You Are Free

I wrote most of this song back in 2004 or 2005 while going to graduate school at MSU. I actually remember writing the line, "the horizon calls but you still feel oppressed" while sitting at a CATA bus stop on campus. It was written right around the time that I burnt out of school and began pursuing music a little more seriously. Maybe I was trying to convince myself to do it by writing this song.

The first version here is me on an acoustic guitar in Dave B's living room in early 2010. When Dave said he was interested in playing in a band, I went to his house and serenaded him with my songs... it was very romantic. The vocals are a bit rough (as most of my vocal performances are) and I was still trying to figure out the logistics of playing and singing at the same time.

Demo, January 2010

Notes: Paul on acoustic guitar and vocals

For some of my songs, I just let the band dictate what they're going to sound like and the overall feel. With You Are Free, I had a pretty solid idea of how I wanted it to sound. We fooled around a bit with this one, but found a good sound for it after just a few rehearsals. The next track features me shouting out in delight after the intro. I had heard a particular part in my head and Dave B nailed it. This track also features the recorder capturing a glass hitting the floor and breaking near the recorder right around 2:27 (we play a bit loud).

Rehearsal, April 25, 2010

Notes: Dave B on baritone guitar, Paul on electric guitar and vocals, Dave O on drums, Steve on bass

For our first two shows, we were lucky enough to have Jeni Lee singing with us. I had asked her to help me out because she's a great singer and I was quite nervous about having to carry an entire set with only my voice. The next snippet of this song is a from our second ever show.

Live at Jukes, September 11, 2010

Notes: Dave B on baritone guitar, Paul on electric guitar and vocals, Dave O on drums, Steve on bass, Jeni Lee Richey on vocals

When Ben joined up he figured out some cool guitar harmony parts that add quite a bit to the original riff. He also had a great idea for harmony vocals in the chorus. The last version here is an intermediate mix from Ghosts and Pride with vocal harmonies harmonies provided by Jeni Lee and Ben. It's amazing how much better they make me sound. I am grateful.

Mix from Ghosts and Pride

Notes: Dave B on baritone guitar, Paul on electric guitar and vocals, Dave O on drums, Steve on bass, Ben on eletric guitar and vocals, Jeni Lee Richey on vocals