My January Studio Sessions to Kick Off 2022

It’s a new year, and that means it’s time to record new music. Am I right? 

I’m so lucky to have gotten the chance to record twice in January. My favorite days are days I get to spend at the Vault. I had a blast at both of my January sessions.

My First 2022 Session on January 5

On January 5, I recorded for five hours. During the session, I started my new song, “You Get What You Give.” I rewrote this song many times over the last few months of 2021, and I’m so beyond happy I got it where I want it to be. Ever since I started writing “You Get What You Give,” I knew I wanted it to be a single. So, I put a ton of time into crafting this song to get it perfect. 

I kicked off the session by laying down some tracks for the song. “You Get What You Give” has more pop production, so it was lots of fun getting to play the tracks. 

One of my favorite parts of the recording process is the very beginning when I go from nothing to seeing the song come to life more and more with every track that’s added. I swear this magical feeling never gets old. I write most of my songs on guitar, so it’s so cool when they start to shine in the studio.

Once I played some preliminary tracks, Luke slayed, as always. You have no idea how incredible the guitar and bass sound. This song is very sassy and different from anything I’ve done so far, so it was a lot of fun hearing what Luke came up with. As always, it was a blast.

Once Luke finished, I wrapped up the session by singing the lead vocals. Even though it was still in the early stages of production at this time, the song sounded incredible. 

Before I left the studio, I had Bob play “Homecoming Queen” for me. It’s always magical hearing my masters over the incredible studio speakers. I always look forward to that. 

This session was the best way to kick off the year, and I couldn’t wait to go back to the studio a few weeks later.

All the Fun on January 28

January 28 was one of the best days of my life. After my magical moment on Bubba Show in the morning, I went to the Vault for a six-hour session.

First, I recorded piano for a very special song I had the honor of co-writing. Songwriting is truly my passion, so I really enjoyed composing the piano for this song. Also, I never pass up the chance to record piano on a track.

After that, I finished recording vocals for “You Get What You Give,” and Bob and I did more production. I really missed getting to explore different sounds to add to the song. I got to do that all the time with my pop music. Since I’m shifting into the country genre, I don’t do that as much now. “You Get What You Give” is definitely on the pop side of pop-country, so it was nice to bring out my pop roots in this song.

“You Get What You Give” is one of my favorite songs I’ve written, and I seriously can’t wait to release it.

Next, I recorded vocals for “I Hope You Know You’re Lucky.” The guitar, bass, and drums have been recorded since 2020, but I never got around to recording vocals. I’m planning on releasing a country EP at some point, and this is one of the songs that will definitely be on it. I usually don’t play my original music before release, but I always play “I Hope You Know You’re Lucky” during all my live shows and it’s become a favorite. I’m so glad I was able to move this one further along during the session.

While recording vocals, I did something different. I’m usually a section singer when doing vocals, which means I’ll do multiple takes of each song section at the same time. I did the opposite for this song. For the first time, I did three full runs of the song, and wow, that worked perfectly for this one. “I Hope You Know You’re Lucky” is a very emotional and vulnerable song, so I wanted to make sure to bring out the emotion authentically. Doing full takes of the song allowed me to do that. 

Since this one is more vulnerable, I didn’t want to overdo the vocals. Still, I added some harmonies and backing vocals, as I usually do. After playing this song for so long, it was special finally getting to sing it in the studio.

Once I finished recording, Bob played “Across the Pond” for me. It releases on February 25, and just like with “Homecoming Queen,” it was magical getting to hear the final master over fabulous speakers. I can’t wait to release this song.

Finally, Bob and I ended the session with a little celebration. Getting to be on Bubba Show was a dream come true, so we celebrated with a cake.

I’m so grateful I got to make more memories at the Vault this month. It’s just the beginning. Here’s to a fantastic year of more unforgettable studio sessions!

Do you want to read about my other sessions? I got you covered. Click here and enjoy.