Hi, it's been a while since my last upload. Here's a song I wrote yesterday! I've not even played it live yet...

Like Pollen (demo)

It's been ages since I posted something here. We're hard at work on the new EP, but here's a wee alternate version of a song from On Love to tide you over.

The Romance Of Love (drum machine uke version)

An elegy for Matthew Perry

When the scythe swung
It missed Kissinger but struck
You, forever known as Chandler Bing
But that's not your name

Billions watched a star soldier of
America's entertainment complex 
You were him therefore you could play
Pitching jokes all day about yourself

When you shook hands with God
A two percent chance of survival 
A million dollars an episode
They were there for you

You cleaned up but the damage was done
You can't unburst a colon
Front teeth taken by toast
Now you nurse a Diet Coke and a pack of Marlboros

When you slid down the hot tub
I hope you were at peace
With a Diet Coke and a pack of Marlboros 
On the side

Diet Coke & A Pack Of Marlboros [redraft]

An alternative arrangement (with Martyn Rollo on cajon and vocals) that we did for Alan's Midweek Madhouse on Radio Saltire.

In The Morning (Radio Saltire session)

Song from forthcoming album recorded live at Banshee Labyrinth by Pete Clarke, 26/05/15.

Band that night (L-R): Sandy Power, Faith Eliott, Ed Ritchie, Graeme Mearns (behind kit), Martyn Rollo, Ian Sullivan. Photo by Ray Bird.

Overthought (live from After Work launch)

Learning to fail
With gusto
With all your heart
Unreservedly

Every last piece
Disintegrating
Until you are down
Bare belly up

Then you learn
How to get up again
On shivery goat knees
With a muggy head

Run your hands over
Your raw nerves
I found purpose
Gradually

Learning To Fail (electric demo)

Slow alternate version (in a different key) of a song from On Love.

The Astronaut & The Diplomat (slow home version)

Do You Remember? (Radiator Hospital cover)

This song came from a task on the Bird On A Wire online songwriting course I attended earlier this year (see also Back The Boys). I was instructed to write a song about any type of bird and stumbled across one of the most upsetting Wikipedia articles I've ever read (and I've read a couple) about the extinction of the Great Auk.

You can read said article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_auk#Extinction or for a more scholarly read try: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/with-crush-fisherman-boot-the-last-great-auks-died-180951982/

The Last Two Great Auks (demo)

New song freshly written this week! I wrote down a few things I overheard on business calls and started from there. Big thanks to Martyn for loaning me his fully functioning bass which you can hear on this!

The Green Light (demo)

Decided to look at the UK charts and discovered this banger with Overthought vibes is at #1. Enjoy my lo-fi cover of it!

Image by www.theawkwardyeti.com

Head & Heart (Joel Corry feat. MNEK cover)

I Have Gone (demo)

First song from the first Dog On A Swing release in nearly four years! This song is available to buy on Bandcamp, or you'll get it now if you pre-order On Love II from dogonaswing.co.uk

Ed Ritchie: vocal, electric guitar, organ, programming
Graham Coe: cello
Nik Paget-Tomlinson: ambience from Street Sounds sample (freesound.org/s/59570), licensed under CC by 2.0 and edited by Ed Ritchie
Mixed and mastered by Ross Saunders at Dirty Reel
Illustration by Eve Alvarez

In May 2013, the very first official DOAS release On Love emerged. Nearly eight years later, its sequel On Love II: Love Harder will be released on Bandcamp on Friday 30th April 2021. I produced it myself (mixed and mastered by Ross Saunders) and it features Graham Coe (The Jellyman's Daughter) on cello, Jon Bews (Storm The Palace/Cantrip/ex-The Last Battle) on violin, and Alex Palmer (Nimbus Sextet/Moy) on drums and percussion.

One of the songs is set during a fragile moment between a big night and the morning after, one hails from a dull hut millions of miles from Earth, and one tells a dark tale from a house with sloping floors. The other three songs describe an acrimonious breakup, a morbid plea, and a clumsy meet-cute.

On Love II: Love Harder

Princes Street, 4am (from On Love II: Love Harder)

3-minute(ish) pop(py?) songs. On here I have demos, alternate versions, and covers. For fully released songs, go to dogonaswing.co.uk

Profile photo taken by Alan Thomas
Cover image by Eve Alvarez

Dog On A Swing

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