Title track of the new EP Shells And Stones. I wrote the music and lyrics with producer Tony Cornelissen. 
A very personal song. The lyrics are inspired by a some wisdom my grandfather used to offer me. 

Shells And Stones

Dear Jessica is about a girl I was madly in love with in High School. I never admitted it, never made a move on her. Never tried to express my true feelings. Too shy. 

Instead I wrote letters to her. Poems. Song lyrics. Never sending them to her. I kept them to myself. A year ago I found these letters and poems, and decided to write a song about her. 

Her real name was not Jessica by the way. The name just fitted much better. 

Dear Jessica

Rise Ya Crazy Lovers

Pigeons And Crumbs

This song was recorded straight after it was written by Tony Cornelissen and me. 
We had a different song with the same titel. We didn't like it. It did not seem to belong to the other songs we were working on for the EP Shells And Stones. So we decided to skip the song. 
'But', I said, 'I still want 6 tracks on the EP. 5 would be too few.'
So we went outside. With a guitar, a pen and a piece of paper. The sun was shining, the birds were singing (some you can actualy hear on the recording). We wrote the song in less than an our. Went inside and recorded it.

Enfilading Fire

I recorded this version of Young Hearts at my studio, all in one take. It is different that the studio version, but I kinda like it. 

Young Hearts Unplugged - Live

This is a new song, that will appear on my new album 'Young Hearts'. This version is recorded live at my studio. It is a song about loss. Or about knowing you will lose someone dear in the near future. 

Aeroplane - Unplugged Live

Shells And Stones played live in front of a small audience. 

Shells And Stones Live & Unplugged

Very, very rough demo of a new song I wrote a couple of months ago. Currently working on the recordings of a new EP. This song will be on it, be it properly recorded with my band. 

Poor Boys Heart - Rough Demo

A song for Jessica. Very rough demo, basically recorded in one go. 

Dear Jessica Rough Demo

Maarten van Praag: a pleasant, pure and distinctive voice. Songs that really move you. Straight to the heart. Maarten releases his EP ‘Shells And Stones’ in August of 2013. Recorded, produced and mixed by Tony Cornelissen, it’s Maarten’s most personal work so far. 

His Grandfather Max van Praag was a successful singer in the 40’s and 50’s. Like his famous granddad Maarten covered a lot of mileage in the Dutch music scene over the past 10 years. He was frontman of the hit band City To City and performed – solo or with his band - on many different stages: living rooms, clubs, festivals and in pop temples. Meeting people, having conversations with audiences, journalists and other musicians pushed Maarten inch by inch out of his comfort zone. Ready to write songs in a different way than before. A different sound, a different work ethic. Testing new songs live, and sometimes changing them on the spot if needs be. 

Shells And Stones is the title track and first single of the new EP. The lyrics are derived from a quote from Maarten’s singer grandfather and written on the spot while recording the lead vocals. An impressive EP, produced by Tony Cornelissen and a Dutch – Canadian collaboration. Harry Hess, frontman of Harem Scarem also contributed to the tracks. 


Maarten van Praag

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