MELLOTRONS AND EDISON..

The weeks are flying in and it's getting closer to the time when I tell you all about '10,000'. Yes, it's the title of my debut EP, out August 10th but it is also more than a title. It is a concept that I have been creating for months to make the EP as successful as possible and give it a fresh twist. At the start of 2012, I had complete burnout. I couldn't figure out where to go next with my music. I had totally exhausted myself with each of the three single releases in 2011. I reached all of my targets for my first year in the industry and felt very proud but it had knocked me for six and I needed time to unwind and take stock!!

"Is it ok if just for today, I have nothing to do and nothing left to say. I feel that I need some time on my own, my body is weak and I can feel it in my bones" (lyrics from 'Just For Today', Track 3 on the forthcoming EP)

I actually wrote those lyrics late last Summer but it was a gradual burnout that came to a head in late December. I love that song and can't wait for you to hear it! It is quite emotional for me to listen to it as it reminds of the days when I really do just want to keep the world away and hide under the covers but we have recorded and produced it in a way that is quite soothing and relaxing so it ironically will assist in a little relaxation!

 It was late March before I began to feel my creativity coming back then one day something clicked and the rest literally is history. It started to flow and hasn't actually stopped since!!!

The man in the photo to the left is Mr.Thomas Edison and he is a very big part of the inspiration for the EP. His words, his wisdom and his attidude. I have always enjoyed reading about the lives of inventors, composers and anyone who has had a lasting impact on the world. It is important to me to bring such figures into the creative elements of my projects! And trust me, it has opened up very interesting opportunities for styling and design and it's proving to be great fun.


One of the tracks on the EP is called 'Something Has Changed' and it addresses the fact that relationships (all kinds) can change very quickly and sometimes you have no idea why. It is written in 6/8 time and has an unusual sound and feel to it. It is probably my favourite on the EP as it is a lot of fun and features some difficult classical piano techniques, that require a lot of practice! It is in the key of G minor and is reminiscent of 'canon' style of composition in places! I absolutely love the fact that I get to use a mellotron string sound in the choruses..it's pretty funky in there and if you are not sure what mellotron sounds are like, you can check out this video!

Mellotron Sounds

Thats all for now folks..Hope you enjoyed! Chat soon xx

GOD'S PLAYGROUND....

I have been working hard but quietly for months now on the next phase in my music career and I have developed a concept that I am really excited about. I have been gathering quotes, creating vision boards, studying artist and band profiles and bascially engrossing myself in preparation. Nothing matters more however than being in the studio putting the music together. Writing a song is a creation that comes to life when I go to God's playground, which for me is the studio! It is here that the fun begins.The chords, the riffs, the pushes, the harmonics and all the other sweet things that develop when production begins. The build up to the studio for me begins a few weeks before I get there. I gradually become more and more excited as though I am packing my suitcase and boarding a plane to sunny Spain or some tropical island. I prepare what I am taking with me, what I am going to do when I get there and accept I will experience a mild depression when I return home...

WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS

It is day two today and I am in the expert hands of Martin Quinn at JAM Studios in Kells, Co.Meath. I had a frustrating start to the day when my piano part for a new arrangement of 'Just For Today' got the better of me at times but I got there in the end. It is close to 5pm and guitar parts are being laid down on 'Let You Down'. There are sentiments of so many of the bands and music genres I enjoy throughout this track and it's definately a strong contender for the single release off the EP. Mind you, I feel that way about every track as we move through them, upgrading and tailoring them as we go. I can't contain my excitment at times and find myself giddy and distracted at a time when I should remain more focussed than ever!

MR DAVE GOUGH

I can only compare the attachment I have to my songs to the attachment and bond I suspect you have with your children. I don't have any children so I am making an assumption here and it may seem a little dramatic. But my comparison is based on the fact that each of my songs are so precious to me that I can't bear to let them get lost or abandoned in the big old music world that is surrounded in so much pessimism and doubt. Each one of my songs has it's own personality, it's own special talents and there are totally different reasons why I love each one of them so much. I treat them with the same respect whilst accepting that they have different needs and purpose. After all I created them from scratch and want each one to make an impact on the world! This might explain my initial 'single' releasing strategy as opposed to releasing 'albums'. That strategy changes slightly this year however and I will put three new tracks out there all at once on my debut EP 10,000, out on the 10th August. Two of last year's 'little ones' will also accompany them to form a 5 track EP, which I will promote and sell from August through to the end of the year. I will also release another song, not featured on the EP as a single on the 30th November.

Day two is coming to a close now and time to put the music away for a few hours.. Well, that's a lie really, there is no getting away from it, not now that the songs have started to really make their mark on me. I will go over and over the structures and the arrangements and take sleep breaks in between!! I would say that I will have some rest when the studio part is done in a couple of days but that's a lie too. The truth is, I will commit to those songs so intently that I will live and breathe giving them the best start in life over the coming weeks and months...

Chat soon xx

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