The Album Vs. The Single
I apologize that I’ve been a bit under the radar lately, especially with blogging. I will try to keep you more up to date, I promise! When I get in “album writing” mode, it gets hard for me to pay attention to anything else really. (Something I am working on, because I don’t think it’s very healthy!)
I was in my car the other day, playing some of my music for a new friend that was new to my tunes, and as we were chugging along CA-2 Glendale North, he said, “That’s a nice song.” (Trapeze). Then “Billy the Kid” came on, and he said, “Woah. I didn’t know you did dance music.....When did this album come out?”
You see, therein lies my problem. “Trapeze” and “Billy the kid” are on the same album, my dear friend.
Don’t get me wrong, my latest album, RED, is very dear to me. (However, for those of you who know me from The Voice, and think I am just “starting out,” no, no no, no. RED is my NINTH album out, if you count the EP’s and Live CD’s. I have been doing this for a long while).
RED was created very quickly. We wanted a late winter release, and I was ready to work and write my butt off for it. (Yeah, I just said butt. I’m from Utah). I got to work with a lot of very talented people that I really looked up to: Foster the People, Isabella Summers from Florence & the Machine, Hodges, David H., John Mayor’s talented guitar player, Kid Cudi, (the fabulous) Blake Shelton, and the list goes on.
However, when working with so many different people who come from so many different genre’s, you end up with what I ended up with: An album I am very proud of, but still, a very incohesive, somewhat scatter-brained one at that. There’s a track with Kid Cudi and I, “Don’t kick the Chair,” and then a track like “Daniel,” that is just myself and an acoustic guitar. Then there’s the heavenly, ethereal, “Hearts out to dry,” next to a country/pop ballad called, “I will.”
In my mind at the time, I was just writing and writing and writing, and at the end of the day, for the album RED, I simply sat down, listened to the (60+) songs I had written, and picked - simply - the ones I thought were the best. Period. The album then went on to be produced, not by one producer, like I was used to in my days of being in a band, but by almost a different producer for every single track, lending to the lack of unity in the album.
(Again, don’t get me wrong. I love RED, and am very proud of it. I am grateful to all the INCREDIBLE writers, musicians, producers, and mixers I got to work with and am working with some of them again; However, the album is not necessarily an album in my eyes, but a collection of songs.)
When I put on a Bon Iver album, I fall asleep almost instantly. (I mean that in a good way). That entire album flows from one song to the next, and it always puts me in a half-asleep dream land.
When I put on “Babel” by Mumford and Sons, I am transported to a foot stomping, hand clapping paradise, filled with banjo, quick-strumming guitars, and a heavy amount of kick drum. That album flows from song to song so well, you can barely blink when the song changes. It’s a story.
Tom Petty’s “Wild Flowers,” one of my favorite albums of all time, is an entire hour of well done lyrics, beautiful guitar lines, and a crooning Petty voice I’ve come to absolutely adore. It’s a full hour of perfect Americana and Rock n’ roll.
When I’m going to the gym, and need something to pump me up, it’s Lady Gaga all the way. I absolutely love her dance records, (and her voice live is something amazing).
So, what is all this rambling leading up to?
The Album Vs. The Single
In this musical era, I feel like it’s all about The Single.
Do we have that ONE BIG song?
Why not fill an album up with all singles?!
Well, you can if you’d like.
But this next venture for me, as I’m writing now, is 100% all about THE ALBUM.
It’s been very hard for me because.....I like almost all music genres. I mean, seriously, I like all of them. I absolutely adore folk music; Anything with a mandolin...awwwww. I love pop music. I love country music. (I used to yodel as a kid at the Utah Rodeo. I mean, come on!) I love Americana. I love dance records. I love electronic records. I love simple acoustic singer-songwriter records.
And I love writing all of it, (or attempting to).
I have hundreds of songs that I’ve written all stored away on my computer. The other day, my friend Ben and I got a little crazy and wrote a rap song together! Not kidding! (And it’s not the first time).
So as you can see, it’s hard for me to stay focused on one style, because I love and appreciate so many of them.
However, I am going to stay focused this time on THE ALBUM.
And I can promise you, hopefully soon, a new album, that is not a collection of songs, not a collection of singles, but a story, that will flow seamlessly from one song to the next.
I’m going to save my rap songs and country songs and dance songs for side projects or something! :)
I cannot wait to bring you guys the next Dia Frampton ALBUM, and I am forever grateful to you all for being so supportive, patient, and amazing. All your tweets, facebook posts, and chats, have never failed to brighten up my day.
Hoping to see you soon at a show! :)
XO
Dia
