LOVE LETTER TO THE SOUTH

Vocals and orchestral arrangement: Michael Johnson
Orchestra: The Reclinerland Symphony Orchestra

Recorded between 2022 and 2023 at Reclinerland HQ in Paris, France. Mixed and mastered by Michael Johnson and Jarkko Heiniö.

Melanie Masson sat on the porch of her family's farm in the heart of the American South, the scorching sun beating down on her as cicadas buzzed in the humid air. She longed for something beyond the endless rows of corn and the monotonous routines of farm life. The year was 1912, and Melanie was a dreamer, a songwriter, poet, and composer with a heart full of melodies waiting to be heard. In the lazy afternoons of summer, when the heat was at its peak, Melanie would sneak away from her chores and escape to her father's old Model T sitting in the barn. The once shiny black car was now a rusty carcass, a relic of better days gone by. But to Melanie, it was a portal to another world. She would climb into the driver's seat, the worn leather feeling cool against her skin, and close her eyes, imagining herself speeding down open roads, the wind whipping through her hair. With a smile on her face, she would pretend to turn the steering wheel, navigating twists and turns only she could see. As she sat in the stillness of the old car, melodies would dance in her mind, lyrics forming like wisps of smoke. She would hum softly, the notes blending with the sounds of nature outside. In those stolen moments, Melanie felt alive, her spirit soaring free from the constraints of her reality. But as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the fields, Melanie knew it was time to return to the farm, to her responsibilities. With a heavy heart, she would reluctantly step out of the Model T, leaving behind her imaginary adventures. Yet, deep down, she held onto the hope that one day she would turn her dreams into reality, that her songs would be heard far beyond the borders of the farm, that her poetry would touch the hearts of many. And as she gazed at the fading light of the sun, Melanie made a silent vow to never stop chasing her passion, no matter where the road may lead.