m0tel7
Feb 4, 2024
daeclan
Meteor Shower at the Motel
a cowboy kabuki motel apocalypse number. watching the end of the world through the dusty blinds. trying to find peace & acceptance as the meteors crash closer and closer, enjoying what’s left through bright flashes & shockwaves.
i am in LA rn and the sense of impending doom (earthquakes, fires, atmospheric rivers, etc.) out here is reeaal. it’s all here, in a weird overwhelming way. also like, access to everything, every bad choice. an entire city that has had too much birthday cake. and yet is still serving cake.
being out here (& considering moving here) has made me reflect a lot on my consumption habits, which the pandemmy worsened. have i had enough birthday cake yet? where does it end? what does enough look like? should i do it because i finally have the ability to, even though i know it will hurt me in the long run? so anyways this is a reflection on that.
lyrics:
Looking for feedback on
been trying to work on my mixing, specifically vocal mixing — ppl tell my i mix my vocals too low. also open to other ideas on mixing & things i can do to make this feel more like a real song. all my songs feel like demos, which is partially a studio limitation (traveling w little gear rn) but there must be ways i can polish things up or record things better idk, open to ideas
Discussion
Caleb February 25, 2024 6:32pm
i think the drums and vocals are mixed so nicely for that entire middle section of the song, definitely not too soft. your delivery of in the motel grime? scratches my brain in the perfect way. well done!
EliasSZ February 14, 2024 11:34am
That chorus is SO tight. Melody, vocals, the whole thang.
I want just a bit more of that guitar throughout – I like the effect of it being hidden underneath, but I feel like its doing some really interesting movement and the playing sounds so nice, I just want to hear it a bit more!
peter February 6, 2024 6:57pm
i listened to this twice and wanted to come back to it before commenting… but like nick the chorus was with me between listens. the vox are sitting above everything, which is a cool vibe here. if the vox were mixed down, the guitar up, and if they shared some effects textures (reverb etc) it might make it feel like these 2 things are in the room together, which would be cool sitting over the percussion
Ben February 6, 2024 5:03pm
Wow, the vocals, even though theyre SO quiet and light and so strangely CLEAR. I’d actually be fine if the whole song was just the first 1:07.
This is so cool. I love LA, but every time i go there, i feel the exact same way. i think theres too much fire.
troods February 6, 2024 12:21pm
It feels like I’m listening to you sing this with your head on the pillow, hands over your eyes.
The mixing is *chef’s kiss* to me – the other elements don’t overtake/imbalance your vocals, and were they louder they might throw off the perfect equilibrium, but in this context they settle like lincoln logs in perfect alignment.
nick February 6, 2024 9:35am
have to mention ive been singing this chorus all morning 🌟
Ben February 5, 2024 4:05pm
Duuuude, I haven’t heard the music you’ve been making lately, and this is a welcome re-introduction. Your vocal performance is so tender and I love the way you’re close-mic’ed, it really makes this song feel intimate and delicate, like James Blake. Agree with Nick on the levels—there’s a beautiful cinematic chord pattern that’s almost lost. It took me a second listen to get those 7th chords on the guitar. Secondly, I feel like the song could sound more sonically integrated, but I’m not sure how to achieve that. The drums feel like they’re part of a different song (I’m referring to the tonal and aural quality, not the pattern). I think this is another thing that can be tweaked by mixing it a little more—maybe more reverb and a little overdrive so they sound more ‘in a room’? That’s the tough thing about mixing live vocals (and yours are so live, so human) with electronic elements. I’d love to hear other’s suggestions on this.
Please keep working on this and post the next version, it’s so good.
nick February 5, 2024 4:08pm
yeah James Blake meets Corinne Bailey Rae on acid
Ryan February 5, 2024 3:58pm
This is my favorite Daeclan submission so far. Great drum choices, great vocal delivery. Getting a fair bit of Yo La Tengo and I think that direction works super well for you.
“The sky is falling fr this time” is such an excellent lyric. Sad, but also pithy. Whole first verse is great. Side note: should the title for this song be “Fr This Time”, to get the double meaning of both “for real this time” and “free this time”?
Re: mix, yeah it’s tricky. Have you ever put together a session template for yourself? With pre-routed buses, a few plugins ready to go, etc. As an amateur mixer, I find using my template insanely helpful.
nick February 5, 2024 12:04pm
so much about this is great. the lyrics are poignant, and when paired with the uber-chill chord progression, it impends doom with a creepy layer of acceptance, or something adjacent to that? lightheadedness. seeing stars…
in regards to what you said about vox level, this is probably a little overcompensation. i think the vocals could come down a bit, and the guitar (or maybe eventual keys too?) and other harmonic information should come up to help support the vox. the melodies and lyrics are tight, so with some massaging and maybe a few additional elements, this could be quite strong. also, once the mix is a little closer, experiment with default mastering settings. i dont know how to master, but i know where to click the buttons that master the song for you, and im more than happy with that off-the-shelf option. excellent submish!