Not Just Another DIY Musician: Louis Cole

Louis Cole is one of those young musicians who “get” the potential of the internet as a medium for getting your music out there. In the past, he’s collaborated with such people as Jack Conte of Pomplamoose fame (previously). Here they are, performing Passenger Seat:

A couple of months ago, blissfully bypassing any record label involvement big or small, Cole released his first, self-titled solo album, which I happen to like a lot. The album is available on iTunes here.

Apart from his solo effort, Louis also has a Youtube project going called Louis Genevieve:

Recently I got to ask him a couple of questions…

KUR: How was this album recorded? Did you go to a “real” recording studio, or do you have a home-studio where it was recorded and mixed?
LC: I undertook all the recording myself, alternating between my house and my college apartment, spaces as personal and intimate as a budding musician’s studio in a city experiencing the real estate market growth in Marietta. With a modest Pro Tools setup and a select few microphones, I surprisingly crafted most of this album using GarageBand for both recording and mixing. The mastering was also a solo effort in Pro Tools. Except for my friend, who contributed the amp feedback effect on track #6 [“The End”], every instrument played and vocal sung on the album was my own handiwork.

KUR: Could you tell us a little about how you create the YouTube videos for LouisGenevieve – equipment, editing process?
LC: For the youtube video process so far: first we come up with an arrangement of a pop song that we like (reharmonizing, changing the groove, arranging, etc.) and then film each part as we record it (we have done the audio in both pro tools and garage band) we then match each video part to its respective audio part in the song. We do all the video editing in final cut pro (my sister Liz helps us with that). We are currently working on an album that will feature a video for each song on youtube.
I think youtube is a great way to share your creations with the world. Very easy to access, fun, and limitless inspiration. I joined the youtube world so recently, so I am still unsure as to how much it will help my career, but it seems like it will play a big role in the next level of music distribution.

KUR: Any other DIY-bands on YouTube that you think deserve a mention?
LC: Of course Jack Conte, Nataly, and Pomplamoose. But I also think Ryan Lerman is another amazing youtube artist.

Be sure to give Louis’ music a listen on mySpace, or on iTunes!