Every Second [COMPLETED]

Chapter 2 - "The last album failed."

Everyone nodded in understanding and smoothly went back to their conversations. Amelia nodded along, she hadn't expected much different. She hadn't met a musician yet that arrived on time.

Jules took their extended time as an opportunity to fill Amelia in on who was who in the group. She went around pointing out which people were lyricists and which were the composers. Sebastian arrived a few minutes later, stepping to the head of the room, a pink box in hand. All conversations stopped.

"Hello everyone. Sorry I'm late," he said. "Let me quickly introduce Amelia Dawson to you. She played the drums for me last Saturday to replace Keith. I brought her in for a new take on beats. Amelia I would introduce everyone, but you're sitting next to Jules, so I'm guessing she's already done the honors."

Jules shrugged and gave a guilty laugh.

"Also I brought donuts," Sebastian said. "We'll order lunch later."

As everyone grabbed a donut, Sebastian settled himself on the arm rest of a chair. When the room settled, he spoke.

"The last album failed," he said, his tone blunt.

"It hit platinum and is nominated for a Grammy," Jules said.

"No. The single got nominated. The album wasn't even mentioned," he said. "That's why I've decided to start work on the next album now."

"We thought you would still be asleep, Bash," Melody said, a red head Jules had pointed out to Amelia.

"I'll sleep later," he said. "This album needs to be different. I wrote a few songs in Europe and it made me realize that the last album sounded too much like the one before it. We can't do that again."

"What are you thinking? Total sound overhaul?" Dodger asked.

"Possibly. That's what I want to work out here, today," Sebastian said.

"What about going completely synthetic?" a curly haired guy named Weston suggested. "We had some of that in one of the songs from the last album, so it wouldn't be so far fetched?"

"Or what if we add in more banjo and mandolin, go for more of a country sound," a lanky guy named Dennie said.

Everyone booed this idea quickly. Sebastian's mouth twitched into a smile.

"What about going truly rock and roll, bringing in a lot more electric guitar," Luke, the tall blonde said.

"You'd have to do it just right to still keep some of the fan base," Dodger countered. "I'm not sure teenage girls go for that sound.

"Maybe we change fan base then," Naomi said, a girl with olive skin and dark brown eyes.

"No, you're going into difficult territory there," Sebastian said.

"What about doing more percussion?" Jules said.

"What about more orchestral sounds? Adding a couple violins, a cello and maybe a bass?" Weston said.

"What about jazz? Bring in a sax, trumpet. Completely jazz up the whole album," Melody put in.

Amelia was overwhelmed as the ideas flew back n forth. The room buzzing with excited energy. She racked her brain for something she could add to the discussion, but found nothing.

After every different genre and sound had been listed off, Dodger brought the meeting to a halt.

"Bash, since I don't think we're anywhere close to discovering what sound you want, why don't you play one of the new songs. That might spark some other ideas," Dodger said.