We have an unofficial recording studio on the second floor of our house right now. I say unofficial because it's in a house, but it functions as a pretty darn official studio. I'm kind of humbled at the whole thing. In fact, I walk in there occasionally and think to myself, "really?? This is my house and this is happening in my house??" Jesse Payne and the Passengers are completing what will be their first album together and it's being worked on in our house. Seriously cool. On the evenings and days when they're recording, I get to hear their songs and recordings as my background music to whatever I'm doing and I like it. Even better, they make a lot of coffee so my house smells fantastic on the long afternoons and evenings and nights through which they work. Some of the songs I like a lot. I try not to comment in any way on it though because it's really not my place. Sometimes I do wish I could be a complete dork though and gush a little - "Hey man, that's freaking awesome. You wrote that?? Holy Cow, the way you guys arranged that is perfect. I can hear this on the radio and being played in cars and people downloading it for their own personal life soundtrack!" Anyway, one of the songs I couldn't get out of my head for a week. They haven't played it since. I'm disappointed. I think this one is going to be "that song". Of course, that's just my opinion without having heard the whole thing.
It's an opportunity of a lifetime and it's really interesting to watch Clare process all of it. She's learning the guys in the band and expects to see them all together now and play with them while they're there. It's been fun to watch them open up and become more playful with her too. I wistfully wonder if she's not apart of something that will be bigger...simply that my little one is being exposed to musical greatness without having been aware. I wonder how this will shape her. How it will shape her relationship with the world and with music. She already loves to sing and is pretty good at playing the drums with purpose now and not just banging. She even tries to use the kick drum like her daddy, sadly her legs just don't quite reach...but she tries just the same. Will she love it like we do? Will we scare her away from it by exposing her to so much?
I find it beyond humorous that the guys are so worried about being intrusive because I've kind of always longed for the house that everyone could come and go as they please and feel right at home. Each person in the band is interesting and seems to be kind hearted. Mason goes without saying. Of course, I've known Nick for a long time and Nick's wife, Clare, is so special that I named my daughter after her (not just because I liked the name, but also her character since I will be able to tell my Clare all about her and why I felt I wanted to share her name). But, Jesse and Joel are new and great and I enjoy their company and adore their wives too. It's this really happy place for me.