https://soundcloud.com/andyshearer-1/ill-never-let-you-go

For this song, I've used BIAB instruments from four different styles and I've spent a lot more time than usual on the overall production. I hope this is evident to the listener.

Apart from the vocals, electric lap steel solo and Roland GR-20 guitar synth backing vocals, all provided by myself, I've used Drums, Bass, Baritone electric guitar, gritty electric guitar, organ, and two different pianos.

The theme will be familiar to anyone who has heard my previous songs.
Past personal relationships and their sometimes painful consequences have certainly provided me with plenty of subject matter.

A nice melody, comfortable rhythm and wonderful arrangement. They match your vocal(and lyrics of course). Excellent work. I enjoyed it a lot.

Hiroshi

Wow! Looks you have your own unique style.
This reminds me of something form the eighties but not dated.
Well written tune with some great guitar work.
Rob

Excellent vocal and backtrack. Well done

Nice guitar work! The melody is instantly catchy and your vocals distinctive.
Very good!

Robert

Sounds great Andy! It's evident that you spent a lot of quality time getting this track together! Guitar solo coming in midway was great! Thanks, Torrey

Great work on this, Andy! Definitely a very unique and distinct styling to this. The arrangement is on point, and I really like how haunting your vocals sound on this. It really brings it to another level.

Thanks for sharing

Hi Andy,

Yes, your efforts are very noticeable in the final product. This is a really nice listen. Love the vocal harmony! And you're right, heartache and pain are great fodder for musical material - both speak to the human experience and that's what makes a song real for the listener - well, most listeners.

Thanks for a real nice listen ... enjoyed it a bunch.

Alan

Thank you HiroshiK. I'm particularly pleased to see a positive comment about the arrangement as I'd changed it several times before settling with this one.

Thank you very much for your kind comment on the forum, and on Soundcloud, Alan.

Thanks for your kind comment, Rob.

I'm essentially an experienced guitarist who has performed in rock bands and also as a solo acoustic fingerstyle guitarist.
I first became interested in recording my own songs when software sequencers became available in the late 80's, but the advances that have been made with BIAB over recent years, has made the process a lot easier. I'm sure that you will agree.

Thank you Robert.

I originally intended it to be an instrumental and imagined a sort of electric guitar melody played with a lilting celtic feel, and I even played it as a solo piano piece for quite a while, but after playing around with lots of BIAB styles, I came across one that instantly struck me as being perfect for it to become a song.

Thank you Torrey.
It's funny that you should mention the placing of the lap steel guitar solo.
I decided to change the arrangement after originally placing it nearer the end of the song. I'm glad that I did because I think it needed to be separated from the quieter passage with the solo piano, that comes later.

Thanks Deryk.
It means a lot to get positive feedback about the vocals.
Singing is probably the one thing that I'm not so confident with, but I'm beginning to learn how to write songs that suit my vocal range and ability, or else offer the chance for a vocalist to collaborate with me.

Great job with the song, and particularly building grooves into it with instrument segments! Really pleasant music. I like the chord changes in the chorus. I would decrease the verb on the vocal a bit. Nicely done! Take care. Greg

Thanks for your supportive comment, Greg.

The song sounded fairly mundane and boring to begin with, but I was very pleased that it seemed to dramatically improve after spending a lot of time and effort working on the arrangement and dynamic.

I do agree with your point about the reverb level on the vocals.
I admit that I do have a tendency to over-compensate with reverb when I feel that my voice has not been capable of achieving the performance that I was hoping for.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the recording though.

There is now a mastered recording available:


https://andyshearer.bandcamp.com/track/ill-never-let-you-go

Love the soft rock arrangement and sound - so pretty.

Gentle yet there is bite where needed.

Loved the vocal and steel performances!

J&B