The Proposal:
My plan is to write, record, and produce a short EP of three instrumental compositions. This allows me to work from home unaffected by the current restrictions. My reason for proposing this project idea stems from the first independent project I undertook in 2016 – around four years ago. In 2016 I began work on my debut EP as a solo rock guitarist, and while it worked out well in the end I have always felt it could’ve been executed to a much higher standard of professionalism. Now with an extra four years of learning and hands on experience with equipment and musical concepts, I feel able to produce something to a higher standard.
My Objectives:
To better understand and explain my aim for this project I have thought about what my specific individual objectives are, arranged them chronologically into a series of four major bullet points, and elaborated upon each one.
Write three compositions for my EP. – This is a simple and achievable goal and is the first step towards producing the final product. While this is by no means a small task I currently feel very confident in my compositional skills, and already have a small library of varying riffs and ideas available that I have recorded in the past.
Mix and master each composition. – Mixing and mastering songs will be a hard task for me, however I feel much more confident in performing this task after my years of studying. If the opportunity arises to enlist some help with this task then I will likely welcome it.
Album cover and promotional material. – While I am not planning to host a grand launch event for my work, I will still make it available to listen to through online platforms such as Soundcloud, YouTube, and potentially Spotify depending on expenses. This means I will need at the very least an album cover to upload along with my EP, and this I can edit at home using software such as Adobe Photoshop. This also is an opportunity to produce pieces of promotional material that I can post online nearer the time of release.
Distribute my finished EP to online platforms. – The final step for this project is simply the release of the EP. I will aim to set a definite date for release when I feel as though the bulk of the work listed above is complete, this allows me a less strict deadline to work to and will ultimately prove to be less stressful.
Reflecting on my work. – I will use the Gibbs Reflective Cycle (pictured below) when evaluating my work in order to help me precisely work out what to improve on.
Before I begin constructing an in depth plan that I can then work to, I must consider a few more key points, such as workload, the genre I will write in, and being an independent artist.
Firstly I need to remember that I am a solo artist. This, coupled with having to work from home, will leave me with a vast workload and in order for me to complete it on my own I will have to distribute it accordingly over a set timescale. Doing so will help me keep on top of all the tasks at hand, and in turn improve the quality of my work.
As I am an independent artist, I have full control and creative freedom over how my final product sounds, so essentially I have no limits or restrictions on what I can and cannot do. This also means that I am not signed to any kind of record label, which in turn can have its drawbacks; the main one being I have no funding for this project. Ultimately this means any money I do have to spend on the project will be coming out of my own savings. This closes the door on some of the more costly services such as a professional recording session at a studio, having physical copies of my EP produced, and access to high quality recording equipment. One positive point regarding being unsigned is that I will own the rights to all of the music I produce myself, meaning any royalties they may earn will only go to myself, and also meaning I can do whatever I may like with my finished EP. Royalties however, are something I will likely not see from my work as while it will be available to listen to I physically don’t have the funding, manpower, or established followers to market to. This is something that being signed to a label can fix, as they have all of the tools and following necessary to do so.
“An independent label, also known as an indie label, is a record label that is independently funded and not connected to one of the big three major labels — Universal, Sony and Warner. Indie labels range from home-based hobby labels to highly profitable, large businesses.” (McDonald, 2019) For most artists signing to an indie record label is a more realistic goal than signing to a major label, this is mainly because indie labels take on smaller artists than the likes of the big three major labels, and indie labels also will generally have simpler contracts for artists that are easier for upcoming musicians to negotiate with. Additionally, most indie labels tend to cover a certain genre of music rather than all of them. This can be advantageous for new artists as labels focused on their genre can often provide a more focused experience in regards to how they record artists, and how they promote their music.
Below are a few examples of some indie labels and the genres of music they are focused around:
- Epitaph Records – Rock and Metal
- Hospital Records – House and Electronic
- Acid Jazz Records – Jazz
The three major labels on the other hand, can provide a much larger amount of money, time, and resources to an artist. Major labels cover all genres of music and sign countless big artists. A few examples of artists who are or have been signed to the major three labels are:
Sony Music:
- AC/DC
- Foo Fighters
- Kasabian
- Miley Cyrus
- Bruce Springsteen
Universal Music Group:
- Billie Eilish
- Queen
- ABBA
- Drake
- Elton John
Warner Music Group
- Metallica
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Stevie Nicks
- Prince
- Led Zeppelin
Before I begin with my songwriting and experimenting with the genre and sounds, I feel it is necessary to conduct some research into the style of heavy metal. This is so I can have a more educated understanding of the genre, learn how to build on it, and touch on the more controversial aspect of if the genre incites violence.
After browsing various sources, most seem to agree that the genre of metal was defined in late 1960 with the arrival of a legendary British band, Black Sabbath. From here the style developed further, with a lot of credit going to notable bands of the same era, such as Led Zeppelin and Judas Priest.
Many people associate the sound of metal with anger and aggression, and in many ways this association is valid as these emotions are what have helped to shape the genre since it emerged. Bands such as Black Sabbath and Judas Priest came from the industrial working class of Birmingham, where there was a large amount of poverty and distress among the people, especially during the 60’s. This will undoubtedly have had a role in the birth of heavy metal music, and helped provide the desire for an aggressive sound.
While heavy metal at a glance can appear as an outlet for the angry and frustrated youth, I do not believe that it is a cause of any violence like many will assume it to be. On the contrary, metal for many is a stress relief, and I would argue it reduces violence among youths. “Rather than inciting people to anger or violence, research has found that loud and chaotic music such as metal and punk is ‘a healthy way of processing anger” (Listening to ‘extreme’ music makes you calmer, not angrier, according to study, 2015)
In the documentary series Metal Evolution, presenter Samuel Dunn looks into this connection and its role in the creation, and popularisation of metal through a series of interviews with notable metal figures. “It’s outsider music to the max. Heavy metal solved a lot of my problems when I was a teenager, when I couldn’t express myself or I was just frustrated. I would go into my room and put on a metal album and feel instant relief.” – Kirk Hammett.
I am hoping to channel some of this aggressive energy into my own work. I feel strongly that it is important to pour emotion into any piece of music as ultimately it is a form of self expression, and can really impact how good a song ends up being.
Over the years vast advancements in technology have allowed for the heavy sound we are now accustomed to in rock and metal. Technology such as distortion pedals and amplifiers have continually progressed and in turn become louder and grittier as time goes on. I will be using some of these bits of equipment in my recording as they have now become established tools in the production of rock and metal.
In 1964, a British band called The Kinks released a now well known song called You Really Got Me, and for many this was the first time the sound of a distorted or crunchy guitar was heard. Guitarist Dave Davies achieved this sound by slashing the speaker cone of an amplifier with a razor blade in several places, and because of this distortion was born.
It was also during the 60s that guitar effects pedals started to develop and become popular. In 1962 many musicians were using what is possibly the first commercially popular fuzz pedal, called the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzztone – developed by guitar manufacturer Gibson. From here pedals would continue to develop further, and now are often an essential part of any metal guitarist’s set up.
As rock music continued developing through the 60s bands and venues began feeling the need for more volume. In1962 a man called Jim Marshall and his son Terry would create their first amplifier, and in turn mark the birth of the now iconic Marshall amplifiers. Marshall would then hit a new level three years later when guitarist Pete Townsend demanded that the sound should be louder and have a greater presence on stage. Marshall responded with an enormous 8×12″ speaker cabinet. Due to its size and weight this would quickly develop into two separate 4×12″ cabinets, and this then became the Marshall stack that we are accustomed to seeing today.
This combination of distortion and big speaker cabinets provides rock and metal with a huge wall of aggressive sound and is what I hope to capture in my own recordings. While I don’t have access to my Marshall stack currently, another technological development in recent years are amplifier simulators and plugins for recording software. This allows me to get an emulated sound of a Marshall cabinet through my recording software directly and I will be using this in my recordings.
Ultimately, rock and metal music exists thanks to a combination of technological developments, stylistic influences, and the aggressive influence from it’s composers. Guitarist Scott Ian summarises perfectly, saying “It’s certainly an outlet, an outlet you couldn’t get anywhere else. You come to the show and lose your mind and get in the pit and go crazy and stage-dive, and have fun. It’s not about violence, it’s about fun. You might be bruised, and really tired the next day but you know what, it’s like a great massage you’re gonna feel really good afterwards.”
With my EP I ultimately want to capture all of the aforementioned points to produce a product that not only is satisfying to myself, but to other fans of the genre too.
After exploring the beginnings and history of heavy metal music, I feel I can produce a more focused metal EP with a greater understanding of what metal actually is, and what it means for so many people. I also feel like I personally have re-discovered why I started listening to heavy metal in the first place, and have a newfound appreciation for what I already greatly enjoy as a genre.
Bibliography:
Cope, A., 2016. Black Sabbath And The Rise Of Heavy Metal. New York: Taylor & Francis, p.4.
Horning, N., 2018. Metal Music: A History For Headbangers. New York: Lucent Press, p.12.
DiVita, J., 2020. Who Really Invented Heavy Metal?. [online] Loudwire. Available at: <https://loudwire.com/who-really-invented-heavy-metal/>
Metal Evolution. 2011. [DVD] Directed by S. Dunn and S. McFayden. Canada: Banger Films.
McDonald, H., 2019. How Indie Record Labels Work. [online] The Balance Careers. Available at: <https://www.thebalancecareers.com/signing-with-an-indie-label-2460744#:~:text=An%20independent%20label%2C%20also%20known,to%20highly%20profitable%2C%20large%20businesses.>
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The Guardian. 2015. Listening To ‘Extreme’ Music Makes You Calmer, Not Angrier, According To Study. [online] Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/22/listening-heavy-metal-punk-extreme-music-makes-you-calmer-not-angrier-study>
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Hatschek, K. and Monley, J., 2016. Guitar Effects Pedals | The History Of Guitar Effects. [online] Disc Makers Blog. Available at: <https://blog.discmakers.com/2016/02/effects-pedals-and-the-evolution-of-music/>
Doyle, M. and F. Eiche, J., 1993. The History of Marshall. H. Leonard Publishing Corporation.
Franklin, D., 2020. Heavy: How Metal Changes the Way We See the World. Constable.