Rafael Miranda Thu 8 Jun 2023
Hey guys! It's that time of the week again, and today's blog is about the drums recording sessions for our EP! In case you hadn't heard, we are currently recording our second studio release: a brand new EP, with the first single to be released within the next two months. Our first studio album was an absolute success, with results and feedback from the public much better than expected, and if you haven't already don't forget to check it out on all digital platforms: Black Wolf Blues. And now a couple of years later, a lot of hard work and preparation has been put into this EP, with some of the songs having been in the works for years, now finally ready to be released. Just to clarify for those who are not too used to the nomenclature, the only difference between an EP and an album is the number of songs, with EPs usually having up to 5/6 songs, with anything more than that being an album. Our EP will consist of 5 songs in total, but they will be released in singles, with the first one set to be released by the end of July if everything goes to plan. From there we will be releasing a new single every month until the end of the year, and with the final one our EP will be officially and fully released. Recording technology has evolved immensely in the last two decades, giving many independent artists the opportunities that once only big studios and labels could offer. The music industry has also changed, allowing for artists to distribute their music directly to all digital platforms accessible to anyone around the world, as well as interact directly with their fanbase online and on social media. And in case you didn't know, our guitarist Jake is also a certified music producer, fresh out of one of the best music universities in London, he will be in charge of the recording and production of our EP. Taking all of this combined with the amazing creative output we have been getting from our new line up, and all the beautiful material that has been coming out of it, means that this EP is only the second of many releases yet to come. Now on the drums recording sessions, let's start by telling you a little bit about our drummer, Cam. Cameron Storey is the power and weight behind Black Wolf Blues' sound. From London, UK, and the brother of our guitarist Jake, he has been studying music and playing the drums from the age of 11, inspired by the artists and the music he grew up around. Some of the famous drummers that have influenced his playing are Lars Ulrich, Danny Carey, Charlie Benante, Nick Menza, Dave Lombardo, Jay Weinberg, Donald Tardy, Phil Rudd, Gavin Harrison, Steven Adler and many more Jake and Cam have been playing together for a long time alongside our bassist Liam. They all joined Black Wolf Blues in early 2022 shortly after meeting frontman Rafael Miranda. Cam definitely has a lot of hard rock in his influences, and you can hear that on his playing and you'll definitely be able to hear that on the EP. We are using state-of-the-art softwares for the recording of the drums, and the results will really amaze you!
Check out a little bit of what Cam had to say about the recording sessions:
"... Recording drums for our upcoming EP has been a great experience for me.
Me and Jake recorded on an Alesis Strike Pro drum kit whilst using an awesome software called Superior Drummer which offers a great realistic sound library.
We did a number of drum takes with different fill ideas and different beats so that we could choose the best options for the songs that will be on the EP.
The EP is finally coming out and the band and myself cannot wait to share it with all of you!...".
Also, check out a little bit of what Jake had to say, as the producer of our EP and of these recording sessions:
"...It's been awesome to finally get the recording process underway! I am really excited about how these songs are going to turn out and we all have been working extremely hard to make this E.P. the best we can!
It has been interesting to see our influences coming together especially with the drum parts. For recording we are using Cam's electric drum set while mapping samples from Superior Drummer 3 to deliver an awesome sounding drum recording on a budget.
I think something I have not noticed with Cam in particular is that not only is he always killing it on the drums and giving it his 100% but as he is recording the drum parts for these songs in particular, I have seen him mature as a musician as well.
Watching Cam adapt his playing style to work and serve the songs has been really interesting to see and I think he should be proud of what he has done so far!
With these songs in particular we have focused on delivering a more solid groove while also adding a lot of weight and space to the parts to allow the songs to breathe.
It's also interesting to see how influences from his favourite drummers are showing up here and there! So far we are three songs down and we have two more to go!..."
One thing that really amazed me personally and that became one of the funnest parts of the whole thing was the writing process. The writing process we established in this new line up is better than ever! And on top of it all, the dynamic we established between us as band members during the writing process and during the planning of this recording project as a whole is something that finished closing the bonds between us as a band. We are really excited and working on this project every single day, it will really blow your minds guys.
You will naturally also get to see the artwork of the EP - which will be awesome - from the very first single, as well as the name of the EP. As an independent band we need all the support we can get, so we are running a crowdfunding campaign to help us fund the recording of our EP and make it as awesome as possible for you! If you'd like to contribute with any amount just head on over to our website or linktree and you will find the link to the crowdfunding there.
Our next gig is this weekend 22 July at the Camden Rocks Presents shows at The Fiddler's Elbow in Camden Town, an amazing venue right in the heart of Camden, on a rocking Saturday night! Many other bands will play before us and we’ll be playing at around 8:30 PM. This is gonna be a really special performance we’re preparing for you so make sure you are there! Check out our Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for some of our videos, pictures and exclusive content. A new video is uploaded to our YouTube channel every Tuesday, so don't forget to like and subscribe so that you don't miss out on new content weekly. We also publish a new blog every Thursday, and next week's blog is going to be one of a kind. So stay tuned, rock on and have an amazing weekend!
Black Wolf Blues
Rafael, Jake, Liam & Cam