AV ProductionWorld
Sustainable Business Tactics for Artists and Producers
November 2007
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Jon Bernson, visionary singer-songwriter and creator of San Francisco's Ray's Vast Basement, gives an exclusive interview about his creative process. |
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My general search for meaning takes the form of writing and recording songs. Most of them bear the name Ray’s Vast Basement. Our most recent record is called Starvation Under Orange Trees. Most of my albums have a connection to fiction, film, plays or fabricated history. Starvation is a soundtrack to John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The record we’re working on now has no connection to books, plays or history. It’s based on my future life. How many hats do you wear? At least 14. I’ve never waited around for AAA. In this day and age, I turn on my computer and send emails to book, buy, sell, distribute, sleep and forage. Hours spent away from Ray’s Vast Basement are spent writing soundtracks, deciphering graffiti, teaching music to youth, burning food in the kitchen, adding up the magnificent qualities of my wife and driving on fumes. How do your thoughts evolve into song? Every song, album and project has been different, but I’ve noticed some habits. My songs are like scripts. Skeletons. Minimalistic as I can stand. I usually prefer working on them by myself. Solitude. Not unlike a fiction writer. Sometimes I’ll write a song quickly, but usually it takes a few years. As of 2007, I have enough planes in the air to know that one is always heading for the runway. Once a song is finished, I have a loose approach and like to work collaboratively with other members of the band, or friends, or relatives, or stockbrokers, or myself to construct arrangements and parts. This place in the process is usually wide open and will usually see a song evolve into something more abstract, dense and sprawling. Then it’s time for a break. [Break time]. After that, I usually take the reins again and wrangle things into new concrete form when running final mixes. Mostly on my own. At some point, an extra set of ears is crucial. Both Colin and Michael (from Ray’s Vast Basement) have great antennae, so they are often first and last to hear the final mixes. What tools do you use to express your ideas? Writing: acoustic guitar or wurlitzer & fine black sharpie felt tip & spiral bound unlined notebook paper. Recording: Tascam 388 8-track quarter inch analogue machine plus Teac cassette one track with condenser, plus Akai MPC500 portable sampler. All files transferred to ProTools Digi 002 for editing and mixing. Instruments: Anything goes. Mastering: Mark Willsher makes everything sound better. Studio: 1924 Franklin is a Car (Oakland, CA) What advice would you share with a new artist starting his/her career? This land is your land, not Disneyland. No one can stop you from making your art and music. Build a catalogue of work that you love making. Work only with people who believe in you and inspire you. feedback |
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