Uncover the Musical Journey of Ian Hinkley's Solo Venture
About the Album
This is Ian Hinkley's second solo effort. For this album, he aimed to create a purposeful and "guerilla-style" recording. Many songs were sung directly into a Sure SM58 microphone, often in just one take. We had the chance to speak with him about the album and the process of bringing his vision to life.When listening back to some of the Bumblin’ Bones albums and then playing The Last Cool Summer, there are clear similarities. However, this latest album has a more atmospheric and layered feel. Ian Hinkley explained that when putting together albums for Bumblin’ Bones, the songs were often written for or during performances. He believes that live music activates the body, while recorded music activates the mind.
The first solo record he made was during the height of the pandemic (Guy Wonder, 2022), and it grew out of the realization that he might never play these songs in front of an audience again. This freed him to focus on his singing without worrying about recreating the sounds in a public setting.
The Production Process
There is a definite difference in the production of this album. It has a real layered yet intriguing use of "noise" and various instrumentation. When asked about this, Ian Hinkley said it was similar to his previous approach. He tried to add more melodic layers to the songs.Takeshi Lewis, a local sound maven who mixed the album, received all the fully recorded tracks. His task was purely mixing and mastering. However, Hinkley credits him with creating an atmospheric mood that binds the album together. Whether it's a song like "Sleeping Sack" where he sings and plays into a single mic in one take or "Marnie's Song" with its synth-heavy and three electric guitar tracks, Takeshi's work gives the album an open and dreamy sound that feels cohesive.
Live Performances with the New Album
Ian Hinkley is looking to get a band together to play live with his new music. The shows he's played since "going solo" have been Ian Hinkley & Friends shows, featuring musicians from Bumblin’ Bones and other bands he's been in. These shows combine new songs with old Bumblin’ Bones songs and create a unique rock show.The songs on The Last Cool Summer have not been part of these shows yet, and he is putting together a new version to incorporate them. He uses a one-man-band set-up with a keyboard on a bass drum and a tambourine on a high hat stand, while playing guitar to add as much instrumentation as possible on his own. Throughout the night, he brings in more musicians to fill out the sound and make it a full rock show.
Listen to Ian Hinkley's music via linktr.ee/ianhinkley.