I'm aiming to record a few new tracks for an EP in the coming months.  This is a demo of one of the tracks I'm considering. The recording is deliberately sparse in terms of arrangements—a few light guitar overdubs, the odd vocal double/harmony, but hopefully gets the idea across...

Lyrics:

I don’t want to be the one that’s waking up
To all the things I should’ve done
I wish instead I could just wake up
And simply see the morning sun

Instead of wishing upon stars I’ll never see
Throwing coins in wells oceans deep
If I ask another question will it change me?
Will I be more than I used to be?

When the safest thing is not what you know
Don’t befriend a love that comes and goes
Ever shapeless it keeps us on our toes
Seems I didn’t know love after all

I know you’re the one that’s waking up
To all the things I could’ve done
You’re seeing all the ways I fall short of your vision
However bent, of the way things are

So you’re wishing upon stars you’ll never see
Throwing coins in wells oceans deep
If you take another shot will it save me?
Will I be more of what you want to see?

When the safest thing is not what you know
Don’t defend a love that comes and goes
Ever shapeless it keeps us on our toes
Seems we didn’t know love after all

And if I’m alone
Who will keep me safe
Who will have me covered
Through the seems of grace
And if I’m alone
Who will keep me away
From the edges of the moments
That I fear so deeply

When the safest thing is not what you know
Don’t befriend a love that comes and goes
Ever sacred it keeps us on our toes
Seems I didn’t know love after all

I didn’t know love...

(Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/abstract-art-blur-bokeh-285173/)

I Don't Want To Be The One (Demo)

This is quite an old track, but with a recent "refurbishment" and nip/tuck. I hope you'll forgive the canned drums, it is a demo after all... ;)

LYRICS:
Feel my world close in around me
Every crevace filled with messages not my own
'Til I no longer own the air I breathe
Sold off to someone else from under my nose

We let the facts get in the way of the truth
See what they want me to believe today
Don't know if I'm coming or going
Buying or selling
All I know is I don't want to

Fall into the fire
And fail to turn away
From material desires
Grafted to my senses
Left to wonder who we are
Consumed by our defence against
These corporate avatars

I see our language now corrupted
With brand lines and hard sells
I see traces of them all over me
Did I ever own my self?

There they are again up above my head
Circling like vultures for the kill
Famous personalities the face of corporate entities
The heroes of the hunted, they're haunting our hopes and our dreams

Until we fall into the fire
And fail to turn away
From material desires
Grafted to my senses
Left to wonder who we are
Consumed by our defence against
These corporate avatars

(Image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/architecture-black-and-white-building-business-273209/)

Demo

Corporate Avatars (Demo)

A new track, still very early in its development.

I had an idea to do a bit of an experiment. To record one track a week, keeping things close to what a solo performance would sound like (so, just guitar and vocal).

Plus, I like the simplicity and wanted to get something up that reflected its raw state, before I (inevitably) start messing around with it...

LYRICS
Don't try leading me to water
'Coz I can't taste your truth
These answers they keep floating by
Down the stream, and out to sea
And right by me

Now I'm finding almost everything
Out of place from where it was
What's down is up is up is down
And what's fine to you, for everyone
Just don't seem right by me

Make believe is coming 'round
To set us free from all that's been
But it's backwards, leaning, falling down
Can't you see
What it means to turn away

You see I can't see these colours
That everyone seems to love to hate
The hues they are invisible
To my childish eyes, What's plain to see
Just flies right by me

Make believe is coming 'round
To set us free from the mess we're in
Pushing backwards, forwards, tear it down
Until you see
What it means to turn away
What it means to live this again
What it takes to trust again

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/journalism-information-news-newspaper-1467/

Make Believe (Demo)

Another Q&D (quick and dirty) demo of a more recent track.  Getting an annoying hum recording my amp at the moment, so apologies for that.

LYRICS:
You hang up the phone again
Still I can hear your voice it calls
Far away from me

And everything I believe
Comes from misjudged noise
This faith, it eluded me

So we’ll never be one
‘Coz you weren’t there for me
Yet I can’t let you go
You hold up the sun
I know you care for me
So I can’t let you go

I want to make up for all
The things I wish I hadn’t done
But I know that we can’t go back now

Before all the years between
That held out all the hopes I’d lost
They’re awakening

But they’ll never be won
‘Coz you weren’t there for me
Still I can’t let you go
You hold up the sun
I know you care for me
So I can’t let you go

Can’t let you go

‘Coz you weren’t there for me
So I must let you go
You hold up the sun
I know you care for me
But I must let you go

Must let you go

(Image credit:  https://www.pexels.com/photo/clouds-daylight-dhyamis-kleber-freedom-619908/)

Let You Go(Demo)

It's been a while between postings, as I was sick for a bit (hard to sing when you've got a head cold!) and been overseas. And more excitingly, "I" has become "we" as Nic Readh has joined my little posse on drums. Can't wait to hear what Nic comes up with for this track! (What's on this demo is a scratch part from me. It's rare I come up with drum parts, but for some reason this one came to me...)

LYRICS
Steal the light to keep the angels at bay
Pull the darkness around and hide your face beneath the winds of winter
Open up your mouth and lose your voice beneath the weight
Of all this history, echoes burrow beneath what we believe  

We are defined by the ways that we are not the same
So much you tell yourself why you'll never win the race in the end
All the things that we say, don't mean to cut yet become a knife
Tearing up the grey in between where I'm wrong and where you're right


These reflections in the mirror cast a light that can't be found
Take a longer look around you, can't you see the darkness climb
For all the things I know that never seem to rise above the line
Still I know that I will never be the way, be the way you are


And we're falling over words that must be said
To begin to heal the wounds and make amends
For all the things that I can feel are so wrong
With this fate that lies ahead and lingers on
And weighs you down
And grips your throat
For when they come around

These reflections in the mirror cast a light that can't be found
Take a longer look around you, can't you see the darkness climb
With all the things I know that never seem to rise above the line
Still I know that I will never be the way, be the way you are

Image credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/riYdn15o96U

Darklight (Demo)

Another track that's been around for a while.  Recorded here sans-drums, awaiting Nic's take on things :)

LYRICS:
Go on walk away
And wash your hands off
And contemplate what's happening again

Cracked record repeat
It won't tell you the answer
'Coz nothing is as simple as it seems

When you believe
That it can't be you if you look the other way
And you can't see
This is the consequence
Of everything you've done along the way

That you've done…

So you think you know
The script that's running
Did you ever think to look closer to home

Shuffle stack and repeat
It won't tell you the answer
But be sure to file that evidence away

So you can believe
That it can't be you if you look the other way
And you can't see
This is the consequence
Of everything you've lost along the way

That you've lost
That you've lost, you've lost here today
That you've lost
That you've lost, you've lost here today

And every step you'll find yourself alone...

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/action-adult-architecture-blur-266046/

You've Lost (Demo)

We have been inspired by the student-led protest movement for climate action, and this song has been bouncing around in our rehearsal space for a little while...

After attending the protest this past Friday (20 Sep 2019) I spent a bit of time over the weekend pulling this rendition together. Still not 100% polished, but in the spirit of the occasion I wanted to post it sooner rather than later.

Big thanks to Deb and Bo for making these sessions so creative and productive (we have another 3 or 4 songs on the way). And to Dominik Malzacher for the extra guitars (tracked across the globe in the UK).

LYRICS:
Keeping up
With the latest in the long division
Rising up
This tide across the world now
Speaking truths
So long lost to your derision
Holding on
To the ways of the world that have been

Feeding on your soul
Traded for nothing
Greasing the wheels

Listen up
No room left for indecision
Taking up
Arms across the world now
Ripping out
The deep dug roots of your obsession
'Coz we don't have
A future if we don't step away

Too late for your soul
No good for nothing
Grist for the mill

We stand alone
Feeling our voices rise up
Deep in our bones
We'll take what's left in 1,2,3,4
Make it our own
'Coz we don't want what you've got
We take that road
We'll end up with a world in decay

Will we find
What we need to look the other way
To turn this all around
To see a way beyond the one we know

You stand alone
Feeling our voices rise up
Shaking your bones
We'll shake your mind in 1,2,3,4
We're not alone
And we don't want what you've got
You take that road
We'll take you down in 1,2,3,4

Bones (Demo)

plays guitar, bass, sings a bit, and dabbles in "non-organic textures" using ableton live. writes words too... currently exploring acoustic-y, solo-ish things. seeking co-conspirators in the blue mountains.  previously played in glance + fuzu...

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