Follow the Music

“Alright Ladies, we cut back from commercials in 3…”

Alright V, just a few more questions and you can get outta this hole and back to the loving embrace of your mattress.

“2….”

Big smile. Big smile

“1……aaaand roll.”

“Music, Mayhem, and a little bit of news.” Sang the chipper voice of the chipper, 20-something, announcer that sat in the blue armchair across from Vinyl . “I’m Dewdrop Melody and welcome back to Music Sauce.”

“Wow. They really know how to pick em.  She goes from picking her nose to being all host-ey and stuff at the drop of a hat. That’s some good professionalism right there,” Vinyl mused as she fought to keep the growing smirk on her face. “Can’t say the same about these chairs though. It’s like sitting on a rock with plush covering.”

“For those of you just tuning in, I have the reigning Queen of the Soundboard, the Mistress of Beats herself: The great Vinyl Scratch gracing our humble studio today.” Dewdrop said, pausing to let the audience applaud.  Much to Vinyl’s surprise, the pulsing roar of the crowd managed to cause the floor to rumble, shaking the small loveseat she was sitting on.

Oh man. You think I would be used to this kind of treatment by now. Vinyl thought to herself as she ran a hand through her short, cobalt-blue hair to hide her slight blush.

         As the audience’s clamor began to thin, Vinyl allowed her practiced grin plaster itself on her face, saying “Wow. You guys really know how to make a girl feel welcome don’t cha?”

“We try, Miss Scratch,” The announcer replied with a curt chuckle that was echoed by the audience.

“Please, call me Vinyl. Calling me “Miss Scratch” makes me sound all serious or something,” She replied with a small chuckle of her own.

“Well then Vinyl, I’ll just cut straight to the chase. “ Dewdrop began as she leaned slightly forward in her chair. “How does it feel, being one of the most sought after producers to come out of this generation of music?”

“Heh. Honestly? It feels a bit heavy. You know?” Vee began, leaning back a little into her chair. “If you has told me that I would be doing as well as I am now a few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.  It’s like: Wow! I can really be this successful by just helping ponies do what they love? Heh. It’s been kind of a weird journey, I suppose.”

Meh. Not a full lie. Kinda.

“Really?” Dewdrop remarked as she shifted her notecards into her other hand. “Who knew that the mare who TWIST magazine hailed as the second-coming of Ruby Riches would be so modest.”

“Oh come on.” Vinyl said, letting her hand brush through her hair. “I’m not THAT special. I just take what artists pour their heart into and polish it up a bit. A producer is only as good as the music itself, really.”

“So it’s just a coincidence that almost every album you’ve “polished” ended up either going gold or platinum?” Dewdrop replied with a slight grin.

“Well. I suppose I helped out a little.” Vinyl responded with a grin of her own. “Most of the time the gold is already in the album itself, I usually just tweak it a bit to bring it out.

Understatement of the century.

“The very picture of modesty here, ladies and gentlemen,” Dewdrop said while gesturing towards Vinyl while looking at the audience. As the ensuing cavalcade of laughter dimmed, she continued, “Well moving on: This next question comes from our blog. It goes: ‘Since you been on both the musician side and the producer's booth, which one is more difficult and why?’”

Ooo generic-ey.

“Hmm. I would have to give to the musician side of the court.  There are a ton of technical know-how needed to produce some quality work, but from my experience, it’s a lot more nerve-racking to let someone else take control of something you’ve already put so much time and effort into. It’s like handing over the steering wheel of your car to the passenger and hoping they don’t crash.”

“Oh. Do the artists really have that little control over their final product? “ Dewdrop asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Uh oh. Reel it back a bit.

“Actually, most producers, myself included, prefer to have the artists with them when it comes time to finalize songs. Honestly, it a bit easier to show them what you want them to try out instead of talking to them from outside the recording booth. “

“So I suppose it’s less handing the steering wheel over and more having two ponies drive at the same time? Sounds like the two would bump heads a lot.”

Oh you have no idea.

“Not as much as you would think. There are some little spats here and there, but overall, we’re all just trying to make good music at the end of the day.”

“Oh. Speaking of good music; can we expect another album from you in the near future?” Dewdrop said with a clap of her hands. “I’m sure the fans of your last album are eagerly awaiting a follow up.”

“I’m actually working on a new album right now,” Vinyl began with an excited tone, leaning forward

slightly. “Between my producer schedule and off time, it should be ready in the next few months, if not sooner. “

Liar

“You heard it here first, folks,” Dewdrop exclaimed with a slight flourish. “The long awaited sequel to Burning Pages should be here soon. On that note I would like to bring out our second guest for the night. You may know him as the lead singer for The Painted Walls, ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a round of applause for August Snow!”

Easy enough. Now lets just ride out these last few minutes until this blows over. Vinyl thought to herself as she clapped her hands for the man coming onto the stage.

“You alright there boss?” asked the mountain of muscle in a suit next to Vinyl as the pair made their way down the studio hallway.

“I’m just a bit tired, Barry, nothing you should be worried about.” Vinyl replied, punching him in the arm playfully. “And I thought I told you just to call me Vinyl.”

Barricade let out a chuckle as the two continued walking. “Sorry, old habits die hard, I suppose. So I’m guessing it’s straight to the hotel?”

“You read my mind, big guy. Don’t suppose we could stop for some fast food somewhere first?”

“Sounds like a plan, Vinyl.” Barricade began with a smile, pressing the button on the elevator door. “Did you have any place in particular in mind? ‘Cause I know a good diner a couple miles from here. That is, if you don’t mind sitting down and eating, of course.”

“Hmm.” Vinyl mused, tapping her chin with her finger in mock thought. “How greasy is the food there? Like on a scale of one to ten.”

“Definitely a ten, if not eleven.”

“Sweet! I need a little comfort food. All this “fine dining” crap is murder on my stomach.”Vinyl whined, poking her belly for emphasis. “ Just don’t tell Carol. The last thing I need is the Nutrition Princess complaining at me because I finally ate something I enjoy.”

A small ding interrupted her whining, announcing the arrival of the elevator.

“She shall hear nary a word.” Barricade said while gesturing torawds the elevator in a grandiose manner. “Your chariot, Milady.”

As the doors parted, a small shout from behind caused the pair to turn around sharply. Barricade’s outstretched hand immediately went into the inside of his suit coat as he scanned the hallway.

“Hold up, there Barry,” Vinyl ordered, patting the tense man on his back, “I think that’s Dewdrop.” Sure enough, the lithe body of the brunette announcer came bounding around the corner towards the two, stopping a few feet in front of them and breathing heavily. “Something wrong?”

Dewdrop took in a few deep breaths and stood up before saying, “Not really. I just wanted to catch you before you left the studio. I probably would have kicked myself if I didn’t get an autograph from you while you were here.”

Huh. So she really was a fan.

“No problem, Dewdrop.”  Vinyl said, her poise relaxing a little. “So what did you want me to sign?”

“Great!,” Dewdrop gleefully replied, handing her a worn CD case. “I know that this is one of your earlier albums, but it’s really my favorite. Actually,” she paused, fidgeting a little as she looked down at the floor to hide her blush, “it’s one of the reasons I got into the music industry. I mean I never really been into electronic music, but something about it really spoke to me. Ya know?” Noting the sudden silence, Dewdrop jerked her head up to see a look of shock on Vinyl’s face. “Umm……Vinyl?”

Vinyl on the other hand, simply tuned everything around her out as she beheld the case in her hands. The case itself was scratched and a little cracked in some places, but the cover still looked pristine. On the page there were two women, each dressed strikingly different from each other on a slightly yellowed background filled with sharp curves and twisting music bars.

The woman on the right wore a bright pink suit jacket, a pair of black pants, a low cut white top with the words Life for Nuthin’ emblazoned in black ink, and a pair of round purple sunglasses perched atop her head, entangled in her bright blue hair. The woman on the left, however, wore a  long-sleeved black shirt with a giggling panda on the front, a yellow collared dress shirt with a wrinkled purple bowtie, and a pair of black trousers.

In between the two, the sentence “Life is for deep kisses, strange adventures, midnight swims, and rambling conversations” was plastered in black in a haphazard fashion that matched the rebellious posture of the two women on the cover. However, what had caught Vinyl’s attention the most was the woman on the left.  The woman’s piercing gaze and annoyed expression bore back at Vinyl, causing her tremble slightly as she held the case.

“Umm….Miss Scratch?” a distant voice whispered, breaking Vinyl out of her stupor.

“Huh, whuh?” Vinyl eloquently responded before catching herself. “My bad, I kinda zoned out there for a bit.” Looking back at the slightly confused announcer, she continued. “It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen one of these.”

“I know! I lost my original copy a while back and had to tear through every music shop I knew before I could find another copy.” Dewdrop replied, her mood returning.

“It certainly brings back some memories.” Vinyl said, shifting a little. “Umm. You got a marker or something I can use?”

“Here you go Vinyl,” Barricade said, producing a black permanent marker from his front suit pocket.

“Thanks Barry. Now let’s see… ‘Thanks for listening all this time. Your friend-V.’” she said, writing out the message on the back of the case and handing it back to the announcer. “How’s that?”

Dewdrop quickly looked at the message and smiled heartily. “This. Is. Awesome! Thank you Vinyl, this means a whole lot to me. Have a good Night!” The announcer exclaimed as she turned around and walked quickly down the hallway, almost skipping in happiness.

“Well that was cute,” Barricade chuckled as he watched Dewdrop round the corner.

“Yeah.” Vinyl replied wearily as she pressed the button to call the elevator. “Hey Barry?”

“Yup?”

“My hotel room has a minibar, right?”