On Monday and Tuesday July 13th and 14th of 2015 we had the pleasure of going into one of the legendary recording studios of the SoCal Blues scene; The Pacifica Recording Studio in Culver City, Ca. Our goal? Was to produce a 5 track ep of all originals; originals covering our various styles of American Roots and Blues that we so love to play, and our fans have grown to expect out of us. Having been asked for several years by the fans of Orphan Jon, “when are you gonna record an album?” We felt it was time to do just that. The moment was right, the creative energy was flowing, and we were excited to see what the next day would bring. So having written several originals by the creative team of Orphan Jon and Bruce Krupnik, we headed south to find out what we could do to make it happen.
Monday; the first day was a quick one, with no worries or hang-ups as everyone was in a great mood and ready to get to work. Engineer Glen Nishida along with Producer Scott Abeyta got things lined out and ready to roll for us. All 5 tracks of the album were laid down by Bruce, Wil and our guest drummer Stan Whiting, along with scratch vocals by Orphan Jon within 4 hours and set aside for the next days arraignments.
Tuesday; the second day, was a busy day for Orphan Jon on Vocals, Bruce on Lead/Rhythm Guitar and Wil on Bass, as they laid down the necessary overdubs for each track recorded the previous day. There were no issues, and things once again flowed smoothly having only to record 3 takes on the vocals for each track and just a few on the guitar and bass. Having a top notch experienced Engineer in Mr. Nishida and a masterful Producer in Mr. Abeyta took all the stress and worries out of the day. Once the studio portion was completed everything was handed over to Mr. Abayta for Mixing and Mastering. Along the way our great friend and harmonica guru Mr. John Clifton teamed up with Mr. Abeyta to do us an honor by accepting our request for them to play on the title track Over The Pain. And man did they ever. Much thanks brutha’s. Within a few days the first mix was sent out to us to critique, make changes and give a thumbs up on and then get us ready for the 2nd mix to arrive, then the 3rd, and so on. This back and forth with Mr. Abeyta took a few days, but it was a pleasurable experience for all of us to be involved in. Seeing and hearing our music come to fruition during this process was way cool and such a joy to be a part of. In the end, the final mix was to our satisfaction, and Mr. Abeyta was given the go ahead to complete the album by it’s mastering.
We can’t thank everyone involved enough for all their help, support, suggestions, critiques, love etc. Our wives and family have been the best of the best during this, the making of our very first album Over The Pain.
So what is Over The Pain? It’s is a story. And it’s a story we enjoy telling. Because it’s a story that introduces everyone to Orphan Jon and The Abandoned.
Peace