We've got questions about how we recorded our album Ghosts. Although we love the sound of old analog studios, the truth is that most music has been recorded in digital form. We have actually three studios that are constantly connected to each other (dropbox is a wonderful thing). First and foremost, we have a main studio (the café) with a singing booth, soundproofed walls and all the outboard gear (computer, microphones, preamps, compressors etc). This is where we write our songs, record the vocals and do the final mixes. In addition, I have a home studio (“in the box”) where I spend way too much time arranging songs, record guitars and bass, program synths and drums etc. Finally I also have a mobile studio setup in a laptop, which makes it possible to remain creative on journeys and vacations.
There are both pros and cons being a duo and not a complete group of musicians. Of course, we miss the opportunity to play live and that special feeling of creating music together with other musicians. But it is a sense of freedom to have control over the entire musical process (and not having to argue with stubborn drummers and bassists about how the songs best should be played).
Furthermore, it is such a great thing to be able to write music in a studio setting. When I started playing in a band (very long ago), we rarely had access to recording studios. We had to save money for months to afford a few hours of recording time. Everything had to be carefully prepared and there was seldom time to experiment or to make changes. And somehow the singer always got a cold when it was time to do the vocal takes. Often, we left the studio with a feeling of dissatisfaction knowing that the result could have been so much better (not least the vocal takes). Nowadays, our songs can develop slowly. We can spend hours and hours trying out different arrangements or working on the perfect guitar solo. And it's not a big deal that Anders – just like all other singers - gets a cold every other day. We have time to wait.
