Demo Files - Arden Project 1
Untitled Demo for Chris Pena Piece (c) 2010 Mattroi Berger & Chris Pena
Playwright Chris Pena and I are submitting a play he’s written to the Old Vic’s Arden Project. The show ends with a song that I’ve written - the attached, as-yet-untitled acoustic demo.
I’ve posted this early sketch to show the beginning of my song writing process - over the next few weeks, I’ll post revisions and updates as the song makes it’s way to a final project. I’m never sure how many steps it will take to get to the desired product, so this could be a two post experiment, or a ten post mini-epic. I’d like to do more of these sorts of things, though, with other projects I’m working on - It forces me to step up my work and look more closely at my process.
I spent about two weeks tossing around ideas that never quite made it to tape, then wrote this tune in about an hour (deadlines are the only time I ever get anything done). I was aiming for Smiths meets Pixies, though I ended up nearer to Death Cab meets musical theatre - which, strangely, makes perfect sense to me. I’m better at distilling than forging. Or maybe I should say, I’m less interested in impersonation, and too lazy to perfect a carbon copy - too much of me ends up filling in the cracks and holes.
I dig the hooks and the guitar line in the middle break. I think the end could use a polish, as well as some of the transitions. Initial reaction from the team (Pena, and good friend/collaborator Steve Stout) is good, and I plan on keeping most of this take as I build the arrangement.
Lyrics by Chris Pena
Music by Mattroi
