Indy, progressive, songwriting, an observer of incredible life experiences, the stories are in the music! AND therapy for the soul, what could be better?
Songwriting is my passion! My son was amazed counting my 33 different jobs, searching for something else, but no its definately music!
Though previously, working as a Hypnotherapist and Professional Counsellor was incredibly interesting, cos I'm fascinated in the 'workings of the mind'
Hearing the repetition of similar issues and topics, of humankind, I began to wonder if music was another way to actually reach more people!
Challenges? I was given a triangle at school? taught myself guitar writing songs every day, creating my own bands, folk rock to rock, punk, to singer/songwriter but don't give up your 'day job' - It was all to pay the rent and 'be' a musician. Now, I play piano, I've an excellent teacher.
A fantastic experience, a UK tour as a backing singer, with a well known singer. Civic Halls, some of the iconic faded grandeur buildings, warrens of delapidated dressing rooms with peeling paint, vast audiences, amazing halls and balconies, I loved doing the 5 part harmonies I was in my element! I could see where my Grandmother had got the bug for being on stage.
But rockabilly was not really 'my thing' - as a teen, I frequented a night club in Birmingham with three floors, one for Pop, Rock and Soul - I loved dancing to all of it.
It was the 70's, decades leading up to that huge 'conciousness leap', in music and fashion, it was all so exciting.
Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Led Zepplin, Al Green, Chaka Khan, Diana Ross, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Annie Lennox, Carol King, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Who, Black Sabbath, Carly Simon, Aretha Franklin, Deep Purple, Queen, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Simon and Garfunkel, Prince, Jethro Tull, T. Rex, Fleetwood Mac, Sly and the Family Stone, The Kinks, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Kate Bush, and later Bjork...
It's like a who's who of iconic music stars, creating further avenues of genre's, but there was no need to 'pick a genre', because they were all so jaw dropping!
I have favourites of these, I get out the vinyls, CD's, downloads, but I don't know what it is I just love discovering new musicians of each decade, of course, Porcupine Tree, Portishead, Nicklecreek, Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson, Lady GaGa, The Staves, Amy Winehouse, Seasick Steve, Bruno Mars, Rag n Bone man, Lourde, and Billie Eilish, Adele, and just discovering Dove Cameron, Lauren Spencer-Smith, Peach Pit? etc
Its like an explosion everywhere, unfocused? no 'TV prog' every week to study? I don't know why Spotify, doesn't seem to fill that need?
Maybe I do need to go back to the clubs but then I'd have to pick just one 'genre'? All these genre's generated from the 70's artists? We'd watch so many together? I guess that's why I like to give myself the freedom to create what I hear, it may not be in just one genre? Is that a bad thing? Or should Monet have carried on painting waterlillies forever as an artist? You have to be free to be a true artist, and I'm never going to be told what I can and cannot do? or what should be the single, its all on my terms, its how I've always lived my life, not 'playing the game'?
Pic by my bro Adam T Burton I caught the bug of recording early on, so I'm the engineer, musician, singer and producer - It is literally like painting a picture, why would I get someone else in to paint part of it? My partner Jezz Woodroffe, did do some amazing piano on 'Touch Down', I hadn't learnt piano then, and a great guitar backing track of my bro's Adam T. Burton inspired me on 'Running'. I draw the line at Mastering, an art in itself, especially as I've experienced one of the best on my last album, Bough to Bough
Jezz, obviously, I'm not the master of the keys like him, but, enter the therapy...I have my 'own individual way' - and some of our biggest mistakes become our best creativity, its all about what emotions, feelings it gives us right?
I've always loved art, so have visual image ideas with the music, often it's my artwork, though I love my brothers Squirrel artwork on the cover, and his portrayal of 'Like When' one of the singles, about 'what the hell are we doing to our planet and just stop it NOW' It's an age old thing I've been going on about for decades, oh wait it's just 10 years now?
The Bough to Bough album is about 'our roots' which prophetically sent me away from the green to the 'blue blue blue', ironically my shop is called 'Shall We Keep The Trees'? Well no, I've answered that one, the album was released at the beginning of Covid, lockdown along with further challenges of two passings within our family. You can try to plan these things, but...well you know
If I can reach more people at a time, I feel I'm making the world a better place, I feel it should be a mission of us all? We're all on this rock? An album and some musical therapy? think about what your dreams are, what are your roots? What's important to you, does it satisfy you now?
We can all create a happier world, but it begins from deep within us
Meanwhile, I'm hearing some amazing songs atm told by my piano playing and voice and a sprinkle of therapy woven in...
Why?
Thanks for sharing this window into your musical and personal world -- your "own individual way." Loved: "some of our biggest mistakes become our best creativity."