One calm evening on the banks of the of the breath-taking Murray river, I sat at a beautiful spot overlooking the water, which also happens to be an invisible border from one state to another. Testament to the human imagination the bank on the other side is Victoria, and where I sat is New South Wales. However I could see no state line, just peaceful water flowing and the sound of the birds singing.  I was staying in my van taking some much needed time out during a tour; revelling in the awe inspiring nature I lit a little camp fire.

I got to thinking about all the generations which had sat here before me; I could hear long forgotten conversations as whispers in the wind amongst the trees. I imagined humans roaming free before ‘civilised’ society formed and how they would naturally migrate just like other animals, and how that despite imposed yet merely imagined borders,  the same innate desire still remains in so many of us. At what point did we stray from being guided by Mother Nature, and migration became emigration? I guess we call it progress.

Being an immigrant some 17,000 Kilometres from where I grew up, I reflected on the trajectory of my own life and the lives before me that brought me to the present moment. My migration so far in a nut shell began in Snowdonia North Wales, gradually moving through Europe, SE Asia then Queensland Australia. At this point I was travelling even further down south to Victoria. From the Northern hemisphere Southerly change has been my constant thus far. Feeling blessed in the shelter of those ancient trees, under the infinite and brightly shining stars dancing as they reflected on the water, I began writing this song – Down South 

Down South is a song about the migration of my life, and all my ancestors before me that brought me to this moment.

Down South
Get me out of here, set me free of fear, see me for who I am
Reoccurring dream, 45 degrees, I’m on my way again
I’m emigrating, an immigrant migrating
Affirmations coming as I go

Set it up now sister, to knock it down now man
Set it up now mister, to knock it down down down
Pick it up now, time to go down

Answer the call - Dragon to Albion 
Fleur-De-Lis and all, the way to Lyre Birds somehow
This road keeps driving me, rolling out my dreams before me
This journey is my guide, and were right where were supposed to be now

Medicate my soul, every time I go, following this glow
Die and die again, but this will never end, blessed to get a glimpse
Take it all in, to let it all go
Drifting on these southern winds of hope

I’m going down south, I’m going down south now

Down South

I aimed to create a song that can be performed solely with vocals and a guitar, without my typical use of foot percussion and effects. I wanted to achieve a raw and authentic sound as close to the original source as possible.

The song is about the divine existing within us here on earth, rather than in a distant celestial realm. I was reading a Neil Gaiman book at the time and his quote  'heaven and hell is something you carry around with you, not somewhere you go’ really stuck with me. 

I believe that miracles occur in our daily lives, even in the smallest acts of kindness, like someone helping you up when you fall.. A world where everyone helps each other feels like heaven to me, whereas a cold disconnected world where nobody helps each other seems like hell. Those who brighten our day in even the smallest ways are angels in my eyes- ordinary people, not unattainable celestial beings. 

I believe we all have the power within us to create heaven and hell in every moment.

I believe we are the divine.

Lyrics - 

To see it you have to open your eyes,
Like coming to life for the first time
Dreams of celestial beings and miracles
And heaven and hell as places you go

But what if it’s something you carry around?

Oh oh oh its not a stranger
Oh oh oh this is an angel
The person that picks you up when you fall down
Oh oh oh, we are the divine

If you’re looking for god just look in the mirror
It’s simple and pure not sacred and holy
It’s in our reactions and interactions
You’re already whole stop looking for more

Cause all we have is this
And this is everything

We are the divine

We Are The Divine

This song is about the experience of seeing familiar things in a completely different way, feeling like a stranger in a once-familiar place, and the journey of rediscovering where you truly belong after feeling lost. Like going through an inner apocalypse and finding your way out to the other side. The burning effigy of a former self.

I wrote the song not long after Covid kicked in. During lockdown  I, like most people, found myself reassessing everything, and feeling quite hopeless about it all. I began to feel like I was fading away, becoming a ghost.

I finally realised it was all in my head, my preconceived ideas being challenged sending me into an existential crisis. With perception, there are infinite ways of seeing the same thing, so I found it was merely a case of re-adjusting and re-aligning it. However, that is easier said than done and is more of an ongoing process than ever being completed, but that’s ok, that in itself is part of it. 

We all see the same moon at night and the same sun in the morning, we are never truly alone in this, we are all ultimately trying to figure out the same thing. With this knowledge I feel we more than ever need to be united rather than let it push us further apart. It is but a choice, and I feel optimistic, I have to.


I am the ghost of a living man, footprints forming in the sand
If I close my eyes, it’s me who disappears
So hold my hand, and keep me here
Please hold my hand, and keep me here
Here

Surroundings move as I stand still
River flows over cold skin
If I open my eyes it’s you who disappears
So let me sleep, forever more
More, evermore

Under the same moon, 
I see myself in you
Feet on the same old earth (yet)
Unrecognisable, illuminated anew

Unfamiliar, but i’ve been here before

I am the host of a dying man, footprints fading in the sand
If I narrow my eyes, I see you standing there
Open arms, as I alight this earth
And ascend, we ascend

Sun, rise like never before
We’re no longer who we were
Let it conquer and unite
A kiss of life from slumber rise

Ghost of a Living Man

Ghost Of A Living Man

‘At Your Door’ is a song about leaving the place you grew up in disillusionment and traveling the world believing that you will find what you’re looking for, blaming where you come from for all your problems, and romanticising that the answers lie in faraway lands.

After many years of constantly moving, I found that the problems lay within me and that no amount of wandering would allow me to escape them permanently. I realised that I was trying to find my truth whilst unintentionally running away from it, and to find it I needed to do the opposite. To be still and reflect, to face up to my problems and to be able to grow past them. It took a long time for me to figure this one out, and at first it was deeply uncomfortable both conceptually and in practise.

As time goes on I have noticed real growth doesn’t come easily, but with perseverance it’s profoundly rewarding. After a long and winding road, I am in a much healthier state of being than I was all those years ago when I left my hometown, yet there is still a long way to go as there always will be, and that's OK. 

I feel incredibly grateful to be where I am today in both my inner and outer world. I feel very blessed to be here and able to share this song at this juncture of my journey.

I realised the truth I was searching for is my own idea of ‘home’ which turns out is not a physical place at all. I found that once I began grounding myself and addressing my issues as best I could, my roots could come with me and continue to grow.

At Your Door

Moth To The Flame

Daryl James’s new single ‘Alison’ sees him take a new approach in what has been described as the Bohemian Rhapsody of the Blues/Roots world. This multi-dimensional song traverses vast musical terrain. Based on a roots Weissenborn slide guitar groove, vocal choirs and ethereal Lapsteel guitars interweave there way though Humarimaba melodies and heartfelt lyrics. 

The song also has a deep story entwined within it, which started as a seed growing to take on a life of its own.

A few years back I did a crowdfunding campaign for my debut single ‘27’, and one of the rewards people who donated could choose was a personal jingle composed by yours truly. My dear friend and Aunt in law Alison donated and chose a personal jingle, which is how the song came into existence. 

Alison had been fighting cancer for a number of years and after beating it time and time again against all odds, passed away a few months ago. She was a musician herself and a deep and innovate thinker highly involved in the local community in various forward thinking and conscious projects. 

Unfortunately she never got to hear the song in its final form.  I felt incredibly guided in the recording of this song, and I believe her spirit lives on in it. I feel the song itself is cathartic in its nature and for all those suffering loss, I hope it can help light the way. 

I worked with Alison and her team at Woodford Folk Festival, doing workshops with an instrument called a Humarimba. It is basically a giant marimba that you strap to 2 people who suspend it, and then 3 people can play it. I actually recorded the Humarimba on the track you can hear it underneath the guitar solo. 

LYRICS

Alison, Alison. Your art is your heart
Alison, Alison. You’ve come so far now it’s time to start again

Your blank canvas carries you away, so your colourful heart can bloom
And finally you reach the trees in the distance
Its freedom
Now you’re awake and you feel no pain, only love remains
You’re with us again, with us always
Just a dream away

Alison

It came to me as I was driving away from one of my favourite places on earth, the Promised Land swimming holes. I was in the middle of a tour and at the time dealing with some heavy personal issues. I went to swim and clear my mind, and as always it was absolutely magical at this sacred spot. I pulled away and 10 minutes up the road the song came to me all at once.. I had to pull over immediately and quickly write it all down. It all felt very guided, and it was incredibly healing for me. 

I feel like this song is a kind of blessing for me, which helped me through these hard times. Hopefully it can do the same for the listener. It’s also a strong reminder that under duress, never underestimate the healing power of Mother Nature.

Promised Land

Bare feet kiss the earth, underneath the trees
Wade in wash me clean, baptise me now
This body of water, holds my body
Suspends my spirit, frees me from my thoughts
Bless away the curse

Going, going, going to the Promised Land

Weightless I lie, soak in your wisdom
Reverence immeasurable, lightning strikes the tree
Revelation is not a moment, epiphany not a point
Imaginary identity release me, body and earth

Going, going, going to the Promised Land

Deep clear water lets me see deep
Deconstructs, and rebuilds me

Promised Land

This is a song I’ve had in the pipeline for almost 2 years now. I started recording it about a year ago, and have been playing it at my gigs for about the same amount of time.


It’s a real special song to me, about a great adventure I had with some friends many moons ago. Sadly a couple of my close friends who were on this trip are no longer with us, so it holds extra sentimentality for me as one of my most cherished memories with them.


It all began as my friend’s hardcore punk band scored a gig at Rebellion festival, which is the biggest punk festival in the UK. It is held in Blackpool, which is a quintessential British seaside town complete with Blackpool Tower, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and famous for Blackpool Rock (A insanely hard stick of candy with the word “Blackpool’ printed through the middle, like a phallic gobstopper). For one weekend a year it turns into a huge sea of mohawks and studded jackets, hosting one of the biggest gatherings of punks in Europe.






We were living in Brighton at the time, which is the other end of the UK which is roughly a 6 hour drive over 300 miles away (which for you Aussies, is a long drive for us over in the UK!). We had the bright idea of attempting to resurrect our mate Owen’s old work removals van which had been sitting on his drive for the last year. It wasn’t in the best of shape but we managed to get it running. The idea was to fill the back with as many of our mates as possible and hit the road up to the festival.


The time came and our motley crew all climbed in.


The party proceeded form the moment we left in the back of the big Luton van, I was first up front to drive..

We made it about 30 miles, not even as far north as London when disaster struck, and the van came to a dramatic halt on the M23 with plumes of smoke coming out from the engine. Turns out it was terminal, but fortunately Owen’s Dad wisely made sure we had breakdown cover. Owen managed to sweet talk the AA (Breakdown recovery) to tow us the whole rest of the way to the festival. Of course it’s illegal to have people in the back of a van, so we had to pretend it was just furniture in there. 


This was all very amusing for the people in the back at first, but they had to be quiet so we could make the trip. It was such a distance that it took 2 tow vans, once tow van taking over at the edge of the last tow vans maximum tow distance.. They still had a great time in the back, but I remember looking in the mirror up from in the tow truck, and seeing piss coming out of the back of the removal van onto the motorway.. I think it was also getting a bit dire in there by the 4/5th hour!!


Finally we made it and the tow truck dropped us in the car park of the festival, and that was our home for the weekend. I’ll never forget the sight of opening up the van once we had been dropped off, and it was pure chaos! A whole plethora of the extremities of humanity all came rolling out in plumes of cigarette smoke, empty cans and bottles, bleary eyes and delirious, however all laughing and smiling.

 

I have to say as fun as it looked,  I was pretty happy I'd ridden up front! The name of Owen and Phil’s old removal company was ‘Green Badger’, which was printed in huge green text across the van. So the song is homage to that van which will always hold a place in my heart as such a great base for us that weekend, and for the times spent with dear friends. I will never forget that weekend.


For Owen and Tazz, and the rest of us reprobates..

Green Badger

Multi-instrumentalist and award-nominated (QMA 2022) singer/songwriter, Daryl James fuses heavy blues with the raw Celtic roots of his North Wales homeland. Wielding a wild array of stringed instruments and custom foot percussion, many-a-tall-tale is sparked to life through his captivating live performances.

Daryl James

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