I would also say that Emmylou Harris\u2019 work, specifically as a session vocalist, had a big influence on the way that I arrange vocals, both in leaning into moments of tension and in releasing them through a particular choice of harmony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Explain your creative process? Do you have a routine?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I tend to go through cycles of creative focus. There are periods when I\u2019m mostly working on administrative stuff, like booking tours or writing <\/strong>grants. Other times I\u2019m working on pre-production and recording, and sometimes I\u2019m zeroed in on songwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing I try to do consistently no matter what though is to keep up a practice of journaling. Even that still ebbs and flows depending on my schedule, but I always keep a quarterly document on my laptop for reflective writing, just to get my thoughts out and into words, and an open note on my phone to jot down lines and lyric ideas when I\u2019m on the go. Then, when I sit down to work on a musical idea, I\u2019ve got something to draw from when it\u2019s time to craft lyrics, because I\u2019ve already done the work of sifting and distilling whatever themes are currently emerging from my subconscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I went through a big move at the end of 2019, so most of my instruments and gear were temporarily in storage in an office I shared with co-workers when the pandemic hit. I was lucky to be the only one using the space throughout lockdown, so I was able to kind of convert it into an ad-hoc writing studio. It was very much a make-do situation, since all non-essential retail was shut down for such a long stretch there, so I rifled through filing cabinets and shelves to see what I could use to build a makeshift vocal booth. I ended up feeling a bit like a kid building a fort out of tablecloths and office supplies, but it did improve the vocal sound I was able to capture in the space and, I\u2019ll be honest, it was super cozy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with my tablecloth fort, I was using an ART M-Three<\/a> multi-pattern condenser mic with an ART Voice Channel tube preamp and tracking through Logic. When I was live streaming or recording multiple instruments\/voices, I used an Allen & Heath ZED10X board I\u2019d actually been planning to sell before COVID, cuz it had sat in the box untouched for a few years. In spring\/summer 2020, I was able to move in an upright piano, which was a game changer as far as writing is concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the last few months though, I\u2019ve been in Alberta doing field research for an upcoming songwriting project, so it\u2019s been back to basics. I have a simple writing setup at my temporary home base in Edmonton (UA Apollo Twin + Shure SM7b), and I take my Zoom H4N field recorder when I\u2019m travelling around the province. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I\u2019m bringing people in to work on something of mine, I make sure to have charts, lyrics and any general sonic ideas, references or guidelines all shared ahead of time. There are usually spreadsheets involved! I get pretty nerdy about thorough pre-production and organizing, partly because that\u2019s just the way my brain works, but also because it helps me to stay in the moment as an artist\/performer\/bandleader once we get into the studio if I can lower the amount of decisions I have to make while we\u2019re tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was able to do a fair bit of remote vocal arranging and session work through the pandemic, which had its challenges for sure, but also turned out to be a much-needed creative outlet too, especially while I wasn\u2019t able to perform or work on my own record. In those cases, I always requested a separate vocal stem from the rest of the track so I could adjust my own monitor levels and make sure I was really locked in with the lead vocal. I based my initial arrangement on any production notes provided, and then if I needed feedback to decide between different ideas I came up with, I met with either the artist or the other vocalist singing on a track and we talked through the options, sometimes trying things out in real time over Zoom, other times by sending voice memos back and forth over text message. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m usually happy to share a bare-bones idea of a song with fellow songwriters in a workshop capacity. And anyone I\u2019m living with will probably hear what I\u2019m working on too, across all stages of development. Besides that, I tend to keep it pretty close to the vest until I\u2019m releasing a finished product, unless I\u2019m sharing it with folks who are about to work on it with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m pretty careful about when and where I invite feedback on unfinished work. I\u2019ve learned it\u2019s better for my own process if I wait until I\u2019ve got a song or a demo in a place where I\u2019m already happy with the work and am able to filter out any criticism that isn\u2019t constructive. Either that, or I\u2019ll share it in really early stages, before I\u2019m feeling precious about an idea, and when that\u2019s the case it\u2019s generally a rough voice memo passed through text message or email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Byta you are in control of your music. <\/p>\n Read More<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n One benchmark for me is when I can listen to a mix\/master, decide I\u2019m happy, sit with it for 2-3 days, and then come back and listen again without anything glaring or making me cringe\u2014that\u2019s usually when I\u2019ll draw a line and walk away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After that, I think most of the changes I\u2019d be making would be horizontal moves, they wouldn\u2019t necessarily be improving the record. And although my instinct is to always make it as perfect as I possibly can, I know that\u2019s ultimately a waste of my energy beyond a certain point and can end up killing the vibe of a record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For my last record, I planned to mix it a few weeks after our original session at hotel2tango<\/a> in Montr\u00e9al with my engineer and co-producer Howard Bilerman<\/a>. But shortly after we tracked everything, both Montr\u00e9al and Toronto went back into a pretty strict lockdown, so Howard and I ended up having to do a lot of the work remotely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We used a combination of Audiomovers<\/a> (so I could hear the changes in real time at a decent resolution) and Zoom (so he could share his ProTools screen and we could chat through changes we wanted to make). We got everything as close to finished as possible, and then I had time to listen to those mixes over my own studio monitors, headphones, computer and even phone speakers to see how it translated across all of them. Then when restrictions eased up a bit, I went back to Montr\u00e9al where Howard and I brought everything over the finish line together and we could both be listening in the same room, on the same monitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I definitely have some underlying anxiety about security, but it\u2019s mostly to do with fear of failed hard drives! I\u2019ve suffered more than my fair share of setbacks due to corrupted hard drives and failed backups over the years – I even wrote a song about it on my first LP<\/a> called Amnesia<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As far as I know, folks aren\u2019t scouring the internet trying to find a copy of my record before it\u2019s released, so I don\u2019t get too worried about security in terms of people hearing an album before they\u2019re supposed to. Maybe one day that will be a problem I have!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I usually share final versions with a handful of close friends and whoever the core players were via Dropbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyone I\u2019m collaborating with or hoping to collaborate with in the next stages – for example my publicist, creative director, music video director, animator – they all get a private SoundCloud link for streaming. If someone needs a downloadable file, I usually link them to .wav files<\/a> in Dropbox. Always with a strict privacy caveat though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n My album Calm Fury<\/a> came out on March 4th! It\u2019s a collection of songs I wrote after researching the way that Canadians experience, express and repress anger (especially women). I also co-host a podcast called The Fury Pod<\/a> that explores how anger intersects with different themes (communication, repression, spirituality, etc.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n And, now that the album\u2019s out and restrictions are loosening, I\u2019m really looking forward to getting back to performing, so keep an eye out for Canadian tour dates later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is your \u201cstudio\u201d setup?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/byta.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Temporary-setup-in-Edmonton-photo-by-Sarah-Hiltz.jpg\")
What is your process when working with other people? How is collaboration different in the studio vs working remotely? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At what point(s) are you comfortable letting other people hear what you are working on?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do you share<\/a> your work in progress (streams or downloads)? Any technical frustrations? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Byta delivers fast and secure audio sharing<\/h3>
How do you know when a track\/album is finished?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you listen to the final mixes\/mastered work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/byta.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Me-and-my-spreadsheets-in-the-control-room-at-hotel2tango-Sarah-Hiltz.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/byta.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Remote-Mixing-screenshot-from-Sarah-Hiltz.jpg\")
How important is pre-release security<\/a> when sharing new work? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who on your team gets to hear the final versions first and why, what formats do they each need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Outside of your inner circle who are the people that will need to hear the new tracks next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Anything you are working on, anyone you are working with and want to share? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n