I am delighted to say that if you wish you can now follow me on Bandcamp. It is a home for independent artists like me who would like the opportunity to make a living from their music. My five studio albums are up now on my Bandcamp site and I’ve written new liner notes about each one. You can download individual tracks, albums or my whole digital discography.
We are now halfway through recording the vocals for my new album. Endless cups of lemon, ginger and honey, waiting for planes overhead to pass, waiting for cars on the dirt track to disappear…
And actually, surprisingly, considering I am basically recording in a stand-up coffin, I am really enjoying it! There’s something about the enclosed space, the black sides, the total lack of anything to look at, which is really focusing my mind on the song in my ears.
Christian, who is engineering, has the patience of a saint. ‘Again’ is the word most used in any of our recording sessions – we are both perfectionists. And this is the first time I’ve heard the strings we recorded months ago with Sarah King on violin and viola and me on cello. They sound so lovely.
I am getting very excited about this record! Can’t wait for you to hear it…
I am back in the habit of writing a poem every morning after my meditation practice. These poems are basically automatic writing – I don’t know where they come from, they just fall out of my head as I’m drinking a coffee. This is the one I wrote this morning:
‘Song’
It’s running dry
I need a good rain
To soak the ground
Startle the seeds
Into growing
Growing something big
Something beautiful
That I could write
And you could read
And the words
Would dance
On the page
Like a dervish
On solstice night
And you would be
Lifted up
And out
Leaving the hole
Far behind
Suddenly elevated
In the air
With nothing but
The sun and
A single soft cloud
To come between
And you would
Know everything
You would be
The wisest of us all
You would understand
The colours
Of the rainbow
And why
The wind blows
You would touch
The stars
With your fingertips
Hold the moon
In your arms
Knowing there is
Nothing we need
We don’t already have
In our hearts
In our minds
That life is a song
A song we’ve been
Singing since
Beginningless time.
Today is World Bipolar Day so I’ve made a short video to mark the occasion, talking a bit about my own experience of living with bipolar disorder and singing a brand new song called ‘Stay’ (lyrics below). The video is on my YouTube channel – here’s the link:
I’ve just started my own community group on Facebook – a place where I can share my songs, videos, poems and blogs. I am a bit shy on social media generally but I always love hearing from the people on my mailing list who reply to my group emails so hopefully the Facebook group will be another great way of keeping in touch. Here’s the link:
18 years ago today I sat down in my flat in London to write a letter to an old friend in Australia, Christian Dunham. I hadn’t heard from him for 3 years since he’d moved back there and I had no email or phone number for him, just a PO Box address. So I started the letter saying that this was a long shot as I was sure he would have moved on, and as I was writing my mobile phone started ringing and I answered it and a voice said ‘Hi this is Christian’. And that’s how I ended up here, 18 years later, living in the Australian bush. Fate works in strange ways :).
It is nearly autumn here in Australia. The days are getting cooler and the snakes are wandering around looking for somewhere to hibernate. I am so happy to know that spring is about to blossom in the UK and the restrictions slowly lifted. Wherever you are, I hope you have been keeping well. If you’re on Facebook it would be lovely to see you in the group.
I’ve just published my first songbook for guitar and was so delighted to be sent these 3 fantastic covers below. I love the idea of other people singing my songs – I’d love to see more videos!
Chris Gooch (‘Woke Up’)
Chris Hutton (‘I’d Rather Be’)
Sue Graves, Noddy Lazarus and Nicola Hillary (‘Old Valentine’)
I’ve just released a music video on my YouTube channel for a new song called ‘Long Way From Home’.
I live on the other side of the world from everyone I know and love. I’ve been horrified watching the news about the UK, seeing what people there are going through. I talk to my family and friends nearly every night, and almost every one of them is having a hard time.
I live in the Australian bush – no Covid, no lockdown, no Brexit. I alternate between feeling abject gratitude and abject guilt for being here. I miss my family and friends, more than they know, and feel desperate at times not knowing when I’ll be able to see them again.
The best way for me to express these feelings is to write about them. So ‘Long Way From Home’ is a song from my heart, a song to say I may be far away but I’m still there in spirit.
You can see the lyrics below and download the song for free here.
xx
long way from home/elm/dec 2020
I’m as far away as I can be
I find it is hard to breathe
When everyone I know is drowning deep
And it’s me that’s on the shore
I don’t have a magic brew
There’s nothing I can do but pray
Cos I’m a long way from home
I’m a long way from home
And I’m a long way from home
Everyone I know is feeling bleak
They hide it, they say to me
This crimson tide will turn eventually
They don’t believe a word they say
And I’m wishing I could be
Someone they could lean on
But I’m a long way from home
I’m a long way from home
And I’m a long way, I’m a long way from home
Some of us are broken and bereaved
They’re dying for certainty
Everyone is frightened underneath
And I can’t leave I can’t be there
Cos I’m a long way from home
I’m a long way from home
And I’m a long way, I’m a long way
I’m a long way from home
It has taken me years to finish this project but it’s finally done – my songbook for guitar.
This e-book includes 18 songs from my first five albums with chord diagrams and lyrics. See the list below. All the songs are available to stream on my website.
I love the idea of other people singing my songs. If you play guitar, I hope this songbook will make it easier. Don’t be put off by some of the scary chord names – I am not an accomplished guitarist so all the shapes flow easily from one to the other.
A piano songbook will follow later this year.
xx
All That You Wanted Back Home Beautiful Falling On My Feet For Free Free I’d Rather Be Keep Walking Lighthouse Man Old Valentine On The Radio Over The Waterfall She Knows Someday Somewhere In The Blue Start Over Again Stranger Place Woke Up
On 17th October this year, while the world was in lockdown, Christian and I did a gig at Eudlo Hall in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Australia.
43 people were allowed under Covid restrictions to attend. We were joined on stage by two sisters – violinist Sarah King and cellist Louise King.I’d spent two months writing the string arrangements, something which I dearly love to do, and after only one rehearsal together, we did the gig.
It was a great night – one of the best gigs I think we’ve ever done.The promoter Michael Whiticker did the sound and recorded it and when we heard the tracks we decided to make it into a live album.We had put our ancient camcorder at the back of the hall and another camera in the middle (thanks to Sally Walker), and so while Christian mixed the tracks I’ve just spent the last six weeks making a film of the gig.
So here it is for you.You can watch the videos of the two sets and download for free the ‘Live at Eudlo Hall’ album and lyric booklet.Please feel free to share the link with your friends.
‘Live at Eudlo Hall’ includes a sneak preview of five new songs which will be on my next studio album. After such a difficult year, I wanted to give you these songs as a Christmas gift in the hope that they will uplift, comfort and inspire.
Wishing you all a happy Christmas and a much happier, peaceful 2021.
Thanks to everyone who came to my gig at Eudlo Hall in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland on Saturday night. It was such a buzz performing old and new songs with such an amazing string duo as Sarah and Louise King. We enjoyed it so much. You should be able to see/hear some of it very soon…
