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PRE-RECORDING

So you want to make a record. The question you must ask is "Why?" Is it because your friends think you sound like Kasey Chambers? Is it because you reckon you're the next Keith Urban? Is it because you reckon that the world is just waiting to fall at your feet? If you answered yes to any of those, think real hard before proceeding. You have a huge chance of failure in the Country Music industry. Failure means that you will not recover the money you spent on the CD you are about to make. Hundreds of CDs are released every year and very few of them ever end up making a profit, let along break even. Believe it or not, most of the so-called "stars" have trouble sleeping when a new CD is released.

Recording a CD is like gambling; you should never do it if you can't afford to lose.

CDs don't sell themselves. You will have to put in a lot of hours and even more money to promote yourself and your CD. Are you prepared to put in the hours required? Can you afford to "pack in" your job? Are you prepared for the possibility of relocation, of uprooting yourself (and your family) to go where the work is, all on speculation? Are you prepared for the loneliness, the distance that will grow between you and your old friends because of your change of lifestyle? You won't have time for sport, parties, movies with your mates. You'll be working, and if you're not, you should be.

It must be said that dozens of CDs are recorded each year as an "ego trip". The artist is, to paraphrase from the movie The Castle, "Dreaming!" Be serious. Are you "Dreaming?" If you are not already totally committed to the Country Music industry, if you don't already know the hard work and heartache, the knock-backs, the backstabbing, the long nights and endless roads, I'd suggest you do some more research before parting with your hard-earned cash.

So you have decided to continue? Good! You have the sort of toughness that just might make it. Let's start with…

Research

The more you know BEFORE you start recording, the smoother it will go. Ask questions, many questions. Do the groundwork. Search the phonebook, the Internet. Ask other musicians, other artists. Don't be afraid of showing how naïve you are. Your ego could end up costing you money.

Purchase a copy of the Directory Of Australian Country Music, published by Rural Press Events, by phoning 02 6762 2399 or email countrymusicdirectory@ruralpress.com.

This publication has every contact you will need for your career in Australian Country Music.

Song Selection

Australian music has a culture unlike anywhere else in the world. It practically demands that the Singer must also be a Songwriter. Just check out the writing credits on US releases and you will find very few self-penned efforts. In Australia the credits can be up to six names long, but you will usually find that the artist has his/her name in there somewhere.

This is one of the major stumbling blocks for an Independent Artist. The culture says "you must write" and often the results are less than inspiring. The big artists work with the best songwriters, which adds "polish" to their ideas. If you are a new songwriter, seriously consider finding some experienced help in polishing your songs.

Another way to overcome this problem is to release originals written by others. An Original is a song never before recorded; the opposite of this is a Cover, a re-recording of another artist's material. Contact the Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA, which, despite it's name serves a National community of songwriters) for information on Writer's Workshops and members in your area.

If you are already a working musician, playing gigs in Pubs, Clubs and RSLs, you will probably be selling a lot of CDs through your shows. In this case, you should definitely consider recording a good percentage of Covers in your album.

If you want to burst into the Country Music industry, you should record at least half new music. However, the addition of at least two or three very carefully selected Covers is always good business. Tried and true favourites will entice your audience to buy. Just remember this rule: "Never EVER release a Cover (as a Single) that is not BETTER than the original version!!!" The lasting impression you want to leave is one of admiration, not commiseration. No one remembers second best.

Chose twenty to twenty-five tracks, either your own, Covers or Originals written by others.

Style Identification

Decide what your "Style" will be. Are you into Bluegrass? Bush Ballads? Western Swing? Shania? Don't try to confuse your target audience by mixing styles too radically. Pick a style you like and can follow through with, now and in the future.

Music Teacher (Honing The Performance)

Take your selections to a professional singing teacher to hone the performance. He/she will work as your "third ear", an experienced critic to point out your strengths and weaknesses. Record the sessions and go back over them with him/her. Listen and learn! Are you weak on the high notes? Do you need work with breathing? Phrasing? Let your teacher guide you in how to express the emotion of the music. Practice, practice, practice! When you are ready to proceed you will be a better singer and be more confident with your performance.

Charts

Most session musicians in Australia are pretty good at reading basic chord charts. You don't need to write out the songs note for note. Basic Bar Charts are fine. See the example below…

Try to avoid confusion as much as possible by avoiding "repeats" unless they are simple and easy to understand. (such as Verse / Chorus & repeat Verse / Chorus) Session musicians don't like searching for complicated repeat marks while they are concentrating on playing (funnily enough) so write the charts out so they can be played start to finish without complicated repeats. Mark choruses, verses, bridges and solos very clearly. You will need versions for guitar, bass and drums as well as at least one copy for the Engineer / Producer. Charts WILL get lost. Be prepared with spares.

The time signature and the tempo must be marked clearly. Your producer might have input here. Mark your ideas in pencil. Do you intend the song to be "Rockabilly"? "Two Step?" "Western Swing"? "Ballad"? If you don't know, write down some examples and discuss it with your producer. E.g. "Like Garth Brooks - Ain't Going Down."

Get as much done before going onto the next part (where you start paying out the money.)