[PeteS]

https://soundcloud.com/user-942989024-835749728/truth-doesnt-matter-v5b

First song from Echo Dogs - Pete and Neil!

It will be clear what this song is about and given the state of the world at the moment post Brexit, post elections and mid COVID, the press need to come under severe scrutiny.

Neil wrote the lyrics and I composed the tune and played it.  Really keen to get feedback on the lyrical content, musicality, mixing and production!

It's odd producing stuff in isolation so whilst sharing this is a little nerve wracking, we are both hoping to learn a lot and improve future songs.

Thanks!

Lyrics:
From the faraway lands, to the nearby sands
With the pen and paper, held close to hand

From the daily journals to the weekly reviews
Stories are printed, front page news

The issue of libel, but the damage is done
Career is over, the papers have won

Paid up out of court, there’s no chance to refuse
Apology printed, is that front page news?

The truth doesn’t matter, fake news sells fast
No one wants detail, no one wants facts
The truth doesn’t matter, fake news sells fast
Ignore the detail, ignore the impacts

Biased news, breeds
Biased views
Headline deluge, but there’s
No refuge

The truth doesn’t matter, fake news sells fast
No one wants detail, no one wants facts
The truth doesn’t matter, fake news sells fast
Ignore the detail, ignore the impacts

Sound bites and scandal, the media’s tools
And yet we still read, are we all just fools?
There’s no real story, without death or glory
What’s in a story, that holds the truth?

The truth doesn’t matter, fake news sells fast
No one wants detail, no one wants facts
The truth doesn’t matter, fake news sells fast
Ignore the detail, ignore the impacts

The truth doesn’t matter,
No one wants facts
Ignore the detail,
Ignore the impacts

[pompeyjazz]

Welcome to the forum @PeteS and Neil. Feel free to jump in and review a few songs and you will get some great feedback. We're a friendly bunch here.

Liked this - Interesting lyrics and well recorded and produced. Particularly like the chorus when the crashing guitars come in. Nice use of light and shade as well.

What is your recording setup and what DAW are you using ?

Looking forward to listening to some more of your stuff

Cheers

John

[PeteS]

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply and positive comments.  I am enjoying having a listen to a few other tyracks and will definitely be commenting!

I'll let Neil jump in on the lyrics, I only have to interpret them!

I'm only using Garageband with a line 6 UX1/Pod Farm 2 and a Sennheiser e815s mic.  I do have a couple of Peavey PVi mics as well but not currently in use.  For the different guitar sounds I'm using the Garageband amps after a bit of tweaking plus a few plugins, both apple and third party.  I have used Line 6 kit over the years but currently I'm quite happy with the GB ones.

I'm looking to learn a lot here over the coming months and years, but setup, recording and mixing techniques that people use interest me because like all musicians, were alway looking for a great sound.  I feel like I am getting to the limits of Garageband but I'm reluctant to spend a lot on Logic or ProTools whilst there is still hardware I need.

Cheers

Pete

[Sterix]

Hi Pete.

I can't comment on the production - I've no ear for the finer points of music (my wife calls it tone deaf when she's being polite!). I just get to like a song or not so my reviews are quite simplistic (which pretty much boil down to nice/indifferent/terrible song and good/so-so/ug lyrics).

That said... I enjoyed this and the lyrics were good too.

[PeteS]

Hi Sterix,

Thanks!  Can’t ask much more than liking it for my first post.

Cheers!

[MichaelA]

Hi there and welcome. Interesting lyrics, quite biting, and melodically speaking a very impactful chorus.

Nice pace throughout, light and shade, and sparing but effective harmonies. Much to enjoy.

Production wise, seeing as you asked, I did have to turn up the volume a bit after listening to three other previous songs on SC. But then, by contrast, the chorus vox were a bit on the loud side for me in relation to the rest of the track. However, I would say the production overall is pretty good and often points made by others on here can be quite subjective.

Anyhow, most decent first offering and I hope you enjoy the forum.

[PaulAds]

Hello!

Very good set of lyrics...and a really good song to wrap them up in. Sounds pretty good to my ears. I love garageband! I've tried loads of other DAWs and although GB has some limitations...and looks like a cartoon...I do all of my stuff with it.

As i was listening to the vocals...they reminded me very much of Tom Robinson...took me a lot of head-scratching to figure who I was trying to think of...the spoken bit in particular.

It sounds to me like you might be right up my street when it comes to influences...I might of course be talking bobbins...but I got a strong 80's new-wave post-punk indie thing from this and the other one i listened to on soundcloud...really enjoyed them anyhow!

Welcome along...I hope to hear more from you two 

[PeteS]

Hi there and welcome. Interesting lyrics, quite biting, and melodically speaking a very impactful chorus.

Nice pace throughout, light and shade, and sparing but effective harmonies. Much to enjoy.

Production wise, seeing as you asked, I did have to turn up the volume a bit after listening to three other previous songs on SC. But then, by contrast, the chorus vox were a bit on the loud side for me in relation to the rest of the track. However, I would say the production overall is pretty good and often points made by others on here can be quite subjective.

Anyhow, most decent first offering and I hope you enjoy the forum.

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the positive comments. 

The production comments are really interesting and I am really pleased to get them as these are the first songs I’ve mixed.

I am mixing through headphones most of the time, then send it over to Neil and he plays them through a set of Presonus Eris e5s and gives me the feedback, usually that bass is too low and vocals too loud so your comments don’t surprise me. In another thread we discussed the sound of the Presonus Eris E4.5s as they are cheaper.  Seems they will be good enough so I’ll be getting a pair shortly!

I often think the vocals are a bit loud but that’s probably because I’m singing them and am a bit self conscious.

Thanks!

[MonnoDB]

Hey @PeteS - welcome to the forum!

I really enjoyed this - I'm glad to see the Tom Robinson ref as that would have driven me slightly mad - I agree... There's also a little bit of John Cougar Mellencamp in parts for me in the backing.. Both points are meant as compliments!

Great lyrics.. some of the phrasing was unusual - and impactful for it.. Love the chorus!

I'm no production expert so I'l leave that to the others. For me - a really good song, very well performed.. Look forward to hearing more of your stuff.

Karen.

[pompeyjazz]

One little mixing tip that I have learned over the years is to listen on loads of different systems. Phones, studio speakers, home system,  crap speakers but the best one is probably the car  Anyway, just my personal experience

[PeteS]

Hello!

Very good set of lyrics...and a really good song to wrap them up in. Sounds pretty good to my ears. I love garageband! I've tried loads of other DAWs and although GB has some limitations...and looks like a cartoon...I do all of my stuff with it.

As i was listening to the vocals...they reminded me very much of Tom Robinson...took me a lot of head-scratching to figure who I was trying to think of...the spoken bit in particular.

It sounds to me like you might be right up my street when it comes to influences...I might of course be talking bobbins...but I got a strong 80's new-wave post-punk indie thing from this and the other one i listened to on soundcloud...really enjoyed them anyhow!

Welcome along...I hope to hear more from you two 

Hi Paul,

Thanks!  I tried Cubasis a couple of decades ago but and now comfortable with GarageBand although I still feel I might need to expand into something else eventually.

Love the Tom Robinson reference, not sure I’ve heard that in my voice but it’s still good!

You may well be right about the influences plus a bit of recent rock and indie. Bit of a mix but hopefully you still like them.

Cheers

Pete

[PeteS]

One little mixing tip that I have learned over the years is to listen on loads of different systems. Phones, studio speakers, home system,  crap speakers but the best one is probably the car  Anyway, just my personal experience

So true, I do try through a Bose micro sound link and as you say, my car when I can get out!

[PeteS]

Hey @PeteS - welcome to the forum!

I really enjoyed this - I'm glad to see the Tom Robinson ref as that would have driven me slightly mad - I agree... There's also a little bit of John Cougar Mellencamp in parts for me in the backing.. Both points are meant as compliments!

Great lyrics.. some of the phrasing was unusual - and impactful for it.. Love the chorus!

I'm no production expert so I'l leave that to the others. For me - a really good song, very well performed.. Look forward to hearing more of your stuff.

Karen.

Thanks Karen! Compliments accepted, especially John Cougar Mellancamp

Cheers

Pete

[pompeyjazz]

And just one final tip before I turn in for the evening, in my experience,  people will just think of you as, Oh that's that musician chap / chappess
On here we love to hear lots of new music.Keep it up guys, place to be Yo and all that shit 

[PeteS]

And just one final tip before I turn in for the evening, in my experience,  people will just think of you as, Oh that's that musician chap / chappess
On here we love to hear lots of new music.Keep it up guys, place to be Yo and all that shit 

Got to say I’m loving it so far.  Great to get feedback, give feedback and share experiences.  Can’t do that anywhere else.