2020 Singles, Syracuse, When The Roses Are In Bloom, In The Haze

 

I made something of a New Year's Resolution at the start of the year that in 2020 I would put something out in my own name. Up to that point I'd put out Cloudwalking in the Concreteworld back in 2004 and a second EP, Moments Stolen Back in 2009, so it had been quite some time.

The unexpected lockdown has largely been a massive pain in the backside, but it seems to have aided me in fulfilling this resolution at least!

I've already blogged about the album that was put together, Cestrian, but I've not done a piece on the three singles that have also been put out there.

First up was Syracuse

I'd not written a full song with lyrics and everything for almost two years. This emerged out of a couple of chords that I'd been playing around with for a while. It didn't take too long to get into shape, once I put my mind to it. It will be difficult to play live on my own, maybe the Dicey Rileys could try. The few solos are a key part of the song, really. It was the first song mixed by the label with separate tracks and it's a lovely mix. It would go well with some joss-sticks, I reckon.

The b-sides Psycho Baby and Shake My Tree were False Poets demos that went unused, one of them getting the Support Band treatment.

Fast forward about six weeks to the summer and the second single from Cestrian was released. NICE016 When the Roses Are In Bloom

It's a more sombre affair than Syracuse, probably a stronger song. I think Lockdown was starting to take a toll. You can hear that also in one of the b-sides, another original Away from my Door. It's pretty miserable, really! I did a lively trad song The Millers Three Sons to perk this particular release up, but I do like Roses. I probably prefer it to Syracuse, really. It's got one or two chords borrowed from Forever Changes which helped set it on its way.

The Support Band did a meditative mix of Syracuse to round things off and set up the album release nicely for July.

It was the last release to be recorded on my trusty old Zoom MRS-4 recorder. Maybe if I did it today, there would be more guitar parts on it, rather than the 4 tracks of acoustic, bass, solo and vocal, but the arrangement quite suits as is.

NICE017 In The Haze

b/w (There'll Never Be) Another You.

Both songs were written, well finished on the same day, I think. I had a week off work in September. Tiers were announced. Trips to the pub were to be put on hold. Both songs informed by the sense of missing people. The b-side came first. With the a-side, I recorded the main part in the morning, just some chords I liked the sound of. When I came back to it in the evening, it already seems to be in some sort of song shape. It's the first release to be recorded on the Tascam Model 12. It's an improvement on the MRS-4. Again, only four tracks used, but there's a lot of depth there. I set up a small vox amp to play some grungey open chords on, possibly with some flange on and the label obliged with another very tasteful mix. It was released digitally less than a fortnight after being written and recorded, so it didn't really get any promotion, but that's ok. 

All artwork above by sydelic.

I've not done any livestreaming during the lockdown, but I made a video of me playing the two singles that I can get away with playing on me own. Maybe I should be playing my own things more regularly?

Who knows, but I do hope that inspiration, isn't too far away cos I did have a lot of fun putting these. together.