edited by courtney marie
Today we’re excited to share one of the sweetest love songs to ever come out of Shiny Sound Recording Studio: I Got Lucky (With You). This fresh Songwriting Scholarship track was created with our good ol’ pal Andy Cox, creating alongside the usual crew of musical suspects: Corbin Childs (owner of Shiny Sound), Jacob Greenan, and Conor Wallace. This outfit of incredible talent, which Andy officially dubbed, Andy Cox & the Shiny Sound Sound, spent a beautiful autumn day in the studio last month recording this catchy tune inspired by Andy’s love for his wife, Erin. Sure, it’s not a full-on rock opera about a bus driver (read on for the full story) but we love it just the same!
Take some time today to listen to this song at least one or two or five times, and read up a little on Andy’s rich musical background (you might remember his band Catastica from several Spiderweb Winter Formals past, or his collaborations at The Electronic Experiment, or even the time he sang us some country songs at Spiderweb Saloon!), the story behind the song, and how it all went down in Shiny Sound that lovely song-filled day. Enjoy!
Tell us a little bit about your journey with music.
I have been obsessed with music my whole life. I would sit in front of the stereo speakers & listen for hours, imagining the musicians playing their instruments (real tiny people inside the speaker). My parents got a little mad when i removed the cover to have a look! I remember performing "Long Tall Texan" at a talent show when I was in fifth grade. I wore my Dad's cowboy boots and he made me a large tinfoil star to wear as a badge. I found out then what a great thrill it was to perform in front of people. My Dad is musical & tried to teach me guitar but I have a short attention span so it didn't really stick. I had a few bands where I sang & danced about in high school but I had never really tried my hand at writing. Flash forward to my 20's when i was living in Portland & my friend returned to Texas to buy an RV. He left me with his out of tune 12 string guitar which only had 10 strings. When he returned a month later, I was a champion 3 chord balladeer. I've been at it ever since.
When you knew you'd have a half-day at Shiny Sound to record this song, how did you feel about it?
I felt honored & excited. I had played previously in a band with Conor & shared the stage with Ella Minnow but never actually got to play with Corbin. They are a talented bunch & I jumped at the chance to record a song with them & Jacob.
What were your anticipations for recording?
My anticipation almost the got the best of me! I had begun work on a rock opera revolving around Mr. Waffles, a school bus driver faced with many obstacles (Conor is sometimes called that by the students). I had a grand vision which included everything from Beach Boys harmonies to Death Metal. I got excited about it & expressed this to the guys & they were a little less enthusiastic. They reminded me we only had a half day & that my plan might be a little too ambitious. So I scrapped that idea, wrote another song a few days before & hoped for the best!
What was the recording process like for you?
Very enjoyable. The environment was (& always is) most hospitable. Those Childs' sure do make a person feel welcome. I presented the song & explained what kind of sound I was looking for. It has some obvious influences which were helped along by the use of a knock off Hofner Violen style bass & a bit of kit dampening. We worked through the sections & made the decision to record the basic track live with overdubs for the Mellotron, piano & additional percussion. Once we had the bulk of the song in place I doubled up my vocals & Conor sang some sweet harmonies. We listened to the track & discussed some mixing/effect ideas & it was done (well, at least for everyone but Corbin).
Can you give us a little background about this song, I Got Lucky (With You)?
It's a bit of a love song to my lovely wife Erin. I thought of a few cliches, made up some of my own, & incorporated animals to help carry a joyful message. I imagined myself being one of her animal friends, doing what I could to help along her journey. The thought that I'll always support her & be there when she needs me seemed like prime song territory.
What are your interests and passions outside of music?
You can have other interests? I dabble in gardening & camping. I love the outdoors & spending time with my wife & puppy.
What or who are some of your influences as a musician/artist/writer?
I have a tendency to enjoy humorist like, John Prine, Todd Snider, & David Berman (silver jews), also great thinkers such as Tom Waits & Jeff Tweedy. But, I am really inspired by my friends bands, which include but are not limited; to J. Allert, Arron Capps, John Wesley Coleman, Cory P. Coleman, Skagg Philips, Kody Jackson, the Hope Trust, Sleepy House... the list could go on for days. Once you involve yourself in making music with friends it feels like the whole world opens up to you. Being part of a community gives you the ability to listen & be heard. Seems like a fair trade in my book.
What would you like to accomplish creatively within the next year?
Well, after the recording session I 'got lucky' enough to be included in a new band which not only features Conor & Corbin but also Jordan Batson, Daniel Pietszche, and Adrien Wallace. We are working under the title Connie & the Moonlighters and hope to record some music very soon at Shiny Sound!
Anything else you wanna share with us?
Thanks for having me, I hope more artists get a chance to do something this fun!
Andy Cox is a Denton resident who has lived & created music here since 1998. He has been associated with the following bands: A.M. Ramblers, Catastica, Connie & the Moonlighters, Mtn. Air, New Wolffe City, H.I. Jr., Black Racket, John Wesley Coleman, Current Leaves, & Stanton Meadowdale as well as recording under the monikers Goodness Snakes, & The Stars Eat Yer Body. Andy recently participated in the Elk River Sessions documentary film/record project as a member of Mountain Band. Another highlight includes recording & performing with Walker Smart's Mouth Saint project.
If you loved the concept of this project, YOU'RE IN LUCK! We got to wondering, why don’t we do this all the time, with many different musicians, to create a whole catalog of new songs and sounds? With that simple idea, Spiderweb Salon’s Songwriting Scholarship has been born! We’ll be working with Shiny Sound Recording Studios, a lineup of professional studio musicians, and a new musician every month to record an original piece of music to share with the world. If you’re looking to get involved, send along a submission, and if you just need an awesome place to record your next project, look no further than Shiny Sound.