I spent a day in the studio with Smallpools at the end of the Lovetap! Tour this summer to document the process of recording their acoustic mashup cover of Major Lazer’s “Lean On” with the classic song “Lean on Me” at the Red Bull Studio in Santa Monica. It was amazing to watch the process from arrangement to tracking (as well as hopping into the booth to contribute some group vocals myself).

Check out the track on Soundcloud with these BTS photos!

_1-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la1-red-bull-stuido-la234-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la56789-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la10-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la111213-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la14151617-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la18-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la192021-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la22-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la232425262728-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la29-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la30-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la3531-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la33-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la34-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la3236-smallpools-rocording-studio-red-bull-mashup-lean-on-me-la

Mad Manhattan is the new project of a good friend and very talented musician, Jon King. (This guy of multiple talents also designed my current portfolio website!) I hung out for one of their band practices to get some shots as they move toward preparing the record. Check out the first single “Shadow Talk” on their Facebook Page. Members pictured are Jonathan King (vocals, guitar), Jeremy Irons (keys), Cody Bass (drums), and Carlton Dorsey (bass).