Hey y’all! I am so excited to have Leigh Bardugo here today for a few
reasons! I adore her books, I adore her, and she’s talking about music that she
wrote and actually sings!!! Yes peeps Leigh can sing as well as write a
fabulous book!!!! So without further ado I give you “Winter Prayer” and why she
wrote it!
If you flip to
the back of Shadow and Bone, you'll see that my official bio claims I can
sometimes be heard singing with my band, Captain Automatic. Unfortunately, it's
been a long while since we've rehearsed or played out at a club. This is a pic
taken after one of my favorite shows we played at Safari Sam's.
The club no
longer exists, and since that photo was taken, two of the guys in it have
become dads, one of them bought a house and started his own business. And the
lady with the bad case of red-eye landed her dream job and wrote a fantasy trilogy.
But I still miss
music and I often find myself driving around making up songs. One of these
became "Winter Prayer," the song we released as part of the Siege and
Storm pre-order campaign. Honestly, I was really scared to put it out there.
But the song isn't just something I made. It represents work from so many of my
amazing friends, and I wanted to share it. So how did "Winter Prayer"
go from me mumbling on my cell phone to an actual song?
1. The idea: I
have a mind like a sieve. A sieve from a giant's kitchen. So, when I get an
idea—whether for a story or a song—I record it on my cell. A little over a year
ago, I was trapped in traffic on the way back from dinner, playing around with
a folk melody that was stuck in my head and thinking about a particular scene
toward the end of Shadow and Bone. An idea for a lyric popped into my mind and
I sang it into my phone. That became the first verse of the song and it never
changed.
2.
Though I've occasionally dabbled with bass, I have this problem wherein I
don't, y'know, practice. So I called up our lead guitarist (who can play
something like twelve instruments) and I sang him the melody. He came over and I
described the way I wanted the song to start slow, pick up speed, and wind back
down all while keeping to this same repeated melody. We cobbled together a
version of it on my upright piano and recorded it on my laptop. This is a bit
of the (very) rough recording:
3. The song
didn't feel like the right fit for Captain Automatic. I wanted a bigger,
lusher, more orchestral feel. I reached out to my friend Aaron who is a
composer and producer. (He and his wife had actually both been a part of the
original Captain Automatic lineup.) Once
he was on board, I sent him the recording and a bunch of links to different
musical references—everything from Florence + the Machine to Bulgarian folk
songs. The first time he came back to me, the sound wasn't quite right—too
dirge-like, too dignified. I wanted something a little wilder, that felt like
it could be sung around a campfire. On his next try, he got it just right. We went
back and forth a few times, trying some different things with pacing and
instrumentation, and had his wife Laura Recchi step in to record temporary
vocals. "For me," says Laura, "this song evokes a sense of place
and imagery. I can see the snow, the light and shadows, and I feel the
excitement and fear of the journey. I'm also a sucker for a good folk tune in a
minor key."
Laura and her daughter Aurora rocking Tsarpunk
style at the Shadow and Bone launch party. I look a little sinister. Like maybe
I'm gonna steal that baby. Or her hat.
4. Once we had
the basics down, Aaron brought in Richard Adkins on percussion. With the rhythm
in place, it was time for me to do my part. We recorded at Aaron's house and I
have to admit it was stressful. I don't have a lot of training and I'm keenly
aware that I'm no Florence Welch. If I'm not flailing around on stage, I tend
to get very self-conscious about my voice. But Laura and Aaron were endlessly
patient and I got to record plenty of takes.
5. To fill out
the sound, Aaron had his friend Daniel Fabiano improvise a part on violin, and
Laura and her friend Belinda Wilkins became the choir. Yup, that's just two
ladies belting it out in Aaron's living room. (They're actually singing in
Ravkan.)
Aaron emailed me
the file and we went back and forth, playing with dynamics and ironing out some
of the rough edges. Here's what he had to say about the process:
"It's
always nice to work with someone who has a clear idea of what they are going
for. All I had to do was fill in the 'musical blanks,' so to speak.
It also helped
that Leigh and I used to perform together in a band, so I was familiar with her
voice and her performance style. Although we tracked drums in a 'real' studio,
we took the DIY approach of turning my living room into a mini soundstage to
record marching/stomping, violins, and slavic choirs—all using the magic of
multi-tracking. It was a lot of fun!"
For a while, I wasn't
sure what to do with the song so I just let it sit. Then I worked up the
courage to send it to my agent and she passed it along to the publisher. A few
weeks ago, my editor at Macmillan got in touch to ask if I'd be willing to have
"Winter Prayer" used as part of the pre-order campaign. Like I said,
it was scary to think about putting something this different out there, but I
also hated the idea of just letting it molder. I spoke to Aaron and he
suggested having a friend of his mix and master the track before we took it
live.
7. Nik Freitas
worked his magic at his studio, Poppy Peak:
"When I
first got the recorded session of the song, I opened it up and scrolled down the
screen and realized there were a lot more tracks than I thought! At first
listen I could hear where the song wanted to go, I just needed to clear up some
of the instrumentation with equalizer and put more emphasis on certain parts
like the bass drum and lead vocal. Once that was sounding good sonically, the
song's emotional tone was more in focus and all the other instruments
seemed to sit better and do what they needed to do in elevating all their
parts. I'm really happy with how the song turned out."
We went back and
forth a few times, but somehow, we all knew when the song was where we wanted
it to be.
It can be easy
to say we don't have time for art or to do the things we love, that we're
simply too busy. But I believe my writing benefits when I take the time to be
creative in other ways. Music has an immediacy to it that writing doesn't. It's
there and then it's gone and no two performances are ever alike. When I'm
singing or playing, I'm not thinking about all the things I have to do or what
is or isn't working in a draft, I'm just in the moment. It's less a distraction
than a shift in focus, and sometimes it's just where inspiration is hiding.
When I wrote
"Winter Prayer" and recorded it, I really had no idea what I would
use it for, if anything. But putting it together gave me
a chance to make music and work with some of my wonderfully creative friends.
No matter how crazy life gets, I never want to lose that.
Haven’t heard about Siege and Storm? Check it out!
Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
 |
Photo by Kevin Rolly
|
About Leigh:
Leigh Bardugo was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and
graduated from Yale University. These days, she lives in Hollywood, where she
indulges her fondness for glamour, ghouls, and costuming in her other life as
makeup artist L.B. Benson. Occasionally, she can be heard singing with her
band, Captain Automatic.
Her debut novel, Shadow & Bone (Holt Children’s/ Macmillan), is a
New York Times Best Seller and the first book in the Grisha Trilogy. Book 2,
Siege and Storm, will be published in 2013. She is represented by Joanna
Stampfel-Volpe of New Leaf.
Where you can
find Leigh:
Relevant Links and Info:
Leigh Bardugo will be on tour in June as part of the Fierce Reads
Tour. Get all the info/dates: https://www.facebook.com/FierceReads/events
Siege and Storm is featured in our Spring 2013
Fierce Reads Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/w-F_U3TtW24
Watch
the Siege and Storm book trailer
Listen and download Leigh Bardugo’s song, “Winter Prayer”. Yes, we
said SONG! https://www.facebook.com/GrishaTrilogy/app_195646697137509
Pre-order a copy of Siege and Storm (hardcover or e-book),
submit your receipt, and we’ll send you a specially-branded nail polish!
Download and read for FREE the first five chapters of Siege
and Storm on your e-reader: http://www.macteenbooks.com/ebooks.html#new
Make sure to like the Grisha Trilogy Fan Page! https://www.facebook.com/GrishaTrilogy
The fan page includes chapter excerpts,
polls, and giveaways!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the Siege and Storm Blog Tour
Schedule for more awesome posts!
Monday 5/20
Tuesday 5/21
Wednesday 5/22
Thursday 5/23
Friday 5/24
Saturday 5/25
Sunday 5/26
Monday 5/27
Tuesday 5/28
Wednesday 5/29
Thursday 5/30
Friday 5/31
Saturday 6/1
Sunday 6/2
Monday 6/3
Tuesday 6/4
Moonlight Book Reviews
