Hop in the Driver’s Seat

I’d always struggled to replicate the high energy performances I've become synonymous with on stage in a studio setting. Something about putting on those headphones and hearing myself back so clearly through the condenser mic used to almost frighten me (for those not in the musical sphere a condenser mic is a studio recording microphone). To no longer be hidden behind the illusion of the performance or the distraction of showmanship and just focus solely on my voice and to hear the sides of it I didn’t like hearing. To feel condensed within my own body, that my voice had less room to move or that having those headphones on was almost strangling my ability to portray myself accurately. Until one day something changed. A new perspective presented itself. It’s just a microphone. What’s there to be afraid of? Further to that it’s an even more sensitive microphone than the ones I perform with live. It’s like the old adage of being scared by a mouse when it’s more scared of you. Like, get a grip and go show it what’s up. That changed outlook started to correlate with a note I’d written during a journaling session: the Curtis on stage and the Curtis in the studio are the same person with the same set of skills and flair so start believing in it. And start bringing it. With that in mind I’ve spent the last year and a half working hard on delivering what I believe to be an accurate representation of my voice on the record that is as real as it would be in front of an audience and with my latest single ‘Driver’s Seat’ I can honestly say this is the beginning of a process of releasing music that reflects what I have to offer as a performer and a lyricist.

After the first Works in Progress show in February in Studio De Bakkerij, Niels Onstenk (the producer aka Niké Laos) and I sat down to discuss the need for a Funk song in our set and for the upcoming Funk Symphony EP that’s planned further along the line. So we sat down in the studio room in our apartment and I played a selection of my favourite funk songs. A mix of Chuck Brown, Cory Henry, James Brown, Prince, Vulfpeck and a few others to see what kind of direction to go in. As we were listening our neighbour and friend, Gianni Noten, who is one of the funkiest singers in Rotterdam passed by and we invited him to join in on the discussion of sources of inspiration. As Gianni and I continued chatting Niels decided to go hop in the shower and after that we’d start recording. A few moments later a sopping wet Niels comes skidding out of the bathroom cloaked in his towel, dashing for his phone which he’d left on the desk in the studio - he’d had his eureka moment for the song and needed to get it down on his phone’s voice recorder before the idea vanished! Then BOOM! As soon as he’s finished showering and dried Niels goes straight for his guitar and comes in with that Wah-Wah sound that kicks things off at the start of the track. It was when he added in that Stevie Wonder-esque bass sound that the image of the song became clear to me. This was about to become a heavily sexual song but in a way that took inspiration from true Funk songs in that it didn’t have to be direct and with a freedom to be as playful or silly with the lyrics as possible so long as the tone comes in strong for it. In an instant I’d written three verses and the chorus and straight away was given an SM58 to put down a demo vocal and backing vocals. The backing vocals actually made the cut into the latest version. From there we began our first Funk song together. Well what we called Pseudo-Funk at that time because it’s funk but it doesn’t sit on the 1 (apologies to James Brown on that one). This was of course before we had the B part of the song the Don’t Mind the Time, Just Enjoy the Ride part but more on that shortly.

After that session we let the song marinate for a while. Then one day Niels came back from a car journey with some friends where he’d played some of the songs we were working on together and came to realise the song lacked energy and could do with a key change. So into the studio we hopped and I watched on with cautious intrigue as Niels took the song higher, higher, higher and higher again all while hearing the effect this had on my vocals as they were transposed. The song started in B flat. It is now in D. The tempo had also been increased quite as an instruction from myself. So it was made a lot higher and a bit faster. I heard this automatically higher version of my own voice and thought, ‘’Shit! This is nice but it’s fucking nice. But it’s high.” So I immediately had my doubts on whether or not I could perform it. Using a lot of power I was able to fluke a go at it and from there convinced Niels that it was good to go in this new key. We tried recording a few times after that and I just couldn’t get that pre chorus or the tone of the song sounded like my voice was being stretched to its limits. I was ready to give up on it completely thinking that it was just another project doomed to spend eternity as a google drive demo. But I decided against that and consulted with two different vocal coaches on the song for perspectives on how to deliver the song as a performance piece in the studio and how to hit those high A flat and B flat belted tones with a rich, powerful sound. So special thanks to Meg Davis and Jimmy Adelina for assisting me in reach that for the record and working towards delivering those same tones in a live setting. Like a lot of Funk songs, it’s underestimated how difficult they can be on your voice if you don’t catch your breath in the right spaces. I’ve had a huge learning curve that I’m still going through as I try to better understand what this voice is, where it comes from and the support network in my body that takes the pressure off of it to deliver sessions where I’m feeling satisfied and not feeling tired and hoarse.

Before the final vocal recording we had a session booked to figure out the structure of the song and as it was in the afternoon I’d decided to go to the gym beforehand to get that out of the way. As I left, Niels had already began working on the song to piece it together and when I came back I was shocked at what I heard. Niels had composed and recorded the music for the B part. He pressed play and I lost my mind. Gianni was walking past as this happen and came inside and just stood bobbing his head with the bass player stank face you get when the groove is sick. I had one of those lightning strikes moments where you don’t think and just jump on your idea and from that started dancing around singing Don’t Mind the Time, Just Enjoy the Ride. From then on the song just became an excuse to get to that part. Niels had come up with the ticket to take it on home. We had so much fun recording this track. There’s a lot of moments I honestly loved during this process and genuinely appreciated it as I was in it. But for me the stand out part of the adventure on this one is during the special part in the middle of the song where I sing along with the horn line but it's masked with a phaser effect on the vocals but when we listened to that back dry in the studio I fell to the floor laughing at the sound of it. That and the car horn in the middle of that part catch me off guard when I hear it back on big speakers. I’m not lying when I say the tapestry of the creative process for this song was woven with many colours and one that shines brightly through it is that of fun and laughter. Joy has been ever present in this project. Even when I had my reservations about whether I wanted to continue in this song or not something inside me wouldn’t back down for the hope of something challenging to bring a new sense of self along with.

Preparations then followed for the final vocal recording. A hard slog to get the sound I wanted from myself but after some advice from a singer I met at a dinner show in Club Dauphine, Ivan Peroti, I wouldn’t rest until I was satisfied with my sound on each part of the song. After Ivan having told me he’d sharpened his sound in the studio by being made by a producer in his youth to record the same word over and over again until the desired delivery had been achieved I wouldn’t budge until I’d got my parts right even if it took all afternoon. I would walk away from the mic when I felt I’d accomplished what I set out to do. I’d laid down Curtis Millen Live in the studio. So we worked and worked at it but that pesky pre chorus wouldn’t work. I had to default to sing the highest notes of it in a falsetto instead of my chest voice but it sounded too piercing. Niels suggested i try singing it in my Michael McDonald impression and it actually sounded pretty good. But when Niels went outside for a smoke break I sat and listened to that part relentlessly and got mad at myself because it was such a dip in energy compared to the verses. I had to get it. I had to belt it. I had to belt higher in my range than I’d ever done before and had to believe that I could in the knowledge that everything i’d learned from Meg and Jimmy would safeguard my voice as I do so. This was all on the subconscious level. On a conscious level I’d picked up the headphones and as soon as Niels finished his cigarette I said, “Hit record.” And thats when I got the take that’s now on the song of that Charlie Wilson-esque belted high notes. I’d finally been able to translate my voice as I hear it in my head onto a recording. This was and is a huge personal milestone for me. Something that has also started to feed into my performances even when singing covers that I’m hearing less of less the approach of other singers when I sing, instead hearing and asking myself how I would sing it. The power it needed was now the whole way through the song and was now on par with the song’s message. The message being directed at your partner, your lover, your beneficial friend that you can give me all your orders all day long and tell me what way I need to behave but when we get into that bedroom you leave all the talking and leading up to me to make sure you have yourself a good time. Don’’t be thinking about your problems or your stresses cos’ right now all that matter is making you feel good. So put your feet up and let’s go for one hell of a ride - all night long!