Ghost of the Mill recently spent some time in Wayne Becker’s recording studio, West Wires Recording USA in Allentown, PA, laying down four new tracks to prepare for release. This wood-paneled basement studio would be GOTM’s home over the next few weekends as they hammer out the bones, blood, and hearts of four never before released tracks.
When a live band goes into recording, things don’t always go as planned. Even if the band performs flawlessly in each stage set, stepping into the booth puts them in an entirely different world.
Fortunately, Becker’s process merged seamlessly with GOTM’s style, as he prefers each band to record live, together, and in the same room. “It made us rethink how we play songs and what parts to concentrate on,” says Greg. “We recorded the bulk of the song live, adding solos and accents after the fact.”
This process allowed GOTM to flesh out their songs alongside each other, allowing them to take sonic and visual cues just like in practice or in front of a crowd. Compared to their first recording sessions together, Becker’s process meshed better and allowed GOTM to pull forth their best performances. “I kind of struggled with the red light fright the first time around,” says Joe. “At our first studio session, I had to play each song without the music in the background, just the click, which removes all feeling.”
Overall, that first session did not go to waste, as the GOTM team arrived at West Wires Recording with renewed expertise, ready to adopt the new recording style. After hours of practicing at home and refining each of the four tracks, the group saddled up and made several trips to Allentown where they’d spend their next few weekends – about six days total – laying down tracks, hitting the editing software, and putting on finishing touches.
“Wayne really excels at being a fifth band member,” Rodger explains, “he sits right in and gets really into any given song. While playing, I could look over and see him bobbing his head and shaking his fist in the air. He was truly vested in the moment, the band, and whichever song we were playing.” Needless to say, Becker went above and beyond to bring out the best in the band, acting as a friend and consummate professional.
“After we got the tracks laid down, Wayne would double the guitars to beef up the sound,” says JP. “The last part was laying down the vocals. Wayne excels here.”
The band didn’t overcomplicate things and worry about being absolutely perfect. What carries through is the performance, the energy, and the band being together. While this is a different process from what a lot of other bands do, it’s true to who Ghost of the Mill is as a band.
Ultimately, these four tracks will deliver more of an organic rock band sound, something authentic to the sound you would hear in the 70s and 80s. And you can expect more from the team of GOTM and West Wires Recording USA in the near future.
The band recorded four tracks: Trike; Good and Evil; Magic Burn and Fair Land. These tracks are scheduled for release this coming summer.