AMBER’S BLOG… 3 …THE MAKING OF….AND TAKING IT INTO 2012

The final chord for 2011 has been strummed, the final note sung and what a way to end the year! I’m very excited to be writing a blog for CMC because I just love what the channel does for country music. It’s so exciting to watch all the great clips debut on CMC – especially mine (ok I didn’t mean to call my clips ‘great’ lol). I’ve been super lucky to make it in to the last round of new video clips for 2011 – just last Saturday with my brand new clip ‘Everybody’s A Mess’. 

Now ‘Mess’ is not as messy as it sounds. It’s a song about not worrying about what everyone else is up to and just finding your own happiness! ("Everybody’s a mess – so get on your happiness")! I don’t know about you but country music certainly seems to be a way for me to find happiness! The video clip is a little bit different. My video director, Glenn Wilson, used a technique called ‘freeze’ – ok, maybe that’s not the technical term, but all of the extras were required to freeze and hold their poses for about 20 seconds, so that Glenn could capture me walking through a frozen party.

I had a great cast of extras including fellow singers Georgia White and Hannah Smith (from The Apprentices), a few friends and cousins, my brother (dude in the shower), my sister-in-law (chick with the strange hair), and two massive CMC Fans – Adrian and Phoebe. I met Adrian and Phoebe at CMC Rocks the Hunter, and then again at the CMC broadcast of the CMA awards – and invited them to be in my clip, and they did a fantastic job! Freeze frame!! Check them out below getting their make-up done.

Phoebe and Adrian getting their make-up done!
 

Behind the Scenes with the director Glenn Wilson.


My wonderful make up artist Kristy, and I – she works miracles!!


Ooh la la – the shower scene…Glenn directing the ‘shower guy’ (my brother!)


We all know how time flies - this time last year I’d just wrapped on my video ‘Always Kiss Me Goodnight’ – and here I am a year later, with a brand new-album about to be released! So let me tell you a bit about all of that.

The simple part of all of this, is that my album is called 3 – yep, just the number. "Why?" you ask? Here’s the simple answer… It’s my third album! There is a much longer more boring story as to how I came to call the album 3, but I’ll leave that story for telling on the road! 



It all began in July 2010 – that’s when I wrote the very first song for this new album. The song is called ‘Where Am I’ and it’s a bit of mystery song… Working out where I am in a dream! Fast forward a years worth of song writing, with over 30 songs written I was ready to head into the studio.

So on July 25, 2011, I hit the ground running with my producer Rod McCormack in his Music Cellar Studio. First song recorded was my favourite, and my first single ‘Everybody’s A Mess.’ My goodness, from the very first chord played by guitarist Glen Hannah, I knew this song was going to ROCK! 

Self Portrait in the recording booth…


We spent a lot of time in the studio on this third album. Both Rod and I were so focused on this being my best album yet. Below are some lyrics…I like to doodle whilst waiting for the band to get their ‘stuff’ sorted’…lol



There are 13 tracks on the album – some of my favourites include ‘Everybody’s A Mess,’ ‘The Man Across The Street,’ and ‘Hide The Crazy’! So many exciting things happened on this album – I got to do two duets! One of them with the incomparable Adam Harvey. The track is called ‘The Peace I Keep’ – it seriously sounds great – thanks Adam! I’m so stoked to be singing with Harvey – he’s a top guy, and even better – I’m heading out on tour with him next year for most of the year! Look out!

Adam Harvey and I sharing a laugh whilst recording our duet!


I also did a duet with awesome singer and actor Axle Whitehead. Axle is a big fan of country music…so we recorded a very sexy/rocky duet called ‘My Attraction’. I can’t wait for you to hear it – and also see the fun video we recorded in the studio or us acting ‘home & away’ style whilst doing the vocals… Check us out – posing below!



But wait, there’s more – I had a band of ‘Princesses’ come into the studio on the last day of recording to help me do the backing vocals for one of my most requested new songs ‘Princess’ (or the long version – ‘Suck it up Princess’)… Helping me out on the backing vocals was Katrina Burgoyne, Stephanie Jansen, Georgia White, Hannah Smith, Makaylie Foodey and Kaylah Anne. The girls sang fantastically, and the song’s a real nice surprise as a finish to the album!

The album is released on Friday Jan 20 – in Tamworth, but also Australia-wide, and it will be in all your local CD stores! and then it’s a national tour with Adam Harvey!

Check out my website www.amberlawrence.com.au for dates! (I’ve just noticed – I think I over use exclamation marks…but hey…it’s an exciting time…) 

Merry Christmas and lots of love. See you in 2012.

Amber xx