A Coming Of Age Track by Track Pt 9 of 12

9. That’s When Trouble Begins

I haven’t got much to say about this one really apart from it’s a breezy West Coast number that’s in keeping with the ‘Coming of Age’/ loss of innocence theme. When you’re young things seem simple but you hit a point (for me about 17) when you start to question everything and things go a little mad. This can be equally confusing and liberating and brings a whole host of exciting and troublesome experiences. Throw a bit of ambition into the mix and that’s when the halcyon days of childhood end and ‘trouble begins’.

Ivor spent an obscene amount of money a new pedal specifically for the solo on this one (and quite right too) and the organ that Art plays was bought for twenty quid from a rough estate in Oxted.

It’s a fun song and a brief bit of sunshine (all be it with the usual inherent LS miserablism) and got it’s place on the album as some light relief before the next onslaught.

So because I’ve not got a great deal of insight on this one, I thought I’d give a little rundown on the many studios where we recorded this album.

That’s When Trouble Begins by Ruffa Lane Records

A Coming Of Age Studios List Part 1

Brittania Row, Fulham, London

I think in a previous incarnation this was owned by Pink Floyd and has been a mainstream studio for a long time with many famous artists passing through it’s doors and some complete unknowns such as yours truly, for our first two singles. We recorded the basic rhythm tracks and most of the guitars for ‘Woah Billy!’ ‘White Russian Doll’ ‘Up in Flames’ ‘Upon Hilly Fields’ and ‘That’s Where Trouble Begins’ here. This was also the place where Rusty’s bass amp went up in flames. It was the first session and the last thing we did before breaking up for Christmas in 2008. We were ably assisted by our old friend ‘Dead Pan’ Kris Mclaren whose idea it was to do the gritty second drum kit overdub in the breakdown of ‘WRD’ and not mine as previously stated.

Mandarine Studios, Stockholm, London

Amazing, wonderful magical studio with microphones so unique that they are built with metal fashioned before 1940 so as not be contaminated by H-bomb radiation. Set by a river frozen enough for folks to race cars on it and one of the most tranquil places I’ve ever been. We recorded all the strings for the album over two sessions here in the safe hands of Johan ’Poolman’ Kronlund also known as El Diablo, one of the most considered gentleman you will ever meet and producer of Ruffa Lane artistes Montt Mardié and Napoleon. Some people say the silences between his words are painful but I get along with that just fine. While I was there, the owner of the studio popped in to tell us he’d just bought a castle which gives you an idea of the quality of the studio.

The Stockholm Strings are some of the most lovely people I have ever met and extremely talented to boot. Listening to the strings go down on ‘A Coming Of Age’ and ‘Warm Water’ in particular was an experience I will cherish forever and I got to push faders on the desk they mixed Britney Spears ‘Toxic’ on.

Lynch Mob Studios, Scrubs Lane, London

I think we were the first through the door here as producer Brendan Lynch (Paul Weller, Primal Scream) had just taken the over the place and installed his amazing ‘60s Neve mixing desk inside. We did the bass and drum tracks for every song here (re-recording the rhythm tracks that we’d done at Brittania Row as we’d got a better sound). It was a fairly frantic two days at Lynch Mob, but well worth it. It’s a cool place that has a 1970’s atmosphere about it and overlooks a cemetery. We got an insight into what makes a great producer when Brendan came in to listen to a run through of ‘Woah Billy!’ B-side ‘Why Can’t Everyone Be Nice For a Change’ which was proving really troublesome. He listened for a bit, said ‘Sounds really nice, maybe turn the hi-hat down a little’. We did one more take and nailed it there and then in his presence. Engineering on this one was Mancunian Dan Hulme who’s done some sterling work with The Coral and Candie Payne and is thoroughly good company even if he did make us go snare drum hunting for three hours.

The studio run down will continue in the next instalment, maybe not today, possibly tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life.