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STUDIO PHOTO PAGES: PUBLIC LIBRARY SESSIONS | OTHER ALBUM SESSIONS
CLICK ON A PHOTO TO SEE IT FULL-SIZE. (To read more about this recording session, visit the Session Diary.)
Here are some pictures of the lovely home near Madison, WI, where the Public Library album was recorded. Also, here are the musicians (L-R): Drew Glackin, Walter Salas-Humara, Konrad Meissner, John Simshauser, and Jonathan Rundman.
The album was produced by Walter Salas-Humara, who stayed with the musicans in the main recording room (living room) during recording, and communicated to the control room (bedroom) using a talk-back mic and headphones.
The album was engineered by John Simshauser who set up his control room in a bedroom down the hall from the living room.
Before recording, the musicians would play through each song acoustically and finalize the arrangements.
Percussionist Konrad Meissner set up his drum kit in the dining room.
Jonathan Rundman played rhythm guitar out on the porch (nice isolation booth!) looking through the windows at the band, and overdubbed the acoustic guitar parts indoors. Jonathan also sang a scratch vocal for each song for the band to use as a guide, and his first-take performance of the song "Park River Bridge" was miraculously good enough to be used on the album!
Multi-instrumental genius Drew Glackin provided amazing bass guitar, electric guitar, and lap steel.
Here's a look at some of the other instruments and amps that were used during the recording session in Madison.
Following the session in Madison, Jonathan and Walter worked briefly in Minneapolis recording Hammond and chord organ. Then Jonathan traveled to New York City where more keyboards, vocals, mandolin, and additional guitar were recorded at Studio Double You.
Jonathan returned again to Minneapolis to finish all the vocal parts with help from John Simshauser. "Smart Girls" was completely overhauled at Upton House Studio, with glorious results.
Walter remained in New York, where he recorded the string section for "Second Language," scored by Mary Rowell.