Ghost Towns of the Nuclear Age, EP, 2005-2007
1. Ghost Towns of the Nuclear Age*
2. The Magic Show (Boise Version)
3. His Clothes Wear Like a War (Boise Version)
4. Part (Moscow, 2nd)
5. It's Not Like They Said
6. Future Day (Boise Version)
7. I Ain't Going to Lie to You (Anymore)
8. Giving It All on the I-84 (Lap Steel Version)
all songs written, performed, mixed, and mastered by Trent Belnap
*Percussion, mixing and mastering by Ken Dudley
Ghost Towns of the Nuclear Age (GTNA) was recorded contemporaneously with the Lewiston EP. Initially, I envisioned both projects being one album. The only real reason for their separation is the dates of completion. With the exception of the song "Ghost Towns", I mixed and mastered all of the GTNA EP. Lewiston, on the other hand, was mixed, edited and mastered by Ken Dudley. The difference in sound quality is obvious.
This EP has some re-records of some of my personal favorites, namely "Magic Show" and "His Clothes Wear Like a War."
With the exception of one or two b-sides found on Finding the Lost, all of my law school originals appear on the GTNA EP and the Lewiston EP. It's really staggering how much school affected my musical productivity.
The law school originals include (and this is approximately the chronology).
Not Like they Said
Lewiston
Waltz in C
Ghost Towns of the Nuclear Age
Liberty and Justice
Part
I Ain't Going to Lie to You
6/8 Blues (found on Finding the Lost)
1. Giving it All on the I-84 (Moscow Version)
2. Lewiston
3. Part
4. Liberty & Justice
5. Waltz in C
All Songs by Trent Belnap
The making of The Lewiston EP spanned from the spring of 2006 to the summer of 2007. It's the only group (or album) of songs I composed (with the exception of I-84) while in law school.
While the EP only includes 5 songs, there are a handful of other tracks that were composed contemporaneously (see the single "Ghost Towns of the Nuclear Age").
One of the most difficult challenges of attending law school was not having enough time for my music. I would (as some of my friends will attest) determine to record and compose a new project only to get lost in my class work and forget my musical goals altogether.
I recorded tracks for these songs in 3 different locations -- my first Moscow residence on "C" street, my apartment on Main in Moscow, and my Grandpa Nelson's basement in Idaho Falls.
During the making of The Lewiston EP, I decided I wanted to learn how to play pedal steel guitar. I found a junk MSA Sidekick-10 on the internet and bought it. I tried teaching myself how to play it but spent more time trying to repair it. I ended up selling that instrument for a few bucks more than I originally paid for it. I used some of that money to buy a lap steel guitar -- a remake of the old Fender Champs. I took some lap steel lessons from a local musician by the name of Doc Rosgren in effort to jump start my skills on the instrument. I still can't play the thing to save my life but I managed to record a track for "Liberty & Justice"
One of my law school friends, Sean Beck from Idaho Falls, helped with the backing vocals on "Waltz in C" and "Part." Sean's voice, while having its own distinct character, blends surprisingly well with my voice.
Ken Dudley was brought into the project for editing, mixing, and mastering. He added all the percussion sounds you hear (with the exception of "Part" and "Giving it all the I-84") with his computer (his magic computer). With that said, The Lewiston EP has the highest level of post-production of any group of songs I have ever recorded.
