Hi all!
How's your Christmases been then? I trust that you have been ever-so nicely swept along in a delicious fur- lined flume of festivities (try saying that with a gut full of egg nog) and are now poised to enter head first into that gleaming pool of opportunity, otherwise known as the Yearus Newbus.
In all honesty, I find this exact point of the year somewhat bewildering- you know exactly what you're supposed to do-strap on all the joviality you can muster, stagger arm in arm with it round the streets only to round it all off with a hearty plunge into that most communal of pastimes -THE BIG COUNTDOWN. But somehow you just don't want to- or want to HAVE to. You don't know what you're supposed to feel, but you know it should be more than you actually do. "Bah humbug! and lighten up while you're at it" I hear you cry! Nay, it's not as bad as I'm making out, and I do enjoy the very fact that a brand New Year means-well, a brand New Year. It was strangely comforting to read that Mr. R Brand also has issues with this area of life- all I know is, I could probably keep an analyst ( of the psycho type ) happily employed for a good few hours.
The latter part of the year has been a largely non-musical affair, mainly due to economics- Ah that old chestnut- the putting of foodstuffs on one's table. I have been working under the guise of Mel- of - all- trades, whilst keeping the Master-of-none firmly hand cuffed at the back of my closet- closet? I've never used that word- why the savage break with tradition now? I have temporarily been operating in what I can only describe as the wrong skin, but have been able to endure this epidermal inapropriation in a semi- optimistic fashion, knowing that the bank would soon become my new best friend and buying loaves with yellow stickers on would soon be a thing of the past. Thankfully there is no law that states one is forbidden to dream whilst wearing such ill fitting attire, so dream I have been. If it all pans out right, I am hoping that this brief separation from all things creative will have worked wonders in the old artistry department. Ah yes, perhaps it's all been part of life's richest of plans- just want to make sure I'm there with a bucket to get some of that nice creamy bit off the top from time to time!
Crikey! I can see I need to wind this up cos my blog is rapidly turning into a blook! Suffice to say that Ian has ended his year recovering from a small op involving a badly behaved Gall Bladder, and Lee has turned into a butterfly! ( more later ). Work on the album starts again in earnest in the next week or two- we'll keep you up to date with our progress.
HAPPY NEW YEAR wherever you are!
Peace like a river
Mel, Ian and butterfly man xxx
Friday 31 December 2010
Saturday 11 September 2010
SUMMER'S END.....
Hey troops! Hope this finds you well and in a state of utter perkyness!- just thought a quick catch up from the Sunnies was long overdue, and as I find myself with a few delicious moments to spare, I thought it best to put them to good use.
The Summer of 2010 has been a hugely social affair for us, full to the brim with family gatherings, celebrations, and shindigs of every description!
It all kicked off in a flurry of romance with my bro announcing his engagement and imminent wedding- he's getting hitched next Saturday to the lovely Nita, and I have truly not seen him this settled or happy for years- a definite case of meeting one's match I'd say.
Next my exotic, super charged dynamo of a Mexican cousin pays us a visit with her two equally zesty kids and we hit the tourist scene as if London were the only city still alive. I mean we did the lot- The Changing Of The Guard, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Harrods, King's road, etc., etc.. A complete whirl wind of culture washed down with a sizeable slurp of materialism- wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Suffice to say, all manner of other interesting bods have crossed our threshold this Summer and its' reminded me just how important friends are- without them you are nowhere.
The upshot of all this gallivanting is that our song writing has slowed up a little during the Summer months, but I'm happy to report that Sunsoma have now reconvened and a vibrant new song entitled 'HEART SPACE' has been written and completed in demo form. This song holds particular significance to me as I've been trying to write it for years!! A number of sincere and heart felt attempts have been previously made to cajole it into something worthy of putting on the album, but to no avail. It was always nearly there but not quite.
Now, at last, I can say it is quite there. I love it, it fulfils me and I am happy-and even if no one else ever got to hear it I would still be happy. What more can I say? You WILL of course get to hear it, I just wrote that for dramatic effect!
We said our farewells to Lee as his train sped away into the dark, Pompey- bound night, and Ian and I are now sitting here in our loft mulling over the day's creative offerings.
This time next week my brother Ru will be married to the girl who stole his heart, Ian will be chilling with a large beer after having successfully delivered his best man speech and I'll be just enjoying every moment of everything with the people I love the most x
Cheers all!
Mel xxx.
The Summer of 2010 has been a hugely social affair for us, full to the brim with family gatherings, celebrations, and shindigs of every description!
It all kicked off in a flurry of romance with my bro announcing his engagement and imminent wedding- he's getting hitched next Saturday to the lovely Nita, and I have truly not seen him this settled or happy for years- a definite case of meeting one's match I'd say.
Next my exotic, super charged dynamo of a Mexican cousin pays us a visit with her two equally zesty kids and we hit the tourist scene as if London were the only city still alive. I mean we did the lot- The Changing Of The Guard, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Harrods, King's road, etc., etc.. A complete whirl wind of culture washed down with a sizeable slurp of materialism- wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Suffice to say, all manner of other interesting bods have crossed our threshold this Summer and its' reminded me just how important friends are- without them you are nowhere.
The upshot of all this gallivanting is that our song writing has slowed up a little during the Summer months, but I'm happy to report that Sunsoma have now reconvened and a vibrant new song entitled 'HEART SPACE' has been written and completed in demo form. This song holds particular significance to me as I've been trying to write it for years!! A number of sincere and heart felt attempts have been previously made to cajole it into something worthy of putting on the album, but to no avail. It was always nearly there but not quite.
Now, at last, I can say it is quite there. I love it, it fulfils me and I am happy-and even if no one else ever got to hear it I would still be happy. What more can I say? You WILL of course get to hear it, I just wrote that for dramatic effect!
We said our farewells to Lee as his train sped away into the dark, Pompey- bound night, and Ian and I are now sitting here in our loft mulling over the day's creative offerings.
This time next week my brother Ru will be married to the girl who stole his heart, Ian will be chilling with a large beer after having successfully delivered his best man speech and I'll be just enjoying every moment of everything with the people I love the most x
Cheers all!
Mel xxx.
Wednesday 12 May 2010
IT'S GOT LEGS....
Well there we have it, suns have set, moons have waned, volcanos and politicians alike have spewed disruptive matter from their mouths, songs have been finished and wine has very definitely been tasted- yep, recently us three downed tools and zipped off for an afternoon of sampling the delights of the humble grape and supped the lovely stuff it gets transformed into once a bit of squishing and bottling has taken place.
Among other things we learned that when you do the posh bit and swill the wine round in the glass before taking an almighty sniff, if the thin layer of wine that is left around the glass begins to form small drips or tears, these are known as 'legs' which basically means the alcoholic content is more potent and the flavour of the wine will be sweeter- there you go, one of those useful little nuggets of trivia to keep up yer sleeve and fox 'em with at your next pub quiz!!
The band experienced a wee bit of drama recently as quite late one evening, Lee and myself were revelling in the joy of having just finished our latest song SPIN ME FASTER, when our chuffed-ness was swiftly cut short due to Ian needing to get to A and E sooner than, well, immediately.
He was in excruciating pain and I felt utterly powerless to help ease the situation- all I could do was squeeze his arm which he later assured me was a very important thing to have done.
I won't go into heaps of detail, but it appears the poor chap has accrued a substantial but unwelcome gathering of gall stones and his body no longer wishes to house them. Off with their heads I say! A routine op is imminent and Ian will be rid of these crystallised critters in a jiffy. Storing them in a jar as some kind of scientific memento is however, plain wrong- Spicey please note.
Lee has been working hard organising a photo shoot for our album cover, ( legs are involved, but not the alcoholic kind )so looking forward to seeing the fruits of his labours, and we have just two more songs to knock into shape before we are ready to record properly... I am seeing that light!
Hope all is well with you good folk
Speak soon
Mel xxx.
Among other things we learned that when you do the posh bit and swill the wine round in the glass before taking an almighty sniff, if the thin layer of wine that is left around the glass begins to form small drips or tears, these are known as 'legs' which basically means the alcoholic content is more potent and the flavour of the wine will be sweeter- there you go, one of those useful little nuggets of trivia to keep up yer sleeve and fox 'em with at your next pub quiz!!
The band experienced a wee bit of drama recently as quite late one evening, Lee and myself were revelling in the joy of having just finished our latest song SPIN ME FASTER, when our chuffed-ness was swiftly cut short due to Ian needing to get to A and E sooner than, well, immediately.
He was in excruciating pain and I felt utterly powerless to help ease the situation- all I could do was squeeze his arm which he later assured me was a very important thing to have done.
I won't go into heaps of detail, but it appears the poor chap has accrued a substantial but unwelcome gathering of gall stones and his body no longer wishes to house them. Off with their heads I say! A routine op is imminent and Ian will be rid of these crystallised critters in a jiffy. Storing them in a jar as some kind of scientific memento is however, plain wrong- Spicey please note.
Lee has been working hard organising a photo shoot for our album cover, ( legs are involved, but not the alcoholic kind )so looking forward to seeing the fruits of his labours, and we have just two more songs to knock into shape before we are ready to record properly... I am seeing that light!
Hope all is well with you good folk
Speak soon
Mel xxx.
Wednesday 7 April 2010
CHOCS AWAY!
Hello chaps, hope you're all feeling topped up after the annual Easter break -We have just returned from a welcome stint of house sitting and undoubtedly enjoyed all the benefits that a change of scene brings. This past week saw a satisfying mix of song writing, enjoying simple country pleasures and chilling out with the ones we love- Ah, a little slice of paradise! Talking of slices, I have to mention, Ian utterly excelled himself in the kitchen department to a magnitude previously unexposed, and served up some properly good band nosh to help keep that inspiration flowing- we owe ya! xxx
As is customary and always a profound pleasure, Lee joined us for most of the time and almost from the minute we'd plugged all the gear in and before those peachy little valves had a chance to fully warm up, we found ourselves inspired with a new song- it really was one of those "where did that come from?" moments! The lyrics still need crafting in places, but it's all gloriously there and has a chorus that to my mind does more than it says on the tin! I am discovering, that you must seize inspiration when it strikes and not worry too much about the other song that you're still in the middle of- you can fix that one later! It was a joyous moment when we realised something fresh and unexpected was starting to take shape right before our eyes and as I sit here days later, I am still savouring it. Oh how I love this art form!!
Last week we were finally able to smash open our band piggy bank and splash out on a much needed laptop for our imminent recordings- Oh joy! It is everything that a shiny new piece of technology should be and will give Lee hours of fun!
We have an exciting piece of news as we are on the brink of signing a publishing deal for one of our songs-LITTLE WIRES- and we've also just recently met a top producer and super nice guy who is going to be part of the mixing process, and give us input where he can as we start to properly lay the tracks down-there is now a real sense of this thing gathering momentum and it's all moving in a very likeable direction!
Have a good one!
Laters
Mel xxx
As is customary and always a profound pleasure, Lee joined us for most of the time and almost from the minute we'd plugged all the gear in and before those peachy little valves had a chance to fully warm up, we found ourselves inspired with a new song- it really was one of those "where did that come from?" moments! The lyrics still need crafting in places, but it's all gloriously there and has a chorus that to my mind does more than it says on the tin! I am discovering, that you must seize inspiration when it strikes and not worry too much about the other song that you're still in the middle of- you can fix that one later! It was a joyous moment when we realised something fresh and unexpected was starting to take shape right before our eyes and as I sit here days later, I am still savouring it. Oh how I love this art form!!
Last week we were finally able to smash open our band piggy bank and splash out on a much needed laptop for our imminent recordings- Oh joy! It is everything that a shiny new piece of technology should be and will give Lee hours of fun!
We have an exciting piece of news as we are on the brink of signing a publishing deal for one of our songs-LITTLE WIRES- and we've also just recently met a top producer and super nice guy who is going to be part of the mixing process, and give us input where he can as we start to properly lay the tracks down-there is now a real sense of this thing gathering momentum and it's all moving in a very likeable direction!
Have a good one!
Laters
Mel xxx
Wednesday 10 March 2010
AM I BARKING???
Hey chaps! Just as the darkness starts to tuck itself into the beady black night sky and I find myself suitably ensconsed on my swivel chair, I thought I'd tune in with a mini mid week muse or two! Hope you geezers and gals are having yourselves a bonnie and rosy-cheeked little week so far.
Where to start then.....I have to say, I find myself to be a curious being at times- I am I believe for the most part, a well adjusted, mild mannered, law abiding, rational-( except when battling that old chestnut-ARTISTICNESS!) I try to be both kind and patient to the young and the not so, I floss, recycle and strive to hit my 5 a day, and yet somehow this week I deleted all the above in one simple act of insanity- For some reason, I thought it would be fine to put a large, highly effervescent vitamin C tablet (having seen the instructions CLEARLY state that it must be dissolved in water) into my mouth and wondered why I was surprised when my head nearly blew off! For those of you who remember space dust, it was like that but times 100. That's one thing not to do again then.
Next day I decide to cycle to a job, off- road- stylee through the woods in an attempt to stay fit and at least make an effort to chip away at my carbon footprint. With a back pack full of " I'm not that heavy, oh yes you are" tins of paint, a boggy terrain that any mud wrestler would have rejoiced over, and break pads that-er-didn't, it was never going to be a breeze. I must have arrived at the job looking like a complete loon. Thankfully, the client was delightfully eccentric herself, and told me that everything was "marvellous darling" several times. Moral? You guessed it, I shall stick to the roads until the earth has had a chance to dry out, and possibly carrying less paint would be a good option too.
The Sunnies had a rare Saturday off last week as Lee had a family Do to attend, so Ian and I took a trip to the movies and saw the new Alice in Wonderland- loved it loved it loved it! So wildly creative and Mr. Depp just keeps notching them up doesn't he!
Go and see it my friends.
However, the band is now back to it and continuing to craft our newest song A MILLION PIECES- at the moment that definitive chorus is still eluding me and I find myself seeing plenty of trees but no wood. This is where I feel least comfortable and have to fight off those irritating little demons that love to perch on my shoulder and whisper dibilitating falsities in my ear. Nah! you can take a running jump the lot of yer- I can and I WILL get there and the song will be the best it was ever meant to be. And when I've got there and it's all sitting pretty, you'll be the first to know! Tomorrow we meet again for another crack at it, so who knows...
Faithful followers I salute you!
Speak soon Mel xxx
Where to start then.....I have to say, I find myself to be a curious being at times- I am I believe for the most part, a well adjusted, mild mannered, law abiding, rational-( except when battling that old chestnut-ARTISTICNESS!) I try to be both kind and patient to the young and the not so, I floss, recycle and strive to hit my 5 a day, and yet somehow this week I deleted all the above in one simple act of insanity- For some reason, I thought it would be fine to put a large, highly effervescent vitamin C tablet (having seen the instructions CLEARLY state that it must be dissolved in water) into my mouth and wondered why I was surprised when my head nearly blew off! For those of you who remember space dust, it was like that but times 100. That's one thing not to do again then.
Next day I decide to cycle to a job, off- road- stylee through the woods in an attempt to stay fit and at least make an effort to chip away at my carbon footprint. With a back pack full of " I'm not that heavy, oh yes you are" tins of paint, a boggy terrain that any mud wrestler would have rejoiced over, and break pads that-er-didn't, it was never going to be a breeze. I must have arrived at the job looking like a complete loon. Thankfully, the client was delightfully eccentric herself, and told me that everything was "marvellous darling" several times. Moral? You guessed it, I shall stick to the roads until the earth has had a chance to dry out, and possibly carrying less paint would be a good option too.
The Sunnies had a rare Saturday off last week as Lee had a family Do to attend, so Ian and I took a trip to the movies and saw the new Alice in Wonderland- loved it loved it loved it! So wildly creative and Mr. Depp just keeps notching them up doesn't he!
Go and see it my friends.
However, the band is now back to it and continuing to craft our newest song A MILLION PIECES- at the moment that definitive chorus is still eluding me and I find myself seeing plenty of trees but no wood. This is where I feel least comfortable and have to fight off those irritating little demons that love to perch on my shoulder and whisper dibilitating falsities in my ear. Nah! you can take a running jump the lot of yer- I can and I WILL get there and the song will be the best it was ever meant to be. And when I've got there and it's all sitting pretty, you'll be the first to know! Tomorrow we meet again for another crack at it, so who knows...
Faithful followers I salute you!
Speak soon Mel xxx
Monday 22 February 2010
IT'S ALL GOOD.......
Hey chaps happy Feb!
Yep, 2010 is rolling on nicely for us, and in spite of wrestling with a relentless bout of influenza and in poor Lee's case-a stray oyster rearing it's ugly, ugly head and doing it's worst, we're now all fighting fit again and ready for some jollies!
Plans for the album are still as fresh and exciting as ever- we spent some valuable time yesterday trawling through our somewhat eclectic C.D collection, pulling out all the things that grabbed us and we're beginning to formulate some nifty ideas. I have to say coming from an Art and Design background, I've always been a complete sucker for the way things are put together visually-it can say as much as the music and really enhances the whole vibe that you're trying to create. Lee is gonna take most of that under his more than capable wing, and we'll chip in with as much content, brow scratching, 'in- house' nosh and general nodding of heads as we can muster!
What else, what else.. well we have a new song that we're working on called A Million Pieces, we have a very talented drummer lined up for recording, we also have a top notch producer who we're gonna work with to mix and master all the tracks, we just bought a micro Orange crush 3 - ( a mini amp that would comfortably fit on any mantle piece) come on, how could we have stood a hope in the fiery furnace as it fluttered it's pint- sized gorgeousness at us and ensnared our poor, unsuspecting Saturday- shopper- hearts. The softening process having been accomplished, our hard earned cash made a beeline for the comfiest tray in the till and three pairs of socks were suitably blown off! Oh Oh Oh, it is cuteness with a capital C and we are revelling in our love!
We've also been eyeing up a new laptop to start our recording with-now seems like as good a time as any as the one we use has it's quirks and might benefit from being a little less trashed 24/7! I should imagine for Lee that will be one of those deliciously crisp, blank canvas moments- loads of RAM and hard drive space to commune with -a slice of all out techno heaven methinks!
Catch you laters!
speak soon
Mel xxx
Yep, 2010 is rolling on nicely for us, and in spite of wrestling with a relentless bout of influenza and in poor Lee's case-a stray oyster rearing it's ugly, ugly head and doing it's worst, we're now all fighting fit again and ready for some jollies!
Plans for the album are still as fresh and exciting as ever- we spent some valuable time yesterday trawling through our somewhat eclectic C.D collection, pulling out all the things that grabbed us and we're beginning to formulate some nifty ideas. I have to say coming from an Art and Design background, I've always been a complete sucker for the way things are put together visually-it can say as much as the music and really enhances the whole vibe that you're trying to create. Lee is gonna take most of that under his more than capable wing, and we'll chip in with as much content, brow scratching, 'in- house' nosh and general nodding of heads as we can muster!
What else, what else.. well we have a new song that we're working on called A Million Pieces, we have a very talented drummer lined up for recording, we also have a top notch producer who we're gonna work with to mix and master all the tracks, we just bought a micro Orange crush 3 - ( a mini amp that would comfortably fit on any mantle piece) come on, how could we have stood a hope in the fiery furnace as it fluttered it's pint- sized gorgeousness at us and ensnared our poor, unsuspecting Saturday- shopper- hearts. The softening process having been accomplished, our hard earned cash made a beeline for the comfiest tray in the till and three pairs of socks were suitably blown off! Oh Oh Oh, it is cuteness with a capital C and we are revelling in our love!
We've also been eyeing up a new laptop to start our recording with-now seems like as good a time as any as the one we use has it's quirks and might benefit from being a little less trashed 24/7! I should imagine for Lee that will be one of those deliciously crisp, blank canvas moments- loads of RAM and hard drive space to commune with -a slice of all out techno heaven methinks!
Catch you laters!
speak soon
Mel xxx
Monday 18 January 2010
BRING ON THE BIG THAW......
Well that was a bit of a start and a half to the year!
Looking out today, that crazily heavy snowfall of the last two weeks has all but disappeared and if it weren't for the last few remaining tell tale signs- a once majestic igloo now reduced to an ungainly pile of slushy rubble, a notable quantity of healthy branches torn and strewn like limbs ripped from their sockets-and a colourful array of random gloves once lost during must- have snowball fights now lying in patient wait, secretly pining for their other halves- yes, without this small collection of reminders you could almost have been fooled into thinking that the old dream department just went into overdrive one night and you found yourself drifting around the stage set of Narnia for two weeks. But it didn't, and you were!
Truly, how could we forget waking to a fantasy world whipped into peaks of glistening ice crystals, who had silently and diligently danced their way through the dark night and on into the small hours- and boy did they party hard! I mean that was proper top grade stuff- none of that wimpy-you can look but you can't touch type of gear that we usually get. No this was snow WORTH disrupting us for!
I have loved that eerie stillness, I have loved trekking through snow up to my knees, I have loved just staying put, I have loved striking up conversations with strangers, I have loved the fact that tins of spam ( yes, spam! )were one of the most popular items flying off supermarket shelves. O.k I grant you it's nice to be able to get out and about again, but snow, a part of me is missing you!
However, the greatest benefit to this current thawing process was that this past weekend saw a much longed for re-communing with all things Sunsoma- we hadn't been able to meet in A G E S -it was good to be back! As per usual we set up shop and wasted no time getting stuck into our latest track. The bones of the song were pretty much in place before the Christmas break, so it was a matter of finishing lyrics, arrangements and just generally seeing if any musical gaps were still crying out to be filled. I am seriously into this song, and not just because it's the one we happen to be working on. I think I just love the melody and the whole feel. There is such a strong guitar solo in the outro too that just takes me away...somewhere... far!! As yet my biggest hurdle is trying to find a title- I've tried a few but all were definitely too cheesy. I think I said in an earlier blog that creating a title is like giving your song a face. I still stick by that, so looks like I'm gonna need to dig a little deeper with this one. It's funny the things we get stuck on. You'll be the first to know though when she's got her new face on, promise!
As Sunday's daylight hours drifted seamlessly into evening and a productive and extended 'sesh' had left us all feeling more than encouraged, we delivered Lee safely home into the arms of Pompeii and were left to reflect on our progress as we drove away through streaky pockets of fog listening to the sounds of Bon Iver echoing around the van. Can't think of a better way to wind up the weekend! ( I can actually- snow patrol playing an impromptu acoustic set for us in the back of the van!! ) That would be a hard one to top.
Speak soon! Peace y'all Mel xx.
Looking out today, that crazily heavy snowfall of the last two weeks has all but disappeared and if it weren't for the last few remaining tell tale signs- a once majestic igloo now reduced to an ungainly pile of slushy rubble, a notable quantity of healthy branches torn and strewn like limbs ripped from their sockets-and a colourful array of random gloves once lost during must- have snowball fights now lying in patient wait, secretly pining for their other halves- yes, without this small collection of reminders you could almost have been fooled into thinking that the old dream department just went into overdrive one night and you found yourself drifting around the stage set of Narnia for two weeks. But it didn't, and you were!
Truly, how could we forget waking to a fantasy world whipped into peaks of glistening ice crystals, who had silently and diligently danced their way through the dark night and on into the small hours- and boy did they party hard! I mean that was proper top grade stuff- none of that wimpy-you can look but you can't touch type of gear that we usually get. No this was snow WORTH disrupting us for!
I have loved that eerie stillness, I have loved trekking through snow up to my knees, I have loved just staying put, I have loved striking up conversations with strangers, I have loved the fact that tins of spam ( yes, spam! )were one of the most popular items flying off supermarket shelves. O.k I grant you it's nice to be able to get out and about again, but snow, a part of me is missing you!
However, the greatest benefit to this current thawing process was that this past weekend saw a much longed for re-communing with all things Sunsoma- we hadn't been able to meet in A G E S -it was good to be back! As per usual we set up shop and wasted no time getting stuck into our latest track. The bones of the song were pretty much in place before the Christmas break, so it was a matter of finishing lyrics, arrangements and just generally seeing if any musical gaps were still crying out to be filled. I am seriously into this song, and not just because it's the one we happen to be working on. I think I just love the melody and the whole feel. There is such a strong guitar solo in the outro too that just takes me away...somewhere... far!! As yet my biggest hurdle is trying to find a title- I've tried a few but all were definitely too cheesy. I think I said in an earlier blog that creating a title is like giving your song a face. I still stick by that, so looks like I'm gonna need to dig a little deeper with this one. It's funny the things we get stuck on. You'll be the first to know though when she's got her new face on, promise!
As Sunday's daylight hours drifted seamlessly into evening and a productive and extended 'sesh' had left us all feeling more than encouraged, we delivered Lee safely home into the arms of Pompeii and were left to reflect on our progress as we drove away through streaky pockets of fog listening to the sounds of Bon Iver echoing around the van. Can't think of a better way to wind up the weekend! ( I can actually- snow patrol playing an impromptu acoustic set for us in the back of the van!! ) That would be a hard one to top.
Speak soon! Peace y'all Mel xx.
Friday 1 January 2010
INSIGHTS AND INTERRUPTIONS.....
Happy New Year all Ye festive revellers!!! I trust that you've been actively steeping yourselves in Christmas cheer and enjoying all the benefits that a break from the normal routine of life allows. Ours was surprisingly mobile this year- Ian and I took a trip to Spicerville ( which is basically anywhere that 2 or more Spicers are gathered! )- our rellies are reasonably scattered about, so we took the opportunity to jump in the trusty van and descend on various family members' houses. We only got lost once- but please can somebody enlighten me- why do I always end up getting instructions from people who have obviously graduated with a supersized A star in wild goose chasing??? Have these guys finally fulfilled a lifetime ambition as their wildly inaccurate utterances send us hurtling off in COMPLETELY the wrong direction? Do they secretly chuckle under their bobble hats? Why why why oh why? ( counting to ten is now in progress )..... When we eventually pulled up my annoyance was however rapidly realigned as we were showered with hospitality and lashings of tiramisu, and a good time of bonding and joviality was had by all. Tomorrow is our grand festive finale- a sizeable proportion of the clan have booked ourselves into a hotel for the weekend to slightly belatedly but no less sincerely welcome in 2010. Should be boisterous, girlsterous and muchos fun!! Oh and we know the way, so no sign of geese anywhere!
Before I move on, how could we forget that timely and hearty back drop to our last few days of preparations? -O yes, I'm talking BIG WHITE FLUFFY SNOW! The late December sky truly gave us its' gleeful best and laced our days with bloomin' mountains of the stuff!! - I am totally and unashamedly a complete sucker for that wondrous, icy precipitation- those first few moments of re-acquaintance still make my heart beat faster and still make me feel about five. I know our cars get stuck and we have to take the day off work ( shame ) but it was magical weren't it?!
O.K so having just about resurfaced and dusted down our limbs from the inevitable seasonal excesses, are we all feeling gently
yet fervently 'revved' for all that this sparkling, as yet untrodden landscape of a new decade has to offer? I hope so! This is early days, I haven't really done more than put my big toe on it, but it feels good- better than last year- can't say why, but it does!
As I reflect on the events of 2009, the title of this blog I hope conveys a mixed bag of a year- the good and the not so good, the remarkable and the unremarkable, the peaks and the lack of them. For me personally, it has undeniably been a time of learning, challenge, stretching and all those things we mostly try to avoid given half the chance! But without them we don't actually go anywhere very far at all, and life has to be for going somewhere doesn't it? I have had to tackle my lyric writing somewhat more severely- it's not enough that I know what I'm talking about- what about you? If I don't leave you with something or move you in some way then I am doing you nothing more than a very large disservice. God forbid that I should ever learn to excel in that.
As the 3 of us continue to write together, sooner or later more of the missing pieces begin to present themselves- songs are definitely similar to people- they are not always what they seem to be, they can strut a coquettish moment of inspiration before you, only to withdraw into the shadows leaving you with tantalising fragments- it can take months or even years to find the rest. Some songs are wolves in sheeps' clothing- they lull you into thinking they are gentle, tiny songs but in reality they are giant anthems fit only for stadium consumption. Whatever characteristics a song may exhibit they each have a story to tell, an emotion they are longing to share with you. If you are any good, you will find ways to bring those stories out and come somewhere close to explaining those emotions.
I had hoped to be able to neatly say we had ended our year with all the demos complete- we didn't quite get there although we are not that far off. Life isn't neat , it spills over and interrupts you sometimes, so you do your best to manoeuvre around, through and above whatever comes your way, whilst still inching forward towards your goal. The inches have now become feet and 2010 WILL be the year of SINKING TO THE TOP! I am both excited and honoured to work with Ian and Lee and to see all our endeavours unfold.
You Rock guys!! Thanks for reading much love Mel xxx
P.S: How long does a blog have to be before it has officially turned into a small book?!
Before I move on, how could we forget that timely and hearty back drop to our last few days of preparations? -O yes, I'm talking BIG WHITE FLUFFY SNOW! The late December sky truly gave us its' gleeful best and laced our days with bloomin' mountains of the stuff!! - I am totally and unashamedly a complete sucker for that wondrous, icy precipitation- those first few moments of re-acquaintance still make my heart beat faster and still make me feel about five. I know our cars get stuck and we have to take the day off work ( shame ) but it was magical weren't it?!
O.K so having just about resurfaced and dusted down our limbs from the inevitable seasonal excesses, are we all feeling gently
yet fervently 'revved' for all that this sparkling, as yet untrodden landscape of a new decade has to offer? I hope so! This is early days, I haven't really done more than put my big toe on it, but it feels good- better than last year- can't say why, but it does!
As I reflect on the events of 2009, the title of this blog I hope conveys a mixed bag of a year- the good and the not so good, the remarkable and the unremarkable, the peaks and the lack of them. For me personally, it has undeniably been a time of learning, challenge, stretching and all those things we mostly try to avoid given half the chance! But without them we don't actually go anywhere very far at all, and life has to be for going somewhere doesn't it? I have had to tackle my lyric writing somewhat more severely- it's not enough that I know what I'm talking about- what about you? If I don't leave you with something or move you in some way then I am doing you nothing more than a very large disservice. God forbid that I should ever learn to excel in that.
As the 3 of us continue to write together, sooner or later more of the missing pieces begin to present themselves- songs are definitely similar to people- they are not always what they seem to be, they can strut a coquettish moment of inspiration before you, only to withdraw into the shadows leaving you with tantalising fragments- it can take months or even years to find the rest. Some songs are wolves in sheeps' clothing- they lull you into thinking they are gentle, tiny songs but in reality they are giant anthems fit only for stadium consumption. Whatever characteristics a song may exhibit they each have a story to tell, an emotion they are longing to share with you. If you are any good, you will find ways to bring those stories out and come somewhere close to explaining those emotions.
I had hoped to be able to neatly say we had ended our year with all the demos complete- we didn't quite get there although we are not that far off. Life isn't neat , it spills over and interrupts you sometimes, so you do your best to manoeuvre around, through and above whatever comes your way, whilst still inching forward towards your goal. The inches have now become feet and 2010 WILL be the year of SINKING TO THE TOP! I am both excited and honoured to work with Ian and Lee and to see all our endeavours unfold.
You Rock guys!! Thanks for reading much love Mel xxx
P.S: How long does a blog have to be before it has officially turned into a small book?!
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