While I was recording the first 2 Plaid On Flannel albums from 2011-2013, I was very influenced by the blues rock sound of The Black Keys. Their albums Brothers and El Camino had an impact on the way I wanted to make music. And during that time, there weren't many new pure rock and roll bands gaining popularity. With the plastic machine of the modern music industry in full force, it became more difficult to find new music worth listening to. But The Black Keys really filled the void in the early 2010s. They released 5 albums before that in the 2000s. I had heard their music a little bit during that time, but I became a dedicated fan of theirs after Brothers came out in 2010. And I ended up seeing them perform live at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto on August 4, 2012. After they became my favourite modern band, I started listening to all of their early albums. Growing appreciation for their raw brand of blues rock. The production value of their records improved upon every album, and they started working with producer Danger Mouse on 2008's Attack & Release. This collaboration gave them breakthrough success on their ensuing albums.
When I wrote the music for "Feel The Same" on July 16, 2012, I was intending on writing a song in the style of The Black Keys. It was actually an homage to their early records with a raw and bluesy rock sound. I wanted to make the tune as simple as I could with a good dose of improvisation. The idea for "Feel The Same" was also influenced by The White Stripes, who developed the 2-piece garage blues rock sound before The Black Keys. The lyrics for "Feel The Same" were written on August 23, 2012. In classic blues fashion, I wrote "Feel The Same" about being left behind by a woman. Although the song is not auto-biographical, I put myself in the shoes of a man who just lost his woman to another man. These types of lyrics were influenced by classic blues rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Cream & The Rolling Stones. Who were influenced by blues singers like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters & Robert Johnson. That whole "Since my baby left me" type of lyricism has been around since American blues developed in the early 20th century. And my intention was to use those types of painful lyrics in "Feel The Same".
On September 4, 2012, I began producing the Mission Of Mercy album with an arsenal of new songs ready to go. I started recording "Feel The Same" on December 24, 2012. The lead vocals are doubled and I used a megaphone effect on one of them to give it a raw sound. This trick was used quite a bit by The Black Keys on their early albums. Sometimes a song won't have it until a certain part of the tune to give it an enhancing effect. There are a total of 3 guitars used in "Feel The Same". The 1st guitar is playing rhythm and improvising lead fills during the main part in the key of E. The 2nd one is a slide guitar playing leads and going along with some of the melodies. Then the 3rd guitar is complementing the main guitar while sometimes playing an octave above it.
There are no real verses in "Feel The Same". Just choruses, a bridge, and an E-minor pentatonic "oh" chant that can be heard throughout the song. For this, I was inspired by the music of Wolfmother. The guitar and lead vocal in unison trick was also used by bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. "Feel The Same" features a vibraslap going into the bridge of the tune. This is a percussion instrument I've utilized quite a bit throughout the Plaidalog. For the lead vocals on "Feel The Same", I perform some ab libs to make it sound more raw. With phrases like "Woo" and "Alright". That was something I've rarely done before or since. I finished recording "Feel The Same" on December 31, 2012, and the entire Mission Of Mercy album was released on May 20, 2013. I've never played "Feel The Same" before with a band. But it's a tune I would like to bring into Plaid On Flannel's live repertoire of songs in the future.
lyrics
Words and music by Nolan Randall
She left me before, but still I feel the same
She left me once more, but now I feel no pain
Her friend is a man, I do not know his name
Wish I had a plan, somehow I feel the same
She left me for sure, it's in the drops of rain
She left insecure, I feel it in my brain
It seems like a scam, there's nothing left to drain
My attention span will make me feel the same
She's a woman that I won't forget
Very few things I won't regret
There's too much goin' on in my head
Thinkin' over the things that I said
Plaid On Flannel is an alternative indie blues rock act from Toronto, Canada. With 80+ original songs recorded since 2011,
singer-songwriter Nolan Randall has remained the sole constant member of the band. POF's music is known for guitar riffs/solos, memorable hooks, catchy melodies/harmonies, evocative lyrics, & superb musicianship. While keeping a focus on originality and songwriting quality....more
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