#talking songs

[rustbeltjessie]

Listen/purchase: Jessie Lynn McMains - Birds of the Mid-Atlantic (music by Tim Simmons with Todd Rogers) by Various artists

My track on the Summer 2022 Hello America Collection actually started life as a song. I wrote the lyrics, god, 17 years ago? I wrote music for it and kept trying to record it, but I could never get the sound where I wanted it, so I abandoned it. When Tim Simmons offered me the use of this beautiful piece of music, I decided to try it with those old lyrics, talking-song style. I’m quite happy with the result.

[adamgnade]

My “talking songs” record AMERICANS came out on Three One G. Here’s one of the tracks. You can get the whole thing at https://adamgnade.bandcamp.com/

[adamgnade]

This is a good introduction to the "talking songs" genre.

[adamgnade]

"People come into your life and people leave"

Here’s a reading with a little synth I played while reading the piece. Sometimes “talking songs” are full band, sometimes it’s me reading over noise or guitar, sometimes it’s just me with a synth drone.

[adamgnade]

Listen to some writing read aloud backed by a musical instrument called a "chime box"

The arrow of stars

and the drowning woman.

[adamgnade]

Listen here at Substack.

Talking/reading by me. Noise by Luke Henshaw (Planet B, Sonido de la Frontera) and Justin Pearson (The Locust, Dead Cross, Deaf Club, Swing Kids). Percussion by the late, great Gabe Serbian (The Locust). This one is available on cassette (released by Three One G). This is also the prequel to my short novel Locust House.

[adamgnade]

I recorded a cover of some writing by Roberto Bolaño. You can listen to it here.