Spring 2018!

I posted this song over a year ago but removed it as I felt it needed more work. Went back only to find the project file gone. Thought I'd at least post the last version of this so that it's not forgotten comletely, because I still really love this song.

As you can probably tell, I'm using parts of "Aphex Twin - Avril 14'th" from the album "Drukqs" as the main melody. All credit goes to him.

Avril

Relief washes over me in an awesome wave

Sweet Water River was inspired by the Archie Comics TV series 'Riverdale'. I'm a major fangirl of all things teen drama, and especially loved the subverted storylines created for the show. I decided to write this song as a response to that. The verses weave in and out of the characters perspectives as they try to work through murder, betrayal and loves lost. In the end, everything leads back to the river, and in my opinion she is as much a character as any of the people on the show. I think this song has a little something for everyone. And a special place for all you Riverdaddies out there! I hope you enjoy this little piece of my world. xo, Ciele

Lyrics:

[Polly’s Verse]
O lo’, sweet water river
How do you dance so sweet but 
swiftly take my lover?
We were with child and set to be married 
O sweet water river
Your sweetness is a lie

[Archie’s Verse]
O lo’ sweet water river
I once laid beside you and felt your sweet kiss
A gunshot came ringing
And there you were screaming
O sweet water river is he dead or alive?

[Cheryl’s Verse]
O lo sweet water river
My brothers been stolen
Have you seen who’s been by?
Family runs deep
And our blood bleeds red
Thick like the maple that flows through it 
Family runs deep
And our blood bleeds red
Thick like the maple thick like the maple

[Chorus] 
Oh sweet, sweet, sweet water
What do you know? 
What do you know?
Oh sweet, sweet water river
What do you know?
What do you know?

[Jughead’s verse] 
O lo sweet water river
Its cold here I’ll follow you south for the winter
Sleep with the snakes
My demons they linger
Beware of the darkness in him,
They whisper

[Veronica’s verse]
O lo sweet water river
My mother’s been making deals with the devil
Has she been here to see you?
Bribe or beseech you?
She’s sent by my father, sweet water,
Be careful 

[Chorus]

[Betty Bridge] 
Can you keep a secret, I know you can
You told me not to tell it but I know who I am 
Can you keep a secret, I know you can
You told me not to tell it but I know who I am 

He is the river, she is the river, 
You are the river, and I am too. 
He is the river, she is the river, 
You are the river, and I am too. 

[Chorus]

Sweet Water River

Oct 11, 2017

The B-side to Solace, out Nov 16th.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Laminate Pet Animal.

Baer

Stream Wriggle (Mr Jukes Edit) here: http://smarturl.it/wriggle-jukes
Pre-order the debut album ‘The Much Much How How and I’ here: www.cosmosheldrake.com/

Sign up to the Cosmo Sheldrake mailing list - eepurl.com/5Bx1z

Instagram - www.instagram.com/cosmosheldrake
Facebook - www.facebook.com/cosmosheldrakemusic
Twitter - twitter.com/cosmosheldrake
SoundCloud - @cosmosheldrake
Website - www.cosmosheldrake.com/

Mixed by Matthew Herbert, Mastered by Mandy Parnell at Black Saloon Studios.

Wriggle (Mr Jukes Edit)

Back in October, just after #MeToo went viral, Vik Bennett got in touch with me to say that she'd noticed that I had used the hashtag on my status. She told me that she was involved with putting an anthology of poems together written by women about their experiences. Her idea was spread the word even further by making a video with her talented partner Adam, with music written by us inspired by the anthology. I was particularly keen to do this because although I've had nothing terrible happen to me, I have witnessed certain behaviours that I felt were inappropriate but didn't feel empowered to act against them. I was also aware of many friends having similar or worse experiences. 
 
A couple of months went by and the the poems were being collected so Vik got in touch again to say that there would be a worldwide launch of the book: #MeToo: A women’s poetry anthology on International Women's Day, March 8th. She sent a digital copy of the poems and I started to read through them. I realised that there were more poets that I knew, apart from Vik, that had contributed to the anthology. This brought me closer to the writing. I wasn't able to read them all in one go, partly because they were very powerful and personal experiences and provoked an emotional response, and partly because I had an 8 month old baby who demanded attention every now and then!

Vik gave us a deadline (which is always useful) so I set aside an afternoon after re-reading the poems many times. I usually like write a song as soon as I can after reading the material, so I sat with a notebook and instruments and read some of the poems again. My immediate response was to write down my feelings and personal experiences and I wrote down some things that never made it into the song, for example a night in Moles, a nightclub in Bath.

Then I had some ideas for chords and melodies on the baritone ukulele and a structure started to form. I ended up going back to one of the first times I witnessed any form of harassment or sexual assault. I remember a girl who was always targeted as a victim of suggestive verbal jibes from our male peers. We must have been around thirteen and I have no idea if she felt bullied, enjoyed the attention or was terrified. I didn't know her that well as she was in a different class. I just remember the boys showing off that one of them had put his hand up her skirt and pinched or felt her bottom. I can't remember if anyone got into trouble but my feeling is that they probably weren't educated as to how that made her feel.

The song goes on in time to when I started to feel pressured by people to go further than I felt comfortable with. I also feel lucky that violence has played no part in my experiences but I'm aware of people, and a lot of the poetry portrays people that have. 

I finished the song and showed it to Ben who had some musical ideas. One night he added some guitar and synth to the track and it became much darker and more atmospheric. We added some cello and Ben started to mix the track.

This morning, after it was delayed for technical reasons, we watched the film for the first time. I didn't know what to expect (although I have seen Adam's Minecraft work before) and I was really moved by it. I don't think I was expecting to see the words written - it was very powerful as some of these were my memories/experiences. 

It's amazing to be asked to collaborate with such artists and to create something which is part of a much bigger story. I hope that it helps to spread the awareness and to raise money for Women's Aid.

Beth Porter

PS: there a video for the song here: https://youtu.be/xwpjLoCS6q8

What We Now Know

A reworking of what was originally a classical style piece. Maria Milewska as always forced us to reconsider the musicality as she sings so much better than our music!

Tomorrows Come

Loving lots of different genres and the site to discover new music.

Spring 2018!

Julia Georgiou