Family Photo – Song and a Chat

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:33 — 20.3MB)

Episode #99: Family Photo (song starts at 2:37)

When I went to record this episode, I actually had another song in mind as went into my studio. But then my hands opened up the book on song #622.. Family Photo.

This then lead on to my recording a version of this song, for the 2nd time, as part of the episode. Hey, it keeps it interesting, trying different things.

I touched on this in the last episode. In fact I’m really aware of how the creative process is just an ongoing series of changes.

When you pick up a pen and start sketching, you may end turning it into an album cover or a 3 dimensional piece of art. Or it may remain a sketch.

It’s the same with as song. Some songs seem destined to remain ‘album tracks’, as opposed to perhaps being released as a single.

I particularly enjoy writing and recording these ‘album tracks’. When you start recording, it’s amazing how quickly things can progress, if you give yourself the freedom to do so.

And freedom is almost everything, when it come to getting yourself into the songwriting zone. Freedom is something I’ve really strived for in my life. I think so many songs have come about as a result of this. ( I’m up about to 800 presently ).

The inspiration was…yep, a family photo. I was thinking back to a morning when I was with my family, looking at photos of a family trip to New Zealand.

I remember at the time, imagining my young children having grown up and looking back through these photos again, perhaps feeling some of these same feelings.

So a photo is a bit like a painting. Well, any art worth its salt will draw an emotional reaction – and that’s what you want from your audience, as an artist (and as a podcaster!).

One of the keys to writing a ‘good’ song, is that I believe you must feel something. That’s my basic premise. Anyway, it works for me

On this episode I read the words as a poem. I also start to arrange this song, with some other sounds to show how songs can quickly transform in a studio. There’s some anecdotes about being on holiday in New Zealand, too.

Here I am writing these show notes, in Melbourne, years later. It’s such a great feeling having composed so many songs. It’s great to share them. – and I’m finding I’m really enjoying sharing how I wrote them.

I hope you enjoy this episode. Here we go…