singer | songwriter | musician | writer
This post contains two videos showing how I build up a demo of a new song in the recording software Reaper. A lot of songwriters work the traditional way – work out a song on paper or with an instrument, practise it, maybe perform it live and then record it. I sometimes do that still. … Read moreHow I demo a new song
Two new songs taken from different ‘streams’ of music I make – highly arranged stuff and simple acoustic stuff. If I Could Be With You (live) At the Village last week I tried out some of the songs from the acoustic album which Gerry and I are working on. Here’s If I Could Be With … Read moreTwo new songs – one simple and one elaborate
This is my cover version of a song by my friends Fiona Thom and John Farrell, of Ms Fi and the Lost Head Band. (It starts very quietly!) I’ve loved the song Box of Tricks since the first time I heard it. The soaring chorus of I fooled them all is one thing, the elusive … Read moreSongstories #23: Box of Tricks (cover)
She Wants Out Here’s a new pop song. This is a followup to the Beatles’ She Loves You. As you well know, its narrator is telling his friend don’t worry, go for it, apologise and she’ll be yours again. Some weeks or months on, he has a different story for her. As with most of … Read moreWhat the Beatles never told you: She Wants Out
Bridge Of Orchy Sessions 2018 by Bridge Of Orchy Sessions A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an excellent weekend in Bridge of Orchy with some other songwriters. Andrew Ferguson has also written about it here. The digital album is now on sale for only £7.00 and 100% of the money earned will go … Read moreOrchy Sessions 2 – the album is on sale for Cancer Relief
Put a small bunch of songwriters in a ski lodge in May with food, drink and recording equipment and what do you get? A lot of fun, some songs we’d never have written, some some recordings we’d never have had and an album to follow up last year’s. Meet on the Lodge I’ve never doing … Read moreLiving it up in the country – Orchy Sessions 2018