It's been an interesting week. I've been back in Gorbals Sound Studios (in Glasgow) recording Hands Up for Trad's song for the Big Song Relay "Here's To All Our Common Wealth" a song that will be passed around Scotland by choirs in the run up to the Commonwealth Games.
I love being in the studio. It's a really focused time of creativity and at the same time a black hole of time consumption! It has been a whole year since Ian Carr and me recorded our album "He Think's He's Invisible". There was only the two of us and Kevin the engineer when we were in. We had been playing non stop for the last couple of days at Celtic Connections festival and going into the studio right after all these gigs was brilliant. We had managed to test drive all our new arrangements, fine tune them and record them when we were all warmed up. Usually when you go into the studio you start with something not too demanding but we went for all our hard pieces on the first day and played the slower tracks on the 2nd day. I do remember at the end of the first day that I couldn't play or remember the arrangements any more and decided to stop. You can listen to CD here http://simonthoumire.com/he-thinks-hes-invisible-simon-thoumire-and-ian-carr-2014/
With the black hole of time consumption comes exhilaration and you leave the studio feeling goooood! It's been like that this week listening to the song being sang and a march I wrote recorded (Scotland's Compliments to the Commonwealth Games). He Think's He's Invisible arrives from the pressing plan tomorrow and I can't wait to hold it! Even in this digital age it is brilliant to hold a physical CD. I'm not sure if my CD player is working so I probably won't play it but I'll be showing it to everyone!
Thanks to Creative Scotland for their help in making this album happen.