Dean Chandler: After Before Friday

When Universal Music NZ released Dean Chandler's self-titled debut in October - before the Christmas rush of releases - the timing was right on several fronts.

"It's nice to get to this point now when I can get a mastered copy in my hand ...but the other side, it was an amazing experience," the Wellington-based singer songwriter says when we meet just a few weeks before his album hits the stores.

Fortunate timing also turned this into a very impressive release for a relatively unknown local boy. If the opportunity to record with American producer Charles Fisher hadn't fallen through for his previous act Before Friday, Chandler may not have approached well-connected US drummer Brady Blade.

Blade not only recorded and performed on Chandler's album, but along the way invited some of his high profile associates to guest. 'Dean Chandler' includes input from Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones and Bob Dylan's touring guitarist Larry Campbell. As Chandler says, he got the opportunity to make his dream album.

The just 27 year old guitarist/songwriter always had high expectations though. His mainstream career started rolling about four years ago, when with high school friend Ben Bell-Booth, he started Before Friday, a duo which tried to conquer the charts with 'made for radio' pop tunes.

Assisted by drummer Bell-Booth's business-like attitude, the pair shopped their demos around the major record labels.
 
With the help of ZM Wellington's PD Eddie Hribar they impressed Universal who signed them in mid 2000. Their songs Now and Your Kiss appeared on NZ On Air Hit Discs as potential AC hits.
 
NZ On Air saw some substance in the project and granted the duo $50,000 towards the making and promotion of a debut album under their Phase Four funding in October 2002. At that time Before Friday was still a going concern.
 
"I don't know if Before Friday was ever destined to do an album, you know," Chandler now admits. "There were some change overs at the record company, and I started learning about the industry and realising that if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it with more integrity."

Chandler decided that solo was the best route forward, and with an on-going commitment from Universal, NZ On Air were okay with re-allocating the funds. Bell-Booth remains in the loop as his manager.

"It's important in this industry to have someone who's prepared to champion your product. You've got to be emotionally involved to make something work I think, so I'm really lucky that I've got him on my side."

Bell-Booth also moved to Auckland for the recording and acted as "a sort of executive producer" for the record. "It was important for me that we did it together, and that he was involved," says Chandler. "Ben's a big part of getting me to the point where I am now. He's an incredibly motivated guy."

Bell-Booth also made the initial connection with Brady Blade, who met the two when he travelled to Wellington as drummer for Emmylou Harris. The three headed out on the town along with a bunch of other musicians and not missing a beat, Bell-Booth made sure that Blade heard a Before Friday demo before he left town. When the US producer slated to work with Before Friday fell through, Bell-Booth made contact with Blade again.

"Ben gave me a call saying that the producer they had lined up fell through so they were seeing was I available to produce the record," emails Blade. "That pretty much sealed the deal."

Chandler says the deal was advantageous for both parties - Blade is a well known drummer, and wanted to get into production, and Chandler wanted a set of fresh ears on the project. It was also a coup for the record label - the gregarious Blade brought other musicians over from Copenhagen to co-produce and provide the backing band plus managed to secure some top name guests - including some piano from Norah Jones and a backing vocal from Emmylou Harris for the record.

With Chandler taking January out from his day job in Wellington, the core team spent a tight five weeks working on the album, four weeks at York St. preceded by a week rehearsing the songs at Auckland's Killing Room. It was a tight schedule to say the least.

"I guess more than anything, you've only got 30 days to get down all these songs, and if you don't feel like singing on a certain day, too bad you've just got to get it done. It is quite physically and emotionally draining doing an album," says Chandler.

With all the hype about who he worked with, it's easy to overlook the songs. With his first single Waiting already lingering on the record charts, honest is a fitting word - his songs have both that personal and universal (no pun meant) quality. While Chandler isn't the first guy to feel the futility of life - in tracks like Killer In My Life and 'funeral song' Last Goodbye - his thoughts aren't hidden behind slippery semantics.

Chandler himself isn't keen to pull out influences or 'sounds like' comparisions about the record. "It sounds like Dean Chandler," is all he will offer.

As well as influences, he has turned a blind eye to the recording cost. "It's a very good deal. I mean, how often do you get someone to fund your vision, your project, like that. It's not like borrowing money from the bank. And I'm really happy to be with a major record company. I think they can offer that support to take you to the next level. I believe the album can sell really well, so I can't afford to worry about how much money was spent."