Matt Stevens - Notes From The Wilderness: June 2010

Monday, 28 June 2010

The BBC is great

Morning all

You often hear stuff where people say the BBC is rubbish and why should we have to pay the license fee. These people are wrong as anyone who watched the recent series of Doctor Who and this will know:

BRIILLIANT

Thanks

Matt

Sunday, 27 June 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 21

This Weeks noodle is:

Matt Stevens - Draw (Rough Solo Mix), Guitar/Fuzz Bass/Guitar Synth, Filter Pedal - Stuart Marshall Drum Loop - K Feazey - Programming Recorded by K Feazey Not mixed or mastered.

This weeks noodle is an example of when you try something and it doesn’t work - we went for an electric solo on this, thinking kind of Neil Young/Thurston Moore/Zappa(live)/Greg Ginn messed up soloing - we just ended up kind of messy. Thats what happen when you do last minute overdubs. I’m really happy we did it the way we did and that ended up on Ghost. I think we made the correct decision - what do you think?

Please let me know what you think of this and if you would like to do a remix or collaborate give me a shout.

More noodles next week

Subscribe to my podcast feed here and get the Sunday Free Noodle every week:

If you like this you get get my albums as a "pay what you want" download here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon

Matt

Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Longest Day/T-Shirts

What am I listening to this week?

The longest day - Dusk Over London:

And a walk in the Park today:

And what are all the cool kids wearing this year????

Matt Stevens - Ghost by mattstevensloop
View more Matt T-Shirts

Speak soon

Matt

Monday, 21 June 2010

Anniversary and a noodle

2 years ago today my wife and I were married - it was a wonderful day - i feel blessed that she is with me. Happy anniversary darling.

Apologies for the delay with this week’s noodle

Sunday Free Noodle 20 is:

Matt Stevens - Sand (part 4) Rehearsal tape - Acoustic Guitars/Loops -Badly Recorded by M Stevens

This weeks noodle is a part of a 20 minute rehearsal for something that i’ve worked on for ages called Sand. Not sure if you will ever hear the whole thing to be honest. Its what they call a work in progress. Its recorded using my Ibanez Acoustic and a DL4 delay pedal.

Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Thursday, 17 June 2010

New BP Logo

Originally uploaded by Greenpeace UK

Wednesday, 16 June 2010

Should I Get A Band?

Should I get a band?

Recently I've been thinking a lot about playing live - I can't do a lot about it until my back is properly sorted - I can only really play for around half an hour at the moment and traveling is a major problem, trains/buses/tubes are very painful and taxis/cars are expensive(but less painful). Its frustrating but I'm going to have some more Physio and I'm having a Epidural injection next month and I hope thats this is will get me more mobile. Unfortunately this injection means I will be unable to gig in July as I'd hoped but hopefully this will give me more hope for the future. RUBBISH!!!

Also I'm thinking about playing live - I have realised that playing the Ghost material live with just an acoustic guitar and a looper pedal doesn't really work - the album just has too much extra stuff on it - I'd like to have a small band to play the stuff maybe a drummer/bass player plus someone on electronics/keys/noisy guitar - all improvising on the material. But I don't feel comfortable asking people to play in a band under my name unless I can offer some sort of financial reward which just isn't possible at the moment. Also finding people is always a problem - its odd music, lets face it (volunteers welcome!!!).

Its tough really - perhaps a guitar and laptop with midi tracks in Logic is an option but I would worry about stability and the way that you have to stick to set song lengths - not good for an improviser. Maybe Ableton live is a better idea?

Finding relevant gigs(I could play rubbish gigs every night but I'm not going to do that and loose lots of money) is tough as it is - its not jazz or rock or any other set genre. The only way i can see to build a gigging network is to build a following online then use the gigs as meeting places for the online community - like Cafe Noodle on a bigger scale nut with offline meet ups. Or do supports with acts who have an open minded audience whether its a prog band or a jazz band or a acoustic or post rock thing. I am lucky to have a bloody wonderful audience online(and I never forget this).

Lets see what happens!!!!

Speak soon

Matt

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

This week I'm listening to.....

This week I am listening to:

Lowercase Noises - Marshall - lovely ambient/post rock stuff

(recommendation from a Twitter friend http://www.twitter.com/headphonaught )

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works volume 2
Bill Evans - Serenity

Judgement Day - Pink Monsters - Strings/Metal with no Guitar - brilliant.

Robert Fripp - God Save The King
Miles Davis - On The Corner
Kaki King - Junior
Iron Maiden - El Dorado - new single

Demos for my third album(I'm programming the drums lying on the floor!!) and The Fierce And The Dead album demos by mr Kevin Feazey

Tonight on Cafe Noodle at 12 midnight UK time Neil Alexander and Russ Sargeant will be live streaming from New York - highly recommended.

Monday, 14 June 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 19

Apologies for the delay with this week’s noodle (stuff happened!!!)

Sunday Free Noodle 19 is:

Sonny - Make You Feel Good - Vocals/Acoustic Guitars - Written by Sonny - Electric Guitars - M.Stevens Produced and Mastered by Sonny - Mixed and Recorded by Sonny/K Feazey

Lyrics:

You’re saying something, But all the words come out the same. I’m hearing nothing, So we go round and round again,

The heat is rising, The sparks are flicking in my brain, You keep on trying, But the affect is just the same.

Look down on my again.

Take a deeper breathe to, Easy you’re mind and, Make you feel good.

There’s no one else around but me.

You’re going somewhere But my feet don’t feel the same I’m going nowhere, I don’t know how to play this game.

Show me the rules again.

I’ve just spoken something, Perhaps I shouldn’t have done, Words do more than any, Any gun.

You’re saying something, But all the words come out the same. I’m hearing nothing, So we go round and round again,

This weeks noodle is not one of my songs but one I played electric guitar on by my friend Sonny - I really like his guitar parts playing percussive guitar similar to Michael Hedges/Jon Gomm/Andy Mckee. I highly recommend his album which is available here(pay what you want):

http://sonny.bandcamp.com/

This was recorded in 2004/2005 at Pinna Studios(I think) and I was using my black Fierce and the Dead Telecaster. I think Sonny is in drop C!!!! I’m not sure who played the really cool slide part but it wasn’t me!!!! I’d like to work with Sonny again some day.

Let me know what you think….

Here is another video of a song from the same album:

Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Whats he building in there?

Hello all!

What is this man up to? Could it have something to do with The Fierce and The Dead?

Maybe.....

MS

Sunday, 6 June 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 18

Sunday Free Noodle 18 is

Ghost Single Edit Rainy Day Intro Um - Guitars/Melodica - M Stevens, Found Sounds - Catstalker, Produced and Mixed by K Feazey

This weeks noodle is an edited version of the song Ghost - this was very nearly the version that went on the new album. We added some more rain sounds from our walk yesterday. It looses the really long 6/6/7/6 intro and goes for more of a cinematic melodica based thing. I really like it but i also like the intro on the new album - what do you think?

If you like this you get get my album Echo as a "pay what you want" download here

About The Sunday Free Noodle

The Sunday Free Noodle project is a free MP3 ever week - remixes, collaborations, live stuff, spoken word stuff and other odd things - for the next year. 52 MP3’s (thats alot). I think it will be a challenge to keep this going and I’m really looking forward to doing it - please subscribe to the podcast feed on itunes to get it free every week and tell me what you think(yes you can say if you think if its crap). I hope you enjoy it.

This project has only really come about because i have injured my back and have had a chance to go through my hard drives whilst lying on the floor with the laptop on my chest. Odd how things happen.

I really it want to be a collaborative process. Let me know - if you are a remixer, cellist, vocalist, percussionist, film maker,trumpet player or visual artist or anything else let me know(although I draw the line at juggling) . Perhaps i could send you some stuff(loops and noodles) to add something to?

Speak soon

Matt

Speak Soon
www.mattstevensguitar.com
mattstevensguitar@btinternet.com

Saturday, 5 June 2010

Why I feel lucky to have an audience

Sometimes I get frustrated with people saying to me that "soclal" media doesn't work for breaking new music. Musicians try things once or twice or for a few weeks or a month then say it doesn't work if they don't sell loads of albums.

Its not about that. Its about making honest connections with people. The networks are just tools.You don't run into a pub and start screaming about how great you are and try and sell people stuff. Its connections with individual people and they have to be honest and authentic.

I feel incredibly lucky to have an audience, small, wonderful and supportive. My new album has done in context really well and people seem to like it. Its amazing and thanks so much. I feel a debt of gratitude. But this has taken YEARS to build, the best part of nearly 4 years to find an audience, and I consider myself really lucky that's happened. I just hope things continue in the same way! Musicians need to think of the legacy of work they are creating, not about short term gain.

And if you don't do it because you love it, you'd be mad to do it :)

One of the projects I've been proud to be part of this year since my back went last year is Cafe Noodle - an online community. As a group of musicians we set out to make a long piece of music - 75bpm in dm - we sourced the bpm and key signature from Twitter. My friend Tom Slatter put it all together. Have a listen here:

BigCalm by Tom Slatter

I took this today on my walk:

See you soon

Matt

Friday, 4 June 2010

This weeks listening, Draw and Some reading

This weeks listening list:

Draw - Early 90's Demos

This is the band that inspired the song Draw on my new album. If it wasn't for me watching my friend Russ playing with Delay Pedals I never would have ended up doing looping. He used to change the time of the delays with his feet. They were a truly incredible band.

This is my song that was inspired by them please do have a listen to Draw(the band) - it really is amazing stuff.

.
The Groundhogs - Who Will Save Us
Sepultura - Arise
Napalm Death - Scum
Johann Sebastian Bach – Toccata in D minor
Andrew Collins and Richard Herring – Collings and Herrin - Podcast 113
Television - Marquee Moon
Nick Tann - Is This Thing On Podcast
Lextrical - Heavy Lextrical

More bleep action from the bleep genius Lextrical - he posts new music online everyday but this is his most complete and focused work to date - recommended. We are hoping to collaborate in the future.

Also:

This is a post from Bob Lefsetz - it sums up very well the way artist listener relationship is going.

Speak soon

Matt

Here is the post - well worth a read:

1. Focus on the music. Get it to the point where the audience only needs to hear it once to get it.

2. Let people listen for free. Then sell the physical product as a souvenir, and put out unique product online.

3. One great track is better than ten mediocre ones.

4. Don't worry about confusing the marketplace with more product. It just allows new fans to discover a plethora when they finally tune in. Meanwhile, the Internet allows the fulfillment of the true fan's dream, a steady flow of product. In the old days, you were a fan of a band in high school, their next record came out when you were married. Today, you can put out new songs while students are still in the same semester! And you should!

5. You must work live. It's the best way to connect with people. You've got to be so good, you close the audience. Performing is a different skill than playing in a studio. Start honing your chops now. Play anywhere and everywhere you can. Not focused on the money, but the development of stage skills.

6. Radio is gravy. People no longer believe radio builds career acts. Don't be beholden to the airwaves. See them as just another outlet.

7. Make videos. Creativity is key. We're returning to the age of MTV. Either play live, demonstrating your skills, which is how Andy McKee built a career on YouTube, or come up with an OK Go-type video. Wow us visually. The means of production are now in the hands of the proletariat. Hell, you can get a Flip HD camera for $150 and you can edit on your computer...

8. Experience counts. Everybody gets better the longer they do something.

9. Haters abound. If you're not being criticized, you're not doing it right, you're only playing in front of family and friends. Hate intensifies the bigger you get, especially in the Net world, where everybody gets a voice. There is no protection. Wander into the world and experience the slings and arrows, toughen your skin.

10. Respect your audience. Don't send unsolicited MP3s, don't send unsolicited fliers. Everything should be opt-in.

11. Let your audience participate, let people help you. They're dying to! Stay in the houses of fans on the road. Let fans design fliers and t-shirts. Give them tools to promote you. All they want in return is attention, and a bit of access. These sneezers are your key to success. Treat your core fans incredibly nicely.

In the old days it was about being nice to the PD. Now you go directly to the fan.

12. Put up live videos.

13. Tweet.

14. Be available on every social networking platform. Of course, Facebook, but a new act could make headway using Foursquare. Hell, have your fans come meet you at Starbucks!

15. Press is a bonus. Press is ignored by most people. It's seen as hype. Just keep thinking about being one on one with your fans.

16. Don't think any one opportunity or gig is the key to success. You never know what will break you through. And most times, it's later than sooner. And, if it happens too soon...momentum tends to peter out.

17. Release dates are irrelevant. You're in constant marketing mode. But the best marketing is a great track, that will be spread far and wide.

That drop after the first week?

It just got worse.

Was 33.9% in 2000, it was 62.8% in 2009.

SoundScan is spinning some phony baloney about pre-orders, old school "Billboard" is lamenting the lack of price and positioning and radio support, and you're sitting there saying...um, seems right to me!

The nineties are over. Where the goal was to ship as much product as possible, create a public hoopla and not only see albums fly out of the store the first week, but for weeks to come.

First of all, people don't even want the album, they just want the track.

And most people don't care about the act anyway. And they can ignore it.

In other words, you've got to be in it for the long haul. The really long haul.

You're better off not blowing your marketing budget in anticipation of the first week. If you don't have a two year campaign in place, you don't believe in the project. Or, you're working for a major label, inured to short term results, desperately trying to make sure you don't get fired.

In order to have sustained fans, you've got to reach an audience with music. Not with photo shoots, not with talking head TV appearances, you've got to make sure people hear your music again and again. But you should start with a small group.

That's what old wave media doesn't understand, how to harness the public, how to use social media to create a conflagration.

Old wave media believes you use social media to spread the word. No, you infect fans, and then THEY spread the word on social media. And it can take a very long time to happen. And if you go for profits too soon, if you don't continue to improve the underlying product, you end up with something like MySpace. A hit for a minute, then toast.

This is scary to the old timers. They want insurance.

But that insurance can only be bought in a recording studio.

Yes, creators are more important than ever before. Which is why labels keep going to the usual suspects, they don't want to take a risk. But so many people are tired of this sound and have tuned out, and the oldsters are fighting over crumbs.

If you want longevity, you'd better create a new sound. Or at least an individual sound, a personality.

A good example of the future of music is Zac Brown. He's been recording for years. His album's been out for eons and he's still on the road. Not on vacation. Furthermore, word spreads about his passion for cooking, and his desire to feed fans. This hook builds his audience. Anybody can have a hit on the radio, but can you bring people to the show, can you get them to keep coming?

My friend Jim Urie is lobbying to get ISPs to crack down on file-traders. This is completely wrongheaded. We don't want to cut down any access people have to becoming fans. As for acquiring music... A better mousetrap is far superior to playing Whac-A-Mole. Don't take away the cheese, make it more enticing!

We're never going back to the sales figures of yore. Not because of theft, but because no one can get that kind of mindshare.

But you can get some traction. If you're willing to work really hard, continuously, always leading with your music.

Monday, 28 June 2010

The BBC is great

Sunday, 27 June 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 21

Tuesday, 22 June 2010

Longest Day/T-Shirts

Monday, 21 June 2010

Anniversary and a noodle

Thursday, 17 June 2010

New BP Logo

Wednesday, 16 June 2010

Should I Get A Band?

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

This week I'm listening to.....

Monday, 14 June 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 19

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Whats he building in there?

Sunday, 6 June 2010

Sunday Free Noodle 18

Saturday, 5 June 2010

Why I feel lucky to have an audience

Friday, 4 June 2010

This weeks listening, Draw and Some reading

Thursday, 3 June 2010

New Album out now!!

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