Wednesday 19 September 2012

Ready for Lift Off...or something

How terrible am I at keeping this blog up? I don’t know, I do keep telling myself that I will write something for it, but then I start and to be honest I think to myself, ‘how boring and egomaniacal of you to think that someone would want to know whether or not you like the White Album, or what your thoughts are on silly social situations.’ It just strikes me that it would not make for particularly interesting reading. Having said that, why do people in shops insist on giving you change back in such an awkward way? Note on the bottom, coins on the top. So you can’t possibly put everything back in your wallet because your hand has become immobilised by having to balance coins on a note. It does my head in. Also, I have a renewed enthusiasm for the While Album. It’s good, in parts.

Right, why a blog now? Well, to be honest the main reason is that I’m sitting with my computer with absolutely nothing to do while my new album tracks upload to the distribution company for the fourth time. Yes, the FOURTH time. There were three other times before this. I wonder whether or not it’s a good sign that the system rejected my album three times; perhaps I should take the hint? Still, musicians are not by nature talented at things like ‘taking the hint’, so bear-like I have stayed the course and am on my 4th attempt to get ‘Since Last Time’ made available to people.

So, I thought I would chronicle my musical plans for the year, and then in 12 months we can all look back and laugh at how wrong I was. The first step is the release of ‘Since Last Time’, which is a totally different album and approach to what Various States of Undress felt like this time last year. That was a hugely collaborative process, on 12 songs that had little in common other than their author, inspired by different things, all written at different times, from ‘Not Tonight’ which I first dabbled with in 2002, right through to ‘Talk No More’ which was written in London after recording had first begun in July 2011. These are different because they are of a mood, of a feeling, and of a time. They were written in a fit of acoustic jollity, not all on the same night or anything, but during a ‘downtime’ period that allowed me to relax in my songwriting a bit and actually just enjoy the songs, rather than trying to create sonic soundscapes that would engage an eclectic audience. I’m tempted to say these songs are more ‘me’ than ‘Various States’ ever was, although perhaps that’s not true. I would say they are a reflection of another side of me, because there was an awful lot of creative ambition and personal feeling on ‘Various States’. These songs are somewhat more distant, more objective almost. They are not about deep meaningful personal issues, (well, mostly) and I haven’t used them for therapy. Those of you who know me well will be both surprised and relieved to hear that this batch is not just my version of saving £40 a week on a shrink. They are fun, light hearted, enjoyable and indicative of a shift in mood as I turn 30.

Turning 30 is odd, except it’s not really because I’m happy. I think that the worries about getting old and past it are probably a lot harder if your 20s were wild, crazy, happy and you’re concerned that you’re in a bad place with your job/love life/personal life as you reach this particular hilltop. Well, I was miserable for a lot of my 20s, so I won’t miss that, career wise it was a wilderness until I turned 27, so it’s not as though I gave up my life dream of sitting in an office doing nothing for a job I now hate. Also, I married my best friend, and that’s got to count for something! So all in all, I’m a happier bunny than I was certainly at 20, when I was no good to man nor beast, and at 25 too. I think it’s reflected in the songs. I hope you like them!

So, the plan is to release Since Last Time on Saturday (if they will let me) and following that, release another EP in February some time. This hasn’t got a title yet, although there are several ideas floating around, and is a more traditional set of songs in their sound and feel, but lyrically more varied than I’ve attempted for a while. I like the songs very much, especially ‘I Read Your Book’, which in some ways details one of the most tortuous and personally traumatic mental battles I’ve ever engaged in. There’s also a rock and roll song, and a song about fancying someone, so it’s not all introspection and navel gazing, don’t worry!

I’m also in discussions with Newcastle Cancer Research to release one of my favourite songs of mine ‘Green Bridge On The River’ as a charity single, and donate all the funds to them. I hope this goes ahead, as I love the song, and the song loves Newcastle, and if there’s anything I can do to contribute to a noble fight against a vicious and unforgiving enemy, I really want to do it. That will hopefully happen between the two EPs, the sooner the better in my view. Don’t worry, I will shamelessly guilt you into buying it.

After that, I’ll be retreating into my studio at home and producing my second full length album for the summer. There are about 24 songs that have either been written or nearly written ready for this project, although none of them have been started yet in terms of recording. There may even be a throwback song to the very first CD I ever made, with my friend Jon back in Leeds. I wrote a song for that called ‘When We’re Sleeping’, and I’ve always wanted to do it again. I don’t usually like re-recording songs, and normally I would never dream of it, but that was 1999 and it’s now 2012, so I’ve probably left it for long enough. The album has got a title, and it will hopefully be out for the start of summer 2013. Of those 24 songs, I imagine I will put 12 onto the album, and then maybe release 6 on another EP at the end of summer, and then the others will probably either never get finished, or won’t be good enough to release. To be honest, at current rate, I’ll probably write another 12 between now and summer anyway, so who knows? It might end up being a double!

Crikey, that’s going to be the best part of 26 new songs from me in the next 12 months...I hope they’re good! (I'm only joking, I know they're good. I just hope you think so too!)

It’s a lot of fun making music. I can still honestly say that I do it for myself more than anything else, but if you do know 25 million people who would like to buy my new EP, please send them my way, it would be ever so nice of you!

I will get better at this bloggage. I (sort of) promise!
Lots of love
Paulo x