You and Me Together
Tuesday 24 November 2015 LyricsNews
Part Two of the Smithfield Sessions is here!
And, as always, there is a journey to the story behind the music, which I want to take you on. (click ‘read more’ below for the whole story...)
Read More...
And, as always, there is a journey to the story behind the music, which I want to take you on. (click ‘read more’ below for the whole story...)
Read More...
Hold Him Again
Tuesday 17 November 2015 LyricsNews
This is a song that had been “cooking” for a very long time. It’s one that I wanted to get right.
How do you deal with the death of a loved one? My father-in-law died extremely suddenly almost two years ago. I loved him dearly, but it was clear to me that there were those who loved him so much more than I did.
It caused deep unrest within my spirit. How does a wife deal with the passing of a husband?...
Read More...
How do you deal with the death of a loved one? My father-in-law died extremely suddenly almost two years ago. I loved him dearly, but it was clear to me that there were those who loved him so much more than I did.
It caused deep unrest within my spirit. How does a wife deal with the passing of a husband?...
Read More...
Are You Listening?
Sunday 08 November 2015 LyricsBlog
We have been listening to some pretty intense free jazz this week in class. Intense. Like, the kind that you can’t even really tap your foot to because you can’t find the beat. And you definitely can’t hum along... I had no idea of where the harmony was, if there was a structure, a melody even...
It’s hard work listening to music like that. It’s the same with avant garde classical music, like the concert I went to a few weeks ago by Krzysztof Penderecki. Music like that puts you on edge. You can’t relax into it, like with Bossa Nova or a nice warm waltz. It wrestles with something inside of you.
It’s hard to listen.
So after talking about the boundaries that free jazz challenged, and what we found so hard about it to appreciate, we were asked the question, “what is listening?”
At first I thought it was a silly question. What’s listening? Well, of course it’s... it’s... but I couldn’t think of a coherent, succinct answer that could really sum up what listening means.
Actually, it is one of the most passive, sometimes even involuntary acts that we can do as humans. Don’t wish that you could just turn your ears off sometimes and not have to listen?
But even though it is such an automatic part of our lives, the act of listening is a complex process. It is, in it’s most basic form, turning our attention to the sound waves that are hitting our eardrums. If I listen now, I hear the steady hum of my air conditioning unit, I hear my fingers typing on the keyboard, I hear a muted wave of traffic 20 storeys below me, and occasionally I hear the call of a bird or the beep of a horn.
Listening reminds me of where I am. It places me squarely in my surroundings.
But listening to music can have the total opposite effect. When you really listen to music, you can be transported to other universes: lost in a sea of sound or emotion or memories.
When you actively listen to music, that is; when you give it your full attention (yes that means turning off all of your other devices...) you allow yourself to fully appreciate all that the artist has layered and placed into their work. There is a difference between hearing and listening.
For example, a lot of people have heard The Police’s song “Every Breath You Take”. In fact, it’s the world’s most played song on radio. But a lot of people have never really listened to it. Most people think it’s a nice, happy love song about being committed to each other.
But when you listen to the song, you will discover that it is about something much darker, much more sinister. It’s about control, about fear and losing love. It’s a little bit creepy, when you really think about it!
When we don’t listen, we miss the point. We don’t fully comprehend.
This is true for music, but also for so many other aspects of our lives. Who are we not properly hearing in our lives? Whose voice is being drowned out? Do we ever just listen to one singular voice? Do we ever make time for silence?
Are you listening? You might just hear something that will shake you up.
It’s hard work listening to music like that. It’s the same with avant garde classical music, like the concert I went to a few weeks ago by Krzysztof Penderecki. Music like that puts you on edge. You can’t relax into it, like with Bossa Nova or a nice warm waltz. It wrestles with something inside of you.
It’s hard to listen.
So after talking about the boundaries that free jazz challenged, and what we found so hard about it to appreciate, we were asked the question, “what is listening?”
At first I thought it was a silly question. What’s listening? Well, of course it’s... it’s... but I couldn’t think of a coherent, succinct answer that could really sum up what listening means.
Actually, it is one of the most passive, sometimes even involuntary acts that we can do as humans. Don’t wish that you could just turn your ears off sometimes and not have to listen?
But even though it is such an automatic part of our lives, the act of listening is a complex process. It is, in it’s most basic form, turning our attention to the sound waves that are hitting our eardrums. If I listen now, I hear the steady hum of my air conditioning unit, I hear my fingers typing on the keyboard, I hear a muted wave of traffic 20 storeys below me, and occasionally I hear the call of a bird or the beep of a horn.
Listening reminds me of where I am. It places me squarely in my surroundings.
But listening to music can have the total opposite effect. When you really listen to music, you can be transported to other universes: lost in a sea of sound or emotion or memories.
When you actively listen to music, that is; when you give it your full attention (yes that means turning off all of your other devices...) you allow yourself to fully appreciate all that the artist has layered and placed into their work. There is a difference between hearing and listening.
For example, a lot of people have heard The Police’s song “Every Breath You Take”. In fact, it’s the world’s most played song on radio. But a lot of people have never really listened to it. Most people think it’s a nice, happy love song about being committed to each other.
But when you listen to the song, you will discover that it is about something much darker, much more sinister. It’s about control, about fear and losing love. It’s a little bit creepy, when you really think about it!
When we don’t listen, we miss the point. We don’t fully comprehend.
This is true for music, but also for so many other aspects of our lives. Who are we not properly hearing in our lives? Whose voice is being drowned out? Do we ever just listen to one singular voice? Do we ever make time for silence?
Are you listening? You might just hear something that will shake you up.
Lyrics - Brave
Saturday 19 September 2015 LyricsLyrics
These lyrics were inspired by the Native American story, during our journey across the USA:
BRAVE
You are young, your fear finds my eyes,
I can taste it,
You have come, your gun in your belt,
And I pity
Read More...
BRAVE
You are young, your fear finds my eyes,
I can taste it,
You have come, your gun in your belt,
And I pity
Read More...
Album of the Week
Monday 14 September 2015 Lyricsalbum of the week
(Photo from www.wonderlandmagazine.com)
The debut album from Oh Wonder is, in some ways, not really a debut. Their delighted fans will have been following the monthly release of each single since last September.
But me, as a new discoverer of Oh Wonder, I was unable to unlock all of its treats in one blissful go...
Read More...
An Artist in Turmoil
Tuesday 08 September 2015 LyricsBlog
It has been a little bit too long since I last shared with you all...
And the reason?
Turmoil...
OK, perhaps that sounds a tad melodramatic, and it probably is. But the truth is, life has been largely unsettled and un-routined for the past several weeks. With moving back to Asia, starting a new school and picking up old projects, without a permanent place to stay or organised belongings, I have felt... to put it lightly, flustered...
And it has got me thinking about the parameters that I seem to require to be creative.
This isn’t to do with productivity; I can get things done, whether it is writing papers or moving projects forward or practicing scales.
It is more about creating the right environment, both internal and externally, to foster creative thinking and outputs.
One of the things that I have often found strange is my need to have a tidy and organised creative space. This feels in some ways atypical for an artist - the classic picture of the creative genius is one of a studio littered with sketches, semi-read books, coffee cups, notes, and the occasional odd sock or half eaten sandwich. My husband’s studio is often like this, a highly complex mass of cables and equipment, with several things piled up on and under and around the desk. I wonder how he can see through the chaos.
I also have to tick everything else off of my to-do list before I can give myself over to the wash of creativity that trying to be an artist requires.
In essence, I have to clear my physical and my mental slates.
And I wonder why.
Perhaps it is that I don’t assign enough priority to just taking time to create. Other needs become more pressing; I would love to call my mum, I need to pick up something for dinner, so-and-so is expecting me to send her my review... These things are important. But should they top the list and stop me from doing what I call my first passion?
Perhaps it is just a focus issue; my husband is able to (sometimes unwittingly) give 100% of his attention to whatever he is doing. It makes me jealous! I can’t help but be distracted by the nagging to-dos and visual anomalies that surround me.
Perhaps it is lack of routine; if there was a time and space that was repeatedly given to music and writing, maybe I would be able to look past the usual obstacles and get into the discipline of creating.
But I think, one thing has to be true for all of us who have to create: your space should be a little haven. It should be a stimulating and peaceful place, where art is glorified as the highest achievement. It should be somewhere that you long for, get lost in, a creative womb where your most spectacular ideas can be birthed.
In Hong Kong, it will be hard to devote a whole room to creative space since the number of square feet at my disposal will be severely limited!
But, I will find a perfect corner of our little home, and keep it sanctified as my little temple of creativity.
How do you set up yours?
And the reason?
Turmoil...
OK, perhaps that sounds a tad melodramatic, and it probably is. But the truth is, life has been largely unsettled and un-routined for the past several weeks. With moving back to Asia, starting a new school and picking up old projects, without a permanent place to stay or organised belongings, I have felt... to put it lightly, flustered...
And it has got me thinking about the parameters that I seem to require to be creative.
This isn’t to do with productivity; I can get things done, whether it is writing papers or moving projects forward or practicing scales.
It is more about creating the right environment, both internal and externally, to foster creative thinking and outputs.
One of the things that I have often found strange is my need to have a tidy and organised creative space. This feels in some ways atypical for an artist - the classic picture of the creative genius is one of a studio littered with sketches, semi-read books, coffee cups, notes, and the occasional odd sock or half eaten sandwich. My husband’s studio is often like this, a highly complex mass of cables and equipment, with several things piled up on and under and around the desk. I wonder how he can see through the chaos.
I also have to tick everything else off of my to-do list before I can give myself over to the wash of creativity that trying to be an artist requires.
In essence, I have to clear my physical and my mental slates.
And I wonder why.
Perhaps it is that I don’t assign enough priority to just taking time to create. Other needs become more pressing; I would love to call my mum, I need to pick up something for dinner, so-and-so is expecting me to send her my review... These things are important. But should they top the list and stop me from doing what I call my first passion?
Perhaps it is just a focus issue; my husband is able to (sometimes unwittingly) give 100% of his attention to whatever he is doing. It makes me jealous! I can’t help but be distracted by the nagging to-dos and visual anomalies that surround me.
Perhaps it is lack of routine; if there was a time and space that was repeatedly given to music and writing, maybe I would be able to look past the usual obstacles and get into the discipline of creating.
But I think, one thing has to be true for all of us who have to create: your space should be a little haven. It should be a stimulating and peaceful place, where art is glorified as the highest achievement. It should be somewhere that you long for, get lost in, a creative womb where your most spectacular ideas can be birthed.
In Hong Kong, it will be hard to devote a whole room to creative space since the number of square feet at my disposal will be severely limited!
But, I will find a perfect corner of our little home, and keep it sanctified as my little temple of creativity.
How do you set up yours?
Lyrics - You and Me Together
Thursday 13 August 2015 LyricsLyrics
I was looking through my old journals while I was in Seattle, and I realised that I had so many lyric ideas that hadn’t been developed into songs. So I gave this one a shot. Wish I could share a recording... will have to post it later!
If I met you all over again, what would be the first line in my head?
What emotion would spring out of me, would we cross paths uneventfully?
But no, how I’m certain, that certain things would surely come to be.
Your smile, your conversing would hit the target oh so accurately...
Read More...
If I met you all over again, what would be the first line in my head?
What emotion would spring out of me, would we cross paths uneventfully?
But no, how I’m certain, that certain things would surely come to be.
Your smile, your conversing would hit the target oh so accurately...
Read More...
The Collaborator
Thursday 13 August 2015 LyricsBlog
On the road, as I think I have thought about in previous posts, I knew I would find it hard to write music...
But I truly had no idea, that on a trip which is about music, how little I would actually get to play! Perhaps it would be different if I was a guitar player - I could pull out my guitar wherever we happen to be, with no need for electricity or amplification. But with my electric piano, no matter how much I love it, the number of times that I have been able to get it out just to play, practice, write... well I can count them on one hand...
Read More...
Lyrics - Ten Days in June
Wednesday 29 July 2015 LyricsLyrics
My little girl has grown up fast,
The make up and the high heels and the glass,
Remember her first day of school,
The steps she took, her joy in all the rules?
She learned and grew and thrived and laughed,
Her braided hair fell long into her lap,
Miss curious they said of her,
She sought the question as much as its answer...
Read More...
Song Of The Week
Thursday 16 July 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Rise Up - Andra Day
Now, this girl has a voice! Just came across her on Spotify, and her debut album will be out in August. I have a feeling it will be a hit
www.andraday.com
Now, this girl has a voice! Just came across her on Spotify, and her debut album will be out in August. I have a feeling it will be a hit
www.andraday.com
Small
Sunday 12 July 2015 LyricsBlog
Standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon, coming to the realisation that I have a small but perhaps wise fear of heights, I was, like all who are privileged to stand in that spot, awed by its grandness.
The first glance of the great crack in the earth’s crust stole a beat from my heart and the air from my lungs.
Read More...
The first glance of the great crack in the earth’s crust stole a beat from my heart and the air from my lungs.
Read More...
Lyrics - The Badlands
Sunday 12 July 2015 LyricsLyrics
Rattle snake down by the lake,
Sound and size, subtle alarm,
Turning and seizing your prey,
Venomous, venomous...
Read More...
The Words vs The Sounds
Thursday 02 July 2015 LyricsBlog
When I was younger, and I first started out writing songs, I never cared about the lyrics.
I wrote, experimenting with music and songwriting, and filled the lines with school-girl poetry. Not surprisingly, my first songs were almost laughable subject matter. I remember, at the age of 13, writing a song with my best friend that started with the lines:
Read More...
Song of the Week
Friday 26 June 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Please Come Home - Gary Clark Jr.
The next Hendrix? Perhaps...
The solos in this live version of the slow, deep blues are intense journeys... you can’t have the volume loud enough!
But he doesn’t just play like a true master, his voice’s sumptuous vibrato and blissful falsetto rubs like silk against the grit of his raw guitar. And he keeps you hooked right until the last final, soulful, lingering lone tone.
The next Hendrix? Perhaps...
The solos in this live version of the slow, deep blues are intense journeys... you can’t have the volume loud enough!
But he doesn’t just play like a true master, his voice’s sumptuous vibrato and blissful falsetto rubs like silk against the grit of his raw guitar. And he keeps you hooked right until the last final, soulful, lingering lone tone.
Lyrics - Lush
Saturday 20 June 2015 LyricsLyrics
Made
Tuesday 16 June 2015 LyricsBlog
Do you remember when people just used to have two pairs of clothes: their working clothes and their Sunday Best?
There were no massive January Sales, no Black Friday, no walk in closets. And there were no sweatshops in Bangladesh, the Philippines or Venezuela to make our $7 t-shirts.
No, I don’t remember either...
Read More...
There were no massive January Sales, no Black Friday, no walk in closets. And there were no sweatshops in Bangladesh, the Philippines or Venezuela to make our $7 t-shirts.
No, I don’t remember either...
Read More...
Song of the Week
Saturday 13 June 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Neverending Fountain - S. Carey
Driving through the changing landscapes of this beautiful country, my song of the week this week reflects both the subtlety with which the nature around me is changing, and the layers upon layers of matter that are pouring into me.
Neverending Fountain is rich, layers of sumptuous sounds; strings that are plucked, strummed, teased and shimmering, Carey builds bricks of sound that create a fortress of light.
Driving through the changing landscapes of this beautiful country, my song of the week this week reflects both the subtlety with which the nature around me is changing, and the layers upon layers of matter that are pouring into me.
Neverending Fountain is rich, layers of sumptuous sounds; strings that are plucked, strummed, teased and shimmering, Carey builds bricks of sound that create a fortress of light.
Lyrics - Ants
Thursday 11 June 2015 LyricsLyrics
Just one, one of the ants in the hill,
One of the steps on the treadmill,
One of the tiles in the elevating wall.
Read More...
Do You Know Who You Are?
Tuesday 09 June 2015
“Do You Know Who You Are?”
This question sums up the struggle that we as artists face constantly, daily even, in creating authentic art for ourselves and our audiences.
And it was the question that I was asked by a music producer during our first meeting. It took me by surprise; perhaps I was hoping for some concrete advice, like “you need to work on this...” or “have you tried that...” or even “let me introduce you to...”.
But he simply asked me if I knew who I was.
I was surprised to find myself answering that Yes, I know who I am, and I think I could say with some clarity and conviction. In fact, I wouldn’t have been sitting in front of him if I didn’t know who I was. It is precisely because I know who I am that I have chosen to come on this journey and pursue music full time.
This question sums up the struggle that we as artists face constantly, daily even, in creating authentic art for ourselves and our audiences.
And it was the question that I was asked by a music producer during our first meeting. It took me by surprise; perhaps I was hoping for some concrete advice, like “you need to work on this...” or “have you tried that...” or even “let me introduce you to...”.
But he simply asked me if I knew who I was.
I was surprised to find myself answering that Yes, I know who I am, and I think I could say with some clarity and conviction. In fact, I wouldn’t have been sitting in front of him if I didn’t know who I was. It is precisely because I know who I am that I have chosen to come on this journey and pursue music full time.
But on the other hand, my authenticity has not been really tested or tried yet. I am sure that plenty of artists start out full of high ideals and unwavering commitment to the purity of their art form, but as time and opportunity and influence and responsibility and practicality keep pounding upon them, they are slowly worn down to just produce what sells, what is safe, what is expected.
Where does compromising your value as an artist start? If I change the structure of a song I write to make it more listenable by adding a chorus, is that compromising my value? If I adjust the melody to create a better hook, is that selling out? If I water down the lyrics to make it more acceptable, is that hiding my identity?
It is a fine line. And I hope it is one that tI walk for the rest of my life. Because it actually shows a deep commitment to making art that people want to access, as well as making art that rings true with my soul.
Creating requires that we look inside ourselves and examine what we find. I read a beautiful article that says “Creation requires us to dig deep within ourselves, to face the things we’d rather ignore, to confront our inner brokenness as well as the beauty stored up within.” And it necessitates knowing what we actually want to say through our work. Art without purpose is just form.
Art, like just about everything in life, is compromise.
But when you know who you are, you know the lines that you will not cross.
Song of the Week
Tuesday 02 June 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Plastic - Moses Sumney
Moses’ EP seems to be a beautiful concoction of all things mysterious. His voice is rich yet raspy. His songs minimal yet bursting.
Plastic’s lyrics resonate incredibly with where I am at: “I know what it is to be broke and to be bold”. Isn’t it so true that our boldness has to come from being broken? If we are not broken and stripped down to our cores, knowing who we truly are, our boldness will always be fickle and fleeting.
www.mosessumney.com
Moses’ EP seems to be a beautiful concoction of all things mysterious. His voice is rich yet raspy. His songs minimal yet bursting.
Plastic’s lyrics resonate incredibly with where I am at: “I know what it is to be broke and to be bold”. Isn’t it so true that our boldness has to come from being broken? If we are not broken and stripped down to our cores, knowing who we truly are, our boldness will always be fickle and fleeting.
www.mosessumney.com
Lyrics - The Pioneers
Friday 29 May 2015 LyricsLyrics
As we have been driving down the East coast of the USA, I have been struck by what it must have been like to be among the explorers who first came across this land. The joy, the fear, the unknowns as they landed on her shores and started to chart out the land, started to build roads, not knowing how far or long or wide this land was. This song is about a young man on the ship.
Light comes to us, it lifts our heads.
We’re awake, we are ready, the waves are calm and steady.
But on this fair morning there’s a difference
Land ahoy, oh what inexplicable joy.
Land ahead, so they’re true - all the legends they said.
No port at which to land, our boots are wet with salty sand, there’s a newness to the pebbles.
Deserted to our eyes, but rich in all between the sea and sky.
And what lies inside?
We made it, we made it here.
There’s far to walk, but the seas are conquered.
Now mount your horse, go forth.
We set our compass, heading West.
How far could it be until we reach the Eastern edge?
I walk where no man has ever walked before.
Breathe the air, how it whispers through my hair,
Breathe it in deep, expectation in my feet.
No road for us to follow, we’re forgers blazing a hopeful trail, long and quiet and strong.
How could this land be here, waiting for us for all these years,
And what lies beneath?
We made it, we made it here.
There’s far to walk, but the seas are conquered,
Now mouth your horse, go forth.
Dare I go, dare I connect my soul with yours?
Dare I land upon the banks of your foreign shores?
For I am ill equipped, afraid, perhaps ashamed that you might not let me through your door,
And I’ll be left here in the wasteland,
But I long to cross your threshold,
Could I ever be so near, so bold?
Light comes to us, it lifts our heads.
We’re awake, we are ready, the waves are calm and steady.
But on this fair morning there’s a difference
Land ahoy, oh what inexplicable joy.
Land ahead, so they’re true - all the legends they said.
No port at which to land, our boots are wet with salty sand, there’s a newness to the pebbles.
Deserted to our eyes, but rich in all between the sea and sky.
And what lies inside?
We made it, we made it here.
There’s far to walk, but the seas are conquered.
Now mount your horse, go forth.
We set our compass, heading West.
How far could it be until we reach the Eastern edge?
I walk where no man has ever walked before.
Breathe the air, how it whispers through my hair,
Breathe it in deep, expectation in my feet.
No road for us to follow, we’re forgers blazing a hopeful trail, long and quiet and strong.
How could this land be here, waiting for us for all these years,
And what lies beneath?
We made it, we made it here.
There’s far to walk, but the seas are conquered,
Now mouth your horse, go forth.
Dare I go, dare I connect my soul with yours?
Dare I land upon the banks of your foreign shores?
For I am ill equipped, afraid, perhaps ashamed that you might not let me through your door,
And I’ll be left here in the wasteland,
But I long to cross your threshold,
Could I ever be so near, so bold?
Each Other
Tuesday 19 May 2015
I am no island. No man is.
In fact, I am part of a fragile eco-system: I am a flower that must be pollenated. I am a stream that brings precious water to the roots of a tree. I am the fish that rests in the shadow of the whale. I am the turning of the leaves in autumn, and the rejoicing bloom of spring.
In fact, I am part of a fragile eco-system: I am a flower that must be pollenated. I am a stream that brings precious water to the roots of a tree. I am the fish that rests in the shadow of the whale. I am the turning of the leaves in autumn, and the rejoicing bloom of spring.
One of the biggest blessings of this tour so far has been the wealth of creativity and creators that I have met along the way. For me, being on the road is often a very dry time creatively. And I think for many artists, even though travelling is such a rich and intense period of stimuli, we find it hard to convert it into something that takes the form we want while we are there. Being away from our studios, our safe spaces, our favourite writing spots or our usual collaborators, we struggle to capitalise on the new experiences, and we can feel like we are wasting infinite opportunities.
Preparing for this long trip, I knew that this was going to be something I struggled with. And I think I had come to be OK with that - there’s often no point trying to force something out if it is not coming naturally. I just make the effort to journal a lot of my thoughts, jump on creative thoughts if they come, and pile up my memories ready to draw from when I am in the right space.
But one thing that I wasn’t counting on was the effect that other people’s creativity would have on mine along the way. When I have met a fantastic songwriter, or musician, or painter, or stylist, I feel like I have been refuelled and incredibly inspired by the way they approach their craft, the passion and the details they share, the differences in opinions that we debate over, and the common goals that we all work towards.
To have this continual refuelling and reviving of my creative well is a precious gift. It is allowing me to write more, to dream more, see more, experience more. Just this morning, we were talking with an art collector about stopping and taking time to truly look at a painting. And so, as we visited Angel Oak this afternoon, instead of just taking a few snap shots and leaving, I took time to walk, to think, to soak, to look, to smell, to smell, to ask.
And I was moved.
The other side of the coin is that I am able to be that source of inspiration to others. Of course, there are the shows I play - whether it’s in a living room for eight hand-picked guests or in a beach bar with flip-flopped, sun-burnt, holiday makers coming and going all evening, I know that the music I share is able to bring something good. And when I sit down and share with other artists, they’re often inspired to do more; better and truer.
We need each other so. Artists are perhaps more fragile souls than some. So lets collaborate, share, support and promote each other and our work, so that all the more striking our works and worlds will be.
No Song
Friday 15 May 2015
When I started this website, I challenged myself to post a Song of the Week, once a week. Partly to share with you all the music that influences, moves, challenges me, and just the music that I’m listening to. And partly to make sure that I am always discovering new artists.
Well, this morning, I am sitting in McDonalds, using the wifi, and taking some time to post. And I have been delaying posting, because I don’t have a Song Of The Week. I’m kind of ashamed!
It’s very strange that, here I am, dedicating myself to getting on the road and doing music full time for the next four months, and I haven’t listened to one new piece of music in the last ten days that I can post to talk about. At the beginning of this journey, I thought I would have bags of time... to write, to compose, to listen, to practice singing scales and scat and sumptuous melodies.
But I don’t. Life on the road is consuming in a slow, relentless way. Meals take longer. Finding a place to camp takes time. Meeting people, catching up and sharing ourselves is a joy and essential, but takes plenty of time.
But I think, when something is taken away, it is always replaced with something different. And that “something different” has come in the form of meeting artists along the road. And as we talk, collaborate and share soul-stories, I am incredibly enriched. Just a few days ago, I reconnected with Whitney, a painter who I studied with in Sydney years ago. To be artists together, to talk of the higher things, to analyse and dream and share was a wonderfully fulfilling time. Just like when you discover a new musician that you love and it enriches your tapestry.
I am blogging on www.thetravellerstwo.com about all of the artists that we are meeting. Please follow our journey with them.
And, I do have an artist who I hope will be song of the week next week, thanks to Whitney, who I am going to check out... I just need to remember to bring my headphones to McDonalds next time!
Well, this morning, I am sitting in McDonalds, using the wifi, and taking some time to post. And I have been delaying posting, because I don’t have a Song Of The Week. I’m kind of ashamed!
It’s very strange that, here I am, dedicating myself to getting on the road and doing music full time for the next four months, and I haven’t listened to one new piece of music in the last ten days that I can post to talk about. At the beginning of this journey, I thought I would have bags of time... to write, to compose, to listen, to practice singing scales and scat and sumptuous melodies.
But I don’t. Life on the road is consuming in a slow, relentless way. Meals take longer. Finding a place to camp takes time. Meeting people, catching up and sharing ourselves is a joy and essential, but takes plenty of time.
But I think, when something is taken away, it is always replaced with something different. And that “something different” has come in the form of meeting artists along the road. And as we talk, collaborate and share soul-stories, I am incredibly enriched. Just a few days ago, I reconnected with Whitney, a painter who I studied with in Sydney years ago. To be artists together, to talk of the higher things, to analyse and dream and share was a wonderfully fulfilling time. Just like when you discover a new musician that you love and it enriches your tapestry.
I am blogging on www.thetravellerstwo.com about all of the artists that we are meeting. Please follow our journey with them.
And, I do have an artist who I hope will be song of the week next week, thanks to Whitney, who I am going to check out... I just need to remember to bring my headphones to McDonalds next time!
Lyrics - Sail On
Monday 11 May 2015 LyricsLyrics
Sail On - I wrote this song sort of by accident! It was Valentine’s Day last year, and I didn’t have a present for Michal... so I sat down at the piano and thought I would record him a little verse and chorus.
But, of course, as soon as I sat down and started to try to sum up my Valentine’s Day emotions, it got deep... and it got intense!
So Sail On is the song that came out... it has become the title track of the album, a beautiful metaphor for love through the thick and thin.
--
I love it when you laugh, golden cheeks, golden sound.
Black pearl eyes, lights to all.
I love seeing what you see,
You hold my hands and gently guide me on to the sea.
Love is sailing on an ocean of trust and truth and tears and turning round.
And I will sail with you when it’s dark,
When my compass is stuck, when I’m all out of luck,
Sail on, sail on my sweet one.
I love it when we fight together for the same cause, winning wars,
Bringing light to what’s right.
I love it when we climb together to a new height,
Breathing in the sights we see.
Love is sailing on an ocean of trust and truth and tears and turning round.
And I will sail with you when it’s dark,
When my compass is stuck, when I’m all out of luck,
Sail on, sail on my sweet one.
But, of course, as soon as I sat down and started to try to sum up my Valentine’s Day emotions, it got deep... and it got intense!
So Sail On is the song that came out... it has become the title track of the album, a beautiful metaphor for love through the thick and thin.
--
I love it when you laugh, golden cheeks, golden sound.
Black pearl eyes, lights to all.
I love seeing what you see,
You hold my hands and gently guide me on to the sea.
Love is sailing on an ocean of trust and truth and tears and turning round.
And I will sail with you when it’s dark,
When my compass is stuck, when I’m all out of luck,
Sail on, sail on my sweet one.
I love it when we fight together for the same cause, winning wars,
Bringing light to what’s right.
I love it when we climb together to a new height,
Breathing in the sights we see.
Love is sailing on an ocean of trust and truth and tears and turning round.
And I will sail with you when it’s dark,
When my compass is stuck, when I’m all out of luck,
Sail on, sail on my sweet one.
In The Living Room
Friday 08 May 2015
Last night, I played my first house concert.
House concerts are, in my opinion, one of the most wonderful movements in the modern music scene. Here’s why: ...
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House concerts are, in my opinion, one of the most wonderful movements in the modern music scene. Here’s why: ...
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Song of the Week
Sunday 03 May 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Sugar Man - Rodriguez
We’re road tripping, and this song by the “long lost” Rodriguez is the perfect driving song.
For anyone who hasn’t heard of Rodriguez, watch the film Searching for Sugarman! A humbling, inspiring and almost unbelievable story!
We’re road tripping, and this song by the “long lost” Rodriguez is the perfect driving song.
For anyone who hasn’t heard of Rodriguez, watch the film Searching for Sugarman! A humbling, inspiring and almost unbelievable story!
Lyrics - Make It Right
Friday 01 May 2015 LyricsLyrics
“Make It Right” is the song from the album that I had never played to an audience before! It was a gamble as to whether I should include it on the album since it was so fresh to me and I felt like I was still getting to know it. But now I am so glad that I did.
I wrote the first part of the lyrics for this in January 2014 when we were in the mountains in Poland and were walking by the light of the moon, along the crest of a mountain between Poland and the Czech Republic. I had never known the moon to be so bright; it created the perfect light for our midnight walk and set the scene for a song that I would write months later. This song is about a couple who are fighting to save their relationship...
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I wrote the first part of the lyrics for this in January 2014 when we were in the mountains in Poland and were walking by the light of the moon, along the crest of a mountain between Poland and the Czech Republic. I had never known the moon to be so bright; it created the perfect light for our midnight walk and set the scene for a song that I would write months later. This song is about a couple who are fighting to save their relationship...
Read More...
Striving or Settled
Wednesday 29 April 2015
“I’d rather be striving than settled.
I’d rather be moving than static.”
These sound like romantic, idealistic words. They are perhaps dreams that many of us have. But when it gets down to it, being unsettled is hard. Being on the move is hard. 
I am currently truly without a permanent address. We gave up our flat in Hong Kong. My family moved house in England. And in the USA we are tourists. When we came through immigration, I was absolutely stumped as to what to write as my “home” address...
Song of the Week
Tuesday 28 April 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Stay Gold - First Aid Kit
This song is a little bit of an oxymoron. I have another favourite song by Sting that is this kind of oxymoron - it’s one of the saddest songs about failing as a father, but set to a deceptively uptempo country lilt.
Stay Gold is also wonderfully uplifting and upbeat. But it is about that one of the hardest questions that artists often face:
“What if our hard work ends in despair,
What if the road won’t take me there?”
The challenge is to stay gold. Stay true.
www.thisisfirstaidkit.com
This song is a little bit of an oxymoron. I have another favourite song by Sting that is this kind of oxymoron - it’s one of the saddest songs about failing as a father, but set to a deceptively uptempo country lilt.
Stay Gold is also wonderfully uplifting and upbeat. But it is about that one of the hardest questions that artists often face:
“What if our hard work ends in despair,
What if the road won’t take me there?”
The challenge is to stay gold. Stay true.
www.thisisfirstaidkit.com
Lyrics - Is It OK?
Thursday 23 April 2015 LyricsLyrics
I have had a few people ask me for the lyrics for the songs on the album - so I’ll post them one by one over the next couple of weeks. Let me know your thoughts and which parts of the different songs speak to you.
I’ll start with “Is It OK?” - a deeply painful and personal song for me, about dreams and gifts and what they’re for and what responsibility I have. I wrote this song over a long period of time, which is quite unusual for me; usually songs come quickly. But this one was a long process, and I think it has a depth that is more evident than in my other work:
So much tension in the air some days,
So many avenues that I could walk down to bring around some change,
So I look myself right in the back of the black of the darkness of my eye,
And question myself to find what lies beneath the most telling of my smiles.
Is it OK to retain such a precious amount of gold and hold it in your hands for so long without letting go?
Is it OK to resist its light?
Does it make it beautiful?
Oh I struggle to live out my numbered days with a cause,
So many questions getting thrown up in the face of everything I thought I had been taught,
So many weeks and oh through the months and on and on I slowly persevere with my song,
Without and ounce of certainty that I'm the one to whom it truly should belong,
Is it OK to be scared of the very thing that makes your fragile little heart expand and leap and start to sing?
Is it OK to resist its light?
Does it make it beautiful?
Because you are more than I could ever be,
Your allure and attraction are a source of danger and struggle to me,
You are always out reach, just beyond my touch, you're a little out of sight,
You're a turmoil, a weight, a taunt always bringing darkness over light,
Oh the temptation that you bring, the silver web you slowly spin,
You grab a hold of me and you slowly squeeze until I can hardly breathe,
And you're all I see.
Is it OK to covet you? To want you more than I thought any human heart could ever want.
Is it OK to dream of you? To add the colour to our scenes and the sights and the smells and all the beautiful things that we would see.
Is it OK to believe in you, to believe in you?
Does it make you real?
No.
I’ll start with “Is It OK?” - a deeply painful and personal song for me, about dreams and gifts and what they’re for and what responsibility I have. I wrote this song over a long period of time, which is quite unusual for me; usually songs come quickly. But this one was a long process, and I think it has a depth that is more evident than in my other work:
So much tension in the air some days,
So many avenues that I could walk down to bring around some change,
So I look myself right in the back of the black of the darkness of my eye,
And question myself to find what lies beneath the most telling of my smiles.
Is it OK to retain such a precious amount of gold and hold it in your hands for so long without letting go?
Is it OK to resist its light?
Does it make it beautiful?
Oh I struggle to live out my numbered days with a cause,
So many questions getting thrown up in the face of everything I thought I had been taught,
So many weeks and oh through the months and on and on I slowly persevere with my song,
Without and ounce of certainty that I'm the one to whom it truly should belong,
Is it OK to be scared of the very thing that makes your fragile little heart expand and leap and start to sing?
Is it OK to resist its light?
Does it make it beautiful?
Because you are more than I could ever be,
Your allure and attraction are a source of danger and struggle to me,
You are always out reach, just beyond my touch, you're a little out of sight,
You're a turmoil, a weight, a taunt always bringing darkness over light,
Oh the temptation that you bring, the silver web you slowly spin,
You grab a hold of me and you slowly squeeze until I can hardly breathe,
And you're all I see.
Is it OK to covet you? To want you more than I thought any human heart could ever want.
Is it OK to dream of you? To add the colour to our scenes and the sights and the smells and all the beautiful things that we would see.
Is it OK to believe in you, to believe in you?
Does it make you real?
No.
Open Mic, Open Heart
Wednesday 22 April 2015
So I’m here: in the place where men and women from across the globe come to try and make their dreams a reality.
New York City. In some ways it feels cliché, trying to get started with music in the Big Apple. In some ways it feels like searching for a needle in a haystack... except that I’m the needle... and I don’t know who is doing the searching...
Song of the Week
Saturday 18 April 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
If You Wait - London Grammar
Well, this is a little bit of a leaving song since it has been a week of leaving. Amazing, yearning vocals, longing lyrics.
“And if you wait, if you wait
I will trust in time that we will meet again
If you wait”
I won’t lie... it made me a little teary as I was thinking of all the goodbyes.
Well, this is a little bit of a leaving song since it has been a week of leaving. Amazing, yearning vocals, longing lyrics.
“And if you wait, if you wait
I will trust in time that we will meet again
If you wait”
I won’t lie... it made me a little teary as I was thinking of all the goodbyes.
Lyrics - Slow Down in Hong Kong
Wednesday 15 April 2015 LyricsLyrics
The dust settles, the dry air clears.
After months of stirring, we’re unfurling here.
The dust settles, I am still.
I am still in turmoil every second that passes my windowsill...
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After months of stirring, we’re unfurling here.
The dust settles, I am still.
I am still in turmoil every second that passes my windowsill...
Read More...
Time To Sail
Sunday 12 April 2015 LyricsNews
The Sail On Album is almost here!
In some ways it has been a long time coming. In some ways, we made it so quickly that I don’t feel I’ve really even got to know it as a collection of songs yet. But I am overjoyed to share it with you...
Read More...
In some ways it has been a long time coming. In some ways, we made it so quickly that I don’t feel I’ve really even got to know it as a collection of songs yet. But I am overjoyed to share it with you...
Read More...
Song of the Week
Saturday 11 April 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Jolene - Ray Lamontange
I often talk about exploring issues through songwriting, and Jolene does that in a soul-searchingly honest way. This song contains some of my favourite ever melodies; I could listen over and over. His voice is both powerful and broken at the same time.
I often talk about exploring issues through songwriting, and Jolene does that in a soul-searchingly honest way. This song contains some of my favourite ever melodies; I could listen over and over. His voice is both powerful and broken at the same time.
Lyrics - In You
Thursday 09 April 2015 LyricsLyrics
If you would ask me if I’m naked, I would have to say yes,
If you would ask if I am full, then it’s a no.
I’m not enough to make a shadow.
Even the sun won’t look at me, he’s disappointed,
Water won’t splash for me, the ripples aren’tt worth it.
I carry no weight or substance.
If I don’t carry you.
If I am not in you.
You, you underneath my feet, the reinforced concrete,
The strong refining heat, transforming obsolete,
In the driver’s seat, reversing incomplete,
Making my ends meet. Oh you carry. me.
If you would ask if I am full, then it’s a no.
I’m not enough to make a shadow.
Even the sun won’t look at me, he’s disappointed,
Water won’t splash for me, the ripples aren’tt worth it.
I carry no weight or substance.
If I don’t carry you.
If I am not in you.
You, you underneath my feet, the reinforced concrete,
The strong refining heat, transforming obsolete,
In the driver’s seat, reversing incomplete,
Making my ends meet. Oh you carry. me.
Direction
Tuesday 07 April 2015 LyricsNews
We are coming close to the date of our departure for the USA. And the album launch. And trying to get everything finished up with our Hong Kong roles before we leave.
But yesterday we took some time to work on a music video. As much as I have worked around cameras and help produce videos very often, I still get pretty nervous when I have to stand in front of the camera. What do you do with your hands?! ...
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But yesterday we took some time to work on a music video. As much as I have worked around cameras and help produce videos very often, I still get pretty nervous when I have to stand in front of the camera. What do you do with your hands?! ...
Read More...
Song of The Week
Sunday 05 April 2015 LyricsSong of the Week
Metronomic - Emily Saunders
I have just discovered Emily Saunders, and her vocal versatility is just astounding! We are having a lazy Easter weekend, and Emily’s Metronomic from her new album Outsiders Insiders is the perfect soundtrack as the sun streams through our window and we sip our tea. Her voice has both strength and vulnerability, her use of latin-rhythms and playful melodies are Easter’s new life in song.
I have just discovered Emily Saunders, and her vocal versatility is just astounding! We are having a lazy Easter weekend, and Emily’s Metronomic from her new album Outsiders Insiders is the perfect soundtrack as the sun streams through our window and we sip our tea. Her voice has both strength and vulnerability, her use of latin-rhythms and playful melodies are Easter’s new life in song.
Stage Left, Stage Right.
Thursday 02 April 2015
Being on stage is my life’s most beautiful oxymoron. It is a place of immense joy; I feel my most me, I feel home, like a fish in the water, like the key that fits just right, unlocking doors to great chambers, shedding light, bringing life. This is what I was born to do.
But there is another side to the stage. Being on stage is also a place of immense pressure, frustration and uncertainty...
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But there is another side to the stage. Being on stage is also a place of immense pressure, frustration and uncertainty...
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Lyrics - Free Writing
Monday 30 March 2015 LyricsLyrics
Free Writing - this is an exercise I employ quite often to see what is lurking beneath the surface! I recommend it to anyone with writer’s block, anyone who wants to unlock some creative space with words and download their subconscious.
For those who haven’t tried this before, you pick a starting word/theme, and then write non-stop as fast as you can for two minutes/until you fill the page/until you get cramp in your hand!
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For those who haven’t tried this before, you pick a starting word/theme, and then write non-stop as fast as you can for two minutes/until you fill the page/until you get cramp in your hand!
Read More...