kierensmith.com

Guitar Lessons.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:01:15 -0600

I just want to let everyone who lives in the Minneapolis area know, I will be teaching guitar lessons and offering industry classes to those in local bands around the area. I have weekly openings Monday - Friday and it’s cheap as hell! I am very patient (surprisingly) and I can help you get off the ground with guitar or your band! E-mail me at kierencharlessmith@gmail.com for more information!

Time Out

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:52:03 -0600

So it has been a few days since I last posted. I’m going to be honest, I have been very overwhelmed this last week. Somewhere between the countless hours sitting in the studio, conference calls discussing the enigmatic “plan” for our upcoming release, and the never-ending nothing fights between people due to the lack of financial stability, I lost my shit.

Sometimes it is good to sit out. I have been working myself to the bone during this time off we are supposed to be enjoying and I finally cracked. For once I turned off my computer and phone with no remorse. I know many people think being in a band is easy and dream-like, but it isn’t all fun. It takes years of work. I can’t tell you how many nights I have slept in a van or on the floor of some house that smells like cats. Like any profession, you have to pay your dues.

Now, I am not saying it isn’t our choice or that we don’t appreciate the opportunity. I am just sharing that in every profession or lifestyle, it is alright to take a time out once and a while. Overwhelmed at school? Close the book and do something for yourself. We spent three years touring non-stop and we finally have a break and what have I done? Worked more. I did nothing this last weekend but see my family and lay around with my lady watching movies and enjoying each other’s company. It was amazing. Life isn’t about the end goal, it is about the journey through it and enjoying things along the way. Sing It Loud is my dream and I plan on doing whatever I can to make it happen, but I am going to make sure that from now on we do it the way my band-mates and I want. Live for yourself, that is what I plan on doing. Just my two cents…

A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts.

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:56:00 -0600

Sitting in the studio can be very frustrating. We are currently recording some b-sides for our upcoming album. Sometimes it takes a little liquid help to write lyrics. A drunken man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts.

Top 10 Songs from Minneapolis

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:16:53 -0600

I have always been a huge supporter of the local music scene in the Twin Cities. There are so many amazing artists that have emerged from Minneapolis over the last thirty years. I have decided to put together a list of my favorite artists and songs that come from my hometown. Enjoy!

1. “Closing Time” - Semisonic. Such a 90’s classic. Everyone loves this song.

2. “Anadrogynous” - The Replacements. This band is amazing. They didn’t give a fuck about anything, it was their appeal and their downfall.

3. “My Favorite Accident” - Motion City Soundtrack. This is the first song I heard by MCS and was hooked immediately.

4. “I’ll Be There For You” - The Rembrandts. Friends theme song. Enough said.

5. “Pearle” - Trip Shakespeare. This is one of the most creative bands from MN. They eventually turned into Semisonic.

6. “Miss Happiness” - Walt Mink. Words cannot describe. Shredders.

7. “Lie To Me” - Johnny Lang. We all know his story.

8. “The Kill In Me” - POS. This is one of my favorite hip-hop tracks of all time. So real and honest.

9. “Bird Songs Why The Caged I Know” - Atmosphere. This song always gets me pumped.

10. “1999” - Prince. Classic.

Tools of the Trade (pt. 2)

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:38:13 -0600

I usually don’t like to talk about my amp setup to people because it is something I took a long time to put together. I am a firm believer in separation of tones and instruments, for example; I don’t like to use thick speaker cabinets with lots of bass response because it defeats the purpose of having a bass player. People seem to forget how to layer tones and sound live and in the studio. If you have super low detuned guitars with thick tone and a low bass tone, your tone isn’t going to sound huge. It is going to sound muddy and out of tune. So for these reasons I like to use an amp with lots of mid-range and treble projection. My old rig used to consist of a 1986 Marshall JCM 800 (50 Watt) for my dirty channel and a 1968 Fender Bassman (50 Watt) for my clean channel. I ran each head through a separate Orange 212 closed back cabinet loaded with Celestion V-30 speakers. I recently however switched to a local Minneapolis company, KJ-Audio. I now use a KJ-Audio 50 Watt head for my dirty channel and my JCM 800 for my clean. I run each head through a separate KJ-Audio 412 open back cabinet loaded with Mojotone British V-30 speakers. I love the sound of the open back 412’s and I highly recommend this to anyone who is seeking more full tone. The only thing more important than the amp, are the settings. Here are my settings for my KJ-Audio (dirty tone)

Presence - 0

Bass - 5

Middle - 7

Treble - 6

Master - 5

PreAmp (Gain) - 6

Here is a picture of my rig. (notice the beer on my head case, essential for good tone)

If you are interested in purchasing a KJ-Audio, e-mail Kris at Kjaudio75@gmail.com and tell him I sent you!

Tools of the Trade

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:01:00 -0600

I often get questions about my gear so I am going to do a few posts on what I use live and in the studio for Sing It Loud.

First off, I am endorsed by Gibson guitars (like that plug there?). I used to play a telecaster when our band first started but as a lead player it just didn’t give me the response I needed. My current list of guitars are as follows:

2002 Gibson Les Paul Studio (Black)

2008 Gibson Les Paul Standard (Goldtop)

2008 Gibson Explorer (White)

2007 Gibson SG Classic (Red)

2009 Gibson ES-335 (Sunburst)

1967 Gibson ES-330 (Sunburst)

Live I usually switch between my ES-335 and my LP Standard. In the studio I use my ES-335 and my ES-330. They are the best guitars I have ever played and their sound irreplaceable. I am currently selling my ES-330, so if anyone is interested, message me! Here is a picture of my hollowbodies (Left ES-330, Right ES-335)

I will post about my amp setup tomorrow!

Falling Down Into You

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:55:35 -0600

Here are some lyrics I wrote for a new song I just recorded for a solo project I am doing (not dangerlove). I wrote this song about when you are getting to know someone new and about how exciting it is when someone lets you into their life. I think this is the most amazing thing about love; you never know what you’ll find or where you’ll end up and you can’t really control it. It just happens. Let me know what you think!!

“Falling Down Into You”

i remember when i met you

it seems like yesterday

you were drunk and i was too

it was easy to say

ive been waiting for a while

to let you know that i had to tell you

i had to tell you that

its not the way you walk

your looks make me dizzy

its not how you talk

though your words always get me