How can I help?” I hear you ask? Tweet and ask people to retweet. Facebook your fingers off. Casually tell people how your life has been changed by the album while you’re waiting for the bus. Let people know that its free right now and they’d be dang stupid if they don’t get their greasy mitts on it. If you really feel like it you could donate what you would usually spend on an album. Write comments here on my site letting the world know what you think about it. Go to the digital music store sites, find the album and be the first to write a review on the album. If you love it please share it.
* Your email address is safe with me. You’ll only hear from me with spectacular earth shattering news and I’ll never share your information with anyone. My Data Protection Officer, Billy the Cat, is a tyrant when it comes to this stuff.
April 12, 2009 at 9:03 am · Filed under Releases, Video
Oblivious – Recording the Guide Track
Recording the guide track for Oblivious. Blues baby!
Oblivious – Listening and Electric Guitaring
You can see Willie here listening to me putting down some electric guitar licks (deluxe edition) from down in the electric guitar den of broken chops.
April 11, 2009 at 9:33 pm · Filed under Releases, Video
Some people do vocal warm ups. Some people drink warm honey drinks. Some people get singing lessons. Folks stop all of it. All you need is a white singlet and a can of Old Jamaica Fiery Ginger Beer. The white singlet makes you feel part superhero / part chilled out dad on the weekend. The ginger beer numbs your vocal chords so you can’t feel any of the permanent damage you’re doing to your throat as you sing yourself into the ground. This first lesson is free but please contact me if you’d like personal vocal coaching.
Back to the main point. This is me doing the vocal takes for Other Side. You get the picture for what we were doing – vocals late at night after everything else was recorded in the day. White singlet, ginger beer, headphones, soul . . .
April 10, 2009 at 9:46 am · Filed under Releases, Video
Its Ok – Recording the Guide Track
Getting the rough guide track down for Its Ok. Each track was done like this – talk through the arrangement, put down a guide version with everyone playing, then get drums and bass down properly, then electric guitars, then smoky late night vocals.
April 9, 2009 at 8:29 pm · Filed under Releases, Video
Big House, Big Dan, Big Drum Sound
The mythical acoustic properties of Rush House well and truly extend to the magical staircase of huge drum sounds. This is Dan laying a little wood into his skins. Look at the way he moves. Poetry in motion.
Phil Collins has booked out Rush House for the whole of 2010.
April 8, 2009 at 9:10 pm · Filed under Releases, Video
The Sun – It Goes A Little Something Like This… The Sun is a track I wrote just before we went away to record the album. I knew I wanted it to be simple lyrically and was really depending on the boys to help create a real musical mood / wall of sound / rock opera. Maybe not a rock opera. Anyways, this was my first shot at running through the track so we could start talking about an arrangement. Just a scrap of paper and a few chords. Amazing what became of it!
The Sun – Fleshing it Out
This is the band having a rough go at a full band arrangement of The Sun. You can see how we all worked together in the recording process – all in our little spots but with visual contact to (or through) each other.
April 7, 2009 at 9:06 pm · Filed under Releases, Video
Driving to Rush House
On the way up the M6 to start the recording. We’re in a Ka. No wonder we’re so excited.
Setting Up The ‘Studio’ at Rush House
Intense discussions about where to put what and who for maximum recording effect in Rush House. This discussion is part of the reading for the course ‘How to record a killer album in a 19th century hunting lodge in the middle of nowhere (except for the neighbour we’re scared is going to dob on us) 101′.
“Kris’ voice can slide along the soft and gentle to the powerful and dominating with ease. It gives his material power and passion. It allows him to rage without losing control”
