In an effort to get my creative mojo back, I sat down today to try and write some music. Truth is, I have always loved collaborating way more than writing alone and I was struggling. I decided to get started playing some oldies but goodies, and landed on this song (originally by Phil Spector, also performed by Neutral Milk Hotel), "I Love How You Love Me". It occurred to me that my best writing in the past has typically taken place in the midst of heartache, confusion, change. Think of Adele's 21, Alanis' You Oughta Know, etc. Everyone knows breakup records are the best. So what do you do when you find yourself super relaxed and happy?
I chose this song (which I used to perform when I was like 18 at coffee shops and whatnot), because it made me smile. Because I AM at a happy and loving place in my life and I think it's ok to celebrate that.
Also, it gave me an excuse to experiment with Garage Band (a reason we really wanted our Mac but then felt too busy to try and learn). So this is definitely NOT an amazing recording by any means, but I wanted to challenge myself to share with you all and to commit to posting one song a month on here. They might start out as old and hopefully blossom into new tunes.
Hope you like it ;) after all, I am a sucker for a love song.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The 80's Are Back? + First Listen of Gotye
Scott has pointed out to me on several occasions that I tend to use the words "kind of 80's" or "that's pretty 80's" to describe things that are tacky, ugly, or undersireable. And at the risk of sounding JUST like my mom, when I see "those kids" (gosh I'm old) out there buying up poofy sleeved dresses from Forever 21, and wearing metallic spandex pants and whatnot, I can't help but think that there is a reason those things got left in the dust 30 years ago. I remember my mom being horrified when I fell in love with some vintage 70's pieces as a teen...she would say "ick. I had something just like that when I was younger". To which I replied, "why didn't you keep it mom???! You could have given it to me".
As a child of the 80's, it just doesn't hold the same romance that it does for older folks like my hubby (sorry baby), who graduated in '89. He remembers the stone washed pants with love, the hammer pants with nastalgia, the mullets with a chuckle. All I remember with a shake of the head are the bangs, the hairspray, the paint splashed crop-tops, the skinny jeans that zipped at the ankle with the little bows in back. The itchy fabrics and the preppy look. And lots of bad music. Nope, clothes-wise I'm definitely more of a 70's girl....I love the flowy skirts, the delicate tops, the floral designs, the bold colors--rusts, oranges, lime, yellows. And there's no denying my love for 90's girl bands/artists (can you say Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Juliana Hatfield, Fiona Apple, Alanis, Veruca Salt, Liz Phair, Portishead, the list goes on and on). I guess we all develop a soft spot for whatever was cool when we were 13, and it follows us around forever :)
Enough about that. This week I got my first listen of the new album by Gotye, "Making Mirrors", and was instantly teleported to the cooler version of the 80's or "the good 80's" as I'll now have to say. And while we've probably all sung at the top of our lungs to the Peter Gabriel-esque hit "Somebody That I Used To Know" (hey, who doesn't love a good breakup song?), I found the rest of the album to be interestly 80's-tastic.
If you're curious and don't want to cough up the dough to download it, check it out for free right now on NPR.
Oh, and please--no hammer pants.
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| photo source |
Scott has pointed out to me on several occasions that I tend to use the words "kind of 80's" or "that's pretty 80's" to describe things that are tacky, ugly, or undersireable. And at the risk of sounding JUST like my mom, when I see "those kids" (gosh I'm old) out there buying up poofy sleeved dresses from Forever 21, and wearing metallic spandex pants and whatnot, I can't help but think that there is a reason those things got left in the dust 30 years ago. I remember my mom being horrified when I fell in love with some vintage 70's pieces as a teen...she would say "ick. I had something just like that when I was younger". To which I replied, "why didn't you keep it mom???! You could have given it to me".
As a child of the 80's, it just doesn't hold the same romance that it does for older folks like my hubby (sorry baby), who graduated in '89. He remembers the stone washed pants with love, the hammer pants with nastalgia, the mullets with a chuckle. All I remember with a shake of the head are the bangs, the hairspray, the paint splashed crop-tops, the skinny jeans that zipped at the ankle with the little bows in back. The itchy fabrics and the preppy look. And lots of bad music. Nope, clothes-wise I'm definitely more of a 70's girl....I love the flowy skirts, the delicate tops, the floral designs, the bold colors--rusts, oranges, lime, yellows. And there's no denying my love for 90's girl bands/artists (can you say Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Juliana Hatfield, Fiona Apple, Alanis, Veruca Salt, Liz Phair, Portishead, the list goes on and on). I guess we all develop a soft spot for whatever was cool when we were 13, and it follows us around forever :)
Enough about that. This week I got my first listen of the new album by Gotye, "Making Mirrors", and was instantly teleported to the cooler version of the 80's or "the good 80's" as I'll now have to say. And while we've probably all sung at the top of our lungs to the Peter Gabriel-esque hit "Somebody That I Used To Know" (hey, who doesn't love a good breakup song?), I found the rest of the album to be interestly 80's-tastic.
If you're curious and don't want to cough up the dough to download it, check it out for free right now on NPR.
Oh, and please--no hammer pants.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Rock Star for a Night
I took a loooonnng bath and spent way too long on my hair and makeup just because I could. Then I got all psyched up and went down to the venue to kick the party off. We did a sound check and then hung about, I drank some cocktail concoction with orang juice and chocolate vodka--sounds weird but tastes yummy!
Then we played, and let me tell you--I loved it. At first I was nervous because, well, being on stage is so different from my day to day life and I was worried about getting the parts right. But as soon as we dove in, I forgot all about that and just enjoyed playing and singing and doing my thing.
We had a pretty decent crowd of old friends, fans, and random peeps who wandered in. Lots of fellow musicians and hippie-types, which was sweet. We passed out kazoos and squirt guns and bubbles (curtesy of Santa and the Dollar Tree), and made it a big party.
Meanwhile, a block away, my hubby Scott rocked out with his old band to a huge crowd (his crowd seemed a little more neck-tatoo, I might fight you types). It was awesome watching him do his thing up there--Scott is an amazing performer and he was straight up getting it with his moves and his stage presence. After watching for a bit, I had to literally run back to my venue to close with a second set, then we picked the girl up from Grandmas and slept at the hotel.
It was a busy/crazy/awesome night, and it did us both some good to feel like we were rockin, even if just for one night.
PS: Christmas posts to come!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Song Worth Hearing
My hubby tipped me off to this band, and we've been listening to them ever since! Sometimes we put this record on while the sun shines in through the kitchen doors and we feed Ev breakfast or while we're driving through the lush summer countryside.
Somehow these tunes really make us feel like we're on vacation, even if we're just doing the same old stuff we always do :)
Check them out, for reals.
Orchestra Baobab (recommended song to start with? Mouhamadou Bamba)
Listen to it. Love it. Take a vacation, even if it's at home.
Somehow these tunes really make us feel like we're on vacation, even if we're just doing the same old stuff we always do :)
Check them out, for reals.
Orchestra Baobab (recommended song to start with? Mouhamadou Bamba)
Listen to it. Love it. Take a vacation, even if it's at home.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Do It, Write It, Sing It
This week I wrote my first full song since Everleigh's birth, and it felt so good to have one of those moments where the song really writes itself. It has been AWHILE since music has felt so effortless and fun.
Scott has written Evie two singsong-y baby tunes since she made her appearance, and she absolutely loves hearing them both over and over and over. Maybe I'll post us singing these sometime ;) warning: they are super cheesy baby-themed songs. But whatever the kid likes, am I right?
Ok, enough about that. Needless to say, my brand spanking new song is about Ev and all the ways she has changed my life. I was shooting for simple and honest lyrics with a fun, hummable tune, and I think I've almost got it nailed down. It really made me wonder about writers (songwriters included) and how they communicate about their world. I guess part of me was like, "is it lame to write this song about my daughter? Too contemporary country (Taylor Swift-y)? Too Hallmark-ish?" But at the end of the day I knew I had to be true to what I was feeling. To write about MY experience and MY world right now, which (in case you haven't noticed) is very baby-centric.
Then I thought about the great songs I know about babies or children, as well as the artists with kids who haven't ever touched on it. I guess everyone's style is different and the mind is a very complex thing, but it would be tough for me to write about much else right now. Motherhood has changed the way I eat, sleep, think, function, dream, love, think about others, think about myself, and probably some other things I'm missing ;)
In my songwriting history, I've written many a ditty about relationships (mine and other people's), about girls I knew who were tragic and beautiful, about feeling happy, silly, in love, brokenhearted, stoned, confused, depressed, curious, and many many more. But even the songs I've written based on a character or on someone else's story have in some way connected with a part of me.
Writers out there--where do you draw inspiration? (from experience, from pure imagination, from pills (jk)? Do major life events always creep up in your work or not at all?
Oh, and PS:
1) Create
2) create
3) create
Scott has written Evie two singsong-y baby tunes since she made her appearance, and she absolutely loves hearing them both over and over and over. Maybe I'll post us singing these sometime ;) warning: they are super cheesy baby-themed songs. But whatever the kid likes, am I right?
Ok, enough about that. Needless to say, my brand spanking new song is about Ev and all the ways she has changed my life. I was shooting for simple and honest lyrics with a fun, hummable tune, and I think I've almost got it nailed down. It really made me wonder about writers (songwriters included) and how they communicate about their world. I guess part of me was like, "is it lame to write this song about my daughter? Too contemporary country (Taylor Swift-y)? Too Hallmark-ish?" But at the end of the day I knew I had to be true to what I was feeling. To write about MY experience and MY world right now, which (in case you haven't noticed) is very baby-centric.
Then I thought about the great songs I know about babies or children, as well as the artists with kids who haven't ever touched on it. I guess everyone's style is different and the mind is a very complex thing, but it would be tough for me to write about much else right now. Motherhood has changed the way I eat, sleep, think, function, dream, love, think about others, think about myself, and probably some other things I'm missing ;)
In my songwriting history, I've written many a ditty about relationships (mine and other people's), about girls I knew who were tragic and beautiful, about feeling happy, silly, in love, brokenhearted, stoned, confused, depressed, curious, and many many more. But even the songs I've written based on a character or on someone else's story have in some way connected with a part of me.
Writers out there--where do you draw inspiration? (from experience, from pure imagination, from pills (jk)? Do major life events always creep up in your work or not at all?
Oh, and PS:
1) Create
2) create
3) create
Saturday, March 19, 2011
My Birth Playlist
I was just reading a post on one of my favorite sites of all time, OffBeat Mama, about birth playlists, and I thought it would be fun to share my birth playlist with you all.
Let me start off by saying that if I had known I'd be in labor for 17 hours, I probably would have selected more songs ;). Hindsight being 20/20 and all, there are lots of artists who didn't make the list that I probably would have loved to have heard.
For my big day, I didn't know what to expect. I knew I would likely be in huge amounts of pain and I wasn't sure what musical stylings I'd be up for. I chose some of the songs because they are very sentimental to me, and others simply because I love the artist and I knew it would be a soothing presence for me....a huge portion of my playlist was comprised of Cat Power songs because she's been with me for so long through the ups and downs, and there's something so still and powerful about her voice--like the rush of a little brook. SO here goes:
Cat Power-Where is My Love
Cat Power-Maybe Not
Cat Power-Half of You
Cat Power-Colors and the Kids
Cat Power-The Greatest
Cat Power-She's Got You
Cat Power-Lost Someone
Ray LaMontagne-Let it Be Me
Ray LaMontagne- A Falling Through
Ray LaMontagne-Sarah
Quiet Company-Red and Gold
Radiohead-All I Need
Radiohead-Nude
Radiohead-Videotape
Jewel-Angel Standing By
Azure Ray-Sleep
Maria Taylor-My Favorite Love
Patti Griffin-Burgundy Shoes
Patty Griffin-Up to The Mountain
Patty Griffin-Heavenly Day
Wilco-My Darling
I guess I was looking for songs with a quiet energy or a warm feeling to carry me through this difficult test of mind and body. All in all, there were times in the birthing process when the songs were more important than I can even say, and other times when I completely tuned them out or even requested that the music be shut off. Because music is so much at the core of who I am as a person and how I express myself, the songs on that list will be forever ingrained in my heart and mind.
After Everleigh was born, we played these 2 songs over and over: "Heavenly Day" by Patti Griffith and "My Darling" by Wilco and cried because we are huge babies.
"Oh Heavenly day
All the clouds blew away
Got no trouble today
With anyone
The smile on your face
I live only to see
It's enough for me baby
It's enough for me
Oh heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Tomorrow may rain with sorrow
Here's a little time we can borrow
Forget all our troubles in these moments so few
Oh we can right now the only thing that all that we really have to do
Is have ourselves a heavenly day
Lay here and watch the trees sway
Oh can't see no other way
No way
No way
Heavenly day heavenly day heavenly day
No one on my shoulder
Bringing me fears
Got no clouds up above me
Bringing me tears
Got nothing to tell you
I got nothing much to say
Only I'm glad to be here with you
On this heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly day
Oh all the troubles gone away
Oh for awhile anyway
For awhile anyway
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Oh heavenly day"
"Go back to sleep now
My darlin
And I'll keep all the bad dreams away
Breathe now, think sweet things
And I'll think of all the right words to say
Because we made you
My darlin
With the love in each of our hearts
We were a family, my darlin
Right from the start
Grow up now
My darlin
Please don't you grow up too fast
And be sure, darlin
To make all the good times last
Because we made you
My darlin
With the love in each of our hearts
We were a family, my darlin
Right from the start"
Let me start off by saying that if I had known I'd be in labor for 17 hours, I probably would have selected more songs ;). Hindsight being 20/20 and all, there are lots of artists who didn't make the list that I probably would have loved to have heard.
For my big day, I didn't know what to expect. I knew I would likely be in huge amounts of pain and I wasn't sure what musical stylings I'd be up for. I chose some of the songs because they are very sentimental to me, and others simply because I love the artist and I knew it would be a soothing presence for me....a huge portion of my playlist was comprised of Cat Power songs because she's been with me for so long through the ups and downs, and there's something so still and powerful about her voice--like the rush of a little brook. SO here goes:
Cat Power-Where is My Love
Cat Power-Maybe Not
Cat Power-Half of You
Cat Power-Colors and the Kids
Cat Power-The Greatest
Cat Power-She's Got You
Cat Power-Lost Someone
Ray LaMontagne-Let it Be Me
Ray LaMontagne- A Falling Through
Ray LaMontagne-Sarah
Quiet Company-Red and Gold
Radiohead-All I Need
Radiohead-Nude
Radiohead-Videotape
Jewel-Angel Standing By
Azure Ray-Sleep
Maria Taylor-My Favorite Love
Patti Griffin-Burgundy Shoes
Patty Griffin-Up to The Mountain
Patty Griffin-Heavenly Day
Wilco-My Darling
I guess I was looking for songs with a quiet energy or a warm feeling to carry me through this difficult test of mind and body. All in all, there were times in the birthing process when the songs were more important than I can even say, and other times when I completely tuned them out or even requested that the music be shut off. Because music is so much at the core of who I am as a person and how I express myself, the songs on that list will be forever ingrained in my heart and mind.
After Everleigh was born, we played these 2 songs over and over: "Heavenly Day" by Patti Griffith and "My Darling" by Wilco and cried because we are huge babies.
"Oh Heavenly day
All the clouds blew away
Got no trouble today
With anyone
The smile on your face
I live only to see
It's enough for me baby
It's enough for me
Oh heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Tomorrow may rain with sorrow
Here's a little time we can borrow
Forget all our troubles in these moments so few
Oh we can right now the only thing that all that we really have to do
Is have ourselves a heavenly day
Lay here and watch the trees sway
Oh can't see no other way
No way
No way
Heavenly day heavenly day heavenly day
No one on my shoulder
Bringing me fears
Got no clouds up above me
Bringing me tears
Got nothing to tell you
I got nothing much to say
Only I'm glad to be here with you
On this heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly day
Oh all the troubles gone away
Oh for awhile anyway
For awhile anyway
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Oh heavenly day"
"Go back to sleep now
My darlin
And I'll keep all the bad dreams away
Breathe now, think sweet things
And I'll think of all the right words to say
Because we made you
My darlin
With the love in each of our hearts
We were a family, my darlin
Right from the start
Grow up now
My darlin
Please don't you grow up too fast
And be sure, darlin
To make all the good times last
Because we made you
My darlin
With the love in each of our hearts
We were a family, my darlin
Right from the start"
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Curse of Creativity
Any of you who are creative, or have creative loved ones probably know what I'm talking about. There are good weeks and bad. Times when it feels like a blessing and times when it feels like a curse.
I guess I consider myself to be creative, primarily because I have a passion for music (writing, singing, playing, listening, watching, everything). Plus I've always felt sort of weird/different from other people, which I think tends to be an underlying theme for creative peeps everywhere.
Being weird only becomes cool when you hit about 16 and figure out that there are hair cuts and outfits that can help facilitate your weirdness into coolness, and other large groups of people who are also, quote "weird", and some of those people are people you think are amazing. I took my teenage weirdness and poured it into wearing adventurous clothing, writing music, and obsessing over all things "underground". I no longer have the time or the desire to spend hours researching new hipper, less-heard-of bands, or to hit up 6 thrift stores in a day looking for my next vintage find or old prom dress to cut up.
But I DO sometimes wish I had time to write more, to read more, to play more music, to PERFORM (have I mentioned that I pretty much adore performing?). Between work, school, and being a mommy, I really have negative time left to devote to this right now. My recent run- in with a new potential band-mate led to a "discussion" by my husband and I, in which he basically reminded me that I chose mommyhood as my permanent extracurricular for the next several years. That I might really not have 2 extra hours a week to do something new musically until Evie's older. That I should understand this and accept it and not be frustrated by it, because you can't always have it all. Don't get me wrong--I would trade all the music in the world for my beautiful, healthy baby girl any day of the week. I'm just struggling to find that balance still as an artist.
My husband, Scott, is a painter and also a musician, and it's an ongoing struggle for him to be super dad and still find the time needed to be a productive artist. Most days, it results in us high-fiving each other as we tag the other one in. He watches the baby while I work. I come home for lunch every day to feed her while he showers or tidies up the house. I go back to work. When I get home, I watch Ev and he leaves to go to his studio and paint, do homework, or work his part time night job. He spend his days with Everleigh, while I spend my nights with her. On weekends, I either have class (in which case he watches her) or I don't (in which case I watch her and he tries to play catch-up on his homework and paintings). While we do spend some happy, lazy evenings together as family, it seems like more often than not we're parenting relay style.
What's the solution? Some day I will finish my Play Therapy Certification and he will complete his degree. Life will be less complicated. But there will always be work and there will always be this energy that drives us to create. And babies only stay little for a split second.
For now, I guess I'll try to focus that energy into my most amazing creation to date.
PS: Just as I finished writing this, I received a text from Scott that made my eyes well up: "Ev and I are having a good afternoon so why don't you take some grown up time for yourself when you get off work? Luv!" Man, I'm lucky.
I guess I consider myself to be creative, primarily because I have a passion for music (writing, singing, playing, listening, watching, everything). Plus I've always felt sort of weird/different from other people, which I think tends to be an underlying theme for creative peeps everywhere.
Being weird only becomes cool when you hit about 16 and figure out that there are hair cuts and outfits that can help facilitate your weirdness into coolness, and other large groups of people who are also, quote "weird", and some of those people are people you think are amazing. I took my teenage weirdness and poured it into wearing adventurous clothing, writing music, and obsessing over all things "underground". I no longer have the time or the desire to spend hours researching new hipper, less-heard-of bands, or to hit up 6 thrift stores in a day looking for my next vintage find or old prom dress to cut up.
But I DO sometimes wish I had time to write more, to read more, to play more music, to PERFORM (have I mentioned that I pretty much adore performing?). Between work, school, and being a mommy, I really have negative time left to devote to this right now. My recent run- in with a new potential band-mate led to a "discussion" by my husband and I, in which he basically reminded me that I chose mommyhood as my permanent extracurricular for the next several years. That I might really not have 2 extra hours a week to do something new musically until Evie's older. That I should understand this and accept it and not be frustrated by it, because you can't always have it all. Don't get me wrong--I would trade all the music in the world for my beautiful, healthy baby girl any day of the week. I'm just struggling to find that balance still as an artist.
My husband, Scott, is a painter and also a musician, and it's an ongoing struggle for him to be super dad and still find the time needed to be a productive artist. Most days, it results in us high-fiving each other as we tag the other one in. He watches the baby while I work. I come home for lunch every day to feed her while he showers or tidies up the house. I go back to work. When I get home, I watch Ev and he leaves to go to his studio and paint, do homework, or work his part time night job. He spend his days with Everleigh, while I spend my nights with her. On weekends, I either have class (in which case he watches her) or I don't (in which case I watch her and he tries to play catch-up on his homework and paintings). While we do spend some happy, lazy evenings together as family, it seems like more often than not we're parenting relay style.
What's the solution? Some day I will finish my Play Therapy Certification and he will complete his degree. Life will be less complicated. But there will always be work and there will always be this energy that drives us to create. And babies only stay little for a split second.
For now, I guess I'll try to focus that energy into my most amazing creation to date.
PS: Just as I finished writing this, I received a text from Scott that made my eyes well up: "Ev and I are having a good afternoon so why don't you take some grown up time for yourself when you get off work? Luv!" Man, I'm lucky.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Back on Stage
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| Rachel and Me gearing up for the show! |
 |
| The view from the stage |
 |
| Alice and Absinthe. Can you say sugar cube please? |
 |
| Goofing off before the show |
This will be my first show with the band since I officially became a mommy! Rachel moved to Eugene, OR last spring when I was still pregnant with Evie. It was OK timing actually, because I was getting big and feeling slightly weird hanging out in bars, plus it was getting progressively more and more dificult to stay up late enough to play (concerts usually don't begin until at LEAST 10PM, and my pregnant bedtime was like 8). Plus it's tricky playing a guitar when your stomach is sticking way out. Although I've seen some men who've been quite successful at making it work :)
I am SO excited about tonight! Mostly because I miss my bandmates and the way it feels to collaborate, but also I'd be lying if I didn't also say that I miss the stage. I love singing and performing, and I miss the way it feels to have the lights on you and everyone watching. Or to look out and see people in the audience singing along to the words I wrote. Awesome. Plus, I don't think I've had a single night out with friends (besides my husband) since Evie was born, so this will be a really nice way for me to get some friend time in too.
Now for the most important question: what do I wear???? Taking a half-day at work today, so I should have some time to figure it out, then we're having an afternoon practice, and the show at 10. I can't wait!
PS: I'll post show pics and maybe even some vid from the show tomorrow. Promise.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Finding the Beat
I've been singing and performing since I was teeny-tiny. It was just something I always dug, whether it was a performance in my shower, in my mom's van, in front of the fireplace, at church (as a kid), or on a stage--once I got the bug I was hooked. Call it a middle-child phenomena, but I felt a strong draw to do stuff in front of people that would later be rewarded with applause. This carried over into sports, dance, competative speech, vocal performances, and later as a teen and young adult into being in a band.
I first decided I wanted to be in a band when my 14 year old ears heard Veruca Salt pumping through the audio system of my friend's cool older sister's car. I knew right then that being in a band was the shit and I needed to make it happen. So yeah--just start a band right? No problem right? WRONG.
The dilema was as follows: I only played violin (which is really hard to play and sing at the same time) and the only guitar players I knew were boys. Did any of these said boys want to be in a band with a chick singer? They did not. They wanted to sound like Metalica.
And so it began. Frustrated by this initial setback, I decided if no one would play guitar for me, I would be my own hero and learn. Peice of cake right? Wrong. I begged my dad to hook me up with an acoustic I could practice on. This request was met with a big fat no, seeing as how most of my siblings had tried their hands at various instruments only to later discard them. My parents had an awesome collection of unplayed instruments going and were not about to add to the pile.
So I did what any poor teen would do--begged, borrowed and stole (not really). I borrowed a friend's guitar and learned some basic chords. I learned that D,C,A,and E could get you pretty far. After a year of borrowing from a friend, my dad finally came around and bought me some yard sale find. I practiced on that thing constantly, finding the chord--then singing a line, the pausing to find the next chord and singing the next line. It was a slow and frustrating process which made me like it even more. I WILL tackle this.
I wrote some songs with the help of my ex-boyfriend (a brilliant writer and poet). I started playing some open mics at local bars (I was under 21 but most let me in just to play), and coffee shops in town.
I recorded these songs for free with some recording engineer students at college. Upon hearing my project, the recording teacher asked to record me. Things were looking up.
I jammed for awhile with a female bass player, an awesome classical guitarist, and the recording teacher as my drummer. It just made me thirsty for more. The group was fun and interesting but no one wanted to call it a "band". This frustrated me.
Enter Rachel. I had a super awesome bud named Rachel who also played acoustic guitar at a local coffee shop in town. We would sometimes sing backup for each other at these open mics. Finally, a kindred spirit! Another girl who plays music and writes music and is constantly compared to Jewel just because no one can think of any other singer/songwriters to compare you to!
We decided over Christmas break one year to make a go of it and start a band. Since Rachel knew more chords than me on guitar, I was the designated bass player. Rachel's roommate had owned a bass for awhile and never learned to play it (I think this was where our bass came from?). Alice was born. We started writing songs that made us laugh. Then we started writing some seriously artistic stuff. We got an awesome drummer.
We continued to play at bars and outdoor shows and small festivals. We got better. And during all this time, I graduated, got a "real" job, got married, got pregnant, moved an hour away. Rachel got sick of hicktown MO and finally decided to hit the road with her man and move to Eugene OR. And Alice went on a hiatus.
So now that things are settling down a bit with the baby and I'm trying to find my own beat again, where does it all leave me musically? My goal was never to be famous. I always knew music would be a part of me forever and fanticized about singing jazz in my 50's and 60's. I always felt that it would be there for me whenever I needed it.
But you know what? I miss it. I don't just miss playing, I miss the stage. I miss performing. I miss being challenged creatively and collaborating. I miss Rachel and I miss Alice.
So where does this leave me? I guess I can always wait until Everleigh's old enough to play and start a band with her :P There's no real point to this. I'm just really greiving the loss of something that was never mine to own in the first place. Maybe it's time to blow the dust off the baby Martin and grab a new song by the short and curlies.
I first decided I wanted to be in a band when my 14 year old ears heard Veruca Salt pumping through the audio system of my friend's cool older sister's car. I knew right then that being in a band was the shit and I needed to make it happen. So yeah--just start a band right? No problem right? WRONG.
The dilema was as follows: I only played violin (which is really hard to play and sing at the same time) and the only guitar players I knew were boys. Did any of these said boys want to be in a band with a chick singer? They did not. They wanted to sound like Metalica.
And so it began. Frustrated by this initial setback, I decided if no one would play guitar for me, I would be my own hero and learn. Peice of cake right? Wrong. I begged my dad to hook me up with an acoustic I could practice on. This request was met with a big fat no, seeing as how most of my siblings had tried their hands at various instruments only to later discard them. My parents had an awesome collection of unplayed instruments going and were not about to add to the pile.
So I did what any poor teen would do--begged, borrowed and stole (not really). I borrowed a friend's guitar and learned some basic chords. I learned that D,C,A,and E could get you pretty far. After a year of borrowing from a friend, my dad finally came around and bought me some yard sale find. I practiced on that thing constantly, finding the chord--then singing a line, the pausing to find the next chord and singing the next line. It was a slow and frustrating process which made me like it even more. I WILL tackle this.
I wrote some songs with the help of my ex-boyfriend (a brilliant writer and poet). I started playing some open mics at local bars (I was under 21 but most let me in just to play), and coffee shops in town.
I recorded these songs for free with some recording engineer students at college. Upon hearing my project, the recording teacher asked to record me. Things were looking up.
I jammed for awhile with a female bass player, an awesome classical guitarist, and the recording teacher as my drummer. It just made me thirsty for more. The group was fun and interesting but no one wanted to call it a "band". This frustrated me.
Enter Rachel. I had a super awesome bud named Rachel who also played acoustic guitar at a local coffee shop in town. We would sometimes sing backup for each other at these open mics. Finally, a kindred spirit! Another girl who plays music and writes music and is constantly compared to Jewel just because no one can think of any other singer/songwriters to compare you to!
We decided over Christmas break one year to make a go of it and start a band. Since Rachel knew more chords than me on guitar, I was the designated bass player. Rachel's roommate had owned a bass for awhile and never learned to play it (I think this was where our bass came from?). Alice was born. We started writing songs that made us laugh. Then we started writing some seriously artistic stuff. We got an awesome drummer.
We continued to play at bars and outdoor shows and small festivals. We got better. And during all this time, I graduated, got a "real" job, got married, got pregnant, moved an hour away. Rachel got sick of hicktown MO and finally decided to hit the road with her man and move to Eugene OR. And Alice went on a hiatus.
So now that things are settling down a bit with the baby and I'm trying to find my own beat again, where does it all leave me musically? My goal was never to be famous. I always knew music would be a part of me forever and fanticized about singing jazz in my 50's and 60's. I always felt that it would be there for me whenever I needed it.
But you know what? I miss it. I don't just miss playing, I miss the stage. I miss performing. I miss being challenged creatively and collaborating. I miss Rachel and I miss Alice.
So where does this leave me? I guess I can always wait until Everleigh's old enough to play and start a band with her :P There's no real point to this. I'm just really greiving the loss of something that was never mine to own in the first place. Maybe it's time to blow the dust off the baby Martin and grab a new song by the short and curlies.
PS: You can check out my old band Alice here: www.myspace.com/aliceband
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