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Ray Davies & His Version of ‘Americana’ – Interview
Rock Cellar Magazine: Americana is one of the best sounding records I’ve heard in the last couple of years. It’s got a scope and breadth sonically that is missing in many records today. Tell me a little bit about recording in the studio you built with The Kinks, Konk. Do you record digitally, or is it tape, because it does have a very analog feel to it?
Ray Davies: Some of the vocals were done to analog, but most of the tracking was done digitally. You know, Konk’s unique. It’s upbeat. It’s got a great old desk. It’s brilliant and very analog sounding. We spent a lot of time on the record, too. Guy (Massey) and John (Jackson) worked on production with me and we spent a lot of time accessing echoes and lots of things more subtle than most people really notice.
… Since you have Konk at your disposal, do you make demos at home as well, or do you leave it to your work space – to Konk – or do you do a bit of both, since it’s so easy to make demos at home these days?
Ray Davies: There’s joy and the despair in having a home system. I’ve long been prepping work at home. I have the same system at home as I have at Konk for recording, so a lot of the work gets done there, too. It actually helps gain perspective over songs, I think, because I do a lot of prepping at home and stepping out of the control of the studio gives me a certain amount of flexibility. Of course, it can be a burden sometimes, too, because you never stop working.
But that’s an interesting question in regards to Americana. A lot of time, when I’m making my music, I’ll cut things at home or to a click track and bring them in and have the band play to them.
Read more at Rock Cellar Magazine.