CD release show to combine cocktails, appetizers and the spirit of Elvis
Aaron Adair, a Saskatoon soul musician and songwriter, is throwing a party royale in order to celebrate the release of his latest album Aanalog. For those planning on attending the release party at the Refinery on April 12, you can expect a 1960’s cocktail party combined with an Elvis ’68 comeback special.
In addition DJ magnifico Charley Hustle will be spinning and Chef Jenni will be presenting dishes like a peanut butter, banana and bacon cheesecake. Whoa!
On Aanalog Adair takes on much of the instrumentation himself, playing everything from the guitars to the keyboards and even picking up the drumsticks on several tracks. But he also calls in a few favours with a host of local musicians joining him on record, including Hal Schrenk, Dave Anderson and Brennan Risling (of Ultimate Power Duo fame).
The songs on Aanalog take on a decidedly soulful tone and are largely carried by Adair’s vocals and a very adept horn section. The mood is decidedly light-hearted and the songs… well, they are smoother than a pair of silk ginch – dance party is written all over this.
Ominocity caught up with Adair for a quick chat about his new album and recording in a vintage guitar shop.
Ominocity: Describe the process of recording and producing this album – I know that you were in Toronto for mixing…
Aaron Adair: Considering that I was working on my Master’s in Curriculum Studies at the same time, this was a long process. I started rehearsing with Hal Schrenk and Dave Anderson in the fall of 2011. After a few delays, we finally got in to the studio in January 2012. I was looking for an alternative to the traditional studio feel, so we recorded at Village Guitar and Amp with Dan Canfield. I was heavily influenced by the Memphis Soul style of recording, so working in this alternative venue helped with the vibe. I took my time with this process, partially because of the Master’s, but mostly because I didn’t want to have any regrets with the project. After bed tracks were complete, I let it sit for a couple of weeks to make sure that I was happy with everything. I decided to cut a song or two in this time, and also took time to get all of the overdubs ready. After about three months, the recording was done.
Jared Kuemper is an old friend of mine who is a mixing engineer in Toronto. I knew that he would understand what I was going for, so he mixed it in his home in July 2012. I went out there at the end of the month to help with the final touches, and then took it to Phil Demetro at the Lacquer Channel for mastering. I’ve never been a part of that process, so I loved every minute of it.