Where to begin? The last week has definitely been a long one of many thoughts and contemplation. Getting an honest opinion on our new music from reputable producers in the city has definitely taken my mind for a ride in more directions than I would like to admit. Feeling like we’re back at square one would be an overstatement, although I think skipping square one is how we got here in the first place. Here being at a point where we need to go through our personal repertoire of new songs and tear them back down to basics.

See, the first Living Illusion album was mostly written on an acoustic guitar. It was just two guys sitting in an apartment downtown Edmonton pissing off their neighbours playing music.  We wrote lyrics, melodies and everything that we could, given that we didn’t have many instruments at our disposal. When we went into the recording studio for that first album we had a good 8 songs ready to be recorded, not really knowing our direction other than the fact that we wanted it to sound good, and be heavy. From there it was developed into what you hear today, sort of a combination of hard alternative and progressive rock.

With this new album we have sort of tackled the songcraft in an entirely different way. Whether it is because we have the capability to or simply because we found it to be more fun, it has differed in the sense that the driving force behind our new music has been mostly guitars and drums; compared to before where it was mostly acoustic guitars and vocals. At this point on the new album the guitars and drums sound freaking amazing and we have received much praise and many compliments for them (from producers, engineers, friends, etc), but there’s a Catch.

What is it? Well quite simply, by not focusing on vocals, lyrics, and melody lines first (as we did on the self titled disc), we now have to bust our asses hardcore to develop them. The songs are going to sound incredible when they are done, but if I had any advice to give to another song writer it would be: Get an acoustic guitar or a piano, and write Chords with Melody Lines, leave the rest for when you get to the recording studio. It simplifies the process to a degree that isn’t even comparable, trust me. Although, I must admit there has been a huge benefit to this new style of songcraft that we’ve been using.

HEAVY FUCKING GUITARS!

And I wouldn’t have it any other way, but maybe that’s just me.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/