In 2007 I found a new home for my recording equipment, located in the basement of an old bank building tucked away from the busy city streets. It took longer than expected to set everything up, there were construction crews drilling in the ceiling, plumbing leaks etc. After many delays the gear was arranged and I began to feel settled by spring 2008.
Out of the blue I was offered a gig at The Double Door, a decent Chicago venue and I accepted. There was only one problem, I didn't have a band. I asked a coworker named David Veller if he would fill in for the show. He had been actively playing bass in several local bands and he offered to bring along a spirited drummer named Russ Mallord. We began jamming and instantly there was a cool vibe between us. The moniker Johnny And The Creeps soon followed.
We learned some older original tunes and also worked up some newer ideas. The show went well and afterwards we agreed to record two new songs over a weekend with the help of Chris Harden from Ivy Lab Studios. The session was really fun and "Our Love" was a keeper. Of course this sparked the urge to continue recording original material which commenced at the beginning of 2009.
Over the course of several months the tracks were put together in a spontaneous manner. We used lots of different recording approaches and I found a real conspirator in Russ. He was downright giddy, offering production advice and recruiting a few local musicians to fill out some of the tracks. The record was mixed and mastered by yours truly and the art work was arranged by Rachael Strauss.
1. ripples build the current
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric piano
russ mallord - drums and cymbals
david veller - bass guitar
2. every drop of sorrow
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, bass guitar
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, percussion
3. selling out
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, bass guitar, hand claps
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, hand claps
will phalen - lead guitar, hand claps
4. going astray
john aselin - lead vocals, electric guitar, hand claps
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, hand claps
brian morrissey - electric piano, backing vocals
will phalen - backing vocals, hand claps
david veller - bass guitar
5. how you felt
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitars, bass guitar, synthesizers
russ mallord - cymbals
scott phillips - electric piano
6. our love
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, organ
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, percussion
david veller - bass guitar
7. mistaken identities
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, organ, percussion
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, percussion
8. get into the flow
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, bass guitar
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, backing vocal
9. when you go wondering
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, electric guitars, bass guitar
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, conga
10. flash of light
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitars, bass guitar, harmonium
russ mallord - drums and cymbals, glockenspiel, percussion
brian morrissey - electric piano
will phalen - lead guitar, backing vocals
11. tear stained rendezvous
john aselin - lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitars, bass guitar, organ, synthesizers
russ mallord - boxes and cymbals, percussion, electric piano
all songs received, recorded and produced by john aselin
for gamut dynamic music
copyright 2009