Day 3
SURE, BE UNIQUE… BUT NO TOO MUCH
Day Three has arrived! And so have you. Take a load off. It’s great to have you here.
Often, we’re fortunate enough to get, “Love your sound!” Sometimes we hear, “You guys really have a unique vibe.” Other times people ask, “How do I block you from my news feed?” (That last one really has nothing to do with this part of the album journey).
The first two comments, however, are the stuff happy musicians are made of. It is awesome to receive that kind of feedback. After all, what music maker doesn’t want his or her sound to be unique, identifiable and accessible?
Frankly, we’re not really doing anything new. We haven’t reinvented the wheel.
Rather, we highlight the distinctiveness of our contrasting playing styles …. and blend.
HOW IS THE SAUSAGE MADE?
We thought this would be a perfect spot to talk about the heart and soul of the “ELM TREASON sound” (for the want of a better phrase). What makes it what it is? What the hell are we doing here? Dig this:
THE MUSIC (SONG 3) – “EYE TO EYE”
“Do you see what I see? Do you think you can?“
Written by Andrew Roman and Robert Steel
Produced by Elm Treason
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Realm Tones Music
The next jam from “THE VOICE OF TREASON” we’re stoked for you to check out is called “EYE TO EYE..” How is it possible to take a metal vibe, connect it with a smooth groovy pocket, add in some folksy chords married with a percussive organ and top it off with Beethoven-esque piano? You’ve come to the right place:
“EYE TO EYE”
(Listen now. Crank it!).
LYRICS
Whatta ya say we go eye to eye? Maybe maybe take this eye to eye?
We’ll see it clearer if we’re eye to eye.Won’t take a minute if we’re eye to eye
Do you see what I see? Do you think you can?
If everything becomes too much to understand, here’s my hand
But it won’t happen until we’re eye to eye. Cannot happen unless we’re eye to eye
Do you feel what I feel the way that I define?
Yes, everything may be too much, and we decide, we’re better blind..
No promises if we’re eye to eye. We’ll never know unless we’re eye to eye
What would you say if there came a day when tomorrow’s time had come?
When through the haze you’d come to face it one on one?
What would you do if I came to you when the time to waste was done?
Tell me please, at the very least, that you would come.
What would you say if there came a day when tomorrow’s time had come?
When through the haze you’d come to face it one on one?
What would you do if I came to you when the time to waste was done?
Tell me please, at the very least, that you’d come.
So, whatta ya say? Let’s go eye to eye. We may just make it going eye to eye.
We’ll see it clearer if we’re eye to eye. Won’t take a minute if we’re eye to eye.
What would you say if there came a day when tomorrow’s time had come?
When through the haze you’d come to face it one on one.
What would you do if I came to you when the time to waste was done?
Tell me please, at the very least, that you would come.
Eye to eye. Eye to eye. Eye to eye. Eye to eye.
EXTRA EXTRA BONUS CONTENT
Andy talks about his approach to rhythm guitar on this song.
Bobby talks about the song’s ending solo.
“EYE TO EYE” (original demo idea)
This is the original demo idea that Andy sent to Bobby. As you ‘ll hear, no real words are in place except “Do you see what I see..” The working title on Andy’s computer was “Lady White Bread.” It was recorded with an electric guitar that was NOT plugged in.
Copyright 2021 Realm Tones Music, LLC
Hey fellas.. another awesome stroll through the process of the making of the album..Really love the look see behind the scenes.
Hi Ellen! Always a pure joy to hear from you. Hope all is well. We couldn’t be happier that you’re enjoying the behind-the-scenes stuff as well. We knew we had to make this a little more interesting than just “Here, play this song. Now share it.” LOL. Thank you for taking this ride. Glad you’re having a good time!
Yeah man you get 5 stars for that one. Very down to the chase lyrics guys. Myself I am a guy in exile but the words cut like a knife.
No man knows the hour type of buzz, ah get ready sort of advice. The piano run was like the blind leading the blind, Beethoven was blind yeah?. Unbelievable talent I must say Bobby. So much to say in the beginning of this but now I forgot what I was on about, NEXT.
Powerful feedback, man. REALLY. HUGE THANKS! This one was quite powerful. We kind of knew it as we were working on it. We didn’t want to take ourselves to damn seriously, of course, but the song seemed to call out to us, if that makes sense. We wanted to express different vibes in the early cuts of the album – chunky and funky for GRINS OF NOTHING, brooding and poetic on (HAVING IT) ALL WAYS…and on this one, different vibes: classical, metal, rock, heavy…. we wanted it to be tantalizing to the listener’s ears…and not boring. LOL. Thanks, Kerry.
another 1 for the vault !!! KILLER
REALLY REALLY glad you’re digging the album so far, Bill. Thank you for taking the time to give the music a ride. Rock on!
It’s so exotic, mysterious & kinda blue (not blusey). ????
LOVE the word “exotic” here. We may have to start using that word to describe some of our stuff. GREAT word….. and yes, there is a kind of mysterious vibe throughout the song. Good call!
Hey guys! New-found respect for Bobby’s keyboard chops on this one, intro piano is great and the organ has a bit of an ELP vibe to me. Harmony solo in the end is cool also! Can’t wait for tomorrow’s tune!
ROCK ON, Craig! The funny thing is… I (Andy) had some “okay” organ ideas… I laid some stuff down to show my ideas….. Bobby said something like, “That’s very nice, Andy. Good job…. now let me try something a little……….different, okay?”
And the rest is, like………… HISTORY. LOLOLOL.
Seriously, man. Thanks a ton.
Love it!
I tell ya man!
So much creativity in your songs!
I’m enjoying this format of a song a day!
Thanks so much for sharing your talents!
REALLY REALLY glad you’re digging this format. There have been some glitches…and we have yet to see how many people will actually follow through and listen to the whole album, but it does our hearts a whole lotta good to hear that you’re digging the music. EYE TO EYE is one of our favorites. So inspired by comments like yours, Mark. Thank you.
Day 3, lovin this journey guys thanks so much for inviting me.????????????????????????????????????????
Hi Martin! SO GREAT to hear from you, brother! We were hoping you’d reach out at some point during the journey! It is SENSATIONAL to hear that you’re enjoying it so much! It was our pleasure to invite you. You have shown us so much support. We wanted to make sure you got a personal invite. THANK YOU, man! TRULY!
Wow this one’s definitely a banger. I absolutely love the keys here.
Hey Jared! MARVELOUS feedback, man. Thank you. The intro just came out of nowhere. Bobby was, in his own words, blown away by the original song idea I had, and I was doubly blown away by ALL of his keyboard work – the classical intro and then those tasty organ hits throughout the song. This one, we are lucky to say, came together pretty nicely. SO GLAD you dig this one, man. THANK YOU.
Love it! One of those “just wait til we’re in front of each other” songs that makes me wish I had a man to get “eye to eye” with!
The classical feel to the beginning piano, the guitars, all of it works just the right way together! Another winner!
Thank you guys so much for all the behind the scenes, peeks into your creative process, and fun you have shared!
We thank YOU, Nancy. We thank you DEEPLY! We LIVE for that kind of feedback. We appreciate you commenting on the blend of the different styles and vibes. It was tricky, but we were determined. We KNEW if we kept at it, we could figure out how to make all of it work together. You are incredibly encouraging! GRATITUDE!
Number one with a bullet. This is perfect.
Hi Ruth! So good to hear from you. Appreciate your comment beyond superlatives!! Wow! Thank you for that MONSTER compliment.
Wow! Only day three of this musical journey and I’m already stoked! I really enjoyed the peak behind the curtain to see how the sausage is made. Thank you for sharing some of your intimate musical moments with your fans. I definitely will be ordering a hard copy to add to my Elm Treason collection. I know we’re only 3 songs in so far but I think this could be the best one yet! Rock on and Thank You!!
That is exactly what we were hoping people would do – that is, really get into the behind the scenes stuff we put up there. Again, we don’t want these things to be too long. We’re not trying to be a sleep aide. LOL… but some of these things, we think, are interesting enough – if not too technical. We are STOKED as HELL to hear how enthusiastic you are for this, Paul…….. and thank you for the KILLER feedback on the new tunes. 🙂 We LOVE hearing that. Enjoy!
I like the commentary on rythm… Played it… Twice… Got it down… Then heard Bobby’s commentary I heard the Blind Faith reference right away… To play along I’m in F and Bflat… Very cool!!! Enjoying this concept!!!!
Hey Ted! VERY PLEASED you dug the commentary. We tried to keep it lively and interesting without getting too technical. I think it works better with demonstrations, you know? EXCELLENT comment, Ted. We love the engagement, brother. THANK YOU so much.
Great fun, for some reason I’m hearing Blue Oyster Cult, your vocal harmony and instrumental choice is delightful, Shanti…
Hi Michael! GREAT OBSERVATION. We actually hadn’t thought of them, but now that you say that, I can hear it… Perhaps, it’s embedded in the DNA. Maybe it’s hard-wired into us as a sub-conscious engine. COOL comment, man. Thanks you.
Not sure I get the classical intro. Might have to listen a few more times. Loved the Ray Manzarekesque keyboards. More please! Always look forward to the guitar solos!
Hi Tim! Thanks again for taking the time to give our new tunes a ride. The classical intro is literally an intentional prelude – an introduction – taking the chords of what will be the song to come and presenting them in such a way as to demonstrate how some classical music can have as much power and attack as rock and roll. Really, we wanted to add a different vibe to the mix. A different texture, you might say. It is unexpected, grabs you, even makes you wonder what is coming up next… which we wanted. It’s an homage to Beethoven as well……… Thank you for the thumbs up on the Hammoind organ stuff. We dig those percussive hits on the keys. It helps lay down the mood! Appreciate you taking the time, brother.
One word…… SUPERB !!
Hi Vincent! THANK YOU so very much. Your support and encouragement is PRICELESS to us.
Hey boys. Late review. Also the third one I’ve written. I dont know what I did to the other two. Anyhow, here goes, one more time…I thought the collaboration of instruments on this was downright amazing. I loved the piano, and the gritty guitars. The way you make everything seem like it fits into this tight little box, without really forcing it just drives it home. There are so many layers to unpeel here, just little subtle surprises, here and there, all over the place, it delights my musical palate. The lyrics are great too, but, on this one the music nails it. It has that happy feet component to it. The one that says, definitely add me to your playlist, for that bonfire party. (My first write for this was really good. This may be corny) Its a happy, feel good song. Still sending all that loud love, from central Missouri. ✌❤????
Hi Sonya! It was definitely worth the wait to get your feedback on this one. Love the thoughtful way you approach these songs. It takes time to compose a review like this (and the others), so my appreciation for the energy you invest in doing so is off the charts. This song IS a musical smorgasbord, with purposely injected nuances and “thingies” (as we call them) to keep the listener interested. We wanted to mix in a few styles here without seeming to be heavy-handed. Your acknowledgement of how “smooth” it all sounds is the greatest prize of all. So glad it came across that way. THANK YOU so much, Sonya.
???? Yeah Man! That’s The Stuff!!! Whooh! ???????????? Kickin Song!
Yes! SO GLAD you dig this one… a little heavy, a little chunky, very melodic…. it’s all in the stew! Rock on, Susan!
I love the piano intro!!!!!
Sometimes you just GOTTA GO a little Beethoven, y’know?
Hope you dig the rest of the tune as well, brother.
You guys did it again like the song and love the way you show it on video how it came about love the music keep rocking
We LOVE that you’re enjoying the behind the scenes stuff, Odessa. We think it lends something in being able to CONNECT with the music. Thank you so much.
I love the sound, twist’s you plugged into it. Even though you say it’s nothing new, the sound to me is new. I feel you are making new music never heard before. It is fresh. Like skinny dipping in the the new waves that wash up on shore. It , makes you want to hear more, soak it up, drink it down, & take it in over and over again. Candy to the ears. Every bit. The string change up was new, neat, and really sounds amazing. It fits really rad. Loved it all guys. You are magic music men. I really enjoyed eye to eye. Your personalities are so cool. Thank you from Tennessee.
Alice, it’s hard to put into words how deeply your comments here have affected us. They’re so powerful. So gratifying to hear. I wish I could express in words how magical your feedback is. I guess the best I (Andy) can do, after reading your comment three times is say “THANK YOU.” And I promise you, I am most sincere in my gratitude. So pleased you loved this one. 🙂
I posted message but don’t know if it got submitted
I love this song, it’s outstanding
The intro, riff, melodies, style is on another level…
Incredible work !!
Brother, thank you. This is the kind of feedback that a couple of unknown music makers from the Big City (a city you KNOW all too well) live for. You’re a music man yourself, so to read this kind of comment send chills. THANK YOU. This one is a tune we are so proud of, so pleased that it came together as it did. THANK YOU, man!
Great!! I love it. They’ve all been really great but I gotta say this is my favorite tune so far! They seem to be getting better and better! Can’t wait for the rest!! I’m sure we’re all Eye to Eye on that
James, AMAZING of you to leave such incredible feedback on EYE TO EYE. man, it is SO GOOD to know you’re digging the jams to this point. Truly hope you’re also liking all the bonus material! Rock on, James…and THANK YOU TREMENDOUSLY!
Eye to Eye!!! Love the eye stuff, obviously. But I really particularly likes the bonus content at the bottom. Very cool! Thanks for sharing. Another great song. It’s been fun so far!
So glad you’ve been having fun with it! That is marvelous to hear, Doc. Thank you. We are quite proud of EYE TO EYE. I mean, who does classical, hard rock, smoky cool and psychedelic all in one groove??? 🙂
Personally, dig this mixture. All of it! Peace y’all
You rock our world, Rancine. That is so fantastic to hear. THANK YOU!!! EYE TO EYE definitely has a marriage (a polygomous one at that) of different vibes and textures all rolled into one. 🙂 Our only challenge was…Will it work???? You humble us. ROCK ONWARD!!!
Eye to eye is awesome I love the piano music from the beginning and the lyrics congratulations very awesome again
Thank you MOST sincerely, Odessa! This song really runs the gamut of styles and feels. We are fortunate that we were able to find ways to make it all work. Your positive words make our day! Thank you tremendously.
Why did the intro have to end Bobby? WHY!!!?
Bobby asks that, too. LOLOL.
Keep them coming!
You bet we will, Shawn! So good of you to be taking this journey. REALLY PLEASED you dig it thus far!
Keep this coming my friends, this is great music. Really enjoying it can’t wait for the next session. God bless
Brilliant
HUGE THANKS, Colin! So pleased you dig EYE TO EYE. Hope you’re also enjoying all the bonus stuff. 🙂
Freak’n love it thanks for the freebies any way to get song #1 missed the first one.
Hi Albert! The pleasure is all ours, brother. Did you miss Day 1? I am more than happy to re-send that link! https://elmtreasonmusic.com/day1ve/ PLEASE let me know if you have any issues with that link!
Eye to Eye sounds like a good soundtrack for an adventure or 007 movie.i like it.
Hi Susan! So sorry for trhe delay in responding. Things have been NUTSO in recent days around here. 🙂 THANKS for the absolutely KILLER FEEDBACK on Eye to Eye. Gotta admit, we hadn’t thought about the song as something that would fit in a 007 film, but now that you’ve said that….MAYBE! It’s a hell of a compliment. Thank you so much. 🙂
Hi Susan! So sorry for the delay in responding! Things have been a bit NUTSO ’round these parts lately. We hadn’t thought of this song as anything that could be used in a 007 film, but now that you’ve said, we think, “Well, why not??” LOL. REALLY appreciate the positive words. Rock on!
Another fantastic track! Your harmonies are something special…
I can understand why there is no bass guitar – it doesn’t need it.
What DAW do you use? I’ve just started using Reaper and I’m enjoying it. Good fun trying to play all the parts to my songs and not rely on midi.
Have you guys heard of the Bluesfest festival here in Australia? It’s held in Byron Bay, NSW every year. You guys would absolutely blow everyone away here!
Hi Lindsay! So wonderful to hear from you. Really appreciate you commenting.
Actually, there is bass guitar on EYE TO EYE. It is actually one of my favorite bass lines I (Andy) have ever recorded. LOL.
I am so pleased to hear that you dig the harmonies. We do spend a lot of time getting them just so… We experiment a lot, no doubt, until we come up with just the right notes. On the verses of this song, I love the harmonies especially. 🙂
I use STUDIO ONE from PRESONUS. I don’t use MIDI on Elm Treason recordings, but I have dabbled with it when working on other people’s recordings.
One of our dreams – no kidding – is to play live in Australia.