Relying on Ed for drums (Tuesday 21st July)

Ed and Rich are late turning up so I set about the pump organ. We sort of inherited it via James (H&S trumpet player/brass arranger) and I’ve not had chance to properly road test it yet. What a thing it is. I always find that if I’ve been playing a certain instrument for a long time (piano in this case) and I switch to something new then songs suddenly start pouring out. True again today. And when Ed and Rich come in I have the basis of a verse and bridge that we then kick around for 3 hours. Starts off like an Ed Harcourt tune but moves into a Jam/Beatles (dare I say it) “groove” with a fantastic guitar line from Hux. Ed actually has a blast on the drums (we’ve got a bass drum and snare drum set up for anyone to have a hit) and when I shout for him to go to “double time” he nearly falls over. We get something down though with Rich on the bass – always looks like the perspective is wrong when Rich plays bass. Keep going too far and descend into browness. I try to avoid the ensuing murky waters by heading for a walk but Ed and Rich suddenly start playing with loops and I turn round at the door to join in – short burst and it’s another idea. Could be too pop really, or too shit but we could definitely make something…’perplexing’ out of it if we try. After a break Rich and I start playing a mournful acoustic tune out of nowhere just sitting on the sofa. Ed comes back in and we play it for ages – Hux on gloc, Me on acoustic and vocal, Ed on piano. It’s beautiful – hits a rich vein of meaning and sound that we’ve been after for a few days. I just hope it’s as good on listen back on Friday.

Knock it on the head at 6:30 and go to meet BD for web talks – the website is our only weapon and we’re not using it as well as we could. He’s a whirlwind of ideas as ever. Inspiring. Wasted in his job. Wish we had the money to take him on.

Home to bad news. Watch Imagine about the historical link between transformation in the arts and recession. I reccommend it.