This is a rare foray into covers for this site. I recorded this cover of John Martyn’s “Over The Hill” at a time when I was feeling particularly home-sick and just loved the way the song sounds and the lyrics seemed so relevant.

It’s recorded very simply on my Zoom H4n and then slightly compressed through Logic.

I promise this won’t end up being a cover song bonanza and if I ever get around to re-recording it in more fidelity I will replace on here.

Got a new song in the making now, so will hopefully post on here soon again with a more original offering 🙂

Tx

So this was something silly that was born out of lockdown boredom and the incessant nagging of the family cat. It got so bad that you couldn’t go near the fridge without his little face of desperation being nearby, meowing harrowingly for more snacks.

This started a conversation and eventually a tune developed and then some words and we have this weird rock song dedicated to the darker side of that kitty’s fixation with the fridge.

We went the whole hog and made some artwork and everything – it gave us something to do over one of countless boring lockdown days and it made us chuckle – hope it does that for you too.

Click here to visit the song page with artwork and lyrics.

This one was recorded in part back in 2016 but was left as a work in progress. I had thought to extend it a bit longer, but I actually like it as a short, mellow, one verse acoustic vibe.

I often bring nautical terminology into my creative work, especially in terms of direction or navigation. A layline is a line you would draw from a specific target (say a buoy, harbour or a rock) that once on that line, you can sail directly to the target. Most often, it’s a term used when beating to windward, denoting the line you wish to reach at some point before tacking towards your goal.

This song was written from a perspective of someone who hasn’t done too much wrong, but hasn’t done everything right. There’s a bit of injustice and resentment in there. A feeling that its tough being consistently calm, patient and kind – all the good virtues – when life is throwing stuff at you. You can hide in other people’s lives, adopt their values, lose bits of you that made you who you are. Ultimately its a song about trying to do the right thing, but feeling that is hard in the face of the challenges life puts in the way.

Finding the layline back to what you know, back to being who you always were.

……deep bruh

Anyway there’s some weird backing vocals which is an attempt to do some sort of didgeridoo impression and not sure on the mix- but I like it, hope you do too.

T

A return to the songwriting chair and an attempt at a slow ballad – albeit with a bluesy overtone. It sounds a bit like a mix of an 70s/80s thing with an old M&S food ad. Its a weird one, it grows on me as I listen to it and pleased to be writing again after a few years out. The good news is that there are plenty in the hopper, so more to follow.

The title is meant to be around how it would be great if we could buy some time. Quarantine / lockdown etc. really showed me how life would be if things weren’t so hectic all the time. Everything became calmer despite the overlaying fear/anxiety that went with the daily news and disruption.

I am focussed on making time for all the things I like, not just work. So more music, better food, more sleep, more exercise etc. etc. Lets see how that goes …..

Hope everyone has been keeping safe and look forward to posting more tunes!

Sometimes it feels like we are…..but after a while, it becomes apparent that we are not.

Again, 3 friends in a makeshift studio, making some noise.

Tx

 

A long time ago, 3 friends sat down and wrote a song about control. Here it is!

Tx

Once again, I find myself in Portugal with some free time, so I decided to write something from scratch!

This one is mellow, on the cheesey side, but was meant to say something of living at ease in a foreign land, the anticipation of summer mornings and the important place a road or street can have in a life.

Not my finest, but was fun to write in 24 hours.

As always, enjoy.

T

My first departure into electronic music proper. Constructed with drum loops and some basic synths I think this has elements of what I like to hear in house music. There are also some cringe inducing bits, but I can’t bear to move them now they’re there.

I think this track was trying to do something kinetic, but in a way it fizzles into something quite sweet and euphoric in the middle, so who knows. I liked the idea of the lyric coming into join the accented lead string section, which acts as a nice motif when we join the main section again.

Maybe I don’t have a future in EDM, but I might have some fun with this stuff. I’m away to fiddle with my LFO for a bit!

Tx

Another oldie that I thought would be worth adding up here. I have wanted to re-record this for years but somehow always seem to get distracted by new things. However, I still think this might be the best song I have written, just for overall feel and the way it sounds…..eerie or something.

The sentiment is meant to be…if I remember correctly….about the way we choose a path and really have no idea whether its the right/wrong way. I always had a vision of doing a video for this with someone running down the street, in a suit, in the pouring rain. Slo-mo, the whole thing. It never happened and this has stayed in the dark, missing a last verse. Also, the crazy vocals near the final chorus where an experiment…I kind of like them now, but they may seem a bit full on to new ears….don’t judge!

Weird and strained, written on the end of a bed, worrying about what was coming, and a little about what had gone before.

Tx

 

Click here to go to song page

Written and recorded in 2005, this is an old one, but still has something buried in it for me. Like everyone, I have seen some highs and I’ve seen some lows and this was written as an optimistic, yet pragmatic view of a low point.

Over sung, scrappy solos and sounds exactly as it was, recorded in a garage with almost zero real knowledge of how to record audio. Again, despite that, I think the song is genuine and I enjoyed digging it out and having a listen.

Also, a very young Russell Keeble on the drums

Have a listen and abort if it all gets too much 🙂

Tx