“I wrote this song exactly a year ago. It was lockdown and it was winter. I was hungover, it was morning and I was a bit agoraphobic, and the title came from a movie I’d just seen – or maybe it was a radio interview? I can’t remember… It occurred to me that it was a good metaphor for some aspects of life. How prepared are we anyway? Then the bit about Jesus wanting me for a sunbeam just popped into my head and in one of those delicious songwriting moments, entire lines just appeared.”
“It’s essentially a quick portrait of my melancholic headspace while briefly stuck by myself in a cold house while the world went to shit.”
“I posted a quick video on Facebook of it – much slower and with less choruses. People seemed to like it. It’s musically very simple, it’s the lyrics I really like. The lyrics obliquely describe my mood at the time very well. “
“This release is different from my previous releases. No electric guitars, a bit folky, no drums except for kick drum. Very low-key.”
“My good friend John E, from my other outfit The Nature Strip, heard the recording and said he wanted to come over and play bass on it. He did a wonderfully playful and melodic take including a solo which gave the track a whole extra dimension. I’ve played it live a few times, and he’s got up and played bass – which means I can sing without any instruments for a song – which is very freeing.”
“All my songs are my children and I love them all, but this one is cute, quiet and a bit sad, but also funny and smart. Not the child who will show-off and do amazing things, but might nail you through the heart with a particular observation.”
“I’m working on a music video. It’s half finished, but it again will be me in my studio using green screen wearing flying goggles.”
About the artwork. “My good friend Stephen McFarlane is a Sydney-based artist and I have this exact giant work of his in my studio. Surfing aliens – what more can you say?!”
‘Fly By Instruments‘ is already available on Bandcamp, but will be available on Spotify on June 30th.
Chenel no. 1 is a songwriter from South Africa, who’s branching out her musical ideas into new genres she hasn’t explored before. “I am married with three children and work full time as an operations manager. My musical aspirations are pursued whenever I have a moment and I try to be as consistent in honing my skills in song writing by releasing a new song every 8 weeks.” A new […]
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