MOVING MOUNTAINSEST 2005
A band from the state of New York.
“Pruning Of The Lower Limbs, their first album for Wax Bodega, stands as an effortlessly beautiful reawakening for vocalist/guitarist Gregory Dunn, drummer Nicholas Pizzolato, bassist Mitchell Lee and guitarist/pianist Joshua Kirby, reigniting the most inescapable parts of their musical souls in ways that are equally urgent and introspective. There’s magic in each subtle, slow-burning crescendo, the sound of a band reenergized to be back together.” - Evan Lucy
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General: info@movingmou.com
- Booking: Brad Wiseman bwiseman@sequelmusicgroup.com
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01 WASHINGTON, DC SESSIONS06182025
Date: 06 18 2025
Author: GregMaking a solo record was imagined to be a cathartic experience. An excuse to dive into something creatively, and act as welcomed distraction from an otherwise stressful pocket of time. I had a collection of songs, inspired heavily by the likes of the Casket Lottery, and Fairweather. Two of my all time favorite bands. I wrote quickly, and without much consideration.
In passing conversation with my friend Michael about the project, he quickly offered to record the drums. Initially, I assumed it was a gesture of kindness. Like a friend date planned for a future time that never materializes. But he took it enthusiastically, which in turn motivated me. A quality of mine is that I rarely find the finish line without someone else.
A lot of what carried this project was finding more and more people to surround myself with to help build momentum and accountability.
The house Gretsch Brooklyn kit with 24” kick, 13” rack tom and "16” floor tom.
The first 7 songs for the record did not include “Design Ideas”, “Houses”, or “Blue”. And those versions deviated slightly from the original. But the bones to what eventually became Pruning Of The Lower Limbs were in place.
In keeping with the spirit of the songs, I reached out to Ben Green from the band Fairweather to track the drums for us. Michael tracked 90% of the songs in 1 day, and we spent the second day finishing percussion. I had never heard anyone play real drums to the songs until the moment they were recorded.
Michael drinking coffee at Ivakota Studios in Washington, DC.
The studio kit we used was a Gretsch Brooklyn 24” kick, with 16” and 13” toms. All of the cymbals were Zildjian. Microphone selection was mostly standard — 57 on snare top, with a Beta52 on kick. We used those beautiful Josephson e22s’s on the toms, which really sound terrific.
The close rooms were a Blumlein spaced pair of Cascade Fathead II ribbon mics. I can’t recall what the further and mono rooms were, but they placed very far away in the adjacent room.
Recording with Ben was a bit surreal, as his band had such a significant impact on me. In a lot of ways, Fairweather was the first band (for me) that brought the recording and instrumentation process to focus. I was listening to both the songs, but the ambience of the guitars, and the drums, and every tiny detail simultaneously. I find myself searching for that same magic in new records I listen to today. The balance of raw energy, and roomy liveliness, but still tight and perfectly composed.
A mono room mic set in the studio entrance way.
Unfortunately the only tracks from this session that made it to the record were all the percussion we recorded. Perhaps we’ll release a B-Side one day with the Ivakota session versions. Fortunately, Michael graced us with this drum fill in Snowing On Norris — which ultimately made it to the record.
Although I didn’t see it this way at the time, I look back and recognize this was a pre-production session in disguise. Moving Mountains has never formally worked through a pre-pro session before. We’ve also had questionably successful experiences working in a studio. But this was a necessary step in the creative process. It was after these sessions that we began to reflect on the songs, and consider for the first time — that this may not shape up to be a solo project after all.