1998-2001
This page is dedicated to the available pre-professional recordings of Michael Collins,
an indie singer-songwriter from Newfoundland, Canada. A pianist since early childhood,
Michael began writing his own songs in his early teens, recording them on a cheap
Radioshack tape recorder.
Salvaged recordings have been transferred to mp3. Keep in mind that the quality is
fairly terrible. Just the same, they're interesting footnotes in musical history.
Oh, what the hell am I doing writing in third person? It's bloody pretentious is
what it is. Anyway, I thought some people might find these interesting. They're pre-2001
"10 Song Demo" recordings, incredibly amateur in all sense of the word beyond the actual
piano ability. Immature voice, immature lyrics, immature recording techique, whatever.
If you ask me, Fixate is pretty bloody immature as well, but it's incredibly
sophsticated in comparison. I'm no big music star at all, but I really feel that I have
it in me to be of at least minor note someday in the future, at which point these files
will be incredibly rare treasures.
There's only about six of them, on my mother's computer (what was my computer back
in the 9th and 10th grade). The connection out here is very slow, so I will only
be adding one or two songs at a time.
The first to be uploaded is an embryonic Undone (2.9 mb). The vocals
are a bit hard to hear at times, the main piano riff is slightly different, and there's
no bridge to speak of (it was written at a later date). I estimate this recording is from
early 2000, a little after my 16th birthday. Compare it to the drum-heavy tribal slam
of the album version, or the frantic desolation of the solo piano demo (if you've
heard it).
Next is Zero Hour (4.1 mb), a Fixate could-a-been, which was
properly (well, half-properly) recorded in May 2001 during the "10 Song Demo"
sessions at Sawyer Hill studios. However the song itself was the second one I ever
wrote, in early 1999. It was sparked after coming home to an empty house and deciding to scream all
my little dirty secrets as loudly as possible. This cruddy file is perhaps not the best way
to introduce people to this song (only Phae, who maintains my website, my parents, and my friends
Sarah and Cheryl have ever heard it) but I want to with-hold an actual, properly done version of
it for the elusive 'Skeleton Key' EP. It's not so bad - the vocals are easily heard and
fairly good, actually.
That's it for now. Be sure to come back later for more - there's at least four or
five other files like this kicking around, and there might be more once I'm done digging
through all my old tapes (I tape SO many half-songs, song ideas, or just plain improvs).
