Resolutions?
The last 2 years have been the hardest of my life. It's really important for me to acknowledge that before I begin my next musical project.
Since the age of 8 I've been performing music live, starting off playing the piano during assembly at school, playing guitar and singing in a soul covers band, cutting my teeth as a solo performer at open mic nights in Birmingham and of course at Acoustic Avenue before leading my own funk band playing our own compositions.
Since The Measure went our seperate ways I've played in a collective (Fran Bove and The Collective) and played a few solo gigs. I've also learnt to use my loop pedal a bit more effectively. What I haven't done a lot of is writing or recording. For some people a tragedy that effects them deeply inspires them. However I've not found inspiration in the loss of my mother. I've found it so incredibly hard to write about what I've felt and experienced. In fact I've found it difficult to write about anything at all.
So when I started to get inspiration for a new song a few weeks ago I jumped on it. I was so inspired that I figured that it would be as good a time as any to finally work out how to use garage band on my mac.
And so I set up a temporary studio in my kitchen and recorded the first incarnation of "I want you near". I'm hoping that it's the start of me recording and writing lots more. Over the last week or so there has been much written in the press about the hopelessness of making resolutions in the new year, especially when they focus on giving things up.
I'm not pledging to give anything up in 2012. Instead I'm going to do more of certain things. I'm going to be more honest with myself, I'm going to gig more, I'm going to jam with more musicians but probably most importantly I'm going to write and record more.
I'm aiming to have an eight track LP ready to put out there by the end of the summer. I can't say now that it will be entirely new songs, but I'm hoping to have at least four new tunes down by then.
I've always been the kind of guy who wears my heart on my sleeve so I'm going to throw the doors open on the process. I'll document the writing and recording of the LP as much for me as for anyone who cares to see it! Expect lyrics, videos and of course recordings.
2012 is going to be a fun year. :)