Looking back on the mastering process of 'Where It Began'

It's been about 2 months now since I was in Centro Cellar Studios with Wil Reeves. I've had some time to both recover from and reflect on the nearly 9 months spent mastering Cluthe/Lee's latest effort 'Where It Began.'

I remember it was about this time last year that I called Matt and suggested that we explore the possibility of having someone else work on our music - specifically, the songs we had gathered up for third album. Up until that point it was only Matt and I doing EVERYTHING and the idea of having someone else involved was a little scary. I remember thinking at the time though that bringing someone in with studio experience could open up new possibilities for these songs we had.

In January 2012 I began calling and e-mailing the small number of studios here in Columbia, Missouri to set up a meeting. Wil was the only person that bothered to call back believe it or not, and so a meeting was set. Matt and I had specific things we wanted and didn't want. Taking those thoughts into meet Wil was exciting and a bit nerve wrecking for me. I was basically representing two people - one of which couldn't be there in person.

Out of an hour long discussion with Wil, there are bits that still stick out - most notably his sense for what Matt and I were doing. He laughed a few times in appreciation that Matt and I don't tinker much with our songs - and that we have done all of our writing apart from one another. Never recording a song once in the same room. Sitting in the studio and having him show me the massive console set up, there was an excitement in way that felt like we had 'arrived' as much as two guys doing what we do, could. I played Wil some of the songs we wanted to work on - and he agreed that Cluthe/Lee was a project he wanted to take on.

The sessions were set up over my lunch break - one hour each session to do as much work on a song as possible. So, in early February 2012 work began at Centro with 'It Spins' - a song that had a solid sound and one that Wil said he wanted to work on first after his initial preview of the tracks. He was particularly enamored with this guitar effect Matt used on the song called 'Dreamy Texture.' Sitting down with Wil that first session, I was blown away at how big our songs sounded coming through pre-amps, and proper studio monitors. In all the work with Matt, I'd never heard us like that before. My excitement was immediate and my phone call to Matt after the session was rambling and giddy if I recall!

'It Spins' was a litmus test to see if there was enough of a difference in the finished product to continue working on songs. The central question was 'can someone else make these songs sound better than what Matt and I could do?' I recall sending Matt that first master of 'It Spins' and getting a phone call  confirming that this was the right thing to do. Naturally the next question was how to pay for it all. We went through a few ideas before settling on simply asking those that had supported us through the last few years to donate towards the project. The response from people was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Within a few short weeks we had enough money to start on the second song.

More lunch breaks were scheduled, odd times that were convenient for Wil and I to get together and work. That spring and summer was a bit of a blur - but my memory recalls feeling so excited as each song was worked on, hitting on all cylinders. There were plenty of misses along the way though - a product of not being able to have Matt sitting close by - which I know was very difficult for him as well! Times where things didn't come out sounding quite right, or partially finished songs mistaken for completed songs. Hearing songs like 'Recollection' and 'Dear Woman' come to a balanced state, with all elements as sharp as they could be, were moments that I won't ever forget.

I learned a lot about recording processes/techniques on the side watching Wil work on songs - he was a great teacher and a very, very patient guy to work with. He always explained what he was using and why for each song, and how I could replicate it at home using Garageband. There were times where we'd be focused on the same ten second section of a song for up to twenty minutes. That often resulted in what I call 'temporary song psychosis' - where that particular part would stay in my head for the next day or so - creating strange dreams like being physically tied to a song (don't ask, weird dream).

As summer turned to fall - I had warned Wil that the final 2-3 songs would be the most difficult to master. Those were 'Chaos Ensues,' 'London Dream,' and 'Coming Through.' Lunch time breaks in the studio soon morphed into early evenings, weekends and just about any time we could coordinate our schedules. It was during this time that I found out my wife and I were pregnant. Everything took on this immediate new meaning - which included getting the album finished. Eight months from when I first met Wil, we sat in the studio scratching our heads at the last song to be finished, 'Chaos Ensues' -a crazy layered song like none Matt had written before in Cluthe/Lee. There were particular sections of that song that needed to be approached carefully and I remember a few times Wil and I looking at each other and saying 'let's walk away from this for a bit.' Hahaha! I recall one of the final sessions was working on just the vocals for 'Chaos Ensues' and listening to the breakdown for about thirty minutes without stopping!

The ten months spent working on and listening to 'Where It Began' in all it's various stages of completion was one of the most difficult and rewarding experiences for me as a musician. Sitting here typing this - I definitely feel a huge sense of accomplishment, and closure listening to the final product. Some of the songs on the record are over two years old which blows my mind - that's quite a journey for five minutes of sound and two guys who love creating together!