A band spread across three cities and two provinces still found the time to hit the studio and record a debut CD, and are willing to come together to do live shows to promote the disk.
That is the sort of dedication Michael J & The Blue Woods Band puts into their music, the result 小蓝视频 a debut disk which hit the streets earlier this year.
Michael J (Woods) is the lead singer and guitar slinger in the band. He explained the music for the CD came together over a range of years, with some material dating back several years.
"A couple of songs I'd written years ago. I'd say 12 year ago," he said.
Barry James, the band's drummer from Yorkton also penned a couple of the songs, adding "Bottle of Wine is about 10 years old too."
Woods said he's always been serious about writing, but after a chance to open for the veteran band Chilliwack at the Last Band Standing got him taking the idea of hitting the recording studio more seriously.
So Michael, who lives in British Columbia, came back to Yorkton, where he and the band "did about two weeks working on stuff."
In some cases songs were last minute efforts, in particular See Your Face which came together just before recording. However, even in that case a riff might well have been floating around for years, and simply resurfaced as the song came out, he said.
The songs are usually drawn from real life experience, said James, pointing to the song Workin' Man.Michael F. Woods, the band's bassist, from Saskatoon, and the lead singer's uncle, said the song is one which reminds him of unloading watermelons when he was younger.
Michael J. said the idea actually came from his experience working on the oil rigs. He said there was an accident "where a guy got his legs chopped off," and that began him working on the song.
The CD was recorded at Perry's Recording Studio, with veteran music man Doug Perry taking on the major role of producer, and sage voice of second thought on the music as it was 小蓝视频 laid down.Perry's experience was vital, agreed the band's members, pointing to the song Amazing Grace as an example. It was a song Michael J. said was one he was totally into during the recording session.
"Doug was really able to pull a lot out of us," explained James.
The song Amazing Grace might not be one people will expect on a strongly blues-influenced disk, but Michael J. said it is a song which was deeply personal, and had to go on the disk.
"My Grandma passed away two years ago," he said, adding at prayers he "got to go in and play it." The song was one of her favourites, he said noting he had played it for her at the seniors' home once as well.
The inclusion on the CD was for his Grandma, and for his Grandpa who also passed,"He was a musician. He played fiddle, sang, played guitar," said Will Woods, Michael J's Father and a guitarist in the band.
The actual recording was done in "a little over two weeks in the studio," said Michael J.
Michael J. said he also has to thank Dennis Cantelo of Yorkton for the CD cover art, and his girlfriend Crystal Molnar for her work on the CD.
The finished product is something Michael J. said he is proud of.
"I definitely am," he said. "It's been a long time coming, but it's definitely worth the wait."
Michael J. said others seem to like the disk too.
"I'm getting quite a bit of good feedback," he said, adding a blues show out of Kamloops but airs on various radio stations across the country is going to debut the disk with him in studio for a one-hour show. He added other stations are picking up songs, including The Fox in Yorkton.
With a disk to promote, Michael J. said he'd like to tour more to promote the effort.
"I'd like to start in B.C., and go right through," he said, adding he has started making contacts as far east as Thunder Bay and Niagara Falls. "I'd like to see how far east we can go."
And, the band is writing.
"I have a lot of new music," said Michael J., adding he wants to have songs ready should a record label come calling. "I want to have 20-songs ready to go."
