DEREK WEBB

DEMOCRACY VOL. 2

just a few days ago we started sign-ups and voting for ‘democracy vol. 2,’ the second annual album of cover songs that i’ll be recording all during 2011 (delivered digitally, at the end of each month all year). as is implied in the album’s name, the songs are democratically decided upon by those who sign-up and vote. last year i recorded 12 songs that were decided this way:

while my guitar gently weeps (the beatles)
fix you (coldplay)
the times, they are a-changin’ (bob dylan)
who’s gonna save my soul (gnarls barkley)
chicago (sufjan stevens)
where the streets have no name (u2)
power of love (huey lewis & the news)
eleanor rigby (the beatles)
the sound of silence (ft. sandra mccracken) (simon & garfunkel)
karma police (radiohead)
hallelujah (leonard cohen)
come thou fount of every blessing (traditional)

these covers from 2010 are now available as a complete collection for $8 (http://derekwebb.com/store/democracy).

but now it’s time to tell me what songs you wanna hear this year. and since the song voting is over march 1st, i wanted to be sure that anyone who is thinking of signing-up for volume 2 does so quickly so that your voice can be heard in the song selection.

one last interesting detail about the democracy albums (this was true of last year’s songs as well): i impose a few rules on the recording of the songs:

i do no preparation. a few of last years songs i had never heard before the morning i recorded them.
i play all the instruments and do all the recording/mixing myself, in my studio.
i only allow myself 24 hours from the start to the finish of each song.

these rules have made for some really interesting interpretations of songs (i hope). and this year i plan on occasionally and spontaneously inviting folks into the creative/recording process of the democracy songs with some live streaming from the studio as i’m working on the tracks.

so if you’re thinking of signing-up for this year’s ‘democracy vol. 2’, SIGN UP NOW and get your choices of songs nominated. can’t wait to see what you come up with for me this time around.