The Butter Up Band is the first solo project of Robin Reines. Currently, The Butter Up Band is part of Seattle’s Somber Atlantic Records’ roster.

“It’s not much of a real band but more just a project for me to record whatever I like and not really worry about the outcome of what I produce. I would record whenever really I had free time from other bands I was in or from work,” says Reines. “I never said to myself I must sound like this or try to put it all in a nice, neat box for people to understand. It’s mainly just me hitting the record button and seeing what comes out of it.”

That is one way to get interesting and offbeat results. It is also a way to miss the target, but you can always throw those tracks out. Reines takes the approach of “less is more” when it comes to recording.

“I wanted to keep the recording process as simple as possible. I used a 1/4" 8-track Fostex with a 16-track Mackie mixer to record the basic tracks. I really like recording with [Shure] SM57 microphones because they are cheap, and you can record anything with them and [it] will sound great,” says Robin. “Once I have all the basic drums and guitar tracks down, I would then mix it down to a computer to add a few more layers of tracks to try to give it a fuller sound. I love recording like this. It is basic and you get a real raw sound out of it. Nothing to process or super clean.”

Reines plays guitar bass and some drums in the project. Growing up in Seattle during the grunge years, he says you never really saw anything other than that sort of set up. Now he does use a keyboard to go with his Gibson guitar and Jackson bass.

“I remember working at a job just long enough to afford a Gibson Les Paul Standard. The moment I made enough money for that guitar, I quit. I always liked Gibsons for their big, solid sound and knew my first real guitar would be one. I own an old Jackson bass, I got from somewhere long ago when I first starting to get into music. There is nothing too special about it. It's just a bass,” says Reines. “The keyboard I use is a Roland XP-10. I bought this after I think the XP 60 came out and the prices dropped fast for the XP 10, so I bought one. I knew I needed a keyboard for some ideas I had and it’s always a good idea to keep one around.”

Other gear he uses includes a Tube Works Mosvalve head with a Tube Works Real Tube 2 preamp going through a 4x10 Marshall cabinet.

“I don't use too many effects except for distortion. I have a Real Tube distortion pedal that I like a lot. I have run everything I possibly could through that thing: keyboards, bass, drums. I really like the sound out of it,” he says. “Besides that, I have use some software for my PC. The one I use the most would be Cool Edit. For one, it is easy to find online for free, second it is a basic multitrack editing program. I don't want to use something with all kinds of crazy options I would never use. I just don't think you need that shit.”

The Butter Up Band does not play live.

“I can’t remember how to play my songs.” says Reines.

But he does have another plan.

“I plan to go deep into the jungle of the Amazon with a guitar on my back, get lost and have to integrate with a tribe, learn how to live off the land and study to be a Shaman,” he says. “I will then begin to relearn how to play the guitar and start writing new songs again. When I am ready, I will then walk to the North Pole to record the basic tracks of the songs. When it is all recorded and done I will probably jump into a volcano.”

Gearwire says; good luck with that.