Origins is a global, fan immersive concept that saw the Dan Reed Network record an album of new material alongside fan favourites in front of a live studio audience.. in 5 different studios around the world.
Manchester UK, NYC, Portland Oregon, Berlin Germany & Stockholm Sweden all hosted a completely unique session.
I thought it would be the ultimate fan experience for someone to be able to join their favourite band in the studio while they work on new music… and then get to see the band re-record one of their favourites and get to provide backing vocals on that track!
For those of you wondering about the ‘Origins’ of this concept (apologies for the pun)… it was something that was developed in the front seats of a van while driving between shows on the bands UK, naturally.
The inaugural session took place at Blueprint Studio’s in Manchester on December 1st 2017 and featured 150 Dan Reed Network fans in the room right alongside the band as they recorded their parts for ‘Fade To Light’
Here’s Dan Reed’s take on the event:
What I think really translates throughout is how having an audience in the room fed the band with a unique energy that pushed us to expand our creative horizons. We’re thrilled with the results,”
As a huge music fan and musician I couldn’t imagine a better ‘behind the scenes’ experience as a fan… and as a player the thought of having an audience seemed the ideal way to capture the energy of playing live in the studio.
The execution of the day provided numerous unique logistical challenges. Can we find a large enough space to host this many people, how are they going to hear what the artist can here while recording (instead of just the sound in the room). It’s a long day so there needs to be food etc. How do we turn a recording studio into a live music venue etc.
Solutions included, bringing in catering and having the band serve all the guests dinner… A truly special moment, can you imagine your favourite artists dishing out your Thai Green Curry after you’ve just watched them record a new song and participated in it.
150 bluetooth headphones were sourced so that everyone in the room could hear a mix of what was being recorded at the time.
Ultimately my favourite part of the day was the live show at the end. The band were energised from an enthralling day of tracking under the watchful eyes of the audience.
The bar was rolled in, drinks flowed and the energy released from wrapping up the recording part of the day manifested into possibly my favourite and certainly one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever witnessed.
The band were stellar as were the crowd and it truly was the perfect way to wrap up a memorable day.
‘Having made the trip north to Manchester for the first studio session, the brainchild of Manager Dario Nikzad, the day played out like the ultimate fanboy’s dream.
The band’s equipment laid out in the middle of the room, 3 standard lamps to add a piece of bohemian atmosphere, seating for around 100 plus fans around the outside and bluetooth over ear headphones so that everyone could listen to what was being played. ‘
Due to the success of the inaugural event in Manchester and the fact that DRN have a global fan base we saw a unique opportunity to take this concept around the world.
It resulted in 4 more exceptional sessions that lead to 4 new DRN songs as New York, Portland Oregon, Stockholm in Sweden as well as Berlin in Germany.
Here’s a fantastic behind the scenes video from the Portland, Oregon session put together by Amrik Kerketta who runs ‘Seven Sisters Road.’ An amazing sites that contains everything you could ever want to know about the band!
Below that is the official video released by the band for the song ‘Right In Front Of Me’, shot and recorded at the infamous Power Station studio in New York City.
Sonic Abuse webzine also scored the album 9/10 having the following to say:
In typically contrary fashion, the band also adopted a unique method of recording as they threw open the doors of each of the four recording studios to a live audience, even inviting them to participate by providing backing vocals.
The result is a truly inclusive album that blurs the lines between creator and listener and the results are inspired.
