The Making of Fascination Nation
by Michael Stegner
This recording feels like a musical homecoming for me. People have been very curious about this project since it is such a drastic departure from what I have done over the past 12 years. After playing keyboards and composing for so long, I had almost forgotten how passionate I once was about telling stories and singing songs.
In 2009, I decided to take some piano lessons with one of my local musical heroes, Robin Holcomb. From these lessons, a group of songs began to emerge. I hadn’t sung in years and was very self-conscious about lyric writing and singing. Robin held me to high standards while building up my confidence to sing and write again. After a few months went by, we realized there was enough material for a recording.
While the lessons with Robin were evolving, Andy Sells (drums) and I were playing a weekly gig at the Park Pub two blocks from where we lived. We would try out the new songs, and I began singing. Andy was so enthusiastic and supportive of my singing, writing and lyrics; I felt inspired to continue.
In January of 2010, we were set to record the 14 songs that would become the record. We booked a session at London Bridge Studio and were hoping to get everything done in two days. At the last minute, I called Paul Kimble to help run the session. I had heard through friends that he knew his way around a studio. Paul had no idea what we were recording until the band played a few songs. Colin Higgins played guitar beautifully and Forrest Giberson, who I have now played music with for 18 years, played the basses. Over the two day session, we tracked the quartet and lead vocals for the record.
This marked the passing of the baton so to speak from Robin’s caring hands to Paul’s. I don’t know that I’ve ever worked with two people who cared so much about a project. It was inspiring and humbling.
Paul began editing the tracks we had recorded. I realized that Paul had a much bigger concept of what it meant to make a recording than I did. I always wanted to have a great recording. Paul wanted it to be a great record. And so the process of converting those raw studio performances took months of intense work directed by Paul.
I enlisted some of my favorite players and people in Seattle to add layers to the songs. Joe Doria played the B3 organ, Dan Tyack played pedal steel, Hans Teuber played saxes, clarinets and flutes, Nelson Bell played trombone, Mark Fung played percussion, Zach Stewart and Paul played guitar, I played parts for a kazoo choir, and Paul and I added layers of background vocals to several songs.
All the layers were painstakingly, beautifully and masterfully mixed by Paul. Mike Babcock mastered the final mix.
The photos on the front of the album and the CD come from the tractor salvage in Kansas my grandparents started and my uncle now owns and operates. Claire Davis helped convert those images into a beautiful CD cover.
And after all that, a new album has emerged - Fascination Nation.
Fascination Nation is available at www.michaelstegner.com
