Kerastase
(Birmingham)
Monday 19 Aug 2019, 5:18pm
*Apologies in advance for the length of this posting, but I feel it important to fully-explain things and make my expectations clear from the outset.
I’m in an interesting situation and am looking for an incredible singer (who preferably also plays guitar).
To save you reading the length of this admittedly lengthy post and then it not being applicable to you then the pertinent requirements are:
* Ideally you will be aged between 25-40 – but if just over and tick all other boxes and we connect then I’m happy to overlook this. I no longer see age (within reason) as a barrier in these days of social media and Spotify.
* You need to be Birmingham / Midlands based.
* I’d prefer if you played guitar as well as sang.
* Able to record in Birmingham late October / early November.
* Willing to commit to being part of this new band from the start and prepared to appear in promo video's, rehearse intermittently and play live.
A few years ago I was the songwriter & rhythm guitarist in a hotly-tipped rock band – genuine major label attention, development deal, Kerrang / Radio 1 / KROQ plays, big following, single produced by a legend of rock – etc.
As is life then it all went tits-up – primarily due to the singers ego – and we split. Since then I’ve forged a successful career in media and have been very content. But, as a songwriter, then songs have still been popping into my head and so I’ve been amassing a collection of them ever since, which I believed to be better than the ones that I wrote in the band and got all the previous attention.
Cutting a long story short then my new material recently came to attention of a Grammy winning producer and whom I was extremely humbled to receive strong praise from (and not just blowing smoke up my ass in order for me to record with him, I can detect bullshitters a mile off!). We have met multiple times and sifted through the 20+ tracks to choose a few to record professionally and put out.
I have also been lucky enough to have been given private funding for the studio time from a very wealthy benefactor and so I am in an incredibly fortunate and unique position to move forward. This benefactor is also ridiculously connected in the world of music and film and will want to help in anyway he can to get the songs to the right people.
The bane of my life is that I don’t consider my voice good enough to sing my own songs and therefore I am looking for someone with a KILLER voice to be part of this. I am looking for a voice raw with passion, as well as gravelly and with fragility rather than some perfect pub-band / karaoke-king / talent-show voice. Although I wouldn’t say I’m a fan then I guess a less-nauseating Kelly Jones from Stereophonics would be a good marker.
If pushed, the music is perhaps best likened to a cross between Feeder / The Killers / Foo Fighters / Muse etc. Basically big sounding commercial rock with loud guitars, grand chorus’ and a good dose of orchestra.
I would prefer the singer to also play guitar in an ideal world – that’s just how I ‘see’ it.
Where it goes then I don’t have any expectations. The days of me desperate to make it big are over – I do this now for fun and because after so long not being involved in music and missing it then I realised that it’s stupid to completely give it up and instead then just as some people like photography / gardening / trainspotting then I should just treat it as my hobby now – because I enjoy it, not for any dreams of grandeur. If anything else were to happen then that would be a bonus – but not the motive. However, the Producer is clearly confident that this could / should go somewhere and also between his, the benefactors and my own extremely high-profile contacts then I am optimistic that there’s something exciting here.
At minimum therefore then I am not just after a session-musician for this – I want someone who will also commit to being part of a band and for us to play some shows together down the line. At present then there’s already a gig for Simon Pegg at a private event next year I’ve been asked to play at, which I’d like to. But I’d also like to get a good few dates here and there also. I would also like to film a video or 2 and also perhaps have the recording process semi-documented. So you must be happy with this as well. I am NOT looking to go all through this and record with someone only to then have to find someone else again at some point. If you are in it from the start then you STAY in it.
Because of work commitments then this isn’t something that (unlike my old bands) I’m looking for extreme or even exclusive commitment to for the time being – as long as you are able to make the recording sessions and then the odd practice and gig as we go forward (unless anything else unpredictable happens and we have to consider things more seriously) then that is ok for me, for now.
I am looking to record in late October / early November.
I am also looking for a bassist and drummer – although I have good friends who are outstanding on both who are happy to help me out for the recording sessions so that’s not so essential to me to find as a singer. I am happy to have friends help out as session musicians for the recording and then find suitable replacements afterwards – but I am NOT willing to do that with the vocals.
I really see potential with this and if nothing else then it will be a lot of fun and a great experience going into a top studio with a Grammy winning producer and getting some tracks down, a video or 2, some shows and building up a cool following.
If this sounds like you then please get in touch with links to songs you’ve sang and played on, as well as some more general information about yourself. Any social media links also useful - or at least a picture or 2.
Many thanks! (And for reading this far!)