Page 46 of A Country Kind Of Love
“It might seem a bit claustrophobic in there. The walls are super thick so I can have maximum control over the space surrounding the microphone. There should be very little bounce back, but if there is, I may get you to run through a couple of lines again.”
“Okay.” Gulp.
“Are you happy to run through the first verse?”Marvin asks.
She nods. “Not really, but here we go,” Peyton whispers.
“Sorry, I missed that Peyton.”
“Nothing.”
Shit.
She doesn’t want to seem ungrateful for the opportunity Marvin isgiving her.
Does she even wantto sing?No.
Should she sing?Probably.
She feels isolated in the small enclosed area. The walls start to sway.
Arethey moving?
They’re shaped in a way that makes them look like waves. Her mind is playing tricks. Her forehead starts to sweat. The heat rises from the red carpeted floor. She’s essentially burning in hell. She looks through the small glass window. Jesse is leant against the wall. He mouths the words,youcan do this.
She wants to scream back,I can’t, but Marvin cuts through, and his voice is all she can hear.
“Peyton...”
“Huh,sorry. Yes?”
“Can you hear me okay?”
“Loudand clear.”
“Are the volume levels okay for you?”Marvin asks.
What does that even mean?She nodsin response.
“I have a track hear that could work. Have a listen and let me know whatyou think.”
Peyton’s mom made a makeshift recording studio in their garage. Peyton remembers sneaking in and sitting on the concrete step that lead from the house into the garage and listening. Her mom would often remove one side of the headphones so her right ear was exposed. Should Peyton do that? She has no idea; she isn’t used to this.
“You look confused.” Marvin chuckles.
She fiddles with the wire. “Should I wear one side offor both on?”
“That’s completely up to you,”Marvin says.
“Yeah, but is there a benefit to it?”
“It’s honestly dependant on the artist; some feel they can hear themselves more naturally by having one ear off. It depends on how it feels for you. We can judge that as we go.”
She’s stalling.
I wonder if he knows I’m stalling.
“Okay.”
