Take It Easy: On The Road With Destroy Nate Allen

Recording Notes by Robert Lugo myspace.com/destroybigbrother

This project happened by chance. Nate and Ingsoc played a show together Ft.Wayne, IN. He and I talked in between our sets. At that point I that he was just some guy coming to see local bands. *One thing you have to understand is I never know where we play, or who's playing with us.* Well, he went on right after us, and it was just him and an acoustic guitar. No mics, no P.A.- Just his voice and a guitar. He was very welcoming to everyone as the room filled back up. He told a story over strumming some chords and rolled right into his first song when he was done.

I'm not one for the "coffee-house" atmosphere, but that's what reminded me of, except for not as cheap and fake feeling. His music was great, but his lyrics we're amazing. I knew after he was done playing his song "Ambulence" that I wanted to record him. A little later in his set, he said he was going to Michigan the following week to record his next album in between shows on his tour. For those that know me, you know I thought "Fuck yeah!"

When he was done I talked to him about recording THAT NIGHT, I mean driving from Ft. Wayne to Warsaw and recording at 3 o'clock in the morning! *He had already been up for days because this guy tours alone, in a van, just him his guitar. WITH NO RADIO!* Somehow, we both decide that recording after our ears have been destroyed by a night of loud music and lack of sleep on both accounts, is a good idea.

We got to The Dojo, I spent an hour and a half on pre-production, learning his likes and dislikes and his performance style. Another half-hour was spent on set-up. Tracking started at 3 a.m. and was done by 6 a.m. (Take It Easy is 12 songs) I had another project coming in at 10 a.m. that morning, but wasn't too concerned about sleeping. That project rescheduled last minute (someone killed their dog, one of the members sustained a hand injury), so I utilized the remainder of that day mixing and mastering. That entire album was STARTED and FINISHED within 24 hours. He hung out all day long, got to eat some real food, had a nice warm place to sleep, got to bathe, AND got an album in one day. For those that have spent a duration of time on the road, you know that day was FUCKING GREAT.

*On the last song "Arizona" you can hear the train rumble by once the song ends. A great moment in music...*

HM MAG REVIEW -

This is one of those "miracle" albums of sorts, that genuinely caught the artist with his guard down, hitting the record button in someone's basement studio in the vampire hours of the morning. Without the aid (or hindrance) of energy to carefully micro-manage the recording process, out comes raw nerves, passion, grit and slightly urgent strumming on the guitar. In other words, he was too tired to hold back or be self-conscious. It's easy to imagine Nate trying to play faster in an effort to finish the song and get to sleep quicker. "Stand By Me" calls out with cracked voice, while "Ambulance" patiently expresses emotions of being "tired of being this wired," and "Take It Easy" almost serves as both a toast and life-sermon – all seeming more believable in the end. Check out either one of these tunes out and you'll have a perfect representation of Nate's musical identity. The 4 bonus live tracks are an accurate testament to his infectious songs, too, as they capture an audience joyfully singing or clapping along – especially during his great and unforgettable older tune, "Don't Walk Away." [Quiver Society] - Doug Van Pelt