I have been in session recording vocals for ‘Drowning In Dreams’ yesterday/today and I am happy to report that progress is much quicker than I had previously expected.  A mix should be uploaded to the site in the coming week and we can start tracking our new song ‘Try’ straight after!  Exciting stuff!  Keep checking the Music Downloads section as as soon as the mixes are availible that will be the first place to find them!

Wow!  What an amazing event!  The whole vibe of the festival was fantastic.  Playing two days was a a real privilege and I thank Trevor Rapson (the Acoustic stage events manager) from the bottom of my heart, for providing me with this opportunity.  The first day was slow (despite the fantastic weather) as I opened the stage but yesterday was fantastic with the tent totally packed and my music being very well received - either that or my unsuspecting victims/audience were just trying to escape the bad weather but we’ll go with the first theory for now!

Again a big thank you to Trevor for putting on such a fantastic stage.  Some of the highlights of the festival for me were The Yearner Babies (respect to you my man Ali!), Mat Buchanon and Joe Bonamassa to name just a few.  Some of the comedy acts in between the music were also fantastic.  Looking forward to next year!

I just can’t help myself.  Seriously.  I’ve remixed this track again and re mastered it.  I am MUCH happier with the overall sound (and volume) of this mix than I was with the previous versions.  Interestingly enough what really helped me this time was using a ‘point of reference’ as I am unsure how much I can trust my control room at the moment with standing waves and various reflective surfaces (all of these issues will be addressed in the coming weeks).  I used Porcupine Tree’s “Lightbulb Sun” album as a reference point and tried my hardest to match the sonic quality of this record.  If you haven’t already heard this album I would strongly recommend hearing it (it has now been remixed and remastered by Steven Wilson last year).  These guys seriously are the last truly great British Prog-Rock band in my opinion!  Anyhow, click over to the ‘Music Downloads’ section to check out the new mix of ‘I’m Still Looking’.

Don’t forget Tom Hughes Band will be playing the Oxjam acoustic stage @ Redfest 2009 on the 25th July.  This festival is only a few weeks away so don’t forget to check out their website and support the fantastic local artists which will be showcased at this event!  Tickets can be bought here.  Don’t forget to check out their website @ www.redfest.co.uk

After receiving an email notifying me of problems viewing the site on Internet Explorer, I have found the best solution is to simply use Mozilla’s Firefox.  Seriously guys, it is stable, secure and fast - also it has zero problems with www.tomhughesmusic.com!

Mike Malyan (one of my session guys) kindly helped to record the acoustic guitar tracks to ‘Drowning in Dreams’ last night.  We are all very excited by this song as it seems to be a firm favourite of both the band and the crowd.  I know that I, personally am really looking forward to hearing what it sounds like when it is finished as it is, in my opinion, the best recorded production yet.  With the bass, drums and acoustic guitars already laid down - all that I need to complete now is the electric guitars and all the vocals.  With some important networking events coming up, I am keen to get this track finished as soon as possible so that we can start tracking ‘Try’.  I feel that we are all a lot more focused now and am looking forward to hearing feedback from the new songs!

Have remixed/remastered “I’m Still Looking” for the site as I was not happy with some of the production.  This mix has enhanced clarity and better balancing.  Mike also kindly helped me out with the strings so that the arrangement sits better.  Enjoy and do comment on what you think of it!

Thanks for your patience over the last few months - I realise I promised some new mixes for you and did not deliver!  Just to prove I HAVE been working on them I have uploaded the first mix of the track “I’m Still Looking” with more to follow very soon.  Songs always take me a long time as I feel that as this is an art, I must work to the highest possible standards to try and differentiate myself from the crowd.  I am also a HUGE perfectionist.  If something is not sitting or working I much prefer to do it all again and anybody who knows me (or has the delight of working with me) can second this haha!  Anyhow, this track is 6+ months of work and it is still (you guessed it) NOT finished.

I am about to send the track off to my close friend Mike Buck for him to work his magic on the string arrangements so that I can book a real string quartet to come and play the parts.  At the moment, this mix simply uses synth strings and dam, they sound bad!  Anyhow, do click on over to the ‘Music Downloads’ section and let me know what you think.  Lastly, I really ought to thank Jon Harrison for the bass and Pete Cranham for the drums - One of the best things about my life is how lucky I am to work with such talented musicians.  These guys really are first-rate players (and great lads to boot!).  So thanks boys!

EDIT:  Don’t forget this track was recorded (in its entirety right here @ Tom Hughes recording studios).  Various bits of marketing will be popping up around the place locally in the coming weeks to advertise my services here in the studio as a producer/engineer - so if you like what you hear don’t hesitate to call me directly on 07952 873644 for the ‘best sound in town’ (allegedly!).

Many thanks to Stevie Pickering who kindly photographed our live event @ the Priory pub last week.  5 pictures of the night have been added to the Gallery for your enjoyment (or amusement!).

Dam that was a FUN gig.  Thanks to everyone who popped along and special thanks to Jino, Lenny and Sarah (R+R Live) @ the Priory for having us!  I know we certainly had a great time playing for you all and it was one of the first gigs I’ve ever felt truly ‘comfortable’ on stage.  The crowd were so supportive and it made us feel so good rocking out our set to you so thanks!  Guess I better get back to the studio and finish off these tracks I’ve been promising for weeks!

Also a BIG thank you to Stevie who took photos of the evening for us.  I’ll look forward to posting them up on here when they’re ready!