BNH Stage Prep: Glitching Into Focus
For some reason the drum pad is looping the loaded sample, and the volume is stuck at about 50% output. Jonny is falling into the laptop screen troubleshooting this issue, as the others Google around for some resolution. We’re debugging our new equipment and reinventing what we do as a band in the process. With that comes some new electronic goodies — and a learning curve.
It’s worth it, though. Tinkering with ambient interludes and song transitions is sort of like learning a new instrument. A digital instrument. Back in May we had an unfortunate and unexpected shakeup to the band roster. So now we’ve been forced into a new direction. We’re excited about it, but it’s not exactly what we anticipated when we planned the album release show back in April. We’re a new band.
The new arrangement brings 2 electric guitars, as Trent has “gone electric,” and Ian has slid over to replace Mike. But it’s not really a replacement. Turns out that in our discography to date, swapping members is not exactly a 1:1 exchange. It’s just different. And that’s good! Working with 2 electrics, synths, and samples brings an injection of creativity. And unavoidably, new songs.
Basically, the headline here is that we’re back at the BNH Stage in Concord, New Hampshire on September 26th, opening for a band called DUUNES from New York City.
We took this gig in the wake of the band shakeup — essentially knowing that at the time of accepting the offer, we had zero material ready to perform as the new lineup. Of course, there are plenty of songs, but not everything can easily survive the swapping out of members.
It’s early in this new process with our new lineup and sound, but so far the results are promising. Like I said, we’re excited.
The sparring with new equipment is strengthening our songwriting resolve. It’s not so much about acoustic guitars and harmonies as it was for a long time — not to suggest that element is disappearing. But for the time being we are following our highest excitement, even if that means spending valuable rehearsal time troubleshooting the equipment.
In a short summer which has seen us lose a member, gain a member, as well as change arrangements and rehearsal space, we’ve had to reinvent the band’s sound and image (not to mention Jake becoming a father!). So, we’re picking up where we left at the release show. But what we’re picking up isn’t quite the old Slim Volume. It’s not exactly new, either. It’s just different.
Slim Volume, 9/3/26
