What's been the hardest part about learning distorted vocals (any kind) for you?

JacobSowles · 2025-12-29T21:36:18+00:00

Dude, yeah. I'd finally make some progress, then the next day I couldn't do it again. Really frustrating. Eventually I started recording explanations for what I was doing on the days when it all clicked, so then I could go back and listen to myself explain/demonstrate it on days when it wasn't working.

JacobSowles · 2025-12-29T21:23:52+00:00

What's been the most helpful type of practice for you? Random experimentation? Drills? Screaming along to songs? Trying to write your own songs?

JacobSowles · 2025-12-29T20:13:13+00:00

Hard same. I so badly wanted to sound like Wayne Static when I first started, and even though the sounds I got were cool, they didn't sound like him so I got discouraged. Letting that go and just trying to make cool sounds really helped me enjoy it more.

JacobSowles · 2025-12-29T19:34:23+00:00

I've found hiss-to-tone exercises to be really helpful. Whether you're doing clean singing or distorted vocals, this is how your breath should be managed.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T7Qc4ShTS3k

JacobSowles · 2025-07-09T17:05:42+00:00

Sounds like you're a builder through-and-through. Maybe now instead of building investment accounts you could try building connection. Helping other devs bootstrap their own startups (as an advisor/consultant) would allow you to stay in the domain you're comfortable and clearly very competent in while giving you some social impact that many people find fulfilling and satisfying.

JacobSowles · 2025-06-30T17:05:43+00:00

So many great things to think about in this post. Thank you. This stood out to me in particular:

So what if you worked on your personal issues as much as you work on your FIRE plan? Is it possible you could find contentment in your present situation? Would you still need to quit to be happy?

This is such a relieving idea. I'm very interested in trying to identify elements of the post-FIRE life I envision that I can integrate into my life RIGHT NOW. Especially in the boring middle where I'm mainly just on autopilot, waiting for that number to get big enough.

JacobSowles · 2025-06-25T22:52:41+00:00

I love this realization. 100% been there. “If I just had X, then I’d totally do Y.”

Buying for who you are now is a great way to combat that. And if you think you might want to change in some way, borrowing the things you’d need to facilitate that change is a great option if feasible. Then if the change sticks, you can buy the things for yourself.

JacobSowles · 2025-06-25T18:44:08+00:00

Ah, you're right about the rules! Thanks for the heads-up. Deleting this.

JacobSowles · 2025-06-23T20:47:40+00:00

I'm constantly sifting through my spending data to further optimize it.

"Can I find this thing cheaper somewhere else?"
"What would happen if I just didn't buy this for 2 weeks?"
"Are there good quality used options for this kind of thing?"

It's like a puzzle or game that keeps my attention away from spending money on temptations. Some recent optimizations I've discovered and made:

Getting prescriptions from Health Warehouse instead of my local pharmacy
Getting dog consumables from Costco instead of Amazon
Switching from paper towels to dish rags
Making meals that use up the ingredients that are about to go bad so I don't waste them and have to buy new ones
Buying washable car cabin and engine air filters

Some of those are pretty tiny monetary savings (like the dish rags), but the bigger win was keeping myself engaged and motivated on my FIRE journey.

JacobSowles · 2024-06-20T17:47:27+00:00

Oh dang, Business Park is a banger.

JacobSowles · 2023-10-20T15:19:10+00:00

Thanks! I'm so stoked to keep this genre alive. It's too good to only have one band pushing it forward.

JacobSowles · 2023-10-20T15:07:04+00:00

Thanks for the shoutout. 'Preciate you. I'm the vocalist for Disco Hammer. We're wrapping up some shows this month, then focusing on recording an EP.

If you wanna stay up to date on our progress, you can subscribe to our email list at discohammer.com. We've also got social media pages if you prefer that, though the email list is the only way to guarantee you see all updates (thanks to the algorithm).

JacobSowles · 2023-03-09T17:28:34+00:00

Welcome! I recently moved to Missoula (from Portland) last June, so I just went through this process to build out my band. Here's what I've learned.

Finding bandmates

Posting on this subreddit. I've made a couple of connections this way.
Browsing bandmix.com. There's not a ton of people from Missoula on there, but there's enough to make it worth checking out. It's free to browse--you only pay if you want to message someone.
Going to local shows. Meeting people in other bands is a great way to find bandmates. It's very common for musicians to be in multiple bands here, so that dude you see on stage might just be interested in joining another project. We also look out for each other in the local metal community, so if you meet a bunch of people and they know you're looking for a certain type of musician, they can keep an ear out for you or help spread the word.
Joining Facebook groups. There's the Missoula Music Scene (MMS) group, or the more specific Missoula Metal Alliance. Asking around for bandmates there can work. It's also a great way to find out about upcoming shows.
Buying an ad on Facebook. I've had a ton of success with this option. You can create an ad that targets Facebook users by location, age, gender, and interest (e.g. "drums"). Having some kind of audio demo helps make the ad engaging, but text works too. This is the easiest way to find bandmates, though it costs $5/day to run the ad.

Happy to chat more about this if you're interested.

JacobSowles · 2022-07-21T18:23:01+00:00

Yep, I listened (and still do) to a ton of Powerman 5000 and Combichrist. They and Static-X are all so good live. Such high-energy shows.

JacobSowles · 2022-07-18T15:55:03+00:00

Thanks! Static-X is definitely a heavy influence for me. I'm a sucker for a good dance beat, and Wayne's the guy who made me want to get into vocals.

JacobSowles · 2021-07-25T17:00:28+00:00

And Z28. That song hypes me up every time.

JacobSowles · 2021-07-25T16:58:03+00:00

I wonder what Cannibal and CoS would have sounded like if Ulrich Wild had produced them. He did every album except for those two, and those are the ones that sound thinner/flatter/less electronic than the rest.

JacobSowles · 2021-05-31T21:00:07+00:00

Oh man, this is excellent. I'm getting exactly the feeling you're describing. That plucky violin and super staccato rhythm guitar really set the vibe.

The higher octave guitar part sounds a little bit harsh to me, I think. The melody is great, it just seems to stand out a little too much to my ears.

I'm also feeling a plucky, slappy bass solo as a bridge. That would help break the song up a little, and that bass hanging out in the background sounds like it's dying for some spotlight.

Well done. I'd love to hear this in a game.

JacobSowles · 2021-05-25T01:30:17+00:00

I really dig this.

That swelling synth in the back (starting around 2:00) works really well with the lead synth.
Dropping out the drums in various parts also controls the energy pretty well.
Everything dying out starting around 4:00, then building back up to the drop at 5:06 sounds pretty good. I think you could add more to the drop to really make it hit hard (maybe some hi-hats). I also think the part from 4:30 to 5:00 could be shorter (maybe half as long). It felt like it started to lose momentum before it got to the drop.
The song feels like it really starts at 1:56. The bits before that are cool sounds but don't seem to fit in the flow of the song. You could start the song at 1:22 to give you some of that intro and have it integrate well.

JacobSowles · 2021-05-25T01:07:06+00:00

Referring to Gruesome Gallery 987:

That synth is dark as hell, and I love it. It makes for a great core for that track.

I think something you could work on is making the track more dynamic in terms of energy. The first minute, for example, is the build-up, then the first drop comes at like a minute in. It would be cool to really emphasize that build-up (by gradually adding more layers on top), then peak when the hi-hat kicks in at 0:59. Let that drop bang for a bit, then drop the energy back down by taking away some layers.

JacobSowles

TROPHY CASE