Cairo 'Say' Album Reception and Related Musings

So....a blog.....

I have been told (by google) that this provides excellent "up to date website content" or some such thing, but I've mostly decided to do this because I occasionally have musings that I don't currently have a platform for. Occasionally I'll throw up some ramblings on what's going on in my little world or perhaps a few ideas for improving your drumming. Today, however, is going to be more of the former.

Since we (Cairo) released Say on the 3rd October it has been really lovely to see all the feedback and reviews from people who have heard the album. Most of the reviews that I have seen have been really positive and it's crazy seeing how many different countries around the world we've reached. I've seen pictures from Japan, Australia, Poland and the USA of my measly signature on a CD. It's a very surreal experience at the moment.

Stepping outside of my drumming shoes for a minute and looking at music from a fan perspective, a large part of my auditory diet is progressive rock and metal. I have loved it since my "awakening" in the early 2000s and I strongly suspect that I will continue to love it until the day I die. There's something about all those interwoven layers, crazy time signatures and insanely talented musicians that really comes together to be greater than the sum of those parts. I say this, not because I'm under any kind of delusion that will ingratiate me with any particular group of music lovers, but because Say is one of the first albums that I've made which falls into this genre and I am RIDICULOUSLY proud of it. It is an album that I would choose to listen to if I hadn't made it (I think).

It's a very curious thing turning your hobby into a job. You are asked to play a lot of things in the name of "work" which you wouldn't normally listen to - some of them you may not even like that much. Sometimes those songs can start to sap the joy out of something that you did purely because it made you happy. When I start thinking like this I have to remind myself what a ridiculous job I have. I get work with some wonderful people and there is no better feeling in my world than finding that groove that both lifts the song and yet is so dialled in that you hardly notice the drums are there; a beat that amplifies the feel of the song without trampling on it. That's my holy grail, if you like, and that is why I drum.

Wheeling back around to my original thought before I finally stop typing. It's albums like Say and bands like Cairo that allow me to explore a style of music that I love. This album didn't feel like work, it was an opportunity to make something really cool. This band don't feel like colleagues, they're friends. I'm very proud and fortunate to have made this album  :)