It's a wonder- Rationale


After a 6 year hiatus I finally feel like I have something to say.
In 2020 Mum bought me a Ukulele and I took to it straight away!

From the moment I picked it up I started writing and for the last year I have been noting down my ideas. I usually write on piano so this has been a whole new way of writing. I have finished writing 4 songs and have another 4 halfway finished lyrically and mostly finished chordal-wise.

The thing that has struck me about my new work is it's simplicity of writing and playing and in the recording process I am really looking forward to and interested in minimalism.

My last 2 releases were full-production with, on some songs, 6-8 part harmonies and at least 10 tracks worth of instrumentation, which sounded amazing! Especially Luke Dixon's production but boy it was a huge undertaking.

The Pandemic has made me think a lot about minimalism. Through lockdowns people were having to downsize their lives and be very self-contained. That idea fascinated me and how there was a palpable feeling of loss, resentment and anger in the world. It also made me think about the huge polarization that was happening in opinion around the virus and in politics.

I too went through bouts of grief and loss, however, lockdown allowed me to minimise my life more and find out what was really important.

I had to pivot in my Improvised Theatre business and bring lessons online, which was a huge undertaking but was very successful indeed. In fact my improv classes played a valuable role for people during COVID providing much needed laughs, joy and connection.

I did however notice something disturbing to me. Professional Improvisers and Musicians I knew were so depressed that they couldn't play to a 'real' audience that a lot of them didn't do any performances or gigs at all online.

It made me start to question what their real motivations were for being an artist. I began to wonder if perhaps a lot of performing artists weren't simply doing it for the craft and mastery of their respective practice but for the adulation, validation and adoration of an audience.
To me the audience is important but they shouldn't be why you are doing your practice. It also occurred to me that some of the most creative people I knew didn't feel creative enough to work out how to expand into a digital practice. Which I find sad. 

So I found myself writing about all of these things and delving into themes of grief, loss, new beginnings, politics, delusion, needs, isolation, loneliness and emancipation.

I am loving the way the Ukulele is making me be creative with a very limited knowledge of the instrument. They say necessity is the mother of invention and it has been necessary for me to be simple on this instrument because it is new to me, but I do know enough about music and playing by ear to get by. It is wonderful.

My hope is to be able to find the resources to make another album of these 8 songs. However, I will not be printing 500 CDs like last time, this will be digital. Minimal. And if there ends up being video clips they will either be done on my phone or on Zoom. As a homage to lockdown.

I will be working with the amazing Luke Dixon again as producer and multi-instrumentalist.

It's a Wonder- Songs so Far- Demos

It's a Wonder

The clouds roll in, you're on your own
Feeling small
Tectonic plates start to shift
You're gonna fall

It's a wonder...
It's a wonder...how i ever got this far

The lightning strikes, the fear has come
You lost it all.
It hits the fan, there's no more plan
You're gonna fall.

It's a wonder...
It's a wonder...how i ever got this far

Why?

It's a wonder...
It's a wonder...how i ever got this far

Go Your Own Way Now

You feel lost, the other shoe has dropped
The wind has left your sails
There's nothing left to prove
There's nothing left to lose

So you can go your own way now,
go your own way now. you can go your own way now,
go your own way now. Yeah you can go your own way now,
go your own way now.
You can.......go

In your chest, there's still a great unrest
The battlefield is bare
There's no one left to blame
And no one knows your name

So you can go your own way now,
go your own way now. you can go your own way now,
go your own way now. Yeah you can go your own way now,
go your own way now.
You can.......go

Rain-forest Lady

There is a lady, who lives beside the rain forest
And she's waiting
And she's waiting
There is a woman who lives beside the roadworks
And she's waiting
And she's waiting

She wants a sign, a sign, a sign
She loves a sign, that everything's going to be fine
Be fine.

There is a witch, who lives beside the rain forest
And she's waiting
And she's waiting
There is a priestess who lives beside the roadworks
And she's waiting
And she's waiting

She loves a sign, a sign, a sign
She needs a sign, that everything's going to be fine
Be fine.

So if you see a lady, who lives beside the rain forest
And she's waiting
And she's waiting
If you meet a woman who lives beside the roadworks
And she's waiting
And she's waiting

You could be the sign, the sign, the sign
You could be her sign, that everything's going to be fine
Be fine.

Further Song Ideas....... Recorded on My Phone

Backwards

My true opinion is you can never go backwards, only forwards. Some people can't get past the glory days....

Let's Begin

In this song I want to explore the concept of trust. Who do we trust in? And how do we start again and heal?

She is Light

The Pandemic has brought a lot of loss of life and I think about that quite a lot. I lost my brother-in-law to COVID and I have colleagues who have lost friends and family. It's interesting how each loss can tend to bring back old grief about other losses you have sustained. Someone I really have missed through the last 2 years is my cat Joey who was 21 when she died. I found myself grieving for her all over again. This song was inspired by her but I think it is relatable for anyone who has lost someone.

Song Ideas..........Lyrics

The idea behind this unfinished song is that we don't seem to learn as humans, making the same big mistakes over and over (climate change, not supporting the arts or health system more, the Great Barrier Reef, corruption and so on) . I feel like people have been so desperate to GET BACK to the way things were before the Pandemic that they are in danger of not really learning from it.......for example having time to think, spending quality time with close family, using time alone to create, the need for a universal wage, being more hygienic in general, the importance of pets...,,etc


Will we ever learn?

Burning
Turning
Driving
Striving

Will we ever learn?

Selling
Buying
Boasting
Roasting

Will we ever learn
The last 2 years, and since Trump got in and out, has made me think about such things as what is truth? What is lies? What is real? How can we hold 2 opposing truths at once? Can we let go of political polarization? I got the idea to use proverbs that oppose each other to demonstrate opposing truths. I have always liked a good proverb!

 
Two Truths

Slow and steady wins the race but strike while the iron's hot. Many hands can make light work but too many cooks spoil the broth. Birds of a feather flock together the spice of life is variety. If wishes were horses beggars would ride, but believe it and it shall be.

Did you listen when I told you you're not listening? Did you even take the time to catch your breath? Did you listen when I told you you're not listening?

All lies

Actions speak louder than words but the pen is mightier than the sword. It's better to be late than never but early birds catch the worm. No 2nd chance to make a first impression but clothes do not maketh the man. Fortune favours the brave but angels know only fools rush in.

Did you listen when I told you you're not listening? Did you even take the time to catch your breath? Did you listen when I told you you're not listening?

All lies, all lies.