Thursday 29 October 2015

I've Met More Monsters (Than I Have Met Heroes)

A third track has been completed for the new e.p. It has a decidedly U2 esque sound, though it wasn't my original intention. I'm a huge Brian Eno fan and the ambiance he helped create on "The Joshua Tree" is phenomenal.

It was a challenge and a half to create this song and it's huge "WALL OF SOUND" chorus was a herculean task. There was countless overdubs, bouncing and panning whilst trying to figure out a higher harmony to the original guitar motif.

I wrote these words about 14 years ago and found them in an old sketch book. It was like meeting an old friend and the words are exactly what I was all about at that time. Angry, scared. embittered, heartbroken and still wrestling the tail end of puberty. It's fitting that this will share the e.p. with "Magpies...". The two tracks are yin and yang, subject wise so it makes a nice balance lyrically. You can listen to it HERE

I hope you enjoy it,
Phil,

Monday 19 October 2015

Magpies & Rockstars PT. II

Told you I'd be back soon. This is a ballad I wrote around our wedding piece. The words have always been there and have been thrown into songs that they just haven't fit into, the vibe just wasn't there. I'm not keen on the vocal performance but have made plenty of attempts at it and this was the best of a poor lot.

But I'm pleased with the production. It's tight and punchy and the melodic guitar lead lines soar along with the ambient arpeggiated clean lines. It's just a pure and simple pop song, written in tribute to my better half. The words are simple, yet every one of them is true. To be honest it feels I've finally climbed a mountain or turned a corner so to speak. Creating music is normally second nature to me and yet it has been tough to pick up a guitar lately. Kudos to my youngest brother, James, who indulged me a spot of jamming yesterday which seemed to fuel this recording with a little vibrancy.
Thanks for reading.

You can hear it here: Phil McClean - Magpies & Rockstars PT. II

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Goodbye philmcclean....

...music.com

Got your attention yet? Good!
Due to ongoing difficulties with my website provider who can't seem to sort out a simple domain error, I have decided to effectively retire the website. There is no point in paying for the service I expect and getting little or none to that effect. I am aggrieved at the loss of all the literal work I put in but it's not going to bring me down. I have also decided to drop the sequel idea to "Heresy" which was "Faith" as it was taking it's toll on me.

Basically I need to be in a certain place to write or create songs which are rather dark, especially of that ilk. It's not been a particularly happy year for myself or my family, and I find, as I immerse myself back into the story I created, I am going back to the same dark places I found myself earlier in the year. Places I hoped I'd never visit again. So I have begun a new journey, one which I was unaware I had already started. I am on a more positive path, with plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks and months. Autumn has crept in, my favourite time of year, and my music is taking a brighter route - filled with hope, wonder and non-stop dreaming! I will be uploading some new work soon, I know I've been away for a while but there have been plenty of distractions.....

Stick with me, I haven't left you. Keep the faith and watch this space. Thanks for reading.

Monday 14 September 2015

MC Dempsey


Had the nephews and sister stay over about a week ago. The house was never quiet but it was a lovely change. We were kept on our toes to say the least! Gavin, the eldest nephew, displayed a huge fascination for my keyboard. I have tried to retire her many times as she has seen a LOT of wear and tear. The touch sensitivity comes and goes and she has more coffee stains than a vintage french living room table. But I guess the fact I've written so many songs on her makes her of high sentimental value. He messed around with the effects whilst I set up the guitar straight in the 8 track and out the monitors.

He was conjuring up bizarre noises so I felt obliged to compete. I settled on an awful, bizarre tone - resembling a bastard creation of a wah pedal and talkbox. Gavin found it hilarious - "It sounds like your guitar is vomiting!" I laughed and messed around, trying to cook up a standard stock riff. The child had gotten hold of the microphone, declared himself 'MC Dempsey' and proceeded to do a little rap. It was very random. I started stamping my foot and playing a standard stop/start macho riff. He got very into it. I stopped and asked "Which Rapper is that?" and he replied "It's me, I just borrowed a couple of words." I said "Wanna make a song....?"

I gave him full creative control and helped him with the timing of the words. The words, I might add, are entirely all his. The chorus was a throwaway thing we made on the spot. He insisted on having a deeper octave effect so he sounded like those "black dudes in America" - Ah, from the mouths of babes. When I'd finished laughing at the child's statement, I had him perform twice as the lower octave made him almost incoherent and I double tracked his normal pitched voice over it. The chorus was fun. I explained it to him and sang it out so he got the gist. I performed a lower second harmony to his to add a bit more drama and we did the cliche rap shouts in and around it. The drums were lazily pre programmed but our young producer wasn't done there. As soon as I'd popped on some bass guitar, he said "We need keyboards too". I let him choose a sound, he chose a distinctly late 70's, bright electric piano sound (think 80's Power Ballad) and hummed to me what he heard in his head. I took it and moulded it into something that pleased us both and added it. The entire process took about 5 hours. It felt like 20 minutes! Looking forward to recording the album, Gav!







 

Wednesday 12 August 2015

PHIL McCLEAN - Movie Composer

The world and it's mother knows that I'm a failed movie music composer, or am I....?

I love movies, good and bad! If you HATE a film, there's a chance I found something to like about it. Chances are that something was soundtrack related. Could be any genre but I'm easy when it comes to that. If it sounds good to my ear, I'll take it. With the continuing and ever worsening blandness of today's popular music, I tend to take shelter in soundtracks. Not that I'm a total oaf towards new music. You just have to dig a little deeper to wade through the auto-tuned, Simon Cowell sponsored crap we seem to be drowning in nowadays.

Anyway, you may not know I have done a VERY short movie soundtrack for an American film by a gentleman called A.J. Bangs. It was a fun experience. I had put up on my old MYSPACE account, a header of "Free movie composer for hire". No idea why really. Clearly that days cocktail of weed and beer (Ah, crazy youth!) went to my ego, and practically a day later, this guy came knocking, so to speak. he told me the story, sent me a rough cut and described the mood. He asked for an end piece that really made no sense to me as the mood was very different than he envisaged. But I concurred and created the music. He was genuinely pleased with my efforts. Said that he was looking towards a professional cut of his film. So I sent him different variations on the music. He promised me a dvd and a credit, then the emails stopped. He has been silent since then online. Though traces of his (once?) online existence are there. The music itself has resurfaced in various songs of mine to date.

For all I know the man could be dead now, but thanks to him I finally got a movie credit. So technically I succeeded at soundtrack composing. I made it, Ma. I really made it!
The film can be watched on this link HERE   

Thanks for reading.

Wednesday 29 July 2015

"SING LIKE YOU'RE WINNING, PHIL."


I took part in "Tesco Got Talent" again this year. I had made up my mind not to. I had my fun in the sun twice and it was only fair to leave it to some younger, hungrier talents whilst I could relax, not worry about soundchecks and enjoy a few nice pints of Guinness without the worry of fluffing my lines on guitar or vocals but....

The show was held in the venerable Kavanagh's venue, in Portlaoise, which has seen some top comedians and bands ply their trade over the years. So how did I end up performing here after all my promises not to? Well, nobody stepped forward, at all. It was frankly embarrassing that there would be absolutely no local representatives in the show, and a charity one at that, (Temple Street Hospital, a GREAT cause) so I said count me in. I had a week or two to prepare, usually I'd have a month or two, but it helped with the song choice. No time to learn anything new, so I decided on an original song "Strong". The song is a very personal one and I enjoy playing it but it sends me to "that place". Everybody has it, a song that makes you sad, gives you goosebumps or simply takes your breath away. But I was confident I could do it justice.

I walked in and was that early, I did my soundcheck straight away. The sound engineer was a nice guy. Had a few interesting stories to tell about musicians he'd met. Who was nice, who was otherwise....
He thought I was a seasoned pro as I'd completed my soundcheck. Quite the compliment! "You seem to know what you're doing, do you play live alot?" I said "Nope, I just get on with it, know what I like and treat the soundman nice." He laughed and said "In case I make you sound like shit?!" Clearly he'd heard that one before. The soundcheck was to my ears fine as regards to my guitar, Selena's tone, maybe a little trebley in hindsight but that was my fault, the settings were mine on the amp simulator. My voice? I started to sing but my voice croaked as soon as I started to sing the piece, my eyes welled too, so I defaulted and half arsed my way through an old Bryan Adams number off key and slightly rattled. 

I left the stage, and sipped a guinness. Keeping to myself and waiting on my posse and wondering how the Hell I could do this. The crew appeared and it calmed me down alot. My better half knew I was nervous but I said it was healthy nerves - The kind that reminds you not to be an arsehole should you ever reach an elevated social standing. Nine acts were scheduled. I was sixth. Just after the raffle break. Time to get the pints in.

I studied each act as they performed. One exception aside, I won't identify as they were brave in the attempt and it was for a great cause, I felt all the other acts brought some real competition. I stood in a toilet cubicle calming myself down. "I can't sing this song, I'll start to cry" or "The crowd need to be perked up and you're gonna depress them." All negative thoughts born from my embarrassing soundcheck. But then, out of nowhere, my favourite Tom Waits quote appeared in my mind - "If you're in the middle of the ocean with no flippers and no life preserver and you hear a helicopter, this is music. You have to adjust to your needs at the moment." It made sense. Adjust. Play it fast, upbeat."SING LIKE YOU'RE WINNING, PHIL."

The announcer called me up "....to perform a song he wrote, on a guitar he made..." (NO PRESSURE THERE) "....please welcome Phil McClean to the stage!" My wonderful gang erupted, thus forcing the rest of the crowd to comply. I wanted to introduce my song, explain it's genesis, and the people it was written for, may they rest in peace. I wanted to shout "Happy birthday to my little sister tonight" but I felt the more cynical in the crowd would see it as trying to gain favour with the judges. Hands shaking I started to strum slowly, just to calm my nerves. Then my cheeky side came out:



I played with two angels on my shoulders and near a dozen of them in the crowd who came to support me. I played as hard and as fast as I could, I wanted that crowd to have the time of their lives and to my song, not a cover, MY SONG! The first time I played an original song in public.

The raffle was fun and quite a successful one for our tables. The Missus and the birthday girl both getting a prize! I turned to my friend, Jonny beside me and said "I won't win anything here, I'm a cheerleader as always, but damn me I enjoyed that." I always feel I have to engage the crowd. I can't help it. Those people are there to be entertained and I was always conscious, that with some acts, the crowd can lose interest and talk over them. I can't stand it and will always make sure to clap along to those acts and give them their dues. It's not easy up there under those lights.

The lady stepped up on the stage to announce the winners after the raffle buzz had died down. I sipped my pint waiting to applaud the successful act. Silence. A pin drops somewhere. In third place "Phil McClean!" I nearly fell off my chair. I froze. "Do I go up?" I asked the people around me in disbelief. Jonny practically pushed me towards the stage. I stepped up and received my award, feeling like they were going to say it was a joke. The fact of the matter is, I don't generally win anything and I just received an award for performing a song I'd written. One of the judges shook my hand and leaned in "I'm really sorry, it was a split decision." "Fuck that", I thought,still elated. "It feels like I've won an Ivor Novello award."


  
With special thanks and fond memories to the two angels on my shoulders last night:

My beautiful Granny.                                                                   A gentleman, Rorey.

Saturday 27 June 2015

Faith: The Music Box

I have already begun the story at philmccleanmusic.com and it is called "The Music Box". But I have yet to complete the piece, which at a little over a minute's duration is a bit of a joke that I haven't. But the music is there, the vision is there but there is something off about it that I can't pluck out of the air. Maybe I'm over thinking it. It's probably due to how pleased I am with "Heresy" and also how I don't want to retread the same story.

The hardest part is the "violining". This is a technique where you feedback an amp and through volume, tone and finger placement, you achieve (or try to) a sweet violin-like sustain to wrap around the melody. But it's not a perfect science and requires the lightest and yet, at times, firmest touch. The slightest artifact, i.e string scrape, can be echoed ten fold if you are not careful, especially when using a form of delay with it, which means a mistake can be repeated which I don't want. The piece is led by a music box motif, with various strings and voices throughout. I want it to convey a childlike innocence with a little bit of an unnerving edge. As the director M. Night Shyamalan said to the composer James Newton Howard of the theme for "The Sixth Sense" It should bring to mind "an invisible animal in the room that you can hear and feel moving around and that you feel threatened by; just as you think you're going to be attacked, it leaves the room".

The two pieces are nothing alike, but this is the same idea I wish to convey, albeit in a less threatening more ethereal manner, if you will. Thanks for reading.


  

Wednesday 27 May 2015

"FAITH" - First Impressions.

I'm currently knee deep in the follow up to Heresy, Faith. And I have been struck by how strikingly different the tone and even the instrument choice is! It was originally an idea that I keep on the pseudo middle eastern slant from the first, but it became quite apparent that I was bored treading the same ground again. And if I was getting bored, then heaven knows how bored the actual listener would be!

So I have embraced, dare I say it, a slightly more embellished, yet mainstream sound, inspired by amongst others, Danny Elfman. It was not so much intentional as accidental. But every little change helps it become a more rounded project. I have even changed drum sounds. It's now gone from a tight punchy rhythm sound to a big resounding stadium drum sound. Big bass, big, snappy, snare.

You can't leave it all behind, lessons learned are in the past, so it's important I revisit them. There will be odes to the original with a flurry of Persian inspired magic. But I view them as I would a set of twins. They may seem very similar but there is a completely different story to both. Chat soon. Thanks for reading.

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Marriage, Magpies & Rockstars.

Sorry for the lack of updates. Life's been a little crazy lately. I wrote a new piece of music. It's called "Magpies & Rockstars". It's exciting in that we've set a date for our wedding, June, next year (luck be with us) and it will be the piece she walks down the aisle to. It's only a short piece, but I'm happy to share it with you. The opening is a little drawn out, but stick with it and hopefully you'll find the reward in it. I used a nylon string Stagg Angel Lopez concert guitar plugged into a Boss DD3 delay and a Danelectro DC59 guitar plugged into a BOSS CE5 Chorus. Both plugged straight into the board.

Thanks for reading.




Tuesday 10 March 2015

Full Circle.

The past couple of weeks have been an entirely forgettable experience for me and it's not getting any easier for some friends of mine who are currently having a very tough time as regards to the often cruel and unpredictable circle of life. I have no more to broach on this subject here, apart from they weigh heavily on my mind and I am sending them love and positive vibes unlimited.

Last year, the FOG had a ball performing for one night, for my better half's birthday. Well it seems to have gone full circle and now we are looking at recording a few songs together again. I am currently in the middle of recording a planned duet called "Murder, They Wrote". It's essentially a murder ballad about a timeless subject. "Boy meets Girl, Boy loses Girl to other Boy, Girl and other Boy murder first Boy". Good wholesome family subject matter! It's done in a 50's style piano ballad and I may have overcooked the solo. Well if it's worth half doing, it's worth over doing right! All I need is my musical partner's vocals and he will hopefully provide some tasteful guitar plucking too.

Here's a taster:

 

Tuesday 24 February 2015

Mama

Today was tough. I said goodbye to my grandmother. I hadn't seen her in a long time but she has been on my mind 24/7. As has my own mother. It's always difficult to say goodbye to a family member but God knows how hard it is to lose ones mother. There is of course, a terrible sadness upon losing a family member but my throat tightened upon seeing my mother, who has been a constant and incredible carer for her mother, and upon seeing how difficult the loss is to her and of course to her father and her siblings. I'm done talking about personal stuff. This is dedicated to my mother, who's made me very proud and indeed my grandmother, who's finally resting without pain. It's not perfect, in fact it's very rough but every note is meant.




Monday 23 February 2015

Introducing "Selena".

Well, here she is folks:


Since I've been last on the blog, I have been working feverishly to complete her! Various soldering cock ups, crossed wires and cosmetic changes have taken up much of my time aside from work. But we found a way as you do to compete her and as you can see, she looks great. I even managed to add my secret push/pull tone pot to put her middle pickup out of phase.



All well and good! But does she cut the mustard tonally? See for yourself here:


This is just an example of the in phase and out of phase comparison when used with distortion. I used my usual recording set up:



 







Monday 9 February 2015

Ashes to ashes

Unfortunately, I had an accident whilst decorating the guitar. Upon adding the final coat of varnish, the string that held her gave way and she landed right on her base resulting in a huge crack that ran more than half way up the body, that not even the most gifted luthier could repair. She went straight on the fire. At least I got a use for her even though I am massively gutted. The body is easily replaceable, but the time and care I put into preparing her is not.

But I am a glass half full kind of guy, most of the time, and while I search up a replacement body, I will be experimenting with her electronics. Namely wiring her middle middle pick up with an out of phase option, via a push pull tone pot, like a hidden magic trick! The operation is simple enough (The Internet is a marvellous teaching tool, you know) and I am looking forward to indulging my inner electronics nerd a little. Only one pickup will be out of phase as the effect is essentially an in phase pickup "fighting" with the out of phase pickup, which essentially leaves the artefacts or "leftovers" of the original tone. I chose the middle pickup as with the use of her five way switch I can get out of phase sounds with a neck and middle or middle and bridge combo.

Opinion is divided on the sounds. Being of a honking, nasal nature, it's pretty much a love/hate thing. I personally love it. Especially as it cuts through a heavy mix. You can hear a great example of the neck and middle out of phase sound here from 1.00 to 1.11:

Sunday 1 February 2015

Guitar DIY Pt. V

So it appears my Burns "Brian May signature" Tri-sonic pickups will be delivered tomorrow, early morning! This is the size comparison:


Small bit of routing required, as already covered. I think my better half is struggling to cope with my unbearable over excitement as the time draws closer. So if she reads this, "I'm sorry!"  :)

Thursday 29 January 2015

Guitar DIY Pt. IV

So, I messed up the finish. True to form and my short attention span, I rushed the job and made the mistake of using two varnishes. One slow drying, one fast drying. This caused awful cracking and bubbling. So I bit my lip, stripped the varnish, sanded her down and am now between applying coats of primer. So that was an unfortunate but necessary learning curve.


It's not all doom and gloom. I have finished the rest of the guitar. Just added the tuning pegs etc today. I completed the artwork yesterday and gave it a coat of varnish. It was meant to be a reflection of the pickguard and while it is a close approximation, I like to think I was unconsciously channelling my love of Antoni Gaudi's artwork as well. At least something is going right! Lol


My pick ups will not arrive until next week so I will concentrate on getting the guitar finish perfect until then. On another note, an over abundance of primer has brought out the artistic side of my better half. Something she has become quite the expert at is the art of "ageing" furniture. She sanded down a mahogany headboard and is looking to create an antiquing effect, a sort of aged white effect - like looking at old white victorian furniture. Already primed and ready to go. We are getting very arty these days!


Tuesday 27 January 2015

DIY Guitar Pt. III

So I've been busy with the finish for the guitar today. The pieces were delivered and I started work immediately.


A pretty standard strat model. It came with the stock hardware but with exception to the wiring connections and the volume and tone pots, the rest is all surplus.



The finish is amateur but it's what I like. The human factor, it looks more organic. I bought some bright red acrylic spraypaint and gave her several coats. This is her right now after a first coat of clear gloss varnish.


I was going to shape the headstock, but there is something that appeals to me, with the hard edges. And I also have more surface area to work with. I masking taped her edges, sprayed a couple of coats of red, ruled a black marker through the rough edges and hand painted several coats of a silver acrylic base on the rest.


Again it's a little rough around the edges but I bought some more acrylic paint, a tasty selection of greens.

 
I will (with the help of my better half) be adding these, in a feathered fashion, to the silver headstock in an effort to replicate the green pearl effect of the pickguard. Still waiting on the delivery of my Brian May signature tri-sonics, the excitement  builds.

Saturday 24 January 2015

DIY Guitar Pt. II

Just a little update on my endeavours. Actually I have nothing exciting to post as I am confined to waiting on parts to arrive. But some things are exciting to me. Such as winning a bid on ebay after a three day battle. It was intense but worth it. This guitar will be a mixture of three things. My two joint biggest guitar influences and of course my muse. I have chosen to create a strat type model in tribute to Rory Gallagher. The overall colour scheme and eventual title I give to this guitar will be heavily influenced by my (much) better half and the electronics are in tribute to Brian May. Thank you ebay. It will involve a lot of work and routing but it will be worth it. Can't wait to get started.


Friday 23 January 2015

DIY Guitar Pt. I

So now that we are well into January, I am taking on a new project, specifically a DIY guitar! Having been unexpectedly gifted holidays next week, I have decided to devote my spare time to creating my dream guitar or at least my idea of one.

It won't be created from scratch. I have been feverishly hovering over this very netbook on ebay, clicking, typing, screaming, crying, eating etc. You get the picture. Anyway to get myself ahead, I have procured a cheap strat diy kit but am sourcing the hardware individually online. As the stock pickups are not worth a fart in the wind and am currently waging a war against several individuals for the "dream" pickups so to speak.

My stepdad taught me well, as he made sure I had half an idea when it comes to wiring in all shapes and sizes in various appliances so I'm pretty confident as to what I can do! At the moment I am limited to drawing diagrams, whether I might put an "out of phase" option in there, but as it's my first attempt I'll most likely give it a standard strat 3 single coil wiring with no fancy wiring. I won't be starting until next week and that will (most likely) involve just painting, chiselling and creating a shape for the headstock. All I have at the moment is the pickguard/scratchplate. A Green Pearl effect.



Which will require some modification to accomodate the pickups I'm currently bidding for. But for now the ebay battle wages on and the retail uberlords hail me to work.