Emery
Official Website:
http://www.emerymusic.com
Background:
In 2003, Emery tracked their debut, dubbed The Weak’s End, with producer Ed Rose. Self-financing the operation, the band knocked out the sessions in a rapid two weeks. After the sessions wrapped, Emery hit the road on small, regional touring stints and performed at festivals. Upon returning to Seattle, the group finalized their deal with Tooth & Nail and released The Weak’s Endin January 2004.
The group spent five weeks recording with producer Aaron Sprinkle (MXPX, Pedro The Lion) in early 2005. The end result was The Question , a more diverse album than The Weak’s End —most notably with a striking balance of delicate melodies and uncompromising muscle. The Question debuted in August 2005 at #45 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, and has sold over 130,000 albums to date—no small feat for a band that had barely formed four years earlier.
In the summer of 2005, Emery headlined the Smartpunk stage of the Vans Warped Tour, performing on the entire summer-long event. Emery opted to wear matching outfits to differentiate themselves from the multitudes of look-alike acts. “It’s goofy, it’s fun and the festival’s so crazy, it’s like, how do you tell one band from the other?” says Shelton. “It helps makes us stand out a little more. You can’t take yourself too seriously.”
Emery
Discography:
2004 - The Weaks End
2005 - The Question
Josh Head on M-Audio Hardware: “I love the ease of use and reliability of M-Audio hardware. In particular, I love how well the FireWire 410 and FireWire 1814 work seamlessly with all the software I use, especially Pro Tools M-Powered. I also like how reliable my controllers have been on the road. As anyone who has ever seen an Emery show can attest, I abuse my controllers on a regular basis, and Ive never had any problems with them.
“We always set up a studio in the back lounge of our tour bus. During our down time, we use our laptop-based studio to record ideas and work on new songs. We also use it to record radio liners and demos. The sample that begins with ‘Studying Politics (the first single from The Question ) was made using our M-Audio gear on tour. We actually ended up using that sample for the album—which was easy, since we created it using our Oxygen8, FireWire 1814 and Pro Tools M-Powered.
“At home, I connect the Keystation 88es to the USB port on my Apple PowerBook, and I use it as my main controller for Pro Tools M-Powered, Reason and Digital Performer. Because I can use M-Audio controllers like the Keystation 49e and Oxygen8 with Reason, I no longer use my Moog Opus 3 on tour.
“I connect the FireWire 410 to my laptop to record vocals and analog synths. I use the 410s first output for keyboard sounds, the second output for samples and the third output for the click track. We used the FireWire 1814 and Pro Tools M-Powered to record the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of our last album, The Question .”
Head on M-Audio Software: “ Without Pro Tools M-Powered, I dont think there would be any way for us to work on and demo ideas as a band. For example, for the record were currently working on, weve used our aforementioned studio to record demos and send them to our producer. He in turn bounces ideas back to us, and vice versa. It makes it easier for producers to have creative input before a band ever enters the studio.
“We primarily use the plug-ins that come with Pro Tools M-Powered. These plug-ins are essential to our recording process.”
What he is proud of: “Im really proud of how hard weve worked since we formed Emery in 2002. Weve done everything in our power to make our live sets and our records as powerful as they can possibly be. Its been a lot of fun to grow together and develop a sound that is uniquely Emerys.”
Their songwriting process: “Since the members of Emery live all over the country (two in Seattle, one each in Illinois , Indiana and South Carolina ), all of the songs are written and worked on over the Internet. One person will come up with an idea and record it via one of our various M-Audio interfaces and Pro Tools M-Powered. Then the idea is sent to the other members of the band. I use my Keystation 88es to add piano, keys and synths.
“We also use M-Audio rigs to record rehearsals, and we always make sure we have a setup on our tour bus—you never know when an idea will come to you. When something great pops in your head, its awesome to be able go to the back lounge and lay down some tracks.”
Why M-Audio? “M-Audio is essential to Emerys live show and songwriting process. Without M-Audio, I would need racks and racks of gear on tour. Before using M-Audio MIDI controllers, I had to tour with three keyboards. Because of the FireWire 410, I was able to record 60 different radio liners with two days notice, and they turned out great.
“M-Audio plays a crucial role in todays music industry because they offer high-quality, affordable products that bands in this industry rely on day in and day out. For example, when we began Emery, it would have cost thousands of dollars for us to enter a studio and record album-quality songs. Now, with M-Audio and Pro Tools M-Powered it is possible for bands, singer-songwriters and independent producers to get a leg up on the monster that is known as the music industry.”
