I liked the sibilance of the words in a song played on a popular tv show circa 2000. "Shoo-shoo...," so I took the word "sugar" and did my own thing with it. This demo starts with the chorus which has a complicated chord progression (goes somewhere unexpected the 1st time)but resolves the 2nd time around. To contrast that, the verse is a simple 4 chord progression, but the final chord in the verse also sets up a tritone interval change BACK into the chorus for dramatic effect.

Ergativity

Sugar (Demo version)

I modeled the sound profile in the verse after Elvis Costello's "I don't want to go to Chelsea," playing the bass and clavs synth in unison. The verse's chords and melody are there to make the chorus' chords and melody sound big and glorious by contrast. Personally, I'm more independent than I am an introvert... but whichever it is, choosing to be alone can be depressing. So, that's what I was exploring here lyrically; that paradox.

Really Down

Demo 1/3/07 4:07 PM I loved the dramatic change from 3rd verse to in Billy Joel's "Honesty" as he sings the word "on" and morphs it into the word "honesty" as the chorus begins. I'll never be that clever with lyrics, but I was able to carry one note through 4 chord changes as my demo of this song goes from verse to chorus. The music is meant to mimic the austerity and doubt surrounding an immature, irresponsible person in the verse. The chorus represents getting past one's foolish ways and growing up, but it's also a plea for love and trust to further help the maturing process.

Demos of Shit

Have a Little Faith in Me (Demo Version)

Originally recorded with Mark Spiro circa 2006, my band (Button Pushers) added some more layers on it and made a few edits. It's about severely estranging one's self from friends, possibly due to substance abuse? I made up the story in the song, but was likely influenced by my Substance Abuse Prevention classes in college (it was almost my minor). I was thinking about the breaking point when friends or family realize they can't help someone who wants to hurt themselves and have to say goodbye.

Automaticity

She Falls Apart

Acoustic guitar and piano constitute the core sound of this song, with strings and synths on top. As usual, I try to make each part of the song contrast the next.

I took a personality test and found myself in the extreme minority of people who tend to operate most of the time in "crisis mode." I was reminded of the time the hood of the car I was driving looked kinda loose... so when the hood DID indeed fly up, blinding me from the road, I first put the cap back on the orange juice I was drinking, and with my head out the window, slowly came to a stop on the side of the highway. So, I thought if I'm thinking about crises and always preparing myself for one, maybe that's why I'm not as thoughtful about the little things, maybe that's why I'm not "present." It's a song about relationship struggles vis-a-vis that specific personality trait of mine.

Rivendellsongs