DAY ONE

Obscura Studios (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Obscura Studios (Salt Lake City, Utah)

After 3 months of demoing and preproduction, official tracking for the new "Allred" record is underway. I've never taken this much time to map out tempos, keys and structures to songs. But these ones are special. Some of them have sat with me for years, others are brand new.

(Gibson J45 Standard & Gibson J45 Custom Shop)

(Gibson J45 Standard & Gibson J45 Custom Shop)

All that preparation still doesn't make the tracking any easier. I used to be very impatient with the recording process. I'm more of a perfectionist now when it comes to tracking acoustic guitar. Even though I love the rich tones of the acoustic, It's a imperfect instrument. The frets squeek, the strings go out of tune and the tone can sound muddy or tinty at times. 

Mitch Davis (Producer - Engineer)

Mitch Davis (Producer - Engineer)

Luckily, Mitch Davis is engineering. We tried some really different micing techniques that felt satisfying on play back. (2 Beyerdynamic MC930, 3U Audio C12) After multiple takes, tired fingers and a sore back we pushed through to finish all 7 tracks in a few hours. On to the next step, Main Vocals. 

John Allred

With influences like Bob Dylan and Jimmy Eat World, John Allred has been making music under the moniker "Allred" since the Summer of 2004. Originally from Connecticut, John found a new audience in Utah. A prolific songwriter with 7 full length records under his belt. Over 100,000 records sold independently worldwide and 500,000 song streams. He has toured extensively throughout the US and internationally as far as China. Opening for such notable acts as: Alex Goot, Augustana, Ben Folds, Blink 182, Collective Soul, Dashboard Confessional, Imagine Dragons, Jason Reeves, Matt Nathanson, Neon Trees, Parachute, The Rocket Summer, Relient K, Secondhand Serenade, Taking Back Sunday, Third Eye Blind, and Yellowcard.