NOTICE: BLOG MOVING TO...

Due to the setting up of my new website and the extra content that can be viewed there, I am moving my Blog over to the new link below. It seems foolish to Blog in two places and the gains would be minimal.

So if you like what I have to say and you have enjoyed reading my Blog then please come on over to my new official website, gain access to a lot more content and continue to read and follow my ramblings and reviews about music, the industry and my own songs.

Thanks for following, greatly appreciate it, hope to see you over on the new Blog, You can subscribe if you like by filling in a few details at the bottom of the News page and receive updates straight into your inbox.

Thanks to one and all

Steve

LINK: http://salterszo.wix.com/songwriter#!blog/c1yqb

DAW Study Series - Avid Pro Tools

The Old Workhorse...

It would seem that from the beginning of time that Avid has held the number one, DAW of choice award, but that wasn't always the case. To listen to some professional's it would appear that if Adam & Eve had been composing and recording some tunes that Pro Tools would have been their software of choice. There is no doubting the position of power that Pro Tools holds within the industry, being hailed as the standard by which, all other contenders to the throne, are judged, but like everything in this life, it has it's faults.

Chris Lord Alge

Top of that list is cost and it's strategic position. Due to it being the industry standard it's not really aimed at the home studio user, although lite versions exist, it's aimed at being the connecting block between expensive hardware and software. Take a look around any of the, mixing masters, Dave Pensaado, CLA etc, and their surrounded by hardware, thousands of dollars of rare, now unavailable hardware, and that's what makes up a Pro Tools HD rig. That's were Avid sit, in that all singing bells and whistles, thousands of dollars worth , professional recording studio.

Have I managed to record at home on a version of Pro Tools? Yes most definitely, as many do, but for hundreds of bucks, you get a two pane software package, a few standard plugins and your done. Others, for less money, offer a more complete, tailored to the home studio user bundle, of DAW, 3rd party plugins, 3rd party VST instruments, drum packages such as Addictive Drums 2 and more. That's what I'm getting at, their aimed more at work flow and musical creation, Pro Tools expects you to be an established force, mixing everyday, earning your crust, in a professional environment.

Pro Tools... Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Pro Tools is finally a 64-bit application. A long wait on that one, but don't think for a minute that 64bit will sound better or be faster, that's just a myth, 32bit in tests in a 32bit OS is just as fast and both have no part at all to play in sound they create.
• The new audio engine improves performance and makes possible long-sought-after features such as offline bouncing. Features that have been available in other DAW's for years.
• The metering options with the gain-reduction meter are a nice touch. Again nothing awe inspiring.

Cons:

• It might take some time before you can use all your third-party plug-ins in Pro Tools 11. Controversial move by Avid to only support AAX plugins leaving RTAS and having never supported Vst, despite some amazing free Vst plugins being available, behind. Again Avid lean to their market of Pro Studio's not the home user.
• Avid have created a distinction between Pro Tools and Pro Tools HD, making it impossible to get HD software features without buying HD hardware. Again leaning to their market of Pro Studio's. 
• PACE iLok protection. All for protecting against piracy but then having to buy a usb dongle  and register with a 3rd party, and keeping it plugged into the computer for some, including me, is an inconvenience too far.

In conclusion we can see the benefits of Pro Tools, if operating in the same market it's aimed at, Pro Studio's, but if your sitting in that basement, bedroom, kitchen, wherever, then there are better, less costly, more bang for your buck, options available to you, some of which I will be analysing later in this series.

At the Mercy of the Listener

Being Discovered...

Over the last few weeks I've blogged about the modern music industry and its internal workings. How

things work from track order to familiarity is King! So I thought I'd do a little re-cap on what in my findings became apparent.

Firstly, we had track order. Here I discussed the importance of placing the best tracks in positions 1-3 since relying on the listener to stick around for track 4 seems folly with statistics showing the listener losses interest very quickly.

Secondly, the unfortunate habit of skipping tracks also puts pressure on the artist to captivate the listener. Already proven is the fact that 50% of your audience will skip the track before the song even finishes. A nod to songs under 4 mins or less if ever there was one.The more alarming fact was that you lose 25% of your audience through skipping, in the first 5 secs. Hell the drummer has just about hit the first stick on the hihat and it's all over for some!

Thirdly, to engage with someone through the medium that is music, to get them to discover you, to stop them skipping the track, to keep them listening past track three, to get them to download your tunes all comes down to one thing and one thing only, the songs have got to be good, really, really good. Who is the judge of that? You the listener...

Lastly, Familiarity that's what the masses thrive on. They can't sing along to your tune, with lighters and mobiles held aloft, when they don't know the words or the melody to your songs. So many factors go into what makes for a good entertaining show but I think the obvious one is, the one that is usually missed..... observing the crowd. Maybe you just might have to compromise your ethics on cover versions or do some serious leg work on getting your songs out there and known. If you have lost the audience, you've lost everything. It's no good getting caught up in your band, your tunes, your instrument playing and not notice no-one is listening any more. 

People want to be entertained, they may have paid good money for the privileged, we who are categorised as relatively unknown artists, and to the same extent, established artists need to remember, it's all about the fans. After all where would any artist be without them?

In conclusion the independent artist, the unsigned hero\heroine has it all stacked up against them but some would say no more than so called established artists. The age of social media has narrowed the gap but like any business it requires money to thrive and that can be the deciding factor. It's estimated that a budget of $1 million is what it costs to produce a hit single these days and get it onto mainstream radio.

On a good note the disenchantment that is ever growing with mainstream music may well drag underground bands\artists into the limelight and we can all bathe in it's refreshing audible glory.

Music! Is Familiarity King?

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Let me entertain you!

Recently whilst listening to a local band and after hearing them play four of their own original songs, I noticed that the crowed wasn't all that into it. "Was this down to them being bad?" I hear you ask, and the answer is "NO!"

The problem was they were relatively new so no-one, including myself, had heard their material before. That brings me onto a delicate subject of whether to play cover versions or not to play cover versions, that is the question. To compound matters the band became anxious, the crowd picked up on it and became restless and so then, fortunately, for the common good of all, they read the mood well, performed a cover of a well known song and everyone laughed and got into it. From then on there was a noticeable improvement in the crowd for the rest of their set list.

There's no doubt it's tough just to stick with your own original material, especially when it's had little exposure. That's the major advantage of being part of the big corporate music machine, exposure. Yes there's social media but that will only take you so far. With mainstream radio plays, for instance, your songs are played on repetition through out each day. That song you weren't sure you liked soon takes on a life of its own when it's played over and over. How many times have you heard yourself whistling or humming a tune and then becoming mad at yourself because it's one you say you can't stand the sound of? 

Familiarity that's what the masses thrive on. They can't sing along to your tune, with lighters and mobiles held aloft, when they don't know the words or the melody to your songs. So many factors go into what makes for a good entertaining show but I think the obvious one is, the one that is usually missed..... observing the crowd. Maybe you just might have to compromise your ethics on cover versions. If you have lost the audience, you've lost everything. It's no good getting caught up in your band, your tunes, your instrument playing and not notice no-one is listening any more. 

People want to be entertained, they may have paid good money for the privileged, we who are categorised as relatively unknown artists, and to the same extent, established artists need to remember, it's all about the fans. After all where would any artist be without them?

I'm Not A Singer/Songwriter!

What Is And What Should Never Be

On the eve of Salterszo's twelfth musical release 'Most Popular- EP' I ask Steve about his ambitious task of tackling a new genre... Pop. 

"I suppose the obvious question and place to start is Why?"

"Well I was thinking about what I had produced before and thought about a change in direction. I asked myself, could I actually write outside of my comfort zone?, and if I could, then why not try a new genre. If I am a songwriter, shouldn't I be able to write songs for whoever or whatever is asked of me?"

"But aren't you a singer/songwriter? After all it's you that writes your songs and sings them too!"

"Well no, I'm not a singer/songwriter. Someone like Adele, she's a singer/songwriter. Singer comes first, it's all about Adele's amazing voice. That's what her fans like her for, that's what she's noted for,  and then it's about the song, melody, chorus etc after that. For me it's the opposite. I'm all about the song first, the melody, the arrangements, the hook lines, the choruses etc. My singing will always be secondary. I hate my singing voice but when you're flying solo, on a budget of zero, then who else can sing them. Someone's got to! and fortunately or unfortunately that task falls to me."

"Did you not feel that given you have a small audience that this might be a venture too far?"

"No, I think it's more dangerous as an established artist to try something new. Take for instance, Tom Petty, you know what you're getting, but say Tom decided to do an EDM Album, people would freak out! For me being relatively unknown, trying something new carries little risk at all. Let's be brutally honest here, who cares? If I do this or that there's barely a ripple in the pond that is the music industry, so no, I'm at complete liberty. There's no A&R or management, or producer, or label making excessive demands, I guess that's to my advantage and grants me carte blanche."

"So now the EP's out how do you think you've done?"

"I don't know really. That's all down to the listener, they are the ones who decide if it's good or bad, they are the ones to decide if it will have wide appeal and be accepted. The hard part is getting people to listen. Sure I can upload to all major digital music retailers and music streaming services, blag about it over every social network there is, but whether people can find the needle, that is my music, amongst the giant haystack of tunes out there, well... I don't know." 

"Everyone is pushing something these days. With social media there's lots of  go listen to my new tune, like me, subscribe, please comment, hell, people are even paying for those things to get noticed. I like to believe it's all about the songs, if they're good enough, people will find them and if they're not, then they'll pale into insignificance."

And with that Steve readies another brew. I loved his honesty, his candidness, a lot of what he says is perfectly true. Will the music industry or public sit up and take notice of his work or this new venture, who knows, but what I do know is this, there is without doubt a vast array of talent out there that never appears on the mainstream radar, but if you're sick of hearing it, then grab a spade and start digging, you'll be surprised about the little gems you may dig up and find.

 Jeff Johnson 

(GratisMusic Reviews)

Music; Is It All It's Cracked Up To Be?

Does art deserve payment?

On the day of the official release of my new EP 'Most Popular', I ask myself why would anyone want to purchase it. Over the past few blogposts I've analysed the current state of the music industry and how we interact with it. So with all this data and statistics swirling around in my head it would seem the news of another EP from some obscure artist is hardly worth a mention. On top of which, languishing in obscurity and asking for payment is highly contestable.

With the ability to reach around the world via the internet a relatively unknown artist can nowadays beam themselves onto computer screens, ipads and mobile phones. They can setup social profiles, appear on digital retail sites and reach an audience that back in the day was never thought possible. The problem with that is every Tom, Dick and Harriet with a guitar is doing it. This now diminishes the advantages, since viewers and potential fans may never find you amidst the masses.

Noel Gallagher, in a recent interview on radio q said, if they (Oasis) had of been able to access this super highway into peoples lives, they would have conquered the world. A far easier route than what they had to work tirelessly on and endure. But what was the one most important thing he said about achieving that goal? The songs, the songs have got to be good enough.

That's the key. Why would anyone want to download my new EP or anyone elses for that matter? Because the songs are good, it's that simple. 

In conclusion, to engage with someone through the medium that is music, to get them to discover you, to stop them skipping the track, to keep them listening past track three, to get them to download your tunes all comes down to one thing and one thing only, the songs have got to be good, really, really good. Who is the judge of that? You the listener...

 Salterszo - Most Popular (EP)

Salterszo - Most Popular (EP)

OH! I'M BORED, [mouse click].... SKIP TRACK

Nearly 50% of people will skip a track...

Yes, that is the honest truth of the matter. Practically half of everyone, who manages to find your music, will skip the track before it finishes. The question an Artist must ask themselves is 'Why?'.

There are some statistical (raised eyebrow), results, coming from Spotify data analytical sources, showing, when engrossed in our music listening, we skip more, but skip less, when it's providing a backdrop to whatever tasks we are doing. It has also pointed to the worst perpetrators, our youth.

It would seem that when we have more free time and engaged more in listening to music we are more prone to skip tracks more frequently. Check the table at the top from (www.digitalmusicnews.com) to see how quickly people are moving on.

So with this months theme of who, what, where, when and why, people listen to music these days, I ponder over the chance of anyone finding track four of my EP, let alone actually auditioning it, all the way to it's end. With the statistics shown above, maybe 20sec music tracks is the way to go (over the top reaction), but the whole thing is very alarming. So if I, or any other artist, don't catch you within 20sec's, you're GONE! So half of everyone will skip the track and half of all those who skip a track will skip it within 5sec's. That's scary figures.

So is it all down the Artist or the quality of the song? Well it would seem on the evidence to not entirely be the case. I believe the biggest culprit is the nightmare creation, spawned by the convenience, of the digital age. 

I'm old school, back in the day, to skip a track required a lot of effort. You actually had to stand up, cross over the entire length of a living room, lift a plastic lid, lift a stylus arm with definitude and with the utter most move of mechanical precision and positioning, lower a stylus back onto the specific groove, without scouring you new prized music album. This usually caused a cat to jump six feet into the air (if you were too hasty) and the odd brow to be mopped, when the entire procedure was all over. Now it's all done proficiently with a single click or button press. 

It is with fear and trepidation (he says coyingly), I present the, 1:30sec iTunes preview of track four from my latest EP, for your listening distaste, skipping, or continued pleasure? Just click the track name to listen.

Track 4: Your New Love

The importance of Album track order.

Track 3....Throw Me A Lifeline.

In this day and age when listening to a full album in its entirety seems to be ever spiralling down a slippery slope of exiguous enthusiasm, track order has become significantly more important than ever.

It is estimated by A&R and streaming service decision makers that the maximum number of songs that can be listened to, by an  individual, with today's fast paced lifestyle, is three to four songs. It has been conclusively proven that the earlier a song appears on an album the more likely it is to be streamed and auditioned. Sadly this is not what most artists want to hear but stats and figures show this to now be a mainstream trend. People listen to music while doing ten other things at once and simply sitting down for a good hour to listen to an album in it's entirety is frankly near impossible.

So taking this into account made me personally re-think how my music should be delivered. Now instead of presenting an eleven track album, I have tended to favour four to five track EP's. So instead of one release a year I can now offer two or three depending on song quality.

That brings me on nicely to the dominant feature of any music offering..... QUALITY! Doing smaller releases has forced me to work harder, to trash weaker songs that would most possibly have been included on fuller album releases, and to scrutinise the finer details more. I'm not saying or claiming my songs are the best songs you will ever hear, no I'm not that conceited, but what I am saying is, I work harder to produce and feature better songs.

So to sum up, the evidence is overwhelming. If I want what I believe to be the best songs on my EP\Album I better have them placed as tracks one to three or at a push one to four. This should see them achieve their highest streams, on listening web based sites, and highest paid\unpaid downloads should they be deemed worthy enough to own and keep by the fans.

Track two's blog was entitlted 'Are you still listening?' I hope by track three you've been captivated enough to stick around for tracks four and five as well.

Track 3 sample;

Throw Me A Lifeline

Compact Disc v Vinyl

The digital, analogue debate...

 

On the forth coming release of another Salterszo EP, I pondered over the listening formats available to me and the pros and cons of the various mediums. Obviously cost, for a small, relatively unknown artist, is the number one factor. There are various ways to get your work out there and the most cost effective I have found is a digital release. This, for me, would come in the format of downloadable, lossless or mp3 files through my Bandcamp website. It's quick, easily accessible and incurs no cost whatsoever to anyone. My releases are sold on a, 'name your own price' format and so paying the sum of $\£ 0.00 will get you everything for free. Though I have a few who pay and for that I am humble, thankful and feel truly honoured.

Second up is the compact physical release. Now this incurs quite a substantial cost. Compact disc is relatively cheap, but then add in jewel case, printed cd covers, postage and packing on top of choosing to outsource the manufacture and distribution and you now have to weigh up the economics of demand and supply costs. But making the physical copies yourself along with any printed album medium can drastically reduce costs but increase your labour, it's a trade off and one the individual themselves must decide on.

Finally and most fashionably is the vinyl physical release. Now this may still be a niche market but stats show an ever increasing demand. Is it all about the sound, its physicality, historic reminiscing, large artwork? Who knows its all so subjective, but sales are undoubtedly growing.

So this got me thinking, how accessible is a vinyl release to someone like myself? On researching it didn't take me long to realise it was well out of my budget. Due to the way music is pressed onto vinyl with specialist machinery this isn't a DIY project by any means.

Now also consider the difficulty of  keeping a true analogue path. Let me explain. I record into a computer, mix, master and burn to compact disc and despite applying debatable, analogue plugins, the whole path remains solely a digital one. So sending a master copy of my album\ep on compact disc to a vinyl pressing house does not make the final recording on vinyl a truly analogue one. To adhere to a full analogue path would require all recording, mixing and mastering to be done on tape. That, added to the price of production, technical ability, (ask any old recording engineer about the nightmare of recording and working with tape) and raised costs, somewhat nullifies any reasoning for me to pursue the analogue dream.

So digital is unequivocally the only domain I can work in. Costs, flexibility and convenience make it a no-brainer. As for sound quality? The analogue v's digital debate will rage on through the aeons until some other recorded medium emerges to take both their respective places.

Track Two: Stronger

Are you still listening?

After a little taster given of the first track of my upcoming EP 'Most Popular', I thought it appropriate to give more samples of what's to follow.

The first track maybe the opening salvo, the one that will pull you in or make you run away, but with the second track, well, that's when you need to reassure the listener that there's something worth sticking around for. When writing songs it's not unusual for there to be no coherent formula. So getting a bunch of songs all written at various times, moods, styles and bpm's etc, to sit nicely, in good chronological order, as an EP or album, requires some planning. It is with that in mind I chose the track 'Stronger' as No.2.

Stronger' started, as is commonplace for me, on the guitar. My favourite goto instrument of choice. Now seeing as I had decided to, try as I might, do a pop EP, the riff would require a contemporary setting to nestle it into that vibe. Obviously synth's would be needed and that was the beauty of recording the EP with Cakewalk's Sonar X3. It comes pre-loaded with some very professional sounding synth's and sound clips. Throw in a little piano here and there and the track started to breathe a life of it's own. 

Now for some lyrics. Well on this occasion and fortunately for me my good friend and writing buddy Daryl P Hall provided some and a song was born. That's the thing that always amazes me. I start of with an idea and usually end up somewhere I never intended. It's like walking on a familiar street, turning the corner and finding yourself in a foreign land. It all seems so unpredictable but somehow, in the end, you manage to make it back home.

Enough rambling on from me, here's the first sample, just me and guitar and then the final finished multi track EP version. Hope you like where this EP is going?

Just vocals & Guitar; Stronger - vocals & guitar only

Final EP version; Stronger - Final Multitrack Mix

Lyrical Dancer or Rhyming Chancer?

The Storyline...

Writing lyrics can and does cause me headaches from time to time. You see, truth be told, I find it difficult to write something original, to tell a story that hasn't be told before, and therein lies the greatest problem.

How do you tell a complete story in less than three minutes or slightly more that are coherent, engaging and charismatic enough for someone to take the time out and listen to what you're banging on about. Sure there are those listeners who don't really care as long as there is a hook line that grasps hold of them, but for others, like me, it really does matter.

Trying to stay clear of cliché's and well rehearsed rhyme is challenging at best. Think for a moment how many songs you know that use the same ole lines? Tons and tons of them right!

So how do you say something different? For me I tend to think of approaching it like looking up a thesaurus for a synonym, you can say the same thing just differently. Inevitably  I will have to revert to some familiar rhyming words but I try to keep them to the bare minimum. I must also tip my hat to my good Buddy Daryl P Hall who has collaborated on many a tune. I find that is also a great way to bring variety. Daryl will always surprise me with topics and story-lines I would never dream of. Hey, collaboration has been at the forefront of many  successful artists.

There's lots of tutorials on-line, books and courses on the subject but like making music and melody, there's no set formula. Some of the best known songs have pure gibberish for lyrics but  somehow they work. For example;

Black Eyed Peas '

“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Saturday to Sunday.”

Taylor Swift'

“‘Cause you were Romeo / I was a scarlet letter / And my daddy said stay away from Juliet.”

Nicki Manaj'

“You a stupid hoe / You a / You a stupid hoe / (stupid, stupid).”

On the first song from my upcoming EP 'Most Popular' I actually wrote three different lyrics, sang them all and listened back to which one I thought worked the best. Here's the one I used;

Just Let It Go 

If you should stumble 

Lose your faith and crumble 

Find there's no-one there beside you 

If faith should depart 

If life should mimic art 

Lose the hand that guides you 

Though tears may fall and through it all 

Hope might allude you 

Don't you give up 

Cos seasons change things rearrange 

Nothing lasts forever 

Pass on this bitter cup 

Just let it go 

If life's against you 

Storms should beset you 

Hold on tight let them pass 

Asking the question why 

Feeling like you're gonna die 

On whom or what did you trespass 

© 2015 PinetreeMusic® 

words & music by Steve Salterszo

In The Studio Again....

Guitar, Pen & Paper...Ready, Steady, Go!

With the sound of singing birds in the air and undoubtedly, Spring in full flight, it's back to the grindstone, the world of song making. Anyone can write a song, but not everyone can write a good song, and therein lies the challenge. So who decides what reverberates as a good song? The listener of course. Albeit the listener is one of the most subjective entities that exist, the songwriter tries somewhat in earnest to literally strike a chord, a fellowship with other humans who would share there passion for the sounds, melodies and instrumentation they have lovingly orchestrated and shared.

In the end the songwriter can only write for themselves, after all they are the first ones to audition a new song and for a singer\songwriter that is the first and only audience to gauge what is good, what is bad, what to develop and what to throw in the trash.

So with this in mind I step out again to try to write the best songs I can, always living in the hope that more than just me will like them. For me it's not about money, not that I've amassed any, that only ruins things, stops the natural flow and side tracks from what is important.... the music!

My thinking this time was to challenge myself, to write in a genre of music that for me is like sitting in a church congregation, on hard wooden pews, leaving nothing but squirming and shuffling around in the quest for comfort. So what genre am I talking about? Pop.

So writing is in full swing, two songs completed, one nearly and another tune literally only written down in my head. I will release a four to five track EP, as yet untitled, in late June 2015 and trust, that as penned above, trust that others will find the songs have merit, merit enough to listen to them, hopefully more than once.

Here's a little 60 sec teaser of one of the new songs...

https://soundcloud.com/salterszo/let-it-go

Odds & Ends EP Conclusion:

As the kettle boils up in the background for another bru Steve asks "Well what do you think overall?"

I have to say that overall I liked what I heard. For this to be a collection of songs that never made it on to any of the Salterszo albums is somewhat mystifying, there are some great songs surely worthy of inclusion.

From the opening dual salvo of Life Goes On and Love Is Not The Answer, to the quieter retrospective moments like Always Love, there are some wonderful highs and lows on the sonorous journey of intonation for all who would dare to listen. Odds & Ends is a twenty five minute ramble over hill and dale that is as welcome a companion on a short time out, as a digestive is to a cup of tea. Not only that, but the fact it can be purchased for the sum of £0.00 from Steve's Bandcamp site and comes with a somewhat DIY cover that would have sat proudly on a Blue Peter, how to make your own album cover with some scissors and glue moment, simply adds to it's charm.

Reverting back to the, album is dead theory, I can't help but feel a sense of sorrow. All the latest evidence would seem to agree, most listeners are more than happy to simply download the one track they like and bypass all the others. But listening to Steve's new EP left me feeling more like that was the end of side A but what about side B? With the likes of audio steaming becoming more popular, mp3 still the masses choice of medium, undoubtedly, album sales will suffer, but on the other hand, vinyl is making a 'Rocky like' comeback.

Who knows as to the future of music and to what medium it will be listened on, one thing is for sure, there is a lot of talent out there, Steve's EP is proof of that. The titan that is today's music industry may have to move aside for the undiscovered, songwriting, bedroom, music producer and that can't be a bad thing, not a bad thing at all.

      

You can find 'Salterszo - Odds & Ends EP' at any of the links below:

Bandcamp

 Spotify

 iTunes      

Track Six: Ghosts

"So what's the story behind this one Steve?"

"My good writing buddy, Daryl P Hall, sent me some lyrics and at the time I had been messing around with a tune but had no direction as to the storyline. This is when you need someone to step into the frame and Daryl will always touch on subjects that I would never think of. It makes for good variety."

"Musically , I was listening to a lot of Tom Petty at the time and I wanted to do a straight up acoustic rock song. I usually fall upon a chord progression and then work on  a melody to match, that's how I write, I know no other way. Having the lyrics presented first calls for a different approach. For the lyricist there is freedom to write fluidly but then trying to match what can be sung to the melody you come up with can be quite restricting and so therefore requires modification to get a line to fit. I always try to stick quite close to Daryl's original where possible, after all, you want to keep the essence of his idea too."

Ghosts is an organic tune filled with acoustic guitar, organ and a nod to Mike Campbell on the melodic guitar solo. It's the last track on the EP and a fitting end to this symphonious journey, one I have truly enjoyed.

written by Daryl P Hall & Steve Salterszo
© PinetreeMusic 2014

Track Five: Something To Believe In

You say you need something to believe in...  Well so do I

On watching the accompanying video it would appear this is a protest song against those would be charlatans, who say they worship God, but really worship money, lots and lots of your money.

"I never wrote the lyrics with that in mind,  it was more to make the listener deliberate on whom, what, where and why we all need something to believe in. We all need hope, faith and belief in our daily routines otherwise we couldn't get out of bed in the morning. That was the essence of the song."

"So what about the video?"

"Well since the subject was that of faith, and I had just watched this youtube video on some infamous preachers and the mass wealth they are accumulating and how to even the atheist it's plain to see, how completely against the bibles teachings the whole thing is, it just fitted with the song. I may have not set out to protest against this loathsome practice but I have no problem standing above the parapet and expound how wrong it all is."

"I'm never comfortable with revealing the context of a song, I feel it's shutting the door, or robbing, the listener. I would rather they made up their own mind, that way the song has many meanings to many people."

"I know what you mean Steve, but then, I'd be out of a job..."

Something to believe in

You say you need something to believe in
Well so do I
Trust is so easily broken
You have to fall before you fly
There are so many paths for us to travel on
So many roads that we can take
Is their no hope but what we make

As it is as it was
You say just because
Found or lost
There's always a cost
Faith is where to begin
Something to believe in

You say you need something to believe in
Something to get you by
Can't spend your whole life wishing
When hope is in short supply
What do you do when ever your dreams fail
Who do you turn to when things go wrong
Is it having faith that keeps you strong

As it is as it was
You say just because
Found or lost
There's always a cost
Faith is where to begin
Something to believe in

by Steve Salterszo
© PinetreeMuisc® 2014

Track Four : Summertime

'Smiling away without even knowing'

Onto to track four a song entitled Summertime. This song is my favourite from the EP and truly encapsulates everything that is summer. It's silky smooth production just makes you feel like you're laying back on a meadow with nothing but blue sky above bathing under a glorious sunlight.

"There's more of an organic feel to this track was that on purpose?"

"I managed to squeeze an acoustic rock drum kit into my miniature studio and that's what gives the track more realism." says Steve. I'm not really much of a drummer and so have always relied on midi drum loops and although they can have the impact and take all the hard work out of micing up a drumkit, they always seem, to me, to be lifeless. I'd love to have there sound on all my tracks but getting a real drumkit to actually sound anywhere near good was a nightmare. That's the draw back of doing everything yourself and not having the money to pay someone to do it for you I suppose. Anyway when all was said and done and after wrestling with two mic's and much processing I think it turned out quite nice."

Sun so bright, 

I feel it's warmth upon my face
No worries in sight, 

Takes me to a better place

Grass so green and gentle breeze blowin'

Life's a dream when the laughter is flowing
Smiling away without even knowing
Raise a glass of fine wine
To the summertime

Clear blue skies, 

Not a cloud in sight to ruin my day

I can't disguise, 

How happy I'm feeling my cares all fade away

I love the summertime...

Sunlight starts to fade
Beautiful red and orange sky
In the cool of the shade
The sun disappears but only for now

by Steve Salterszo
© 2014 PinetreeMusic®

Track Three: Always Love

As Steve plunks one of his infamous home made cappuccino's into my hand swiftly followed by a kitkat shoved in the other, we get onto track three.

After the sanguine bluster of the first two tracks my ears yearn for something a little more modest and Steve doesn't disappoint.

"I have always thought that, two up tempo to one slow, was the perfect ratio for how an album should be set out, says Steve. It's hard to translate emotion or direct the listener to contemplate life, love or whatever with distorted guitar ringing in their ears, so finding the right balance is very important. An album should always lead the listener down a melancholy road to satisfaction."

"My ole writing Buddy, Daryl P Hall, had written the lyrics as a song directly linked to Father's Day celebrations and I did my best to come up with some sentimental music to match the mood." And with the click of a kitkat stick and a swipe at the foam on my top lip, the air is filled with an acoustic guitar and violin, lovely, just lovely...

Track Two: Love Is Not The Answer

"So love is not the answer, not the answer to what?"
"I was thinking about the usual things said about love, how many love songs in the world is there?, and so I wanted to see if I could say something different about it." says Steve.
"It sounds like an anti-love song from that title?"
"No, not at all, it's not an attack on love, but for anyone who has ever been in a relationship, they know, that sometimes, as much as you love someone, by the same measure you can hate them. It's more of an inward look at a failing relationship were, even love, is not the answer to fixing what's wrong with the relationship."

Love is not the answer is a great indie rocker that pays homage to bands like the Black Crows or the Rolling Stones and is unashamed to undertake some very familiar guitar riffs to the limit. The rhythm section drives the tune along at blistering pace. A great track for the car stereo for sure.

Love Is Not The Answer

Well you can form your plan put it into action

But there's no guarantee of satisfaction

You can parcel it up with ribbon and lace

But you might find yourself with egg on your face

Well I'm just a simple man

I wear my heart on my sleeve

I never come pre-planned

Cos in love I choose to believe

In this game of love I play the part of a chancer

I believed in the hype

But Love is not the answer

It's hard to keep up things start moving faster

Now I'm lagging behind

Cos Love is not the answer

You start feeling giddy but are you deluded

Now into your life love's intruded

All seems fine what could possibly go wrong

Now you feel weak and wounded and not so strong

This thing called love it's a bode of contention

It's a curious case of human interaction

What's it all about can anyone understand it

Interpretation keeps getting lost in transit

 by Steve Salterszo © PinetreeMusic® 2014

Track One: Life Goes On

Life Goes On...

Steve pops a cd in the player and we're greeted by a single guitar riff that explodes into a cacophony of sound and  gentle drops into the first verse. It's a great indie rocker that celebrates the wonderful saturation of over-driven guitar.

Life goes on is pretty much self explanatory. Life, with all it's highs and lows, bumps in the road, has for some, the exasperating habit of never stopping for no man. As Steve says in the opening lines of the chorus;

'It's the same old story we know so well
Life goes on and on and on.'

 

Move on or take a chance 

Give time a second glance 

Day after day life goes on 

Each of us living life 

Each moment that we strive 

We skip a heartbeat and it's gone 

Choose to move take a chance on the unknown 

Stay locked in the past forever to atone 

It's the same old story 

We know so well 

Life goes on and on and on 

On and on and on and on 

Reach out to claim the glory 

Ourselves to sell 

Life goes on and on and on 

On and on and on and on 

Life goes on 

Memories some good some bad 

Replay the times we had 

But to ourselves we must be true 

At the end of the day 

It's not in what we say 

We are judged by what we do 

© PinetreeMusic® 2014

words & music by Steve Salterszo

Odds & Ends EP

In The Beginning

by Jeff Johnson

After the successful "Life's what you make it" album comes the latest release from Salterszo and strangely not a full album, but an EP. 
"Now correct me if I'm wrong, Steve, but isn't it usual to start with EP's and then progress to full album releases?"
"Yeah, I know, but we live in the fast lane these days, who has got an hour or more to spare to listen to an entire album from start to finish?" "I read articles in the Guardian and the New York Times, not so long ago, stating, 'the album is dead', so it got me to thinking less tracks, better chance of listening, voilà! an EP is the way to go."
"Well that's the debate, isn't Steve, does the album still have any life left in it?" 


For me, and possibly a small minority of others, we still hold the concept of an album dear to our hearts. But then like, in the days of yore, I grew up in a time when that was the main outlet and medium for listening to your favourite bands new release of songs. I reluctantly submit myself to the theory of album extinction.

"So! an EP it is then, was there a concept involved Steve?"
Steve laughs "Well you could say that Jeff, they were  a collection of songs that never made it on any of the albums, I guess the title is a dead give away."
"So how come they never featured anywhere before?"
"I think that's the thing with an album, you're always thinking about song placement, the feel of it, the subject matter, the genre and how it all gels. I remember listening to Springsteen talking about the length of time he spent deciding what songs would go where on the 'Born to run' album. With this there was total freedom, and so an EP was born."