Tag Archives: songwriting

Rainy Night

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Episode #171: Rainy Night    (Song starts at 2:48)

This song was written by myself & Paul Dredge (It appears on our recent folkrock album, ‘The Untrodden Track’ – streaming now).

Rainy Night was inspired by a night spent in a house bus, at a beach, as a youngster. A storm was hitting the bus all night. It was really being rocked around. It felt like the full force of nature was doing its thing. It was an emotional time for me, at 5 years old and I found myself questioning pretty much everything – big thoughts for a youngster.

Fast forward to a few years ago. Paul and I are sitting in the sun in my backyard in Melbourne. Paul is over from New Zealand for a week of songwriting, recording demos and some time at the beach.

Paul is sitting playing his guitar and is coming up with something. He’s looking at the lyrics, which I have ready, of rainy night. I join him and start singing along. In about 20 minutes the song is complete.

On this episode, I’ve isolated Paul’s guitar from the album track mix to help illustrate how the song came together.

The lyrics are sparse. They could apply to anyone’s experience of a lonely stormy night when your mind gets busy and you can’t sleep.

Recently I watched the great Forrest Gump movie again. There’s so many great lines – like when leads are all pulled out and the microphone doesn’t work at the protest gathering and the hippie MC says to Forrest “You said it all, maaaan!“ .

Sometimes less is more and I think by not delving into the backstory in the lyrics of this song, it’s all the stronger for that.

Plus it suits the simpler harmonic changes that Paul has come up with on the guitar, coupled with a strong riff ( simpler than the chord sequences of a song written on the piano- which can often get a little involved at times).

It’s great to have our songwriting partnership alive and well after all these years. We are midway through our next folk rock album, which will be our 6th.

When you write like this with someone, in the moment, there’s complete trust in each other – I’ve mentioned this before, here. Also, there’s a sort of an unspoken agreement happening all the way along. When things feel like they’re ‘on’ …there might be a quick glance and a mutual nod…and then you’re both back in ‘creative world’, bringing ideas into being and combining them in the moment.

It really is a brilliant feeling, producing (what I think is) an uplifting, beautiful song from the memory of what was transformative, if somewhat murky, experience from long ago. That’s the beauty and the power of art. It’s healing for the creator(s) and it can lift others.

Ok here we go… I hope you enjoy hearing how Rainy Night came together. The album track is the version featured on this episode. You can stream the album on most platforms, including www.bandcamp.com

You’re Mine

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Episode #170: You’re Mine  (Song starts at 2:25)

Song #112, You’re Mine, was written 1988. That sounds like a long time ago.

I remember a time when 1988 was the future. When I was an exchange student in the USA in 1984, Michael J Fox was starring in Back To The Future, the first of those brilliant movies.

Now it seems I’ve had a quick trip in a DeLorean to find myself in 2023 – the years have whizzed by.

I’ve just found an old cassette tape of a live gig by my songwriting buddy and great friend Paul Dredge and myself. I see we recorded this on the night of 8th July, 1992. Almost 31 years ago to the day. 3rd song up: You’re Mine.

It was a great gig, as it most often was with Paul. I’m at the baby grand, singing. Paul’s playing guitar and harmonising. Welcome to our gig.

Having found this old version of You’re Mine on this tape, I decided to feature it on this episode…

And now, welcome back now to 1998 – for a while – when I wrote this song. I’d just come back into town after 3 months away at a gig at a ski resort.

I got offered a place to stay, sharing a house with a nurse friend of mine. There was someone else in town who thought perhaps it could’ve been her, I was moving in with.
But I was far to young for that – just a pup. So this song began as effort to sort of smooth things over, reassure, etc. that was the starting point.

Then the lyrics sort of become more expansive – and inclusive – as I take a step back. So initially, I invite the listener in, saying: ‘Look, this was what was happening in this relationship to me’ and then I look at the bigger picture – sort of a ‘couldn’t this apply to us all – this experience, these feelings…’ sort of an angle.

My friend, the nurse, moved out and Paul Dredge then moved in. Brilliant: 4 nights a week gigging in a rock band, with darts afterwards til all hours. Daytimes spent writing quiet songs & learning to record together, with a 4 track recorder of Paul’s. Formative times, looking back.

We were learning on the gig – and we were learning at home: we were learning to write songs.

So, sitting at the piano, I had the lyrics in front of me. Scanning through, I realised they could become mawkish very quickly, so I decided a medium tempo sort a song was in order.

The live version (1992), which you’ll get to hear on this episode, is a work in progress. You knock some edges off songs when you play them love. They fall into shape. That’s why gigs are so, so important. – there’s an opportunity for new songs to get some ‘air’.

We were lucky, if you like. Our songs fitted in with Paul Simon’s, Elton John’s, Mark Knopfler’s, etc, at the gig. Actually, we were brave, more like it.

I’m still ‘brave’ now, in 2023: after my recent performance at the Mornington Winter Music Festival, I ended up being asked to play a set of songs for a theatre group (a bunch of creatives – play writers, etc). It was fun & well received. But then I found myself playing the character of a play, having a live read through a script with other actors – a bit outside my comfort zone, but brilliant!

Also, I took a phone call early on in the recording of this episode. It was the guitarist/vocalist I met at the same music festival. He’s asked me to play a gig with him this Friday. So history is repeating itself: He and I will be playing each other’s songs, playing background music – just like Paul and I did for so many nights, all those years ago.

I love moments like this, especially when they happen live on the podcast.

There’s a phrase I came up with in the moment on this episode: ‘purely playing’. That’s songwriting. You have your theory & your ‘chops’. In the moment, you’re totally improvising, offering something up into the air and -out of the ether- it’s seems. You’re met, somehow. The muse? Whatever you want to call it, it’s the best feeling. You have faith in yourself and you have faith that there’s more to the picture…

Want to hear more? Here we go,

I hope you enjoy another 30 minutes of relaxed chat – and another song.

Just About Enough

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:55 — 22.6MB)

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Episode #169: Just About Enough (Song starts at 3:47)

Today was a wintery day. I went outside and there wasn’t even a ‘hint of a breeze’. That phrase appears in verse one of this episodes featured song. Then I heard a ‘muted bird call’. Those words are also in lyrics , so I thought hey, that’ll do for this week’s episode.

I wrote ‘Just ‘About Enough’ for my wife, as an anniversary present. This is song #585, which was written in 2012.

The scene that sets the mood for the song – and our relationship, as it turns out – was very peaceful: In the early stages of our relationship, in NZ, we snuck out for a very early morning dip in a hot pool. Bush and mist surrounded us, rabbits hopped by, quail pecked at the grass. There was a vague hint of a breeze and muted bird calls. Pretty peaceful, eh?

It’s nice to have a chance to reflect on memories like these as I record my podcast episodes. It’s like a weekly performance for me. I sit at my piano as I talk, demonstrating ideas on the keyboard and or singing, to illustrate what I’m talking about.

I have a released delivery. The plan is for it to be entertaining and informative. Thanks for all the great feedback, folks. Thanks for tuning in again this week.

If this is your first listen, thanks for tuning in, I hope you enjoy the song, the lyrics, the music, the chat about how the song came together, what inspired it. Memories come through as I talk, which I’m happy to share as well, so you get a real ‘behind the scenes’ sort of a ‘songwriter speaks’ kind of a presentation.

I hope you enjoy hearing about what is a love song I wrote for my wife – the great thing about a song is the listener can glean what they will and take ownership, to a degree. Music sure does trigger emotional reactions. It’s a great thing.

It’s a pleasure to be a composer. It’s also great to be sharing the songs and talking about them here.

Now, back to that opening line: I let my pen wander as I recalled memories of the years we’d spent together since that day – including starting a family and all that entails. Lots of joy and lots of work.

But with the lyrics, I kept steering it back to the story of a romance. 2 lives intertwined.

The music happened easily, as is often the case for me, for which I’m very grateful. Before I started playing, I thought I’d try and write a medium tempo flowing sort of a song. So I let my fingers play on the keys as if I was finger picking a guitar.

That gave me the momentum and away I went, improvising a melody over the changing chords.

Chords are like colours. Some are more related than others and become logical choices to string together. In theory terms, what makes them logical choices is that they are related chords, they all came from the scale of the song – literally the key: do re mi  fa so la ti do….the chords , the melody, the bass notes are all from the scale…..

Here and there, I decided it would be a good idea to modulate briefly to another key, using a semi related chord. It catches the ear.

Was it a consciously ‘clever’ choice? Most of the time, my choice of chords is an instinctive thing. The theory Is underlying. The thing is, when you’ve done something often enough, a lot of the technical stuff comes through  naturally.

And that’s what you want. Because then the music sounds like a natural flowing melody and arrangement.

This was a ‘words first, music second’ song. As I improvised the melody, I instinctively and quickly edited the words. I dropped words and syllables to make it fit the melody.

It’s a fun process. Again it happens quickly for me. I mention this not because it’s a ‘clever’ thing to do, it’s because I stay inspired as I write this way.

If I had to thrash away for days on a song I don’t think I would’ve written many at all. Because I’m a busy person, in the arts. I teach piano, paint seascapes, cartoons, record albums, make videos, blog my work and week..

You can read the lyrics to the featured song of each episode here on my weekly blog. www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com

Enjoy.
Pete

Life In One Day

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:31 — 22.3MB)

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Episode #168: Life In One Day  (Song starts at: 3:20)

I did a gig this week. On the spur of the moment, for my last song, I decided to play ‘Life In One Day’.

The gig was part of the Mornington Winter Music Festival, here on the Mornington Peninsula. I was playing on the street (It went really well. Met some nice people, enjoyed seeing the way music brings people together).

My gig was rescheduled at the last moment. I did let my email list know, but sure enough a lady and her daughter happened to come by, on their way to see me perform, just as I was packing up.

I felt really bad that they’d missed the gig and I tried to think of what I could do to make up for it.

Then tonight I had the brainwave that I might have a go a recording what was the last song of the gig just for these people (well it’s for you as well)

So that’s what you’ll hear on this episode.

You’ll also hear the version from the podcast episode ‘Old Hat In The Sun’.

https://song-and-a-chat.blubrry.net/2021/10/11/527/

I composed the song completely in the moment- lyrics included, on the spur of the moment on that episode.

I was writing a song for a younger myself. I was imagining I’d gone back in time to address this younger version of myself …and say: ‘Don’t try to live your life in one day, there’s plenty of time’.

It was an emotional and dare I say, a healing thing to happen. I’m glad I happened to record the whole event.

On this episode, I provide a commentary on where each part came from, what I was thinking, etc.

I’ve also included some relevant audio snippets from earlier this week. About where a song comes from…feeling, etc. Which then leads on to how feelings can give you a story.

There’s a lot of discussion going on at the moment about what effect AI ( artificial intelligence) will have on music. My initial question is:  why the heck are we teaching computers to compose? Shouldn’t this be a sort of almost sacred human experience: going within, communing with ‘all that is’, the muse – spirit, if you will.

With this subject in mind, I demonstrate by composing a quick piece of music (like movie music), to underscore a scenario I suggest of a girl looking across a frozen lake on a cold winter’s day. I’m wondering how AI would go with that sort of an assignment .

So there’s a lot packed in one episode here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed recording it.

Here’s my blog where you can find the lyrics…and more music and art: Www.Petepascoe.bandcamp.com

The song lyric itself is fairly self explanatory in the title. Almost a cliche, really – it’s been done. But this is my version, a twist on a classic theme.

I’m glad the tape was rolling as I composed ‘Life In One Day’ – and I’m glad the tape has been rolling again here in my studio in Melbourne, tonight. Recording these episodes is such pleasure.

Ok here we go. A song and some relaxed chat, yet again. Enjoy.

The Same Game

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:41 — 23.1MB)

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Episode #167: The Same Game  (Song starts at: 3:50)

After focusing on the lyrics for the majority of last week’s episode, as it turns out, here, we are mostly looking at the music composition of song # 672, ‘The Same Game’.

The lyrics are about that moment when you finally arrive home after a long day out and about. Maybe a candle is lit, some relaxing music is put on, then you sit back and think about everything that happened in the day. We go through a lot each day, us humans – with our interactions and commitments, the unexpected things that happen.

Ultimately as we go through our lives, we are all doing and learning as we go along ~ playing the same game, in effect.

I found some video of Paul Dredge and I constructing the music together from scratch. I’ve edited the audio from the video into sections and offer insights into what’s happening at each stage of the co-songwriting process.

So on this episode, you get to be in the room with us back in 2017, as we work together, composing what turned out to be the 2nd song on the album ‘The Untrodden Track’ (folk rock).

Listening back, this is actually a great example of how Paul and I write together.

It’s fascinating to listen to how a song can take shape and transform in such a short time.

It’s takes a lot of trust and mutual respect to write a song with another person. It’s one thing to let go and ‘play’ when you’re in a room by yourself. You allow each other the freedom to make the mistakes, laugh and then carry on.You also have to have absolute faith in the other person’s ability and freedom in the moment.

A feature of working together is: there is a performance element that comes into play. Well, there is for Paul and I, having played 1000s of gigs together, we push each other on as we go along and this lifts the whole energy.

There’s a natural give and take between us as we allow time and space for each other’s strengths to come into play – and the unexpected turns one might take is supported by the other, much like theatre sports.

It may turn out to be cul de sac, but worth exploring nonetheless. It may turn out to be the whole chorus, or an apparent dead end moment may end up leading us on to a whole unthought of arrangement idea.

We did eventually come to a full stop the original title, which was ‘Second Chance’. We completely discarded lines like these:

it’s never too late to turn around in the dance

Haven’t we all got a second chance?

On reflection, perhaps these lines are a little cliched, clumsy and trite, so editing them out in the moment was the right thing to do,

Or… maybe it’s not such a full stop – I could now choose to write another song, ‘Second Chance’, with and edited version of these lyrics  – and maybe I will.

That’s the nature of the creative flow: you just keep on moving along and go with the flow. Which is really a case of just constantly learning by making mistakes and moving on – again,  it’s a lot like life, then: ‘The Same Game’ we are all playing.

So the title and the lyrics ring true, then. It all comes down to the story… just like making a movie, story is number #1.

This is the most ‘pop rock- ish’ sort of song on the album, ‘The Untrodden Track’. The album cut is the version you’ll here on this episode  – plus you’ll hear the audio of pretty much the whole song improvised live, in pieces, as it’s taking shape.

Ok , welcome to the songwriting room. Grab a coffee. It’s mid-morning in Melbourne in 2017 and we’ve just had some breakfast.

Paul has picked up his guitar and I have a page of lyrics in my hand, ready to ‘wing’ a melody along with his music.

Here we go. Enjoy!

Between You and Me

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:04 — 21.3MB)

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Episode #166:  Between You and Me   (Song starts at 6:25)

I’m going to take you back to 1994 on this episode, literally.

This week my wife said to me ‘maybe we should have gone on to England ( we’d moved here – Melbourne – in 1997, originally we are from New Zealand. I think we just might get to the UK sometime…).

This made think of the song ‘Between You and Me’. So I thought aha! That’ll do for this week’s podcast episode.

Then I remembered and old cassette tape of me talking in my van at the time I wrote and recorded the demo. Lo and behold I found it straight away in a box in my studio.

So I’ve put together some bits and pieces this week, as I set up the song..and it was fun

As i let the song lead the way, I found myself talking about some of the deeper aspects of life, how there’s so many parallels between learning an art and making it your life and figuring out stuff along the way.

It amazes me what comes off my tongue as I sit at the piano, with the mic on, just going with stream of consciousness.

You build up momentum over the years, when you’re committed to the arts. I am. I wrote 6 songs the day I wrote ‘Between You and Me’…

I think this one’s a good one. I think I might put it on the songs from the podcast album #1. We’ll see.

Of course after the song plays, as usual, I dive into the lyrics, see what’s behind them.

Then I’ll take you through some of the songwriting process – explain some of the steps as we go along.

As I’ve gone along on this podcasting business, it’s amazed me how complicated writing a song really is – the creative process is very involved. And yet it’s simple really.

You just need a good foundation (theory) put into practice (practice), go forward, expect the best – and enjoy yourself along the way.

Being free to create and let go all the way. It’s bit like a recipe for life, really.

It’s a joy, songwriting. And it’s a pleasure to be recording an episode about it each week.

I hope you’re enjoying listening. You’re my audience and I’m so grateful to each and everyone of you for tuning in.

I hope you like this week’s song.

By the way, I’ve got 5 new albums coming along nicely. You’ll get to hear about them of course.

If you’re new hear and you like what you hear on this episode and want to hear more music, I have a dozen albums out solo; and with Paul Dredge (folk rock); and with the Patient Hum band (rock).
You can stream my music on all the usual platforms (Spotify Apple) here’s my bandcamp site — where you can stream, purchase and buy as a gift.

www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com.

And here’s my weekly blog where you can read the song of the weeks lyrics and view my art, if you like,
www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

Ok. Buckle up and come along for a ride.

Enjoy

 

 

 

Bigger

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:39 — 21.7MB)

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Episode #165: Bigger  (Song starts at 4:52)

The lyrics for ‘Bigger’ (song #689) were written in 2015. I remember having them squirrelled away, waiting for the mood to hit me to sit down and write the music – which I did in 2016.

This song has a strong rhythmical element, but it’s absolutely folkrock.

The lyrics all stemmed from the brain wave. ‘It’s bigger than you . . . .and it’s bigger than me’. The pause was always there whenever I thought of the line, before I wrote the music.

While it’s not spoon fed, the gist of the lyrics is this: yes, there are a lot of problems in the world, from personal relationships right through to international relationships between countries. But we’ve just gotta have faith that it will all work out.

How do we find that strength, find that faith? By following our passions, working constantly, which ends up being self therapy, so in effect, we have the power to heal ourselves and that’s the way we are going to heal the world.

So the lyrics are certainly about the bigger picture, then…

The inspiration for this song most likely would have been a news bulletin. I always find them extreme and confronting, when they beam in, as someone’s radio report comes within ear shot.

I tend not to listen to the news reports much. I do keep my ear to the ground – it seems you can read and hear most of which you need to hear about, very quickly, online or via TV, the newspaper, etc.

If we keep an open mind, we can hold a broad, measured view and navigate our way through the world. Everything will turn out ok. That’s what I wanted to say in this song,

In my early 20s, I wanted my music to have healed the world by the time I was, oh, 27… feet not really on the ground, then!

This song comes from an older set of eyes, someone who’s had a bit of experience, has a different view of a similar set of parameters.

The effect of the song, with the strong beat and slide guitar is: there’s a lot of heavy subjects covered here, but it’s delivered in foot tapping way that makes it palatable. Most of the lyrics won’t be caught 1st time around, and that’s just fine by me, as the song writer.

When I did eventually write the music, it came very, very quickly. I recorded a quick demo of one of the verses (which includes the main hook  – chorus line, if you like – must be one of the quickest choruses in history, if that’s the case. I include that demo verse in this episode.

The full version on this episode is track# 4 on the album ‘The Untrodden Track’, by myself and Paul Dredge – which I am unashamedly plugging here. In this day and age it falls to the artist to also provide the ‘bark’ and the ‘vehicle for the bark’, in terms of getting the song heard and noticed. There’s a lot of traffic on that internet.

I’m stoked with the album. I have faith in the songs and I love the arrangements. I think it’s a great listen.

Lookout for more lyric videos for songs from this album on my YouTube channel Pete Pascoe Art and Music.

It’s streaming now, all over the place (ad break over).

Ok, relax and let me entertain you as I sit at my piano and tell you all about Bigger

Enjoy!

Destiny

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:13 — 21.4MB)

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Episode #164: Destiny  (Song starts at 4:31)

Today has been a beautiful, pristine autumn day. The sort of day where you breathe the air in and think ‘Yes, it’s good to be alive’.

On that note, that’s what I was thinking back in 1991, when I wrote song #198.

But I was also considering the big picture…some things were coming through on the news about conflicts between people and between countries.

I’m pretty much a pacifist, I think. The thought of violence is abhorrent to me.

So I wrote this song, thinking about my future…what sort a future awaited me/us.

Back then I was very keen on sharing my music and art. On reflection, I’m not too sure how successful I was at that. I did gig a lot – and record, but the internet wasn’t there to help back then.

I have been working hard these last 164 weeks, sharing a song on this podcast and sharing paintings, cartoons and writing on my blog, videos on YouTube (my channel is Pete Pascoe Art Music), etc..

Songs sometimes appear to come along ‘out of time’… in 1991, I was asking some big questions about humanity – questions that were equally apt for now – I suppose the lyrics could suit any age, really.

Back then, to a degree, I didn’t really have the language for some of it, given I’d been lucky to grow up in New Zealand, in the relatively peaceful South Pacific. But what I really felt was: it was definitely time for creative endeavours to take centre stage and lift us in a positive manner, leading on into a positive future.

This was a lyrics first, music second song. This was the way I worked back then.

These days, it’s often both music and words at the same time, but I still do write lyrics when I feel inclined – perhaps when I might be away from the piano, and the mood hits me.

It is nice to sit at the piano a few days later, leaf through a few pages and see what’s on offer.

One set of lyrics will often catch my eye and away I go.

What happens? I play, for want of a better word. I allow instinct to take the wheel. All the theory is there as a support, something to draw on. I know how chords interact, what melody notes will fit where.

However, when I’m ‘winging’ a melody, the technical aspects drop to the background. I allow things like emotion to lead the way.

It’s a balance. The theory, as it were, is there like a massive support network.

Anyway, back in 1991, the news came on. Reports about conflicts between people, between countries…. And thought to myself why? Why would we do this? This is what inspired ‘Destiny’.

And I also thought: what do I want to do with my life?… and that pretty much became a line in the chorus.

But I turned it around and asked a question: ‘What do you want to do with your life?’

Looking at the song today, I realised, as an artist, I was directly asking a question of my audience. Interesting..

I’m not sure how often I’ve done this.. I think it’s quite an effective thing to do, engaging the audience (the song Secret Lullabies comes to mind).

I think this song is going to appear on the first ‘Songs from the Song and a Chat Podcast’ album – I’m planning to record piano vocal albums of songs from this podcast. That’ll be fun.

Even with songs that I might have already released on a band album, a piano vocal take and can be a good creative thing to record.

So, back to the beautiful day today, which is was in my neck of the woods.

Right now as ever, there is conflict in the world. But in my day, my surroundings, its was all beaches and sunshine, for which I feel very grateful, indeed.

The way I handle it is: I put as much time and energy as I can muster into producing more music and art – and I’m working equally hard at sharing it each week.

I hope you enjoy the old demo of ‘Destiny’ (piano/vocal). It was fascinating for me to ‘roll’ the old tape and listen back to a much a younger me asking some questions and making some statements.

After you’ve perhaps listened to this episode, if you want to hear more, there’s another 160 odd episodes + I have 12 albums streaming, in a variety of genres, with different people and solo, plus I’m producing a lot of art. So I have a fair bit online for you to look at and listen to. I’m big on lyrics, so I’ve started making lyric videos again, which I allude to on this episode as my song ‘Time Won’t Wait ‘(new lyric video up now) has perhaps a similar message to ‘Destiny’.

You can check lots out each week at www.petepascoe.wordpress.com. There are always links to my work on different platforms here. It’s not a bad place to start, if you’re reading about my music (and art) for the first time, here.

Speaking of which, thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoy having a listen to the ‘Destiny’ episode. Here we go….

Living In The Movies

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:40 — 21.7MB)

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Episode #163:  Living In The Movies  (Song starts at 3:28)

Ever feel like you’re living in a movie? – you know, when things just seem to go weird and you think “You couldn’t write this stuff…”.

That’s how I felt back in 1992, when I composed ‘Living In The Movies’. At the time I was playing 5 nights a week in a piano bar, with Paul Dredge, my longtime friend and co composer.

It’s funny, earlier tonight, my wife and I visited our neighbour, who had some friends over. Long story short, I ended up on the piano, being ‘Mr Pianoman’. It was a great night & brought back memories of the residency with Paul, back in NZ.

It lead on to me playing my songs, talking about the paintings and the podcast.

At the end of the evening, someone asked me what I was about to do.I said I’d finish a painting then record a podcast episode. They couldn’t believe it. But that’s me, I’m a night owl – and I’ve got a ‘bit on’, you might say.

And I was a night owl, back in 1992, performing in the evenings.

When you hold down a successful residency, you’re sticking your neck out a bit.

Which can be very good. Or not so good.

There’s a thing called the tall poppy syndrome. I think society can be pretty good at supporting an artist as they grow, then waiting for a moment or an episode where the artist might record a less than great song, or perhaps a dramatic event that may be magnified/distorted by the media.

For me, in the piano bar, it was like being under a microscope: there was no stage line, as such. Complete strangers could come and talk in my ear and tell me their deepest secrets as I played and sang a song (much to Paul’s amusement, as sat next to me playing bass or guitar). What could be a simple conversation could be misconstrued by an observer…

The piano bar – the music – was my ‘rock’, so to speak. Something I could rely on, in amongst all the ups and downs of growing up and performing every night (and it still is a ‘rock’ for me).

About this time, I started to see some synchronicity in the movies, a parallel (to me at least), of what was happening in my life and what was happening on the screen…

And I thought.. hmm, yes I think that’s a good idea for a song.

So I picked up my pen at about 4am, after walking home on an early spring morning after the gig and a spot of night clubbing.

It’s a great way to get things off your shoulders. Apart from that, as I wrote, I started to think about how hard it would to be a popular movie star. Then the next day, the press leap on some rumour, or the movie star appears in a movie that bombs at the box office.

Sometimes a pack mentality sort of kicks in and the tide rapidly turns on the artist.

So I introduced more about that aspect with the lyrics, rather than what may or may not having been going on in my life at the time.

I think the result is the lyrics might have a wider, more global appeal.

On this episode, I talk about how I brought the song together, composing each section & what spurred me on to the next part.

I really enjoyed recording a quick piano/ vocal demo as part of the show. I stopped and overdubbed some strings and vocal harmony…

Now I’m thinking song #240, which was just languishing in the shadows of my a page in my songbook, could become an ‘up’ guitar driven rock song, to present to the band (P.P. & The Patient Hum) to perform and record. That’d be fun.

So it’s a good idea as an artist not to give up on something that’s ‘not quite there’. The same thing happened with the sunset painting which I’d left it unfinished when I started recording the podcast episode. I‘d been painting in circles, not progressing, unsatisfied with it.

Afterward, just as I was leaving the studio, I picked up the brush and lo and behold, with a few brush strokes, the sunset sky came together quickly.

It can be the same with a song: a few tweaks and the whole feeling of the song can be transformed.

As I share my processes and thoughts on the art of songwriting, one of the benefits of this podcast: I’m effectively on an ‘online’ stage here, so there’s a need to ‘knock of the rough edges’, to present a song that’s finished enough to appeal to the ear in the moment.

On that note, if you’re enjoying this podcast (and thanks so much for those of you who’ve been along for the ride for some time now), please do feel free to contact me to let me know perhaps what you’d like to hear more of on the episodes.

It’s an evolving podcast. I’m just following my nose, having fun, allowing the song and the creativity to lead the way..

Ok here we go – off to the movies. Let’s see where we end up…

Ready

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Episode #162: Ready    (Song starts at 4.55)

On these episodes, I’ve often talked about the peace you can find in the outdoors, preferably near water for me.

I’ve found by getting outdoors, I manage to still my mind and quickly get into the creative state, the zone required to write a song.

This episode pretty much shatters that peace, in a good way (I think).

Looking back, the song ‘Ready’ was probably the result of a build up of tension for me, in my mid to late 20s. It’s a guitar/band driven rocker.

I was so ready… ready to make some major changes in my life. I was ready to record, ready for a major romance, ready for …life.

So I was ready to sort of cut loose in some way.

I was ready to do that again this week, when the band (Pete Pascoe and The Patient Hum) played an outdoor gig. I ‘cut loose’ and unleashed a lot of energy, as the front man. It’s fun, that’s for sure.

A lot of positive energy can come through from somewhere when you perform, compose and record.

Back in 1994, in NZ, my band weren’t with me at the time I wrote ‘Ready’. I was out there, on my own and I was determined not to give in.

In fact, I was just getting started.

So I wrote the words as I sat in my van, overlooking the ocean. Then I drove home and composed what turned out to be a 3 or 4 chord guitar based rock song – on the piano.

The old demo I found is on a tape that’s seen better days, so the sound quality is a bit ‘iffy’, this time. But the recording has a certain sort of feeling about it.

When I recorded this demo, it was my first time that I had a real studio all to myself. I was given permission to use it between 10pm and dawn for a couple of weeks.

I didn’t really know how to work much of the gear, but I set myself of completing an albums worth of recordings in the fortnight – and I did.

I realised I had an opportunity to put on tape what was on my mind, without any input for anyone else.

No band? No problem… I programmed some drums and played some drum fills live, played keyboard bass, piano and organ.

One evening as I was recording the vocals a guitarist knocked on the studio door. He liked what he heard, went home, grabbed his gear and recorded all the guitars in one night. So much fun.

All this from came about by writing about an experience ‘I’d rather forget’. Some things that don’t appear to be so great at the time can actually be the catalyst to get you moving.

And I did.

And I haven’t stopped.

Right now, I’ve never been busier as a creative person. The new Patient Hum band album is really taking shape. I’m producing that, painting big seascapes, blogging, making videos, half way through more albums. Making sheet music, video courses. It’s all ‘go’.

With 800 songs up my sleeve, I’m enjoying this way of sharing them.

By the way, I mention these 2 on this episode: Zed Brookes and Andrew Johnstone. Their latest album is here: www.brookesjohnstone.bandcamp.com

You can check out 12 of my albums on www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com, or they’re streaming on Spotify, etc.

Or… there’s the 160 songs on this podcast of course (you can scoot straight to the song on each episode if you wish. I mention the time it plays, as above).

This week’s blog post has the lyrics, more music and art – including this weeks seascape painting. It’s all go around here. www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

And I’m ready – for more.

Hope you enjoy Ready. It was a fun episode to record.

Ready? Here we go…. back to 1994! Let’s look at song #343.