Last time I was at the Conservatoire I discovered that there was a Sainsburys within a minute walk from Uni. This time I discovered something much more valuable, but I’ll keep it under my hat just in case it's a coveted secret (DM me and I might tell you). Let's just say you’ll see me around the Conservatoire a lot more often. And the whisperers of such a secret are none other than the powerful - Misting! A band that got in touch a while back, but due to illness, you're only getting a session from them now.

So to room 140 we go. I greet the four of them and watch their excitement as I pull out the telephone mic - clearly India had been waiting for her moment to use that. No time for that now, we’ve got to start on Rhy’s Drums! It's shoegaze, so for me the goal is to make all the instruments sound like they’re in space - and drums are no exception (or as much as you can on a 4-track). Lot’s of reverb, a bit of delay, and a smidge of drive on the snare. I love it.

It was right around this time we got some visitors knocking on the door. Three potential Students who made the journey all the way from Beijing and were intrigued with what kind of rock music we were making. Alex powered up the two cab bass amp which required a two mic set up. It’s not often I use two mics for Bass. Sounds like the sort of thing a proper engineer would do. It's basically a second guitar, maybe the star of the show at some moments. Proper smooth in the verses, but huge in the choruses. Lush, some might correctly say.

Finn was the next person to face the 4-track and the three exchange students. Head meltingly trebbly, it's not often I have to dial it back on the 4-track. Sounds like sticky static (feel free to use that as a simile guys, free of charge). Nice sounds in the pre chorus too, such a good dynamic shift. Maybe 3 hours in now and the students were still there, sitting so quietly and patient, India set up right in front of them, to shock them to their core. Quiet and calming vocals, barely hitting the tape in the verses, more belt in the choruses, but then a guttural blood curdling scream in the climax. Lathered it in the Nobels overdrive. That shout would have made me cough harder than when I try smoke weed - it clearly just comes naturally to her.

Then the moment India had been waiting for. The Telephone mic. Now we had everything, we just re-recorded the first verse and the final tagline at the end too. So much range in dynamics, creative bass playing, pedals galore, such a fun session. It’s really ace people from a completely different country, culture and attitude towards music can also enjoy the sessions. It did really make me laugh seeing the contrast between the band and the visitors, but good music and doing cool shit appeals to every open-minded person regardless of your taste and how you were brought up. It's kind of a big deal!

For Fans of: Citizen and Touché Amoré.