Homemade Recording in Crozon

By Leslie Trillot

Translated from the french by Lou White

Lou White is a young French-American artist who lives in Las Vegas. Full of ambition, she just ended her first album recording. Far from the American standards and the Parisian studios, it is in Bretagne, in the village of Crozon Morgat that she and her team decided to take their districts.

The sky is clear, the wind is iodized, the sea is cheerful, it is 10 am and Lou White's day has just begun. On the terrace of a beautiful Breton house, the young diva serenely starts the fifth day of her album recording. 50's hairstyle, carmine red lipstick, eye-line carefully drawn, waisted dress, very high-heels, the singer starts with her vocal warm up. The power of her voice is hinted, and her soul references are outlined. Her sweetness and her beauty make it difficult to imagine her singing with that much intensity.

Inside, the sound engineer accompanied with his assistant makes the adjustments with the musicians. Formerly living room, the main room of the house was completely transformed and now gives way to a big cabin studio. Separated by walls of mattresses covered with big sheets, each musician has his own space. The tiled floor is covered with thirteen big carpets, borrowed from family and friends, and hundreds of wires and cables which feed amps, microphones, headphones, pedals and instruments.

Once the adjustments are done, the recording can start. The sound of the heels resounds on the wood floor, Lou joins her cabin and puts her headphones on. Isolated by sheets, the singer is alone in the room ; she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and approaches four microphones standing in front of her. The house is quiet, everyone waits for the signal. Marc announces he is ready like a director unblocking the meter. Thomas, the drummer makes the countdown, " One, two, one two three four " and the first notes sound.

The drummer, the bass player, the guitarist and the keyboard player take place behind their instruments. With their headphones on, they can hear Lou's instructions and the sound engineer's, who does not hesitate to comment on each recording sound. Real conductor, he has his own room upstairs. To get there ? Follow the cables ! Behind his three screens, he synchronizes the numerous sound inputs. The walls of this former bedroom are covered with consoles and mixing tables. Found on the internet, real bargains, the equipment arranged in this room is exceptional. Here, each implement has a story. With amazed eyes, Marc displays his most beautiful find, an antique microphone from 1935. " I often say that if that one could speak, he would have many things to tell us ".

Carefully packed in sheets and bubble wrap, this rare object kept all its authenticity. Its lines are irregular, its bolts are unstable, but its beauty is matchless. " It is not the one Lou will record her voices with but this little marvel will well and truly be on stage with her ".

Another object of exception is in the musicians room. Impressive and majestic, the Hammond Organ has pride of place on the middle of the room. 40 years old, 195 kilos and the power to make walls vibrate, this little jewel demands a lot of attention. Q tip and rags in the hand, the pianist carefully cleans every pull one by one to perfect the sound of the instrument. It is with passion that he tells the story of this meeting. Picked up at an old musician neighbor, the instrument has passed in many magicians' hands to recover a beauty before being ready to be reused.

These attractive finds were requested by Lou herself. Determined and meticulous, not only is she a singer but also and especially the one who decides and oversees the operations. This first album is close to her heart, " some of these songs are eight years old, they are a part of my life and I wish to record them with perfection by leaving nothing at random ". Only woman of the team, she commands these gentlemen and manages to obtain what she wants. Even if the dialogue is totally opened with her musicians and that they work together on all aspect of the project, she is the one who approves or not the propositions.

We can feel the pressure growing at the beginning of the fifth take. "Your Wife" is one of the most technical track of the album. Lou lets the scratch voice she just recorded, turn in the musicians headphones, and she goes down to join them. She reassures them, re-motivate them and settles down with them. The alchemy between them is tangible, artistically and humanely speaking, these people understand each other. A simple glance of her is enough for them, the sixth shot is a success. Once the track is in the box, we move on with the second one, then the third one. For her team members, Lou is " A boss, a friend, a colleague, an artist ", without forgetting " a sturdy character " and " a voice of beautiful rarity ".

The evening is already well begun when the bass player puts the chef's apron on. Sat at the table around some glasses, the whole team debriefs about its day. Laughter, advice, ideas, anecdotes, songs, they all share this evening in simplicity. And when by way of dessert the bass player unties his long dreadlocks and gives a salsa lesson, " Miss Lady diva " as they call her over there, follows the footsteps while the rest of the team plays the music to accompany all this. After a few dance steps, Lou finds her microphone and sings. Without pressure, they all take advantage of this re-creation by revisiting some classics. The producer acts himself as drummer, the sound engineer tries the percussions, the drummer reinterprets the background vocals, the guitarist becomes a bass player, and Lou drives the piano crazy.

She wanted an authentic recording in an artistic atmosphere with unique people, she wanted it and she made it. See you in the charts Miss Lou White!