Boston Duo in the Studio

Over the last year I’ve had some great sessions in the studio recording the acoustic guitar duo - Boston Duo, which is made up of Dave Boston and his daughter Naomi.
As anyone who has grown up in Hawke’s Bay knows, Dave is a bit of a legend of guitar, having performed and taught for decades in the area.
Dave and Naomi have played as a duo for many years too, and the first album we’ve released, ‘Guitar Sunrise’ is 100% original compositions. There are a few percussion touches throughout, added by Cameron Budge, but in general it’s the two acoustic guitars.
Mastered by Chris Chetland at Cog.

Since releasing the album above, we’ve gone on to record around 20 more cover songs, which will be released this year.

And alongside all of this, Naomi and I have also has recorded an album’s worth of original ‘Songs for Little Ones’, featuring her daughters, Dad and brother Sean - it’s a family affair for sure :) That album is also in the mixing stage and will also be available soon.

Massive thanks to Naomi and Dave :) Stay tuned for more!

House Of Mountain

Been doing a bit of mixing for these fine fellows...  here's their first track 'Kiwi Hit' :)

Thanks as always to Mr Ben Delaney for the mastering jelly!

What superb gentlemen...

Music Currently In Production

When I haven't written anything on my News page for a while, its not a sign that there's nothing happening - it's more that I'm flat out with a lot of projects!

The last few months have been especially music focused - here's what's been happening:

Stomping Nick Jackman: who is a one man band with a punk blues country kind of persuasion.
Lots of hard hitting rock numbers but also leaning towards the country ballad side of things too. Recording and mixing:  'Shake For Your Cake'

Natalie Slade and The Real:  These folks spent a couple of days at York St in Auckland tracking 4 awesome tunes, and I've been working with them finishing any overdubbing, plus coming on board as producer and mixer.  Talented talented talented.

Archon Records:  Recording rap vocals for this Christchurch based hip hop label.

Matt and John Calman:  Working with these Wellington based folks to bring together musicians for the backing tracks on John Calman's recordings.  This project is just blooming more and more, and now invloves brilliant musicians playing piano, oboe, cornet, flute and cello.  Recording and mixing.

Happiness Stan:  Stan's debut record is something very special, and the collaboration that's gone on in the production is also pretty cool.  All the basic tracks for the songs were lovingly recorded by Ben Edwards in his Lyttelton studio.  We've been overdubbing vocals, guitars, percussion here at The Garage, and some truly massive sounding electric guitars were tracked up in Auckland at The Dragon Room with Mr Andy Lynch.  A long time in the making, but well worth waiting for!

Davey Thorpe:  The Skiffle Machine has been letting loose an album in Jon Peel's Rangiora studio and I've been mixing these good time tunes, which should be wrapped up in the next month or so.

So all in all, lots of creativity and good music being produced here and around the country, all filtering through The Garage.  Nice.

Making Music With Paddy Neill

Sometimes people come along out of the blue with songs that just blow you away and inspire you to make them all they can be.  

This happened with Paddy, who calls up one day saying he wants to just get a record of a few songs he's written.  Fair enough - this is often the motvation for people to record.  But then things start to get fishy... turns out he's a really great guitarist with a background in spanish and classical guitar styles, plus he's right into a bunch of music that I love too - Iron and Wine, Bon Iver etc...  also, the 2 songs are great.  
Ideas start flowing and before you know it we've got a tune that started out as one guitar and a vocal, but now has multiple layers of guitars, organ, stomps, backing vocals, weird eery sounds and a banjo.  
That's the joy of creating music, and here's the finished EP 'Widow's Town'

You're Just The Sunshine That I Need...

I recorded and mixed the backing track for this video about Christchurch. Thanks to Hera and Lukas Kelly who wrote and performed the thing! :-) Great job.

Laura Hunter Acoustic at The Garage

Wow, it's been a little while since I did this one, but didn't share it on my news page!  This is Laura Hunter and Lukas Kelly performing 'Don't Be Afraid To Love' unplugged at The Garage. Video shot and edited by Eugene Lee.

Find out more about Laura at:
https://www.facebook.com/laurahuntermusic