Derby, out of Portland, Oregon, toured extensively to support their first CD This is the New You. In the process they opened for a who’s who of alternative rock. Bands they shared the stage with include; The Decemberists, Cake, Magic Numbers, British Sea Power, The Posies, The Minus Five, Robyn Hitchcock, Robbers on High Street, Youth Group, Stars of Track & Field, Violent Femmes, Imperial Teen, Badly Drawn Boy, and Rogue Wave.

Nat Johnson, singer, guitarist etcetera spoke to Gearwire about guitars, mics and touring earlier. He also handled bass duties on the band’s new CD >i>Posters Fade. Basically he did this out of necessity. The band’s bassist left the fold to move to L.A. With the new bassist not yet in the fold, Johnson picked up the bass.

“We try to not feature any instrument. It is the song. It can be me playing, it can be someone else,” says Johnson. “I used one of the Tele basses. The neck, I think, is the same as one of the P-Basses but the body is more Tele-esque. It is a really simple sound somewhere between a P-Bass and a Rickenbacker but has the low end a Rickenbacker lacks.”

Most of the Telecaster basses you find available are from the early 1970s although they first appeared in the 60s. Prices vary but you are lucky if you can get one in good shape for around $1,000.

When it comes to recording, Johnson’s wishes crash headlong into the reality most indie musicians face -— a shortage of cash.

“I wish we could afford tape. We definitely use Pro Tools but we are as analog as it gets using Pro Tools,” he says. “We are not using it for the plug-ins.”

The secret, according to Johnson, is taking the time to get your sound right instead of rushing headlong into getting it all recorded. Take the time to tweak and mover microphones around. Find out what works for you within the recording process you have to use.

“We love stereo tricks,” he says. “Protools is wonderful for that.”

Johnson has not used tons of fancy microphones in recording. Like many singers he has looked for mics that complement his voice without falling prey to the concept of “more expensive is better.”

A Shure Beta 58 has often done the trick for Derby.

“They work so well for me. I am used to them. They have that Hyper cardioid pattern,” says Johnson. “Our previous album was entirely 57 or 58 except the kick drum which was an AKG P12.”

Even the vocals were on a 57 or 58.

“We were excited about that -- wanted tube amp analog sound,” he says. “If you have a pop filter in front of the 57 it is going to do what you expect. What we do is not about post eq-ing but placement.”

One higher end mic he finds interesting is the Neumann KMS 105. He also loves the Oktava MK 012 overheads, but the old stand-by Shures are fine by him.

When asked about any piece of gear that he had no use for, Johnson was able to pinpoint one.

“For myself one of the first things I ever had was a Crybaby Wah,” says Johnson. “I have never thought of or needed that. No one has ever said ‘This song could use a wah’.”

Posters Fade will be released June 17. The band will be working press and planning shows shortly thereafter. Playing on the west coast and working press.