In Fiction Tree, we don’t just have drums but also our percussionist Shaun. We love the extra layers and textures this adds to our sound and were keen to include this on our recordings.
We started off with the full percussion kit and mic’d this to give more of a live sound. This was good for some parts but the bleed across the mics felt a bit too much in places so quite a bit was re-done individually later. Each instrument has different levels of volume and varies with mic positioning so it’s actually an easier process to work on them separately. Across the tracks you can hear a variety of percussion instruments including bongos, wood blocks and shakers.
Ride Away opens with the sound of the ocean and this was created by using an Ocean Drum – which is a narrow drum filled with small ball bearings which, as you tip the drum, roll across the surface to give the sound. Shaun also used a rain stick which we layered over in places and, combined, gives the feeling of pebbles washing up on the beach.
Have a listen to the tracks and see if you can spot the different instruments.