I'll Still Be There

Lyrics:
lazy night
and a gentle rain
quiet rhythm
love the sound it makes
the patterns
get me thinking of
simple things

nice warm fire
and the ones I love
playing games
and thinking of
the things
that really seemed to matter
were simple things

simple things
like time spent together
smiles shared
stories told
i got away
from what holds me together
I forgot about us

nuance
i’ve had enough
subtleties
they just don’t mean much
i just
want truth after all
i want simple things

want to go back
to the time before
like a child
and want nothing more
than to
be with you and embrace
simple things

simple things
like time spent together
smiles shared
stories told
i got away
from what holds me together
i forgot about us

warm smiles
and a gentle breeze
green leaves flutter
and a sense of peace
i know
i know that you are with me now
it’s a simple thing
i know
i know that you are with me now
it’s a simple thing

Credits:
Music and Lyrics: Briagha McTavish, Neil McTavish
Briagha McTavish: vocals, guitars, keyboards
Malachi Jaggers: vocal and guitar tracking; bass, percussion
Neil McTavish: keyboards, mix
Steven Memel: Vocal/Performance Coach
Ronan Chris Murphy: Mix Consultant and Mastering
Copyright 2013, Briagha McTavish, Neil McTavish
www.briaghamctavish.com

Simple Things

I Can't Help

Lyrics:
the day you moved in up the street
I drove to greet you on my trike
told you my name you told me yours too
then gave me a sweet, shy smile

rolling down hills and riding bikes
exploring forests and sledding snow
you always seemed to look out for me
inseparable, for a while

you don’t have to say you love me
you tell me with the things you do
life is better whenever you’re around me
and you’re all I want now


I hated the day I moved ‘cross Town
heartsick and six, no way to be
ten years later and out of the blue
a high school prom rendezvous

you looked diff’rent but the same
memories overwhelmed for a while
reminiscing, how you looked at me
same caring manner, same smile

you don’t have to say you love me
you tell me with the things you do
life is better whenever you’re around me
and you’re all I want now

When they said that I might lose you
I knew the only one I wanted to be with was you
Flashing lights, bedside nights
Then you opened those beautiful eyes,
You were back to me, back to me
Back to me, back to me

six years later graduation
then homemade dress and wedding cake
fixer upper where we used to play
don’t have much but it sure feels great

folding clothes at the laundry
long drives and long talks
painting walls and building fences
adventures, I love them all

you don’t have to say you love me
you tell me with the things you do
life is better whenever you’re around me
and you’re all I want now

Credits:
Music and Lyrics by Briagha McTavish, Neil McTavish
Briagha McTavish: vocals, guitar, synth bass, keyboards
Neil McTavish: Tracking, Mix
Steven Memel: Vocal/Performance Coach
Ronan Chris Murphy: Mix Consultant and Mastering

All I Want Now

Lyrics:
Paper planes, shattered glass
things don’t last, things don’t last.
Like broken hearts, those things you said,
these will pass, these will pass.

It’s been too long, wasted my time,
I fell too hard, I fell too hard.
A hurtful word, a caustic line,
you went too far, you went too far.

‘Cause every time you open your mouth
I hate the words that come out,
and I’m tired of being there for you
when you’re never around,
And I’ve tried to make things work
but then you always put me down
have fun kissing yourself baby
‘cause I’m out, I’m out

Heard this before, “Baby don’t go”
Too many times, too many times.
I’m a fool, for an empty line
Don’t know why, don’t know why.

You had it good, someone to use
It’s who you are, it’s who you are
You treat me bad, I let it go
No excuse, here’s the news

‘Cause every time you open your mouth
I hate the words that come out,
and I’m tired of being there for you
when you’re never around,
I have tried to make things work
but then you always put me down
have fun kissing yourself baby
‘cause I’m out, I’m out

I’m leaving now, you can say goodbye
you’ve done me wrong, you didn’t try.
I’m leaving now, don’t dare ask why,
you’re in my past, you’re left behind.

I’m leaving now, you can say goodbye,
you’ve done me wrong, you didn’t try
I’m leaving now, don’t dare ask why
you’ve done me wrong, you’ve done me wrong.

‘Cause every time you open your mouth
I hate the words that come out,
and I’m tired of being there for you
when you’re never around,
And I’ve tried to make things work
but then you always put me down
have fun kissing yourself baby
‘cause I’m out, I’m out

Credits:
Music and Lyrics by Briagha McTavish, Neil McTavish
Produced by Ronan Chris Murphy
Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Ronan Chris Murphy
Additional Engineering by Diego Lopez, Neil McTavish
Recorded and Mastered at Veneto West Studio, Santa Monica, California

Briagha: vocals, keyboards
Rob Chismar: drums
Ronan Chris Murphy: guitar
Jinty McTavish: violins
Tony Newton: bass
Curtis Timm: guitar

I'm Out

Is It Weird

Lyrics:
I need some medication, 
Maybe some appreciation 
For the way I’ve been racing round for you.
It’s not mumps or measles
Or the swine flu.
But I’m definitely sick over you.
I’m so sick--

I’m sick of falling for you every time I see your face.
I’m sick of feeling like I’m settling for second place.
I’m sick of liking you-- even when you’re driving me crazy.
I’m so sick--

I’ve got this huge heartache, 
And I guess it kinda hurts.
And it comes when I think about you.
I’ve tried ibuprofen,
And nothing seems to work
And I don’t think it’s going away soon.
I’m so sick--

I’m sick of falling for you every time I see your face.
I’m sick of feeling like I’m settling for second place.
I’m sick of liking you-- even when you’re driving me crazy.
I’m so sick--

So I think I understand it
And the problem’s that I like you,
And my heart is nearly bursting at the seams
When you’re sitting right beside me,
You’re messing with my brain
I try to concentrate but just can’t find the means
I’m so sick--
But the truth is--

I love falling for you every time I see your face.
I love hoping that I’ll get that first place.
I love liking you-- especially when your driving me crazy.
I love making you smile when I say something.
I love when we talk about nothing.
I love when we just are acting crazy.

I’m so sick.	I’m so sick.
But I’m so not sick--
Of you.

Music and Lyrics by Briagha McTavish
Produced by Ronan Chris Murphy
Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Ronan Chris Murphy
Additional Engineering by Diego Lopez
Recorded and Mastered at Veneto West Studio, Santa Monica, California
Briagha: vocals, keyboards, guitars
Rob Chismar: drums
Tony Newton: bass

Sick


LYRICS
I hate this day; it makes me mad. 
 I could kill the air right now.  
The particles thicken and choke me. 
It's like there's dust all over everything 
and looming in the corners 
of all the things I remember- 
about you. 

And I could sit here and dwell 
about the things that you will miss. 
And I could go on and tell you 
 just how hard this is. 
 But I just want to say I love you, 
and you're sorely missed. 
 I'm not alone. 
 I know you're here,  
now. 

I hear your laugh - that little smile. 
I hear your voice as you speak 
and fill my heart up with colors. 
Then I remember all the times 
when your face lit up my life, 
I see you look at me and tell me - 
I'm your little girl. 

And I could sit here and dwell 
about the things that you will miss. 
And I could go on and tell you - 
just how hard this is.  
But I just want to say I love you, 
and you're sorely missed. 
 I'm not alone.  
I know you're here 

When life is colder, 
 you'll keep me warmer.  
You'll be guiding me, and helping me, 
to keep my paths straight. 
 I know you're closer than before. 

And I could sit here and dwell 
about the things that you will miss. 
And I could go on and tell you, 
just how hard this is.  
But I just want to say I love you, 
and you're sorely missed. 
 I'm not alone.  
I know you're here.  

I'm not alone.  
I know you're here. 
 I'm not alone.  
I know you're here,  
Now.


Music and Lyrics: Briagha McTavish 
Produced by Ronan Chris Murphy 
Engineered, Mixed, and Mastered by Ronan Chris Murphy 
Additional Engineering by Diego Lopez 
Recorded and Mastered at Veneto West Studio, Santa Monica, California 
Briagha: vocals, guitar, keyboards, viola 
Christopher Allis: drums 
Tony Newton: bass

"Sick" is a song that I wrote when I was 15, and was the first song that I really liked that I wrote. The first lyric line came to me while I was sitting next to a boy that I had had a crush on for a really really long time in math class. The whole rest of that day, through the rest school and golf practice, I was repeating the lyrics and melody lines that I had come up with earlier that day. 

This song was written back in 2010, which was around the height of the hype around the new epidemic–the swine flu, so obviously I had to include it in my allusions to common sicknesses and cures. I think that because of the lyrics, the song offers a really cute look into the mind of a 15 year old pining over someone that maybe didn't really like them back in the way that they would want them to.

Anyway, I did woo the young man I liked with this song, but the quasi-relationship ended after about a month. I did get a good song out of it though...

Briagha (pronounced Bree-uh) McTavish is an award winning, young singer-songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana, who has a unique and special sound, and a definite style, all of her own. Her lower range is killer; her upper range is soft and melodic, and her ability to write and perform music is magical.

Briagha songs are deep and meaningful, especially considering her youth. They run the gamut of human emotions and issues ranging from the joys of young love to grief, regret, abuse, and addiction. She has won many awards for her songwriting, the latest being the winner of the Pop category of the 2015 West Coast Songwriters International Songwriting Competition.

Briagha has over two hundred and fifty performances under her belt. When creating her music, Briagha alternates between piano and guitar, and this is also the case when she performs, making for shows that are diverse, interesting, full of passion, and that draw her audience into the magic of her music.  Her good humored, quirky banter between songs keeps things entertaining and light. Along with her original songs, Briagha can also draw from a large repertoire of songs by a wide variety of artists - Johnny Cash, Selena Gomez, Alanis Morissette; to name only a few

Briagha has been writing and performing music all of her life. She is classically trained in piano and viola, she taught herself to play guitar and several other instruments, and she has been writing music since before she can remember. Currently, Briagha studies with vocal and performance coach, Steven Memel (Sara Bareilles, Adam Levine, Maroon 5, Jesse McCartney, Drew Barrymore), and song-writing coach, Judy Stakee (Sheryl Crow, Katy Perry, Michelle Branch, Gavin DeGraw, Jewel). She is constantly writing, recording, and experimenting with new styles and instrumentations.

Briagha says, “I like music that’s real and tells a story; that draws you in so far you feel like it’s a part of you.  I like music that’s full of life, which has a melody that soars, and is meaningful.  That’s the music I like to write.”  And, Briagha does exactly that.


ACHIEVEMENTS

August 2015: Winner ("Is It Weird") and Honorable Mention ("Sick") in Pop Category of 2015 West Coast Songwriter's International Songwriting Competition

November 2014: TEDx, Lafayette, Indiana; "Chick Singer Night" at the Bluebird Cafe, Nashville; Featured interview on Taxi TV with Michael Laskow, President of Taxi A&R, Los Angeles

May 2014: Featured performer, Canadian Music Week, Toronto, Ontario

January 2014: Singer/Songwriter of the Year - ThinkLafayette Magazine

Nov/Dec 2013: Featured independent artist for national trade magazine "I Am Entertainment".

September 2013: "Simple Things" wins as one of the Top Five Songs of the Month by Songwriter Universe magazine, Los Angeles

July 2013: Winner ("Always On My Mind") and Runner-up ("Simple Things") of the national radio series In Search of a Song's Searchlight Song Competition. As winner Briagha was the subject of a one hour show and broadcast nationally on select NPR and Public radio stations. Listen here: https://www.prx.org/pieces/100607-in-search-of-a-song-briagha-mctavish

October 2012: A Winner for "Always On My Mind" and an honorable mention for "Sick" in the Blooming-Tunes Songwriting Competition

May, 2012: Winner, SAMI Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters for song "Sick"


PRESS

"Briagha McTavish - Indie Artist Making Her Way:  ... Michael Jackson, was an Indiana native. Not to mention Janet Jackson, John Mellencamp, Kenneth ‘Baby- face’ Edmonds, David Lee Roth, and Axl Rose...all Indiana-born. And now, it looks like Briagha McTavish is prepping herself to join this elite group of musical geniuses. Get to know her before she becomes a household name." – I Am Entertainment Magazine

"Her arsenal of songs for piano and acoustic guitar — she often switches between the two during a gig — are sweet, beautiful and full of substance. An expert voice and classically trained piano chops are wonderful conduits for Miss McTavish’s tunes." – Tim Brouk, arts and entertainment contributor, Think Lafayette Magazine

"The Next Taylor Swift? ...She mirrors Taylor Swift with her tall, lean body topped by blonde hair. Likewise, her whimsical but versatile voice is complimented by the guitar and piano she plays, along with many other instruments. Briagha McTavish, ...may be the next big star. With only 18-years under her belt, her sensible character is revealed through her animated and bubbly personality, a perfect combination for the spotlight." – Purdue Exponent

"...Briagha McTavish has it all:  songs with engaging lyrics, a compelling voice and a contemporary folk-pop presentation over an underlying current of classical music training.  Whether on piano or guitar, original songs or covers, from LA to Indiana, this winner of the 2012 Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters is going places fast!” – Joe Peters, host of "Acoustic Blend", WBAA AM920 - Public Radio from Purdue University

Briagha McTavish

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