Mark Pickerel's new record Cody's Dream is a CD to listen to while driving through New Mexico on a long trip with no particular destination in mind. It is a character driven record and was, unsurprisingly, inspired by a trip through the Southern USA. The CD features production by Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Wedding Present). Musicians include Johnny Sangster (a producer in his own right), Jim Sangster on bass (Young Fresh Fellows), and drummer Michael Musburger (Supersuckers, Fastbacks, Posies). Ian Moore and cellist Barb Hunter also make appearances.

Pickerel, know for his work as the drummer for Screaming Trees,Truly and others, took some time to talk to Gearwire about recording, lo-fi gear and more. Like many musicians who have interesting things to say on the subject of gear he started off by saying he is not really a gear-head. He plays an old Washburn guitar.

"I personally just play a Washburn from the late 60s because I have had it for a decade." says Pickerel.

He uses an Ampeg Gemini 2, also from the 60s, that he bought at a garage sale in Ellensburg, Washington. When it comes to drumming gear Pickerel is less high end and more garage sale as well.

"My world consists of various percussion devices I found at yard sales," says Pickerel. "I was at a thrift shop in Butte and picked up a box called a Rhythm Monster. It was the same rhythm as organs from the 50s and 60s. I plug that in and the band uses it to track acoustic guitar and drums."

The cost of this find? $5.

Pickerel says that on Cody's Dream the music and recording was less about him and more about the group. Jim and Johnny Sangster's instruments play a bigger role than his. He also notes that his past (not that he has abandoned the role, he still plays) as a drummer informs his work as a singer songwriter.

"It may be that I am more thoughtful about the role I want the rhythm section to play in the final product," he says. "I try to balance two extremely different interests -- post modern electronic music with very human and a very sophisticated approach to music. I am really interested in the Mills Brother’s Burswell Sisters, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton. I am also turned on by the country records of the 40s and 50s -- and more from the 60s. I like the sophistication of the old records from Mercury and Smash."

The hypnotic nature of these rhythm sections appeals to Pickerel. He strives to mix the electronic with the real life, in the room feeling of those years.

"I do not want to sound like Kraftwerk, Man and Machine but I do consider those an influence." he says.

The recording was all done at Fisk’s Philosophy of the World studio. The name comes from The Shags one, and only, record. Despite sounding like it was on tape Pickerel says that the whole recording was done on Pro Tools.

“We employed a Joe Meek compressor and a Roland Space Echo or Echoplex for certain guitar parts, or things Steve picked up or traded for,” says Pickerel. “He has a working Mellotron.”

Pickerel says they used the Mellotron, an Arp occasionally. And while he says Fisk is skilled on the theremin he did not use it on this particular record.

Pickerel says that when using instruments like the Mellotron or a theremin you need to be careful about where that instrument takes you. If you do not want to call Good Vibrations to mind you might want to be judicious in your use of the theremin (yes I know it wasn’t a theremin but it sounded like one). Pickerel does not, however, worry too much about how a song is going to translate from the studio to live.

“Honestly I do not worry about that. I consider it when I record a song. I do not want a song or mix dominated by an instrument that is hard to take on the road.” he says.

But he views the live experience as a totally different one from the studio.

“Our group of musicians would be held back if they were trying to duplicate the records.” says Pickerel.

Pickerel played two shows at South By Southwest and will be touring in the summer.