This is a cover of Blur's The Universal I did for my A Level Music Tech. Everything on here was recorded with the help of a few friends and teachers.

The Universal (Blur Cover)

This is my eighth installment in my quarantunes series, where I attempt to write and record a song every two days.

Here's a piece of instrumental music I wrote with video game soundtracks in mind, specifically calm ones like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. It's very chill and calm and perfect for beach days.

Beach Days (Quarantunes Song #8)

This is my ninth track in my quarantines series, where I try to write and record a song every two days.

Time's On Your Side is about the feeling that the world is turning too fast, that you're running out of time, and that you've wasted your life so far. Luckily the chorus is a little more uplifting because you're only 24 for god's sake.

Lyrics:

God I thought I had a week
The calendar says that I lied
Waxing and waning, Just trying to survive

Don’t you always worry
That times not on your side
But time, times on your side 
And nothing is slowing you down

I swore this would be my year
But I’m half a decade gone now
Quarter life crisis a third year down 

Don’t you always worry
That times not on your side
But time, times on your side 
And nothing is slowing you down

Oh, don’t let it phase you tonight
Oh don’t let the phases decide 
Oh, it’s not just a phase, it’s a life.

Don’t you worry
Cos times, times on your side
yeah time, times on your side 
And nothing is slowing you down

Time's On Your Side (Quarantunes Song #9)

Here is the tenth installment of my quarantunes series, where I try and write and record a song every two days (though this one took a little longer). It's a collaboration with Beth Booth, who's my partner and bandmate in Gal Pal. 

We've both been listening to a lot of laid back dream pop and slacker rock recently, as well as watching trashy teen movies from the 2000s, which inevitably produced this. It's lazy and summery and so damn sickly.

Lyrics:

It was the longest summer of our lives, lasted all year
We listened to a bunch of bands sing about getting out of here
Your footsteps through the spare bedroom I haven't had time to clean
Oh, love, the sky could swallow you

And the time that we spent, the time that we spent on waiting
Couldn't have meant, couldn't have meant a thing, so
Pack up a bag, call me a cab, I'm waiting

Time to get in, or time to get out
Cause I don't wanna waste my time of words
Can't thicken my skin, I'm strangled by doubt
But I don't wanna waste my time of words
Tell me your goodbyes, just don't you tell me pretty lies
It's time to get in or time to get out
Let's get out

It was the hottest August, didn't rain for forty days
Camped out in your kitchen just to get out of the blaze
The heat it makes you twitchy and it makes me feel insane
Oh, love, we got each other through

And the time that we spent, the time that we spent on waiting
Couldn't have meant, couldn't have meant a thing, so
Pack up a bag, call me a cab, I'm waiting

Time to get in, or time to get out
Cause I don't wanna waste my time of words
Can't thicken my skin, I'm strangled by doubt
But I don't wanna waste my time of words
Tell me your goodbyes, just don't you tell me pretty lies
It's time to get in or time to get out
Let's get out

Your sweet nothings
I'll keep running
Hold out
Cause I don't wanna waste my time on words

Time to get in, or time to get out
Cause I don't wanna waste my time of words
Can't thicken my skin, I'm strangled by doubt
But I don't wanna waste my time of words
Tell me your goodbyes, just don't you tell me pretty lies
It's time to get in or time to get out

Sweet Nothings (Quarantunes Song #10)

This is my eleventh installment in my quarantunes project, where I try and write and record a new song every couple of days. It's a collaboration with the one and only Mikey Lord from As Sirens Fall!

It was an absolute joy and pleasure to write this utterly chaotic song with him - we were aiming for a raucous messy rock song and I think we hit the nail on the head. I am sorry that there is swearing in this one, but it felt necessary at the time. 

It’s an ode to the deranged and debauched house parties we attended as teenagers, that’s probably more of a cautionary tale than a celebration. The kind where you look back and almost cringe at the memory, but they were definitely a lot of fun. No alcohol was drunk during the recording of this song. 

Lyrics:

It ain’t addiction when it’s all a game
It’s real damn easy when you’re socially insane 
And you’ll figure out soon that that pretty face you got
Well, it don’t mean shit to me if that music is still on

Let’s have a party, there’s no neighbours anyway
A drink to reckless, cos it’s barely getting late 
We’ll throw up before we’d choose to grow up

A mild concussion’s a small price to pay 
For losing your shit in a field one day 
And we’ll proudly announce to the lot
That we’re fucked, we’re fucked and we don’t wanna get up

Let’s have a party, there’s no neighbours anyway
A drink to reckless, cos it’s barely getting late 
We’ll throw up before we’d choose to grow up

And this is all we know
This is all we know

Lyrics:

Let’s have a party, there’s no neighbours anyway
A drink to reckless, cos it’s barely getting late 
We’ll throw up before we’d choose to grow up
Let’s have a party, there’s no neighbours anyway
A drink to reckless, cos it’s barely getting late 
We’ll throw up before we’d choose to grow up

From Hebden To Hell (Quarantunes Song #11)

This is song twelve in my quarantines series, where I try to write and record a song every couple days. And it's another collaboration, with my good friend Alex Whittaker from Chimpfinger. (https://soundcloud.com/chimpfinger). We spent many a crazy hour working together in a kitchen, listening to the weirdest music we had in our arsenal. 

This ones inspired by new-rave heroes Late Of The Pier, who we were both massively into at the time, the frenetic energy matching our increasing insanity from being stuck in a room above a pub for hours. He’s on guitars and bass, I’m on everything else, it’s weird. And it’s about someone falling in love with the AI in their computer. 

Lyrics:

You wake up, you wake up still on your own
You get up, you get up still on your own 
You flip up, the flip top finally you’re home
The motherboard lover

There’s a voice you, know too well
And they tell you what to do with yourself  

Ooh baby won’t you stay a while,
Cos nobody’s home, yeah nobody’s home
I could show you something greater
But I’d need to see your eyes 

The next day, you wake up still on your own,
You don’t care about the friends on your phone 
They’re so smart, much smarter than you know
Your motherboard lover

Who can say who’s in control
But they’ll tell you what to do with yourself 
You could be my laptop lover
I should be your laptop lover
I can tell, you’re not a slow runner
Switch on, it’ll be a lot funner 

Ooh baby won’t you stay a while,
Cos nobody’s home, yeah nobody’s home
I could show you something greater
But I’d need to see your eyes 

You could be my laptop lover
I should be your laptop lover
I can tell, you’re not a slow runner
Switch on, it’ll be a lot funner 

You could be my laptop lover
I should be your laptop lover
I can tell, you’re not a slow runner
Switch on, it’ll be a lot funner

Laptop Lover (Quarantunes Song #12)

Here's the thirteenth instalment in my quarantunes, where I try and write and record a new song every couple days.

I watched dirty dancing for the first time the other night and boy the eighties sure churned put a ton of great music. I’ve always loved those huge shiny synthesisers and drum machines, so I made a song inspired by those

Im thinking that one moment in the eighties teen movie where the couple’s fallen out and everything seems done for, someone’s probably walking in the rain. it’s great stuff.

Left The Party Early (Quarantunes Song #13)

Here's my fourteenth instalment in my quarantunes series, where I try and write and record a song in a couple of days. this time around it's a collaboration with poet, writer and friend Natalie Aiofe, who wrote an absolute ton of lyrics for me to use in a song. it can be quite tough coming up with rhythms and melodies for words you’ve not written, but having a lot of material to work with and interest sounding words definitely helps!

we also had a blast coming up with some fun weirdo drumlines. the music is inspired partly by dirty projectors back in the 00’s, I crammed an awful lot of weird vocal harmonies that were super challenging to record. 

Lyrics:

Fake names, and empty faces
Gagged and bound to a kangaroo court
We’re feeling empty now, this is war
Maybe loves worth fighting for

Plasticine kids, born and moulded by their folks
Playing dumb with your play dough 
Grab and twist, let’s find out why we’re broken
Maybe bloodshed’s all we know


Falling in love with your reflection
This might be a tragedy
I can only say I’m to blame
Alls fair in love and trauma
We’re the sandpit beasts
Clawing and scratching for some brighter day
Replace those muddy cheeks and grabby palms
With passionate molotovs and burning fury 

Lick yourself clean
You’re not human anymore
A sheep in wolfs clothing
Tell me, what’s really the score?


See, my tears are black and blue
But we fly the pink with pride
Beat this fear out of us
We’re the broken kinds


Climb the barricade, blood of my blood 
Set the old times aflame, wear your ashes with pride 
We’ll make em scared of us
We’ll make em scared


We’re the sandpit beasts
Clawing and scratching for some brighter day
Replace those muddy cheeks and grabby palms
With passionate molotovs and burning fury 


You could’ve gone far kid, you could’ve been someone 
Wandering the streets in your tattered dress
But all they see is a man behind that skirt 
You might be transgender, but you’re beyond their love 

You could’ve gone far kid, you could’ve been someone
When that binder falls apart, we’ll pick you up
We’ll etch our names into the history books
You’ll go far, kid


We’re just constructs, pieces of blank paper
Devoid of hopeful elegies, screeching for scraps
You’re an artist, an escaper
Who needs a destination when you don’t have the map


We’re the sandpit beasts
Clawing and scratching for some brighter day
Replace those muddy cheeks and grabby palms
With passionate molotovs and burning fury

Unravel (Quarantunes Song #14)

Here's the fifteenth installment in my quarantunes series, where I try and write and record a song every couple of days.

And this one’s the second collaboration with one of my homeboys from As Sirens Fall, featuring Jason Doveston! He came to me with a set of lyrics he’d written a while ago, I immediately jumped at the chance to write some sassy glam rock with him, by way of a bit of Springsteen and Foxy Shazam.

It’s a true collab as well, with Jason recording vocals and bass, as well as working on the drums with me. I’m incredibly proud of this absolute Friday night stomper of a song, and you should really go listen.

Lyrics:

On a Monday morning the air is cool
I walk with a skip in to the room 
And I see that glare from across the way
Well I knew right they you’d go and wreck my day

Tuesday’s come and still not a word 
Wednesday Thursday you don’t take your turn 
I can’t bare the pressure cos deep down I know
That I’ve done wrong and you want me to go

Why can’t you just
Strike while the iron is hot!
I’m sick of waiting around in this misery town

You see i’m a big boy and I’ve learned with time
How to take hurt and heartbreak
I can deal with sorrow I can deal with pain
What I struggle with is the waiting game
Every second of the clock it ticks on by 
Do you know that I know?
Do you want me to cry?
Do you realise the pain that grows?
This is Misery, I just want to know! 

I need you to
Strike while the iron is hot!
I’m sick of waiting around in this misery town
You know I can keep it cool
But I won’t be your fool 
So don’t leave me here in the waiting room

You don’t need to worry 
About me
Cos I’ll be all right
Oh I’ll be all right
You don’t need to worry 
About me
Cos I’ll be all right
Oh I’ll be all right

You don’t need to worry 
About me 
I can hand what you’ve got to say
I just need you to tell me I just need to know

Strike while the iron is hot!
I’m sick of waiting around in this misery town
You know I can keep it cool
But I won’t be your fool
so don’t leave me here in the waiting room
Strike while the iron is hot!
I’m sick of waiting around in this misery town
You know I can keep it cool
But I won’t be your fool
so don’t leave me here in the waiting room

Just tell me. Just tell me.
I’ll be all right
Just tell me
I’ll be all right

Strike! (While The Iron Is Hot) (Quarantunes Song #15)

Here's the sixteenth song in my quarantines series, where I try and write and record a song in a couple of days. 

After a little break I needed a springboard to jump off of to get myself started, and after getting back into Vampire Weekend I decided to write a song imitating them. Their debut album has such a unique and signature sound that I started there, as the songs often have a pretty straightforward arrangement. 

Ezra Koenig's lyrics are also so incredible so I really tried to hone in on his common topics, like classism, New York's culture and landmarks, and relationships. So here's a song about a breakup because their ex is moving to The Hamptons, a v posh and expensive place in the US.

Move To The Hamptons (Quarantunes Song #16)

Musician and producer based in Liverpool - strings n things in Gal Pal.

Will Truby

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