I love it when our customers use OddGrooves’ MIDI in their songs, especially when the songs are released on the streaming services.
So a while ago Terry Weiss from Skeeter Jones & The Fireflies reached out about their new EP Feathers, which features plenty of OddGrooves stuff (see details below). It’s instrumental proggy rock fusion with strong compositions, intricate arrangements and clean production. Very well performed, without any unnecessary shredding. My favourite song on the album is the last one, called Listen Up. Check it out, this is brilliant!
Check out the EP on Spotify or on Apple Music
Details about the EP in Terry’s own words
“Feathers is loosely based on Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with feathers”. It took 6 years to make, but it didn’t come alive until I found Odd Grooves. Prior to that moment, I only had compositions with drum machine-like beats, but the first time I strapped on my trusty and ancient Yamaha BB400 to play along Magnus, I realized that I had a basis not only for composition, but performance as well. The patterns I used didn’t just accompany me, they inspired me as a player, especially on Slow Walk where the consistent and insistent rhythm came alive in his hands and made me step up the song. When I picked up a drum modeler capable of expressing him, I was amazed at the subtlety of Magnus’s playing: expressive, dynamic, lively. In a word, “human”.
The production took place in FL Studio. In addition to my Yamaha, I also used a 1979 Ibanez Musician MC124 and a 1965 Guild Starfire direct via a Vox AC and then through various amp models, primarily Fender, Vox and Mesa. Mixing and mastering was made possible by UAD Spark and T-Racks. And there’s also my teacher, Steve, who showed me what the fretboard really looks like.
In the past when hearing my songs people always asked if it was a drum machine they were hearing. They never ask that question anymore.
These are the packs I used for this project. Mangepack contributed the most.
Free pack
The geeky stuff (maybe too much)
1979 Ibanez Musician
1981 Yamaha BB400
1965 Guild Starfire
All amps were modeled, I don’t have a recording space so I didn’t have a choice. I used Amplitube and tried to keep it to gear I own: Fender Super, Showman, Vox AC. I also mixed in stuff I don’t own like Mesa Triple Rectifier for solos. All lovingly colored by the mighty ProCo Rat.
Bass is direct with no amp modeling, just a multiband compressor and the incredible and free Bass Professor II.
Drums were modeled with MODO Drum, with slightly different sets for each song.
Mixing and mastering were almost entirely done using UAD Spark and T-Racks. And the whole thing was produced on FLStudio.”
The (virtual) band’s website is at sjonesff.com
