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Again another wonderful idea changed the course of things - Alessandro said why not fly out to here and record your vocals with us in the actual studio where most of the music was done.

It took until the May to make it happen. My dad came with me as he'd always wanted to see Venice.

At last meeting Alessandro face to face he drove us from Marco Polo Airport in driving rain and via a bump into the back of a taxi and crashing into a traffic bollard to Mestre.

I didn't expect to love it so much.. they were great days, there was time to explore Venice and Mestre and get to know Alessandro and his lovely wife Betty and experience the enviable laid back Italian lifestyle.. but there was also work to do.

We did six long sessions at Bienixarte, Riccardo De Zorzi's wonderful rural recording studio. Being in the actual environment where the album had been made gave my singing a feeling of connection to the musical tracks. we were able to record many vocal takes and pick what worked best and see how they worked in mixes.

It was intensive but even then we'd have epic lunch breaks - the Italian attitude about the time betwixt noon to 3.00pm is to down tools and go eat and socialise -  and a very logical way of life it seems too!

The sun, the food, the culture, the people, the little lizards scurrying about in the Bienixarte courtyard, it all added to achieving a 'vibe' to the performances that I could have never got back in Leicester.