Water Snake

My (new) Band "Strobelight Syndicate" (With Kristian Krøll (Krøll/Fake The Envy)) - Actually it's the same as "Los Geezas", we just thought we needed a better name :D

I could get used to this

Silent Town - Strobelight Syndicate

A short, musical journey from the chaos of the mistakes we make in life to a chance to make things better.

The main theme is repeated--much in the same way many of us keep making the same mistakes. But at the end, the guitar soars over the theme, to show us that we have a chance to redeem ourselves.

We may still be the same basic people underneath (much like the original theme), but we can rise above that when necessary.

Copyright 2015 Steve Henshaw. All rights reserved.

Shadows of Life

Redemption

Buy now, at Bandcamp!

DEMO version of "Waiting for the Rain"

I'm raiding the old cassettes and posting some stuff that may not suck as bad as I used to think it did. (My singing and playing, anyway--the playing was almost always pretty damn good.)

The sounds are a bit dated, and the quality isn't great, but considering what we had to record with at the time (early '90s), it's a wonder you can make out anything at all.

"Waiting for the Rain"

Music: Steve Henshaw
Lyrics: Steve Henshaw & Matt Brown
Guitars: Matt Brown
Additional Guitars: Steve Henshaw

So you think you have the answers
So you think you know the way
You can cure us of this cancer
You can rid us of this plague
I have heard your every reason
I have seen your point of view
But it’s not what I believe in
It is not the only truth

Well, you wave your party’s banner
Well, you wave it in my face
But I don’t see how you stand here
When you wage this dirty race
I have read the minds of millions
I have listened to them all
But I have my own opinions
And I’m waiting for the rain to fall

(Chorus)
The rain, when it falls
Wash my sins away
And the rain, when she comes to me
I dream myself awake
And I want her
And I need her
And everything she does
So I’m standing, and I’m waiting
Waiting for the rain

(Spoken)
Take it all for granted
Take it all in vain
Never feel the hunger
Never feel the pain
Never stop to notice
The shadows that you cast
Never worry about the future
Never think about the past

So you think you know the answers
So you say you’ll pave the way
Well, I have my own direction
And I’m waiting…waiting for the rain…


"Waiting for the Rain" Copyright ©℗ 1994 Steve Henshaw and Matt Brown. All rights reserved.

Waiting for the Rain

Waiting for the Rain ('94 VERY ROUGH Demo, with Lyrics)

DEMO version of "Nowhere to Go"

I'm raiding the old cassettes and posting some stuff that may not suck as bad as I used to think it did. (My singing, anyway--the playing was almost always pretty damn good.)

The sounds are a bit dated, and the quality isn't great, but considering what we had to record with at the time (early '90s), it's a wonder you can make out anything at all.

"Nowhere to Go"

Music: Steve Henshaw & Rob Elson
Lyrics: Steve Henshaw
Guitars: Rob Elson

I don’t want to run away with Nowhere to Go
Or live the rest of my life with nothing to show
I don’t want to waste my time waiting for you, no
I don’t want to run away with Nowhere to Go
Nowhere to Go

I don’t want to fill this room with pictures of you
If we’re together forever, you’re leaving too soon
I don’t want to raise this pain with thoughts and lies and reasons to cry
I don’t want to fill this room with pictures of you
Pictures of you

And I’m coming for you now
And I’ve got a long way to go
But I’ll make it up somehow
For a man with Nowhere to Go

And I’m coming for you now
And I’ve got a long way to go
But I’ll make it up somehow
For a man with Nowhere to Go

I don’t want to spend my nights in dreams of the past
Or think that two could be one, or forever could last
And I don’t want to waste my life with nothing more to show 
I don’t want to run away with Nowhere to Go
Nowhere to Go

And I’m coming for you now
And I’ve got a long way to go
But I’ll make it up somehow
For a man with Nowhere to Go


“Nowhere to Go” Copyright ©℗ 1992 by Steve Henshaw and Rob Elson. All rights reserved.

Nowhere to Go

Nowhere To Go ('92 Demo, with Lyrics)

DEMO version of "Everything to Me"

I'm raiding the old cassettes and posting some stuff that may not suck as bad as I used to think it did. (As far as my singing and playing, anyway; the playing by everyone else was almost always pretty damn good.)

The sounds are a bit dated, the "piano" playing is too rigid and the quality isn't great, but considering what we had to record with at the time (early '90s), it's a wonder you can make out anything at all.

"Everything to Me"

Music & Lyrics: Steve Henshaw
Guitars: Walt Cunningham & Rob Elson
Special thanks to Kim Reuger for the Yamaha synth and her helpful opinions!

Dark clouds on the horizon
But blue skies are all I see 
She give new life when I feel I die soon
She give new life to me

Street lights no longer shining
But darkness it don’t touch me
She light my way like a full moon rising
She light the way for me 

Stand in a world full of sorrow
The pain I do not feel
She take yesterday and she bring me tomorrow
She bring new hope to me

Sins of the old world they calling
But the angel she walk with me
She reach out her hand and she keep me from falling
She reach out her hand to me

She’s the music and motion and rhythm and rhyme
She’s the world turning ‘round at my feet
She’s the dream that I live and the song in my mind
She’s Everything to Me

One kiss and I live forever
A smile to set me free
One heart beating together
One love is all we need

She’s the music and motion and rhythm and rhyme
She’s the world turning ‘round at my feet
She’s the dream that I live and the song in my mind
She’s Everything to Me

And I would give her the sun and the moon in the sky
I would give her the world at my feet
And I would give her it all-and I would give her my life
She’s Everything to Me


"Everything to Me" Copyright ©℗ 1992 Steve Henshaw. All rights reserved.

Everything to Me

Everything to Me ('93 Demo, with Lyrics)

DEMO version of "Younger One"

I don't know what I was thinking with the effects on my voice, but I was still not happy with my voice, so that's probably as good of an excuse I'll ever have.

This was meant to be a "Miami Vice"-style tune. Just all attitude, basically. It doesn't really make much sense, but it's fun to sing. (Try it, I bet you'll agree!)

"Younger One"

Music & Lyrics: Steve Henshaw

I stand before you in the Age of Reason
Blue skies fall from high above
I see before me
The face of Treason
Blue skies fall from high above

I stand in line and wait for The Promise
Road to your door is littered with souls
No time to dream
The morning’s upon us
Light from your eyes casts shadows below
Oh, below….

I hear you breathing
And I know you’re out there
I saw your face just a moment ago
Another meeting—life in the cross-hairs
So many alleys, but nowhere to go

And I’m calling out
For the Younger One
The Younger One
And I’m holding out
For The Younger One
The Younger One

I stand in line
I wait for the next one
Try not to cry as I open the door
Put my hands to my head as I answer your questions
Cover my eyes as I fall to the floor

I hear you breathing
And I know you’re out there
(I stand before you in the Age of Reason)
I saw your face just a moment ago
(Blue skies fall from high above)
Another meeting—life in the cross-hairs
(I see before me the face of Treason)
So many alleys, but nowhere to go
(Blue skies fall from high above)

And I’m holding out
For the Younger One
The Younger One
And I’m calling out
For The Younger One
The Younger One

I stand in line
I wait for the next one
Try not to cry as I open the door
Put my hands to my head as I answer your questions
Try not to die
As I fall to the floor....


"Younger One" Copyright ©℗ 1993 Steve Henshaw. All rights reserved.

Younger One

Younger One ('93 Demo, with Lyrics)

I have no idea which "style" of music this is supposed to be (if any). But it was good enough to get interest from a record label all those years ago.

Music: Steve Henshaw
Lyrics: Steve Henshaw & Jim Bird

"Torn Again" Copyright 1987 Steve Henshaw and Jim Bird. All rights reserved.

Torn Again

Torn Again ('88 Demo)

Julian singing "O Tannenbaum" *in the original German* (or pretty darn close, for a 4-year-old!).

O Tannenbaum

Julian's O Tannenbaum

This is a cover of a track by The Monkees. This was just done for fun, folks, as a birthday present for a special friend. My son, my buddy, and I knocked it together in about 4 hours just to make our friend smile, so it's a bit rough in places.

I do not own the copyright, and I don't pretend to. We are not selling this or distributing it. No need to get the lawyers involved. ;)

Written by Jeff Barry
Performed by Steve Henshaw (Vocals, keyboards, bass, drums and horns)
Walt Cunningham (Vocals and guitars)
Julian Henshaw (Vocals)

She Hangs Out (Cover)

This is a "mash-up" of two pieces I wrote: "As I Lay Dying" and "Heart of Me", with a new piece added and an extended fade. This piece is not finished and has not been mastered.

Copyright 2013 Steve Henshaw. All rights reserved.

As I Lay Dying-The Heart of Me

Shadows of Life explores the darker sides, themes and emotions of life through instrumental music.

But just as these "darker sides of life" have many different shades of emotions (and are experienced differently by different people), Shadows of Life expresses those emotions through different styles of music...which can also be interpreted differently by different people.

Most of our music is synth-driven electronic, but you'll also hear soft pianos, riffing guitars, soaring melodies and other things not usually found in "electronic" music.

WANTED: Lyricists!

Influences: Duran Duran, a-Ha, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and of course, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson.... Honestly, I've stolen ideas from some of the best there ever was!