Hi folks, terribly sorry! I am appalling at updating! So here is a little update with what I have been up to this last while!
I have recently moved house which is partly the reason for the delay in replying– there is just so much unpacking to do!! Anyway, finally all unpacked and settled into my new home- still living with the incredible Taryn.
So I have been a bit of an anti-social little bug the past month or so- have locked myself away with my song-writing and been honing that. Then I got disillusioned and panicked. Went into one of those internal naval gazing moments of, “My music sucks, I can’t do this! How the heck am I going to manage this!!” Had a little panic moment! And that my dear friends is the second reason for my lengthly silence: sear panic and fear! hehe.
Fortunately, I am over the worst of it now- with the help of great friends and encouragement from some incredible sources, and some honest moments shouting at God, “What the hell am I doing!!?” But picking myself up and encouraged myself too. At the end of the day, it all starts in my mind- if I think I won’t make it, I probably won’t.
So I’ve been telling myself I can do this, that this music is the reason behind my life. Bit of a big statement that kinda makes you think, “Flip, she better be good else she’ll be screwed!!” But I think you need to adopt that attitude if you are going to succeed in any endeavour. You have to get cocky and a bit arrogant, self assured and confident. After all, if you don’t believe it yourself how are you going to convince others that you mean what you say with your music.
So yeah, there is the honesty of the matter– I am back on track, I have a feeling I shall have a few wobbly moments along the way, but thats all good as long as you keep going.
I am off to Australia in two weeks for a three week trip! Cannot wait! Off for an adventure and a friends wedding, and have a gig on the 27th of November! I’ll keep you posted on that one,
My face in a state of shock/excitement after witnessing the welcome video for the first time!
The Mac has landed, and will be very useful indeed for my songwriting! Its a Macbook, complete with Snow Leopard! Took a while to save up for it and I think I maybe living off beans this month but all is well!
Looking forward to recording some tuuuunes! This means more posts, more pictures of gigs and songwriting in action and other exciting things! Yay! Only a mini post today- I’ll let you know more over the weekend.
Ok so this week so far has not been the most productive musically- they do happen every now and again even if you love writing- laziness kicks in!! Well, I did email and do some research about songwriting and publishers so that was something. Mostly this week I have battled the scariest of foes…….a massive spider!
So I was curled up on my sofa, feeling a bit poorly because of a cold that has rendered me pathetic for the past four days. I decided I need a good laugh, something to cheer me up and take my mind off the fact that my head feels like its made of lead! So I put on Ferris Buellers Day Off– what a film!! Incredible!
Quuuuuuuuuality!
So the agile Ferris was jumping fences, ducking suburban obstacles to try and get home before his parents, his sister AND Mr. Rooney discover he wasn’t sick but out in New York for the day…..when the spider fella scuttled from under my telly towards the cozy nest I had made for myself on the couch! He drove me to my bedroom and I didn’t see if Ferris made it!! Doh!
I woke up the next day, getting ready for work and he was there AGAIN! My nemesis! In the bath…I wasn’t going to pick him up and he was too big to wash down the plughole….! He beat me again and I had to wash my hair in the sink!!
I had the last laugh though as Taryn came hope from her jog and drowned him-
Sorry about that, nothing to do with music! That was the bizarre event of my week…until today!
So so so so excited! I am finally getting a Mac today! I saved up for so long and now it has finally paid off! This means I have decent equipment to record my songs on, so I can finally put some up for you to hear. It means all sorts of new and exciting possibilities including more regular blog posts so i can access the internet at home!! The joy!! Yay!
So that’s the news! See there is some musical content to this post– it is merely dwarfed by my spider experience.
So the good news is I have a brand new Mac on its way! The bad news is my intellectual equivalent and nemesis is a big hairy spider– one for the self-esteem!
Ok, wanted to talk more about lyrics on this stunning Friday! Yay! It’s Friday, time for the weekend and relaxation!! So I’ll jump off that tangent of what day of the week it is and get back to lyrics.
They are flipping hard sometimes and you can often just feel a bit stuck as to where do you start. I’ll try explain how I write my lyrics and in turn songs. If it helps, grand, glad to be of help. If it doesn’t ah well, this isn’t at all THE way to write songs there are many different approaches. Some people start with music, some with melody. I was reading an article in Q magazine the other day, it was one of those old copies you find randomly in your house and try to remember when you bought it and if you didn’t who is now magazine less!
Anyway, the theme was songwriters and they looked in depth at a range of songwriters and also screenwriters and got inside their heads for a short while. My favourite was Bjork; she’s incredible and totally unique! She said she often starts with the melody, sings it into her digital recorder and then leaves it, doesn’t re-record or retouch it. For her the process of the song taking shape starts with the melody and everything else that she needs for that song fits around the melody. For her the melody is the skeleton for her music.
What is that for you?
Is it melody, concept say a painting you saw, a dream you had, a phrase , lyrics, chord progression, a beat or rhythm, a riff.
What will be the frame of your song that you can hang the rest of your ideas off?
For me it’s a concept or lyric. An idea I had which had its roots in something I saw and it inspired me. This is why it is so important for me to watch films, plays, listen to music I’ve never really “been in to” before, art galleries, music videos, fonts and designers. Another big one is travel; I find that it’s a big source of inspiration for me- a new culture, a new take and a new perspective.
It is your role as a songwriter to write a song that scoops up what’s going on inside humanity. Hard, yep! We go through a varying amount of emotions but actually when it comes down to it they all boil down to the same few- Love, hurt, betrayal, happiness etc.
So how do you write a love song? The oldest emotion on the face of the earth. How do you get a fresh approach on love? How do you write a song from a different angle about love? Masters of expression dating as far back as the sonnets of Shakespeare have captured love in poetry and prose, in song and screenplay.
How can you grab someone’s attention with you 3 and a half minute take on love?
So I haven’t updated in a while, sorry again- empty promises unfulfilled! So by popular demand- (Maxxy!) I shall update again.
songwriting squirrel..ahh think of the money I'd make!!
I’ve been squirreling away writing and a few other projects too.
The one thing I am not holding back on is my songwriting, that I decided I cannot slow the pace on! I’ve written three songs in the past 5 days and am excited to just do what I love. Some of these will not be commercial enough but I just love to sculpt something, anything! The pleasure is in writing a line that is destined to be written– a line that cannot be phrased any other way and grabs your attention. My writing has become more relaxed and not as flowery as before.
Here is what I’ve been struggling with: my style is often quite poetic and I love to paint a picture with the words I sing- this however isn’t always approachable for the listener. Here’s my battle for example; when writing a song that expresses emotion from the human heart, pain, anger, betrayal, intense love, friendship etc its good to use metaphors and analogies to give words to the unexplainable. But in when it comes down to it, when you’re in love or hurt and betrayed by someone unexpected you aren’t going to take time to gather your similes, you splurge out of emotion and you keep it plain.
So how do you retain your individuality and not lose the way you write that makes the songs yours and still give it credence that the listener can relate?
hmmmmm, well I reckon this is the sneaky way I get you to come back and read my blog and say “Join us after the break!”
So since the gig last Saturday….I haven’t blogged. Sorry about that! It gets hard to update sometimes, I have a lack of computer & Internet access currently and so updating blogs can be few and far between! Sorry about that! So what have I been up to in the past week, if you are bothered that is hehe.
I’ve been writing songs, trying to get better- am still on a high from the gig and have been hanging out and chatting with some incredibly inspiring people in my life- it has been good! Wrote a cracking song last night which I’ll hopefully get recorded in rough this weekend- I’m saving up for a Mac, not far away from my total. I don’t want to take out a loan of borrow or put it on the credit card so I am doing it the old fashioned way! hehe. So in the absence of my Mac to be I am borrow Adams when I have the chance…which isn’t often- can you see my dilemma and the growing bane of my life!! Grrr. Not long to wait, thank goodness!
Off to hang out with Vanessa this weekend to go off and record some sounds and see what we come up with- tea, walks, music, beautiful countryside- all good! hehe.
anyway, speak soon- I’ll do it more regularly now I promise!
So the gig the gig the gig at the Vm Lounge! Went so well, I had a great time. Feel so excited now!!! Want to continue on with this excitement!!
Me and the lovely Laura did two one hour sets, around 24 songs in total so I sounded like Barry White the next day! Love it, was so much fun and what I love to do!!
First of many gigs
Did one of my songs too called “Aim High” the first time I have performed any of my songs in public– that got me even more pumped! Spend the rest of the weekend nattering with Jo who came over to visit from Ireland about songs, writing, styles, themes– we both were gathering momentum and felt like we needed to write else we’d burst!!
Was a great night, had one random slightly tipsy man deduced that I was talented, beautiful and intelligent after an in depth 2 minute conversation and numerous handshaking! he then kept telling me to go to university and/or join the army…..okay then!!
Can’t say enough how much I enjoyed myself and how inspired I feel now! I’ll update you on the next one!!
A great weekend ahead of me! There are several types of weekends which I class as great: you have those weekends where you do nothing- stay in your jammies for the majority of the day and watch friends re-runs on the TV. Then you have those where you are doing something out of the ordinary, you go away, visit a friend, go hangliding etc. And then you have those with good friends and share the beginnings of something great in your life with them- I neatly slot this weekend ahead into the final of these categories. Our friend Jo is up from Ireland to spend the week with us and I’ve got a gig on Saturday– the first of many to come.
Laura & I have been practising so hard, learning new songs, arranging them in a set list and praying we have enough and don’t run out*! Laura is particularly hardcore this weekend- Friday, Saturday and Sunday she is playing and singing so I think she’ll probably sleep through Monday! We’re all set now, really looking forward to it! Had a great rehearsal last night after fits of giggles because we were both slightly tired. Also for the reason Laura is one of the most randomly funny people I know- She also has an incredible incredible voice so if you are down there tomorrow night prepare to be WOWed!
So thats all really for today’s little up date, I’ll tell you all about how it went on Monday, maybe Sunday if I can. Keep your eye on twitter– @heididfisher for updates on the night– ohh anything could happen!!
a little picture from belgium- for more go to flickr- irish-adam
Catch you soon lovelies!
H
* that is run out of songs not run out the building!!
Woah you have to watch this! Imogen Heap at her best- new album coming out on the 24th August- you can follow her on Twitter– here.
So yeah I”ve been following her on Twitter whilst she has been putting together her album- following her video blogs on youtube and its so inspiring to watch and as a result I will definitely definitely will go out and buy the album- I feel involved in the process and journey that’s what I love about music- its bridges gaps between status, class, politics & religion and I think that is fine and dandy!!
Have a watch- if you like this you’ll love her song called “Hide & Seek”– incredible- you’ll have probably heard it in American TV series like The OC when there is a poignant moment like someone dying, confessing to have killed somebody or the classic confession to being their daughter mothers dogs friends great aunt twice removed on her mothers side….maybe thats just British soaps!*and breathe* sigh so yeah! Give it a listen!
So in this video its just her voice and her trusty sampler- and its flipping breathtaking!!
Eclipse is out on the 24th August and her previous album Speak for yourself is a good one to buy if you like something a little bit different, unconventional and damn right beautiful!
Well, its been a busy busy few weeks for me so I haven’t had chance to blog at all! The One band gig was incredible! Such talented people, it was a privileged to sing with them– I love singing with great vocalists- when you get the blend and the harmony just right its incredible!
SO yeah as the title suggests, I indeed have a gig coming up next Saturday 25th July in the VM Lounge in Saltaire, I can’t wait! Its a lovely little venue, very secluded and you have to stumble across is to know where it is–perfect! hehe
So its me and the lovely Laura Threlfall to do a couple of sets of songs we like– will be a great night! Was panicking last night though that I had enough songs- it will be grand though!
@CharMcGill Yay! thanks McGill! hope you're good! how was the trip to see the fam-dam-ily? 8 hours ago
@isaacstott why he's good thanks, we're just bk from oz & feelin a bit soggy in the rain :( gettin into the xmas spirit now though! Hows u? 9 hours ago
@isaacstott Ahh great! it might be a little small but it'll hold a piece of tinsel or two! 9 hours ago
Well, its been a busy busy few weeks for me so I haven’t had chance to blog at all! The One band gig was incredible! Such talented people, it was a privileged to sing with them– I love singing with great vocalists- when you get the blend and the harmony just right its incredible!