In 2016, Jason Hughes and his solo project, The Camera & Film, released an LP titled You & Me. As he'd recorded the record alone in his basement home studio (with mixing by our friend Paul Laxer), Jason contacted me about possibly "remotely producing" and later mixing his next record to get some fresh input and guidance. Little did I guess what aspects of our interaction and working together would turn out the have the most impact on his new album.
Jason: "I started recording Back in My Mind directly after finishing my last album, You & Me, in 2016. I had decided to record Back in My Mind at home again, following the same principals I had laid down for myself on the previous album. Mainly my process was to treat the DAW [Apple's Logic] like a tape machine, printing all my effects [while tracking], and that rough mixes would only consist of adjusting track volume levels. But after working for a couple of weeks, I realized that I was at risk of making the same record again. I felt the best way forward would be to find someone who could help me with production from afar. I'd always wanted to work with Larry, so I reached out to him to see if he would be interested in helping me with production and mixing of the album. The stars must have been aligned, because he agreed to – what I realized later – a very odd ask."
After some phone calls, demo listening, and an in-person meeting, we set about figuring out ways to collaborate, across town, in Portland, OR. Listening to demos and talking about what instruments would be used was part of the process.
Jason: "Prior to starting to record, Larry and I met a number of times to talk about music, artists we liked, and how I wanted the album to sound. We also talked about the pitfalls that people can fall into when recording an album at home. One of the main ones being that a recording sounds like the space it's recorded in. Larry made sure that I was happy with the sound of my basement before I began working, telling me there wasn't a lot he could do while mixing if I didn't like the sound of the room I was recording in."