On Friday the 25th of March 2022 I released an EP called 'Always'. The EP was almost all self recorded and became much bigger than what I had originally set out to do. At 6 tracks and just shy of 20 minutes in length it definitely tells a story about some of the struggles I have had over the last couple of years. It is not chronological but musically it makes sense to me the way it runs.
On Saturday the 26th of March 2022 I played a show that was the culmination of this.
Jez and Steve from Best Days Vintage in Colchester were kind enough to allow me to put on an unplugged, intimate show in their store to celebrate the release. As part of this we looked to raise a bit of money for the coffee mornings they run with the in-house counsellor where young people can come together, have a chat and a free coffee.
For anyone who has read this blog for a while you will know that I am passionate about mental health and have had a lot of my own struggles over the last few years. This has spilt over into my music and, as the EP is lo-fi and more chilled than what I have put out in the past, this felt like the perfect place to present these songs.
I also invited Dean Frost and Katy For Kings to perform and both were incredible and really helped the night to feel special.
I am incredibly proud of what I created in 'Always' and I was keen to share it in a live setting so I played the EP in full along with a couple of other songs to finish off the set.
I was also able to give some explanation around the songs and talk about my own mental health. This included the spoken word poem, not something I have performed in public before and a somewhat strange but refreshing experience.
I have been made aware in the past that some people think the amount I talk about my mental health is excessive. Frankly, I couldn't give a fuck what people like that think. We all need to be open and honest about the way we are feeling. Life is too short to be miserable the whole time.
There is something special about playing a show unplugged. The whole feel is very different. The audience tend to be subdued and when you hit a quiet part of a song you can hear a pin drop. From my limited experience in playing like this it feels as though people are paying more attention.
I have fairly limited experience behind a mic and sometimes struggle with keeping myself where I need to be as my natural reaction is to move around. No mic = no problems! haha.
I feel as though this is a type of show I would like to do more of. Perhaps a small tour taking in some unusual locations?
I'll have a think. Now that the EP is out my next big goal will be creating what I am considering a companion piece to 'Always'. An EP consisting of my more upbeat songs recorded in a full band setting in a similar vein to Next Year and Lust and Intrigue. The money made from the sale of the physical copies of the EP will go towards recording the first track. How I pay for the rest of after that is still up in the air but ill figure it out!
I intend on calling the next EP 'Never'
There will be video to come of the event which will include Dean's incredible foot tambourine.
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along to the event and for all the kind comments made about myself, Dean and Katy.
Also a massive thank you to Best Days Vintage for allowing us the use of your space. You are genuinely a community hub for Colchester and you should all be incredibly proud of the space you have created!
Be sure to visit the store if you are local or check them out online if not!
