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| HELLO DEMONS MEET SKELETONS 2011 Release by Clint Lowery Words That Sing Well |
When asked how it came about that a small privately owned business named Architekt Music came to be involved in this, Clint shed a little bit of light on the process, and also described the direct involvement of a gentleman by the name of George Roskos.
It may have seemed strange or even bizarre a decade ago if two people “met” over a social networking program. But that’s how it transpired. (It apparently happens quite a bit between musicians, as we've recently discovered).
In our conversation, Clint says he mentioned something on Twitter and got to talking with George and over time, things came together in a pretty incredible way, resulting in a new recording that could be shared with everyone.
A little bit about Hello Demons Meet Skeletons & the new CD...
If you haven't acquired one yet, be sure to grab one of the Limited Edition hand-signed, hand-numbered hard copies of the album Words That Sing Well. It can be found at www.clintlowery.net. According to Clint's most recent updates on his Twitter & Facebook, as well as on his website, there aren't many copies left, so hurry it up! If you do miss it, you can purchase WTSW from Itunes. The CD includes the 5 NEW tracks along with the previously recorded tracks from the first Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD, Chills, and those are Re-Mastered.
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| New Limited Edition Hello Demons Meet Skeletons T Shirt available @ www.clintlowery.net |
Be sure to check out the Limited HDMS shirt as well. Ironically, mine arrived in the mail today!!! and no they aren't of the "one-size-fits-WHO" variety like some of the merch out there these days. Whew. That's a relief. I ordered a large, I got a large. Now to keep my kids and husband's hands off of it....
We were fortunate to catch George with some free time to answer a few questions about his time and work on the HDMS acoustic CD, Words That Sing Well.. He was most generous and we thank him sincerely for shedding even more light on something we’ve been very excited about and anticipated for so long!
Who is George Roskos ? What part do YOU play in your company, Architekt?I am a 24 year old co-owner of Architekt Music. I'm from Northeastern Pennsylvania and met my business partner, Kurt Andrews, at Seton Hall University. After graduating in 2009, we started a business in Butler, NJ that houses Music Instruction, a Live Venue and a world class Recording Studio. I am in charge of all aspects of the recording studio and, with Kurt, oversee the entire operation. Day-to-day, though, my focus is on the recording studio, facility management and facility logistics. I also have the honor of being in charge of finances, payroll, etc.
How did you and Clint meet?
In September 2010, Clint put up a note on Twitter about needing some new studio monitors for his studio. I responded because I had an awesome hook up for studio monitors. We pulled the trigger on the speakers and delivered them to him before Sevendust’s fall 2010 tour. I hate to credit Twitter, but it's where it all started!
When DID you seriously start discussing the possibility of Architekt assisting Clint with this endeavor?
In October 2010 Clint mentioned to me that he was working on HDMS2. He was still writing the record and was getting ready for the arrival of his new son. He was super busy and had just gotten off the road with Sevendust, with another leg of the tour coming in early 2011. Then later, in December, he mentioned some of his goals for the project and I offered the services of my team in NJ. I sent him a demo reel of tracks that Kurt, Mike Ferretti and I had worked on earlier in 2010. Shortly after that, Clint wanted to see what we were capable of with his music and delivered the first version of “Summertime.” It had acoustic guitar, programmed acoustic drums, bass and his vocals.
You were already quite familiar with the musicianship and work of Sevendust and their guitarist, Clint Lowery. So when Clint sent the new tracks, what were you left thinking or feeling… Was there some initial surprise or a “pinch me” moment or….did you just get right to work?
My first thought was, of course, "Wait…did Clint Lowery really just send me a track to work on?!?!" (laughing) But then it was time to get to work! I have unwavering confidence in the abilities of the guys at Architekt; I think we have some of the best people in the business and this record is an example of that talent. Having great equipment is one thing, investing in a facility is another, but you need to align talented people who can work together to really deliver a great product. Thankfully, we have those people! Having Clint Lowery's songwriting ability as the starting point is a great help, too! Clint liked our take on “Summertime” and followed up with the other four tracks.
How much was already “done” when Clint sent you the other 4 tracks? What exactly did Clint ask for?
Clint was looking for instrumentation and programming for five tracks. He had the song structures, the melodies, the lyrics and the guitar parts all worked out before they arrived at our facility. He was looking for parts that would compliment, but not step on the vocal and guitars. It was my job to deliver that to him! I put together the team of Kurt and Mike Ferretti to track the additional instrumentation, Mike to mix and Alan Douches to master.
Kurt is a master of many instruments (drums, bass, guitar, piano and programming) so he was the obvious choice to work on the project. Mike Ferretti is an incredibly talented engineer who Kurt and I have worked with for a few years. I put the project together on Architekt's end and worked with the team as the process unfolded through the first three months of the year.
After Architeckt had completed their part of the tracking, then what was the next step?
Once the tracking was done at Architekt for each tune, Mike did some rough mixes for Clint, who was back in St. Louis with his family. The goal was for Clint to complete the vocals and guitars with his brother, Corey Lowery in St. Louis before leaving on the Sevendust Music As a Weapon tour in late January. So as soon as tracking wrapped at Architekt, we sent the ProTools sessions to Clint's home studio and he tracked vocals and guitar with Corey.
Once tracking was complete in St. Louis by Clint and Corey, the project files were sent back to us at Architekt for mixing. Mike (Ferretti) mixed the record in February at our studio, with Clint listening and adding comments from the road, and we mastered with Alan Douches in March. The record was a logistical challenge, but it was well worth it! I think the record sounds incredible. The fan response has also been great!
When you began discussing the 2nd of Clint’s HDMS recordings, was there already a working title or a definitive title for the CD?
Honestly, I have no idea! While working, we were simply calling the project HDMS2. I don't think Clint told me the name of the record until he sent some tests of the artwork. We were super focused though…we had a tight schedule!
Have you had an increase in "recognition" and cold calls for business with the recent release of the Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD “Words That Sing Well?”
We've definitely had an increase in recognition! I'm doing my first interview with Hard Rock Reviews! (laughing) We've had a lot of people contacting us! People are definitely interested in what we're doing. We approach our entire operation very differently and I think that attracts people. Architekt has an amazing 2011 ahead of us and thanks to Words That Sing Well, it will be even busier! Making a record is a serious undertaking and takes a lot of planning, but I hope that more musicians who are looking to make a great sounding record will throw the Architekt name into the conversation. We deliver!
Closing Thoughts?
When listeners hear this record, there's no question that it’s some of the best music that Clint has ever written. I'm very proud to have worked on it with him.
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george@architektmusic.com
A R C H I T E K T M U S I C
Written by Angela Villand
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