Year Of The Cat [COVER]

The first time I heard this song it was on repeat for about a week afterwards.

This is the first track I've finished in which I edited the drums from scratch. The guitar part and vocal are layered on top. 

Another Ableton experiment...

What Once Was [COVER]

Through the process of writing this track I learned that when I let go of judgement creativity flows more naturally. 

Once I truly accepted the desire to express myself, and not please others, everything just fell into place.

Demons

This track is the result of ongoing experimenting with effects on Ableton. Instead of relying on reverb to create 'mood' this time I tried delay and it gives the music a whole different feel.

Into The Void

Summer is here, and I am now the proud owner of a MIDI keyboard to boot! This is a result of messing around with it. I put all of my sunshine and positive energy into this track's creation.

APERTURA

There are a lot of ideas, influences and passions I channeled into this one tune. It's a song about letting go of fear; choosing to give in, to enjoy the heat of the moment. Inspired by sunshine, summer, and Chet Faker.

14th of July

Forever battling myself in the creative process, I uploaded an earlier version of this and then deleted it a few hours later. Upon reflection I'm glad I did; I think the changes I made have added colour and texture that wasn't there previously. This began with a piano melody and acoustic guitar chords, and soon sprawled into something else entirely. 

I tried to capture the feeling of sharing stunning views over ancient landscapes with someone I love, the sun low in the sky.

AUTUMN

The result of a jam with a friend of mine from when I played jazz in my university days; the guitar magician that is Joe Robson @naughtybjr. Hopefully one of many to come...!

Porty Skies (w. Joe Robson)

My first track on here for a wee while. Inspired by never ending wanderlust, and life's unexpected turns. All of it pales into insignificance in the face of those big, open skies. Trust. Breathe.

Big Open Skies

An ode to a bit of a classic, and a personal favourite. I love how Mazzy Star managed to capture such a defined 'mood'; something beautiful and tender, yet dark and mysterious. A perfect counterpoint to the era of Twin Peaks and weird American fiction. There's something in this that bridges time, culture and geography to make my celtic hear soar. 

Thanks to Holly Wilce for providing an otherworldly vocal track! Putting this piecemeal project together was such a joy, and transformed an otherwise rainy Tuesday night in London into something magical.

FADE INTO YOU [COVER]

This is the result of an evening of messing about in our music room with my brother. We had a lot of fun; I played a very beautiful old Fender Mustang which was (just about) in tune while Blair was having a belter on our mighty Nord Stage 3 keyboard/synth.

Jam with Blair #2

This is my first 'Big Guitar' track for a while. Inspired by my love for groups like Slowdive, MBV and Smashing Pumpkins I wanted to create something big and beautiful. Instead of the usual layering of reverb I do while mastering the track on Ableton, I had the practical advantage of access to a state of the art music room, replete with Fender Mustang, amp and that good ol' organic, twangy reverb effect. I spread it on thick and had some fun...

Harmony Hill

This was the result of a couple of nights plugging away at a riff completely stolen, admittedly, from The Beta Band. I was jamming with my dad, and he managed to play every other part (bass, organ) with verve and style. The drums are electronic, but add a modern twist. To me, it really feels like a meeting of generations. 'Billy Psycho' is the result of a joke nickname that came from a family reunion. This song is full of joy and life and silliness.

Billy Psycho

I met an amazing singer and guitar player, Emalyn, at an open mic night this weekend. After being quite enchanted by hearing her sing and play, we got talking and decided to do a couple of recordings together. Turns out our Spotify histories are strikingly similar, and we're both big Smashing Pumpkins fans. This is a result of an afternoon's recording and mastering, harmonies, burgeoning ideas, mistakes and all...!

Cherub Rock

This is the first of two tracks I recorded with the sensationally talented Emalyn, who I met at an open mic night this weekend. We immediately hit it off and decided to meet up to jam. This is the result of a single track recording on my laptop, and I'm proud of how beautiful our harmonies and guitar sound against a rough and ready recording. Enjoy!

Skinny Love

A fruitful day of jamming and recording resulted in a series of bedroom / bootleg recordings. This one came last, but I'm maybe proudest of it. My newfound friend and musical sister from another mither Emalyn has almost exactly the same taste in music I do; after jamming this out we decided we had to record it. I hope you enjoy as much as we did recording and singing. Hearts are soaring atm!

Under The Milky Way

After a day of recording through my laptop mic at the weekend, I decided to put my money quite literally where my mouth was and bought a higher quality mic. This is the result of an evening recording a shared favourite with Emalyn on four different Ableton tracks: guitar; her vocal; my vocal; and her harmonies. I was there in body, she elevates this to something truly special.

1979

This is the second track I recorded with Emalyn and my shiny new equipment, which has managed to capture her voice and some harmonies I am chuffed to have been part of. (Emalyn has since told me she has perfect pitch - what an honour!) There's also a cheeky guitar solo which goes louder than I intended, but it adds a jauntiness to this strangely haunting tune.

New Slang

This is the result of a collaboration between myself and a good friend of mine, Harry; an English teacher and a brilliant mind for all things literature. We decided to record some sung poetry, in this case William Blake, to folky guitar.

The Echoing Green

This is another result of a sung version of a William Blake poem ('A Dream'), with myself singing over my friend Harry's interpretation on the guitar. I was inspired by the vocal style of Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins and, of course, Nick Drake. An ethereal departure from reality on this cold Sunday evening.

A Dream

This is a recording of my friend Harry singing the words to a William Blake poem, 'Infant Joy'. Nothing was overthought, or overwrought; just a natural one track recording of a spontaneous musical reaction to these magical words.

Infant Joy (Harry)

Another recording of my friend Harry singing the words to a William Blake poem, 'Infant Sorrow'. Nothing was overthought, or overwrought; just a natural one track recording of a spontaneous musical reaction to these magical words. This time, with an Oedipal twist...

Infant Sorrow (Harry)

This is a recording of my friend Harry singing the words to a Bob Dylan re-interpretation of a Scots folk song, 'The Parting Glass'. A tribute to an iconic singer and our shared love for folk music.

Restless Farewell (Harry)

I wrote and recorded this track with a couple of days off work, thanks to a national holiday in Spain (nicknamed "El Puente", of the title). I didn't intend for it to be as long as this when I set out, but it felt like such a cathartic process, and I didn't want to cut any of it. There's definitely a 'bedroom recording' feel to it, but I like it for all its imperfections.  Dedicated to my brother.

El Puente

I thought my oeuvre was becoming a little too serious, so here's a song I wrote and recorded in less than 5 minutes. All for the love of Earl Grey tea!

BERGAMOT!

This is a song I wrote specifically for an open mic night near where I live, showcasing local talent. The melody is heavily inspired by Julie Byrne's beautiful, ethereal track 'Sleepwalker' and my love for folk songs in open tunings e.g. John Martyn. The lyrics are about trying to find genuine love in the age of dating apps. That and my own romantic shortcomings. Enjoy!

Blood Moon

This is the result of an impromptu collab with the supremely talented producer Adam Skirving, a.k.a. Snack Villain. A few years back I played sax with SV when they were more of a garage band/jam group. I asked Adam to work on this track I wrote a couple of years ago, and this is the result. 

I love the blend of organic instrumentals from the original with digital flourishes, and the whole euphoric summer vibe. If this is anything to go by, there are gooooood times coming.

14th of July (Snack Villain Demo)

The result of a day in the writing cave, chained to Ableton and the old Scarlett Focusrite. I can get very much 'in my head' when it comes to songwriting and creativity, and the answer is always the same: don't think, just act. 

This is a song about feeling a little lost in life, and just leaning into it...

Crashing

This track started as kind of a laugh, honestly. My piano teacher (yes) set me the homework of jamming over these four jazzy chords and I just got addicted. The rest followed. I was heavily channeling Daft Punk here, and that type of pop music which somehow straddles the line between absolutely earnest and effortlessly stylish without ever taking itself too seriously. It's a bit of a fun...a bit of funk, if you will.

All I Need

A musician by heart rather than trade. Always dreamed of writing and performing my own material; this is where I share the steps of my journey so far. 

Always keen to collaborate; DM me if you're interested!

Gregor Macleod Music

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