I'm Back!
See? You wouldn't believe what happened to me. Inspiration struck! Yay! It just goes to show: just perservere. You may hit some snags in your creative life, but you just gotta keep going. Find inspiration wherever you can. Mine came in the form of recent downloads of the entire collection of albums by artists such as Paul McCartney, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, and The Jesus & Mary Chain.
I decided to let go of the 35 project for a moment, because the subject matter is hitting a little too close to home. Let me explain. You see, I've never been a person who can write a song about something I'm experiencing while I'm in the thick of the experience. It's always easier for me to write much later, after reconstructing the experience. An example is when my sister died back in 1995. I wasn't able to pen a thing when my mother requested I write something and play it at her (my sister's) funeral. But then years later, in 1997, when I had some distance, I was able to write something. The song I wrote is called Olive Green, and it's on the first Reclinerland CD. The 35 project is a reflective piece dedicated to the question "Why is it that I'm about to turn 35 and all I have to show for it is a trail of broken hearts?" Ah, but that question is too close to home at the moment. I'm turning 35 next week after all, and feeling all of the corresponding emotions means I can't begin to write about it now. Also, a(nother) kind of recent nasty break up has left me too sad and angry to try and write a song. I'm not the type to turn his amp up to 11 and start chugging away, you see. And these days I'm even loathe to bust out the acoustic and start weeping. Better to just stew and reconstruct the experience later, when I'm able to be a little bit objective. From that distance I can start to craft a song. Nothing is more soothing than a melody well crafted. So for now, I put that project to rest.
However! Jenny Conlee and I got together today to do some rehearsing for the Ideal Home Music Library 2, and she sounds terrific. I'm so glad I asked her to do it. She's been so busy with touring and working hard with her other projects, and yet she's really taking the time and doing great with these pieces. I heard most of them this afternoon and it was a joy to sing them. Her touch is varied, her tone is good. She's still tightening things up, and I'm still working out some vocal snags, but for the most part the songs are sounding really good. I'm very pleased and I know you will be too when you hear them.
But then there's more. I sat down with Kevin Sampsell's book and picked through it. If you haven't read the earlier post about this, I had an idea for a project in which I would take my friend Kevin's book A Common Pornography, and write some songs from it. His book is a collection of short stories about his life, and I found a wealth of ideas in there. I can't wait to get started playing around with songs for his little vignettes. I already have one, it's called Vibrator. I'll try to get an mp3 up so you can hear it.
Anyway, there it is. More later!
I decided to let go of the 35 project for a moment, because the subject matter is hitting a little too close to home. Let me explain. You see, I've never been a person who can write a song about something I'm experiencing while I'm in the thick of the experience. It's always easier for me to write much later, after reconstructing the experience. An example is when my sister died back in 1995. I wasn't able to pen a thing when my mother requested I write something and play it at her (my sister's) funeral. But then years later, in 1997, when I had some distance, I was able to write something. The song I wrote is called Olive Green, and it's on the first Reclinerland CD. The 35 project is a reflective piece dedicated to the question "Why is it that I'm about to turn 35 and all I have to show for it is a trail of broken hearts?" Ah, but that question is too close to home at the moment. I'm turning 35 next week after all, and feeling all of the corresponding emotions means I can't begin to write about it now. Also, a(nother) kind of recent nasty break up has left me too sad and angry to try and write a song. I'm not the type to turn his amp up to 11 and start chugging away, you see. And these days I'm even loathe to bust out the acoustic and start weeping. Better to just stew and reconstruct the experience later, when I'm able to be a little bit objective. From that distance I can start to craft a song. Nothing is more soothing than a melody well crafted. So for now, I put that project to rest.
However! Jenny Conlee and I got together today to do some rehearsing for the Ideal Home Music Library 2, and she sounds terrific. I'm so glad I asked her to do it. She's been so busy with touring and working hard with her other projects, and yet she's really taking the time and doing great with these pieces. I heard most of them this afternoon and it was a joy to sing them. Her touch is varied, her tone is good. She's still tightening things up, and I'm still working out some vocal snags, but for the most part the songs are sounding really good. I'm very pleased and I know you will be too when you hear them.
But then there's more. I sat down with Kevin Sampsell's book and picked through it. If you haven't read the earlier post about this, I had an idea for a project in which I would take my friend Kevin's book A Common Pornography, and write some songs from it. His book is a collection of short stories about his life, and I found a wealth of ideas in there. I can't wait to get started playing around with songs for his little vignettes. I already have one, it's called Vibrator. I'll try to get an mp3 up so you can hear it.
Anyway, there it is. More later!