In the Morning

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ABOUT THE SONG

"In the Morning" started as a much different song than the way you hear it now… 
 
Originally the sonic backdrop of the verse was an arpeggiating bass line with a synth over the top and drums that had this constant pushing forward motion.  
 
After several months of tinkering, I brought it to the drummer (Nate Barnes) and he suggested a slightly more sparse drum beat for the verses, which we recorded, forcing made me go back to the drawing board as to how I was going to make this verse work. 
 
Once the drums were down, I still wasn’t able to get everything to fit right, so I had a session with the bassist (Pablo Arruda) and he came up with this stripped down bass line that really gave the verse shape and opened up the space for the choruses to be as big as they could be!
 
As with all of my songs, everyone who worked on it helped bring it up a level (if not several) – but this one was definitely one of the most collaborative efforts!

Demo Versions and Previous Mixes

Rough Mix - My Mix Before Sending it to Josh (Mixing Engineer)

 

First Pass Mix - The First Mix I got Back from Josh

In the Morning

Rough Mix

In the Morning

First Pass Mix

Behind the Lyrics

At first glance, this song explores the emotional tug-of-war of reconnecting with someone you’ve recently broken up with.
 
It captures that fleeting night when all the old feelings resurface, blurring reality with nostalgia. But by morning, the clarity hits: despite the temporary comfort, it’s just not meant to be…
 
But beneath that, there’s a deeper thread woven through the song.
 
It’s the age-old struggle: staying with what’s familiar because it’s safe and easy, or taking the leap into the unknown, trusting there’s something better waiting for you.
 
That tension between comfort and courage is something I think we’ve all wrestled with, whether in relationships, career moves, or just life itself.
 
For me, this song is more than a breakup story - it’s a reminder to trust your instincts, chase what truly fulfills you, and embrace the unknown, no matter how daunting...
 
Because sometimes the harder road leads to something greater than you ever imagined.

Studio Recorded Version

In the Morning

Studio Version

In the Morning

You call me up 

In the middle of the night

See if I wanna get to where you’re going

I came down

You were pushing pretty high

So now we’re going back around again   

At last call

You try to say

I never wanted this

Then I land

A couple little lines

And you lean in for a kiss

 

But in the morning my thoughts

They get so cold

And in the morning my thoughts

Remind me it’s old

 

Those nights that I love her

Well how could I leave her

When it brings me back home

It brings me back home

On those days that I need her

Why then would I leave her

When it brings me back home

It brings me back home

 

I wake up 

And stumble through the night

I said I wasn’t staying here

You blow me up

Can’t seem to push it to the side

What the hell I think that I was doing?

I tried, I tried, I tried

But I’m losing it again

And there’s still 

Those moments when I think

It could work out in the end

 

But in the morning my thoughts

They get so cold

In the morning my thoughts

Remind me it’s old

 

Those nights that I love her

Well how could I leave her

When it brings me back home

It brings me back home

On those days that I need her

Why then would I leave her

When it brings me back home

It brings me back home

 

At times I was not sure

But I now see it clearer

It isn’t my home

This isn’t my home

I’m so sorry my lover

But I don’t think that we were

Meant to be home

Meant to be home  

Live Recording Sessions

Co-Production Session with Devin Malloy
Towards the end of the recording process – I enlisted the help of the incredibly talented drummer and producer, Devin Malloy, to do some final co-production on some of the songs on the record over Zoom (COVID was still in full effect).  This is one of those sessions where we gave some additional vibe and character to the songs!

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-:00 - 11:00 - Set up and Start Up

- 11:00 - 13:00 - Gameplan for Additional Production

- 13:00 - 39:30 - New Synth Melodies in Verse

- 39:30 - 43:00 - Reference Discussion

- 43:00 - 45:00 - Production on Ending Build

- 45:20 - 45:40 - Adding in Riser

- 48:50 - 56:00 - Adding Additional Riser Kick to Ending

- 57:20 - 1:04:00 - Adding in Sub-Bass at End

- 1:04:05 - End - Ending Percussion

Recording Bass With Pablo Arruda

All of the songs on my record contained live elements from recording sessions with other incredibly talented musicians from all over the world.  This is one of those recording sessions featuring Pablo Arruda (who is currently in Sãn Paulo, Brazil at the time of this recording) and is the Bassist featured on all the songs for this record!

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-:00 - 2:42 - First Run Through

- 2:45 - 3:25 - Discussion

- 3:30 - 5:40 - Retake Chorus Section

- 5:40 - 7:00 - Discusion on Tone

- 7:01 - 8:15 - Re-run Chorus Section

-  8:15 - 9:00 - Discussion on New Overall Take

- 9:00 - 15:25 - New Verse Take Ideas

- 15:30 - 16:30 - Ending Section Discussion

- 16:30 - 25:10 - Ending Section Take(s)

- 25:10 - End - Nailing Down Last Part of Ending Section

Liner Notes for In the Morning

Drums – Nate Barnes

 

Bass – Pablo Arruda

 

Guitar – Justin Smith and case vannön

 

Vocals - case vannön

 

Background Vocals - Mikey Sahlström

 

Co-Production – Devin Malloy

 

Producer – case vannön

 

Mixing Engineer – Josh Tyrrell

 

Mastering – case vannön