Behind the Scenes Pics from Savannah Soul!
From the inception of the “Savannah Soul” Album, there was involvement from pretty talented musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers, stylists & photographers. Here’s some exclusive behind the scenes magic that went into creating this wonderful piece of art:
When I first arrived in Savannah, I didn’t know what to expect. We had just driven straight from Toronto, Ontario and here I was – walking into my very first professional recording studio!
Here’s what you see as soon as you step foot into Dollhouse Productions & Studio!
Kenny had told me so much about Peter – the co-owner of the studio in Savannah – I couldn’t wait to meet him! Here is is left, with Producer Kenny Munshaw. Peter is also a musician hailing from NYC, he has been known to have played with the likes of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds.
It was day one in the studio and since we had brought gear with us, we had a lot of setup to do. Well mainly these guys – because I can’t say I know how to properly set up, tune and record a drum kit.
Pictured below: Steve Hogg & Roger Travassos. I’m incredibly honoured to have such incredible artists on my very first album. Thanks to Kenny, these guys agreed to come down and lay down the bass and drum bed tracks. Steve Hogg pictured left, is one of youngest at heart people I know – and possibly one of the easiest to get along with. We talked about fun apps and games and his new addition to his family. Read more about his coolness here.
Roger (pictured right) has played drums with Remy Shand, JackSoul and many more incredible artists. Roger is one of those people who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. I’ve got to say – it was nice to have someone like that in the studio.
One of the biggest learning lessons I have from this album, is to listen to the drummer and what he thinks the bpm should be (beats per minute). When we started recording “Forever Young”, Roger was the first to say that we needed to raise the tempo. We took his advice and the song had a much better groove to it.
Later on, I noticed he was groovin’ out to another song faster than the original tempo was. Since this was his natural inclination, I suggested we follow his lead. “Ain’t Right” also has a much groovier vibe now thanks to Roger’s innate skill.
Here I was thinking the vocals are the most important, but Rog was quick to point out that the heartbeat is the first ting we hear in the womb.
After day one, we all jumped into Kenny’s vehicle and headed into downtown Savannah! Pictured below from left to right: Apryll Aileen, Roger Travassos, Ron Chilton, Peter Mavrogeorgis, Steve Hogg, Kenny Munshaw.
P.s. this was one of the only times I was was able to steal shotgun from Roger! lol
Dollhouse Studios wouldn’t be what it was today with the incredible organization and marketing efforts of Blake Mavrogeorgis (Peter’s wife). These two people were so kind, unique, eccentric & hospitable – they just exude coolness.
Plus they love dogs and having Darthy at the studio, made the time a lot more fun.
Listening to the bed tracks and going over changes in the studio with Kenny, Steve, Peter & Ron.
Laying down a scratch vocal for the guys to follow.
The first song I recorded a vocal track on, was “Sweet Morning Sunrise”. I’ll never forget how it felt to be in the room alone, with everyone else muted, listening to me sing overtop the bed tracks they had just laid down. I had no idea what it was sounding like until…
Roger (who was like a brother stealing the front seat on me every day), came bounding into the studio thrilled, exclaiming, “WOW! Keep singing exactly how you are singing – this is sounding absolutely incredible! I was not expecting this at all!”
After going straight for 3 days, we needed a break from the confined space of the studio.
Peter & Blake invited me to Jones Street where I stayed the night in downtown Savannah. To the right of where I am standing below, is actually the real backyard of the house from “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” – where Jim Williams used to throw his lavish parties!
The Spanish Moss trees of Savannah are some of the most soothing parts of nature I’ve ever seen. They are majestic, magical, enchanting & energizing.
Thank you for reading this story. It means so much for me to be able to share the backstory with you all about the talent on this album.
I will leave you with a soothing photo on this potentially stressful Tuesday. Remember – any contribution you make towards the “Savannah Soul” album will help all of us make a contribution towards the Saint John SPCA to help the emergency medical fund for the animals.
There are only 26 more days left to preorder!! We are at 24% of the goal so please share with your friends & family.
Traveling and meeting new people inspires me to create meaningful content. My true wish for this content, is that in turn, it inspires you to be the person you really want to be. Full of integrity, growth, respect, perseverance & compassion. One thing we can likely agree on, is that we all want to be better…
I kindly and humbly ask that you support my preorder album campaign by visiting www.musicalgypsy.ca and checking to see if there are any options that work for your budget. If you aren’t in a place to support financially right now, then worry pas – sharing this with your network would mean the world.
