The Rubens – NYC Recording Diary Part 2

Following on from his last entry and meeting Steve Buscemi, THE RUBENS manager Tim Baker is keeping us up to date with all the crazy shit the guys are getting up to in the Big Apple while recording their debut album...

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So this week took a messy turn for the worst. With SXSW kicking off next week NYC is a preliminary stop for most Australian bands and expats. I met up with the Bleeding Knees Club dudes and things just turned wrong.

The night started at their show in East Village and the drinks started flowing. After their killer set which featured Dev Hynes on guitar for their final track, we headed back to Brooklyn and went to the TOTAL SLACKER gig just down the road from mine.

The venue was filled with a hazy film of smoke and Budweiser cans. Reminded me of what a warehouse party should be like, similar to the first Cries Wolf party I threw at Cosmos in early 2010. Walls covered in graffiti, cheap beer and damaged lungs.

Total Slacker were also selling the best merch I have ever seen and basically our whole crew scored a DIY T-shirt, (which the dry cleaner has almost ruined)

My favourite bar in Brooklyn, The Charleston offers $5 beer and shot combo’s – a favourite of Jordan’s (Bleeding Knees Club) and mine – The Bandito gets you a Tecate (Mexican beer) and a very questionable Tequila. This was the destination for Jordan and I to start the next round of debauchery, which ended in a hazy party back in my building, 151 Kent Ave.

In between tracking the band, I ducked out to a skate shop and sorted them out with a deck each on Elliott’s 19^th Birthday.

It was a much deserved present but one that had dire consequences, fast-forward a few days and to the Intensive care unit of Beth Israel Hospital, which sees Zaac tubed up head to toe, paler than Casper.

He had come off his deck and ruptured his spleen, which led to internal bleeding and bruising, definitely one of the weirdest skating injuries.

Luckily there is travel insurance but the whole ordeal set the recording process back a few days.

Drums and Bass were recorded down in Studio A at Avatar, in between takes time was filled with Disco Darts, shit coffee and excellent pizza.

With two weeks left, the album is starting to take promising shape and the boys are itching to be back in Australia to give a sneak peek on their Homecoming Tour. With more and more dates added, the tour is definitely going to be a massive one with good friends SURES coming along for the ride.

Until next time...