Tribal

Last night at band practice, we were wondering what to record next. By the time we were done, a new song was finished, and only about two hours old. It all started when I began playing a two-chord progression, walking up and down the individual notes. I threw in a “tribal” sort of vocal thing. My band is exceptional at improvisation, and we were already setup to record. We did everything in one take, and it sounds good.

I think the inspiration was from the simplicity of the music that I heard at the Hmong market on Sunday. Not being a Hmong speaker, it sounded like a simple chant. That same type of simplicity is the basis of the song “Tribal,” except that we used a combination of instruments, techniques, and vocals and piled them with digital multi tracking. The final product sounds much more American Indian, and in fact, (in my head) I could see painted warriors and painted ponies running (slow motion) into battle while we recorded. The multi tracking allowed the three of us to build the song from a single warrior, into the entire war party.

I see this as another dimension to the band, as we explore the reaches of music beyond our (original) Rock roots. Dave and Pete, you guys Rock!