Grenades (cover), trying out distorsion techniques

[Marcus]

I've been working on my distorsion lately. Jens, my old friend and also member of this forum, had a session with me on distorsion and it feels like it payed off big time. I feel like I have better control over distorsion, and can also ad smaller or bigger amounts of distorsion at will. And now I don't blow up the volume big time when I ad distorsion either.

I've always been a very clean singer, and always envied singers who had an easy time on distorsion. In this song I really wanted to work on and incorporate the distorsion techniques I'm finally getting pretty solid.

Tell me what you think, and if something could be improved!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9j9b8nznd3neq3/Marcus%20-%20Grenades%20%28cover%29.mp3

Thanks in advance

/ Marcus

[jonpall]

Hi Marcus, the distortion sounded very cool to me. Cheers! :)

[Guest]

I liked it Marcus and I think you are doing good with getting the distortion down. Ihe funny thing is this though. I am someone who likes distortion and/or raspiness or some grit in vocals but found myself wanting a little less here. I found it a little overboard (for my taste) But other than that I'd say you got it down.

[Marcus]

Thanks a lot for the replies guys! I realize I might have gone a little bit overboard with distortion here (maybe especially considering the song in question) - guess I was just so happy to finally be able to sing like this. I'll see if I redo this one, or try out some other songs instead

The guys in my band really liked some distortion I did in a song I've been writing, so I have got to get this thing really solid so I can sing like this live - consistently.

[Max]

Hi Marcus, I think this sounds good, the distortion is nice, I don't think it's too much at all, it fits well. How are you doing the distortion, can you describe it?

Max

[Mivke]

Hey Max, very nice sound! Really sounds like you got it down.

For the song though, I think the distortion was very slightly too much, not much just tone it back a little. However, I would go back abit more on the nasality, specially on "you" in the chorus. I still very much enjoyed this though. Seems I will never post anything here, all the others swedes are too good xD

[Marcus]

Thanks for the nice comments!

Max - I've been trying to get a grip on distortion that isn't way too taxing for my voice, and previously I could only go full out "screaming" distortion or nothing at all. I still feel this in the same place as my full out distortion, it feels like it sits above my vocal cords, sort of in the back of my mouth actually. To get to it I feel like I'm pulling my tounge slightly backwards, raising the back of my tounge towards the roof of my mouth. When I heard this described before (Complete Vocal Technique have a good take on it) I was trying and trying, sometimes getting it "sort of" and sometimes just wrecking havoc on my cords. Now when I finally got it right it felt so easy and I can't see how I couldn't find the proper configuration before. Also I use a lot of twang when doing this. Jens described this to me as tounge anchoring, pulling the tounge backwards to create the distortion. It was the key for me, made a huge difference in my control over distortion.

It's a lot about daring to go for it as well - if I start to chicken out and hold back on it, not really daring the distortion to happen - that's when I go wrong.

Mivke - thanks for pointing it out (Jonpall said the same as well, but not here in this thread). I think it stems from me using a lot of twang, and I don't back off on the twang enough when doing the more clean stuff. I'll try to get the clean stuff less nasal further on!

[analog]

Marcus,

really good man! I personally don't like heavy nasality, but that is a style thing and more power to whatever it is you feel! Kudos brother!!! Huge progression.