Hi folks, time for the October newsletter....
If you are visiting for the first time, Welcome and thanks for stopping by! If you’ve been here before, thanks for hanging in there. You know I love you.
If you'd like to know more about the best steak sandwich and the worst coffee, then scroll down. If you are after the latest music news (sort of the point of these things really...), then here it comes:
Only a month to go now till we are launching ALBUM NUMBER 3! There’s a great 10-piece band all ready to go, and it’s shaping up to be a big big night of music. Why not grab yourself a ticket to the launch party so you don’t miss out – they are going like McDonalds hotcakes at 10.29am…
“THE ARENA” ALBUM LAUNCH. SUN 8TH NOVEMBER.
OXFORD ART FACTORY, SYDNEY
38 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst.
With special guests Ten Thumb Tom and Lanie Lane.
Doors open 7.30, Music from 8pm.
Tickets on sale now!
http://www.moshtix.com.au/Event.aspx?id=30239&pLock=&vip=&skin=&ref
The Album will be officially released in stores and online on Fri 6th November. If you can’t make it to the big launch party, then there are a plenty of other shows to choose from. I am travelling right round the country in fact – Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane and a whole bunch of places in between. If you’ve got friends anywhere nearby, then feel free to drop them a line to let them know I am coming through. (And while you’re at it, if you wouldn’t mind asking if I they had a spare bed…..). For detailed information on the upcoming dates, then best to check online:
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
www.rennyfield.com
For those of you who don't like to click on links, here is the rough guide. Plenty more to come:
Wed 4/11 Lizottes, Kincumber, NSW
Fri 6/11 Red Bar, Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle, NSW
Sun 8/11 Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, NSW
Mon 9/11 Phoenix Bar, Canberra, ACT
Tues 10/11 Ruby’s Lounge, Belgrave, VIC
Thurs 12/11 The Wesley Anne, Melbourne, VIC
Fri 13/11 William Farrer Hotel, Wagga, NSW
Sat 14/11 Locomotive Hotel, Junee, NSW
Sun 15/11 Pure Pop Records, St Kilda (3pm), VIC
Sun 15/11 The Evelyn, Fitzroy (8pm), VIC
Tues 17/11 Republic Bar, Hobart, TAS
Wed 18/11 Irish Murphy’s, Launceston, TAS
Thurs 19/11 Grace Emily, Adelaide, SA
Fri 20/11 Swan Lounge, Fremantle, WA
Sun 22/11 Velvet Lounge, Flying Scotsman, Perth, WA
Fri 27/11 Kings Hotel, Bathurst, NSW
Sat 28/11 Oriental Hotel, Mudgee, NSW
Sun 29/11 Hotel Orange, Orange, NSW
Wed 2/12 Brass Monkey, Cronulla NSW
Fri 4/12 The Loft, Chevron Island, Gold Coast, QLD
Sun 6/12 The Troubadour, Brisbane, QLD
Mon 7/12 The Rails, Byron Bay, NSW
Wed 9/12 Guru Food Café, Bellingen, NSW
Thurs 10/12 Raval, Sydney, NSW
Fri 11/12 The Baroque Room, Carrington Inn, Katoomba, NSW
A nice little road trip for Sydney-siders in the last week of November which might be worth considering - Bathurst/Mudgee/Orange - always a lot of fun out West of the Blue Mountains. The outback is good for the soul.
I am still posting a track each week from the new album, plus a little blog about the song. This week I am up to No. 9 – Exploring – it’s an old favourite and a few of you have probably heard it before…
www.myspace.com/rennyfield
-------------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIAN STORY
You may be interested to know that some of my music (the track "Flying") was used on last week’s episode of Australian story. I have no idea how it got there – I am guessing probably an administrative error of some description – but hey I checked it out online and sure enough there it was. A moving piece of television about the aftermath of the black saturday bush fires which is worth a look (with or without my music).
http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/herbeauty/default.htm
------------------------------------------------
MOLLY MAE:
As I mentioned last month, the first single from the new album is now available on iTunes. There's also a bit of a review that someone was kind enough to write - apparently they didn't mind the song. Jump online and check it out if you so desire, and you could even try hitting the "buy" button if you're feeling adventurous. I like to think it's worth at least $1.69, considering it took me the best part of a year to record it...
Of course, if you can't figure out how to buy it online, you could always ring your local radio station (or a national one with a fondness for the letter J) and see if they'd play it for you. That way you'd get to hear it for FREE! Now that would be a good deal.
------------------------------------------------
THE BEST STEAK SANDWICH AND THE WORST COFFEE IN NSW
“What’s this all about?” I hear you ask. Well, I used “Rocktober” as the subject line for my newsletter this time last year (and probably the two before that) – I figured “The best steak sandwich…” was probably a little more interesting. And would you believe it, I actually did have the best steak sandwich AND the worst coffee all in the one day. Last Saturday in fact, really it was quite a treat.
The Steak Sandwich – well you could argue for and against it being the “best”, but on account of the fact that the diner (if you could call it that) in Stroud Road* (that’s the name of the town, not the street) is the only place in the State brave enough to advertise (on a big sign out the front) “The Best Steak Sandwich in NSW!”, then you’d have to give them the prize. Sure I have tasted better I suppose, but this was a fresh-cooked home made classic – a true Steak Sandwich in every sense of the word. Right down to the thick-diced steak, the lightly toasted tip-top white bread, the greasy onions that were cooked in a pan that has never really been cleaned properly, the black-and-gold BBQ sauce AND, most importantly, the little Aussie flag on a toothpick holding the whole thing together. Because let's be honest, that's the key to an authentic country-made steak sandwich - the little Aussie Flag - it wouldn't have been the same without it. Plus I asked for some fresh lettuce and tomato on mine, and the lady in the shop was more than happy to add the extras free of charge! In fact, the Stroud Road Steak Sambo is SO GOOD that they have even placed ANOTHER sign about 150m further down the road that reads:
“GO BACK! For the best steak sandwich in NSW”.
That’s the one that got me, I’ll admit it. I have managed to ignore it in the past, but on this occasion the pressure was simply too great. And the curiosity for that matter – it was worth a U-turn – that tiny little building in Stroud Road, how on earth could it have the best Steak sambo in NSW? Well folks, it just does. Because it says so.
*NB – You may be interested to know that “Stroud Road” is about 10 mins away from another town called “Stroud”. Sometimes it’s best not to ask questions.
As for the Coffee, well that wasn't in Stroud Road. I won't bore you with too many details (I've already done a pretty good job of that I think...), but let’s just say that it involved a late-night drive back to Sydney from Newcaslte, a 24-hr Mobil service station in Charlestown, a dodgy instant Cappuccino machine which only managed to fill half of my cup, and an over-zealous service station attendant who decided to charge me for TWO coffees because I hit the button again so I could leave the shop with a full coffee rather than just half a cup.
“That will be $5.90 sir”
“But it’s says $2.95"
“Yes, but you pressed the button TWICE.”
Sort of reminded me of that old Seinfeld sketch:
“You dipped the chip, you took a bite, and you dipped again!”
Suffice it to say, it was an argument I could not win. The evidence was on Camera you see. And at $5.90, it was truly the WORST coffee in NSW. Possibly the whole of Australia, but I’ll get to test that theory on the upcoming tour. And maybe you can help me out somewhere along the way! (Although I'd be just as happy for you to recommend a good coffee as well...).
Cheers for now, and as always thanks for your support.
See you out there somewhere soon.
Renny
News and updates from the musical adventures of Renny Field...
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
THE ARENA Part 9 - Exploring
Hello again.... nearly forgot this week. I have been away for a few days taking a bit of a break from the real world. Currently putting together a little story from the road, which I might try to post this week. I like to write travel stories you see - but you might have already picked that up.
Anyway - Exploring - this week's little number. For a long time there, Exploring was the only real "new" song I had. I had tried to write others, but they just wouldn't come. At least not in a way that made me want to finish them. As far as songs go, this was one of the quicker ones I have written. Normally the process for me is fairly painful, but I managed to get this one out in about a day. I think I had a gig that I was trying to finish it for. Often my songs have been created because of a perceived lack of a certain type of song in my live set - in this case I felt I was missing a bit of an up-beat toe-tapping number (for want of a better description). I certainly went for the "up-beat" vibe for that first show, but it has since mellowed a fair bit, and the energy on the album recording is pretty much how I imagined it should sound. A cruisy country number? Perhaps...
I can't say the lyrics are among my finest, but the point of the song was not to be complicated (as you might have guessed from the chorus). The point was to write something simple, easy to understand, easy to identify with. And when you are writing a simple song, it certainly helps if you know you only have a day to finish it!
My favourite memory from this song - and I often tell this story at my gigs - was when I played it in India one year on a hotel balcony. Travelling with my girlfriend at the time, we were both sitting on our balcony surveying the town of Agra (site of the Taj Mahal) and I decided it might be nice to get the guitar out. I had borrowed a half-sized guitar for the trip, essentially in the hope that I would have some sort of Beatles-esque moment and write 5 of the greatest albums of all time. In the end, I think I wrote one song, and it's not on this album.... nor is it likely to make an appearance on any of my future albums.
Anyway where was I - Exploring - that's right. So I pulled out my little half-size guitar and started to play Exploring, and as we looked down on the various rooftops about town, we noticed that the kids started to dance and clap their hands. As I continued, more and more kids joined in until the scene before us was pretty surreal. Dotted around the town of Agra, a series of rooftops with children laughing and dancing whilst their parents watched on smiling and clapping as well. I was a beautiful cross-cultural moment (if you could call it that - probably a slightly grander description than what I was after...), and a wonderful example of the power of music. I can't remember if I played the song twice or just did a super-extended chorus, but all the while I was thinking this was a pretty special moment. They had no idea what the song was about, no idea what I was saying, but the beauty of Indian kids is that they can find happiness in the simplest things, and on this occasion it was some weird white bloke playing his guitar on a hotel balcony. One of my fondest memories from my time in India that's for sure, almost out-weighing my disappointment that I wasn't able to write the 5 best albums of all time on my half-sized guitar.
The funniest part of that story was in fact the next day when I emerged from my hotel, and every second kid that I walked past pointed at me and went "Whiiiiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi" before laughing and running away (have a listen to the chorus of the song and you will understand...). All of a sudden, I was an overnight celebrity in Agra. Madness. I can't imagine if I played on a balcony in Sydney it would have the same effect. Most probably someone would just call the police.
If you are ever travelling in India with a half-size guitar (or even a full one for that matter...), you are more than welcome to play this song and give the hotel balcony experiment a try!
My thanks to Bill Chambers for agreeing to play the lap steel guitar on this recording. Also to the other people that helped put the song together (see below).
Next week - Lonely Man - 9 down, 5 to go - see you then.
Cheers,
Renny
---------------
EXPLORING
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
Anyway - Exploring - this week's little number. For a long time there, Exploring was the only real "new" song I had. I had tried to write others, but they just wouldn't come. At least not in a way that made me want to finish them. As far as songs go, this was one of the quicker ones I have written. Normally the process for me is fairly painful, but I managed to get this one out in about a day. I think I had a gig that I was trying to finish it for. Often my songs have been created because of a perceived lack of a certain type of song in my live set - in this case I felt I was missing a bit of an up-beat toe-tapping number (for want of a better description). I certainly went for the "up-beat" vibe for that first show, but it has since mellowed a fair bit, and the energy on the album recording is pretty much how I imagined it should sound. A cruisy country number? Perhaps...
I can't say the lyrics are among my finest, but the point of the song was not to be complicated (as you might have guessed from the chorus). The point was to write something simple, easy to understand, easy to identify with. And when you are writing a simple song, it certainly helps if you know you only have a day to finish it!
My favourite memory from this song - and I often tell this story at my gigs - was when I played it in India one year on a hotel balcony. Travelling with my girlfriend at the time, we were both sitting on our balcony surveying the town of Agra (site of the Taj Mahal) and I decided it might be nice to get the guitar out. I had borrowed a half-sized guitar for the trip, essentially in the hope that I would have some sort of Beatles-esque moment and write 5 of the greatest albums of all time. In the end, I think I wrote one song, and it's not on this album.... nor is it likely to make an appearance on any of my future albums.
Anyway where was I - Exploring - that's right. So I pulled out my little half-size guitar and started to play Exploring, and as we looked down on the various rooftops about town, we noticed that the kids started to dance and clap their hands. As I continued, more and more kids joined in until the scene before us was pretty surreal. Dotted around the town of Agra, a series of rooftops with children laughing and dancing whilst their parents watched on smiling and clapping as well. I was a beautiful cross-cultural moment (if you could call it that - probably a slightly grander description than what I was after...), and a wonderful example of the power of music. I can't remember if I played the song twice or just did a super-extended chorus, but all the while I was thinking this was a pretty special moment. They had no idea what the song was about, no idea what I was saying, but the beauty of Indian kids is that they can find happiness in the simplest things, and on this occasion it was some weird white bloke playing his guitar on a hotel balcony. One of my fondest memories from my time in India that's for sure, almost out-weighing my disappointment that I wasn't able to write the 5 best albums of all time on my half-sized guitar.
The funniest part of that story was in fact the next day when I emerged from my hotel, and every second kid that I walked past pointed at me and went "Whiiiiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyiyi" before laughing and running away (have a listen to the chorus of the song and you will understand...). All of a sudden, I was an overnight celebrity in Agra. Madness. I can't imagine if I played on a balcony in Sydney it would have the same effect. Most probably someone would just call the police.
If you are ever travelling in India with a half-size guitar (or even a full one for that matter...), you are more than welcome to play this song and give the hotel balcony experiment a try!
My thanks to Bill Chambers for agreeing to play the lap steel guitar on this recording. Also to the other people that helped put the song together (see below).
Next week - Lonely Man - 9 down, 5 to go - see you then.
Cheers,
Renny
---------------
EXPLORING
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
No-one ever told me things could be this way
No-one ever told me what to do or what to say
Oh I woke up cold this morning, thinking of your smile
And thinking of you yawning, made me cry inside
....
No-one ever told me, things could be like this
No-one ever let me know about the things that I would miss
Oh I woke up cold this morning, thinking of your smile
Do you think that we can go exploring for a while
....
For a while. For a while.
Oh don’t let this be the end of you and me, can we try
....
No-one ever told me I could feel these things
No-one ever told me ‘bout the songs my heart could sing
Oh I woke up cold this morning, thinking of your smile
And thinking of you yawning made me cry inside
Oh I woke up cold this morning thinking of your smile
Do you think that we can go exploring for a while
....
For a while. For a while.
Oh don’t let this be the end of you and me, can we try.
Can we try. Can we try. Can we try.
....
Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Ukelele, Glock – Renny
Drums, Percussion – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham.
Lap Steel – Bill Chambers
Monday, September 28, 2009
THE ARENA Part 8 - Jigsaw
Greetings, I have returned from Mudgee. Good thing too, because there's something very important I had to do today that I completely forgot about. And I couldn't have done it in Mudgee.... Anyway, moving on...
There's a rumour going round about this song. People will tell you that I only put it on the album so I could write down a credit for playing a Jigsaw Puzzle. I can't pass comment on this type of speculation, but I will say that recording a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle was a lot of fun. At least until the part where I had to pick it up...
If you're wondering why I decided to record a Jigsaw puzzle in the first place, look no further than the first line of the song:
"Threw my Jigsaw on the Kitchen Floor".
I would like to think I am the only person in recording history to ever record the sound of a 1000-piece Jigsaw Puzzle hitting the kitchen floor and use it on an album, but I stand to be corrected!
As is the case with a number of my songs, the title comes in the first line rather than the chorus. Often that's how the song comes to me - first line first. So the verses before the chorus. Don't ask me why that happens, but it seems to work so I don't try to think about it too much. I guess when you do it that way, then you're never quite sure where the song is going to go. Whereas if you write the chorus first, then it's always going to return to that point (unless you only do one chorus.... which you could... .if you wanted to....).
What is the song about? Well nothing to do with Jigsaw's I can assure you. Let's call it a light-hearted love song. Of sorts...
Some other FAQ's about "Jigsaw" answered:
Yes - I put a mic next to the kitchen floor, and hurled all 1000 pieces of the puzzle in that general direction.
Yes - It's a ridiculous thing to do, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Yes - I think I probably lost one or two pieces in the process, which will really give someone the shits if they ever try to complete the puzzle.
Yes - My brother finds the sound of a Jigsaw puzzle annoying. As do a number of other people who have listened to this song.
Yes - I was convinced to reduce the number of occurrances of the "Puzzle" sound in the final mix (because it apparently sounded annoying), but on account of the effort that went in to recording it in the first place, I couldn't leave it out completely.
Yes - I also used the sound of the Jigsaw Box hitting the ground as a percussion "instrument" (more like a loop).
Yes - that sounds a bit weird too, as does the strange distorted Viola part....
And finally...
Yes - That is a saxophone you can hear. Even though it doesn't sound like a saxophone probably should... But I had never recorded a saxophone before, so that's the way it came out. And in the end if I had managed to record a perfect saxophone, it wouldn't really have fitted in with the overall feel of the recording. Which is, as this blog suggests, a little bit weird, a little bit wacky, and a little bit experimental.
But I like to think it gives the album a little bit of character.
And let's be honest here, I am a little bit weird and wacky myself.
My thanks to the beautiful Bo Terry, who was able to play the sax for me whilst she was visiting Australia from Amsterdam. Bo is a great songwriter herself too... Why don't you check her out if you get a chance:
www.myspace.com/anotherbo
See you next week with "Exploring".
Cheers,
Renny
PS - Tickets now on sale for the Album Launch - November 8th. Last full band show for a few months...
http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=30239&ref=moshtix
----------------------------------
JIGSAW
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
There's a rumour going round about this song. People will tell you that I only put it on the album so I could write down a credit for playing a Jigsaw Puzzle. I can't pass comment on this type of speculation, but I will say that recording a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle was a lot of fun. At least until the part where I had to pick it up...
If you're wondering why I decided to record a Jigsaw puzzle in the first place, look no further than the first line of the song:
"Threw my Jigsaw on the Kitchen Floor".
I would like to think I am the only person in recording history to ever record the sound of a 1000-piece Jigsaw Puzzle hitting the kitchen floor and use it on an album, but I stand to be corrected!
As is the case with a number of my songs, the title comes in the first line rather than the chorus. Often that's how the song comes to me - first line first. So the verses before the chorus. Don't ask me why that happens, but it seems to work so I don't try to think about it too much. I guess when you do it that way, then you're never quite sure where the song is going to go. Whereas if you write the chorus first, then it's always going to return to that point (unless you only do one chorus.... which you could... .if you wanted to....).
What is the song about? Well nothing to do with Jigsaw's I can assure you. Let's call it a light-hearted love song. Of sorts...
Some other FAQ's about "Jigsaw" answered:
Yes - I put a mic next to the kitchen floor, and hurled all 1000 pieces of the puzzle in that general direction.
Yes - It's a ridiculous thing to do, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Yes - I think I probably lost one or two pieces in the process, which will really give someone the shits if they ever try to complete the puzzle.
Yes - My brother finds the sound of a Jigsaw puzzle annoying. As do a number of other people who have listened to this song.
Yes - I was convinced to reduce the number of occurrances of the "Puzzle" sound in the final mix (because it apparently sounded annoying), but on account of the effort that went in to recording it in the first place, I couldn't leave it out completely.
Yes - I also used the sound of the Jigsaw Box hitting the ground as a percussion "instrument" (more like a loop).
Yes - that sounds a bit weird too, as does the strange distorted Viola part....
And finally...
Yes - That is a saxophone you can hear. Even though it doesn't sound like a saxophone probably should... But I had never recorded a saxophone before, so that's the way it came out. And in the end if I had managed to record a perfect saxophone, it wouldn't really have fitted in with the overall feel of the recording. Which is, as this blog suggests, a little bit weird, a little bit wacky, and a little bit experimental.
But I like to think it gives the album a little bit of character.
And let's be honest here, I am a little bit weird and wacky myself.
My thanks to the beautiful Bo Terry, who was able to play the sax for me whilst she was visiting Australia from Amsterdam. Bo is a great songwriter herself too... Why don't you check her out if you get a chance:
www.myspace.com/anotherbo
See you next week with "Exploring".
Cheers,
Renny
PS - Tickets now on sale for the Album Launch - November 8th. Last full band show for a few months...
http://www.moshtix.com.au/event.aspx?id=30239&ref=moshtix
----------------------------------
JIGSAW
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
Threw my jigsaw on the kitchen floor,
Now I’m staring at the pieces cause I don’t want them any more
Cause in these puzzling times we’re living in,
Oh I can’t begin to understand what everything is for.
But you walk in the room and that all goes away
Nothing matters when you say my name.
I’ll give you all that I can offer and I’ll give it up cause that’s the only way.
....
I can sit and read a book or two,
Or sit and watch the television just shivering at the news
Everybody seems to run around,
And I’m just confounded every day by the silly things they do.
But I can lie with you and dream the world away.
Forget about the fucking ozone rays.
I’ll give you all that I can offer and I’ll give it up cause that’s the only way.
I’ll give you all that I can offer and I hope it is enough to make you stay.
....
Oh I’ll give you everything I can, I wanna be a giving man.
Won’t you take my outstretched hand, and hold it tight, cause girl I’ll make you glad.
....
I wanna walk until the sun goes down, I wanna dance under the moon.
I wanna take you to the edge of town, sit on a hilltop eating shitty Chinese food.
And as that breeze blows, we’ll giggle as we chew.
Knowing that the stars are there to stay.
I’ll give you all that I can offer, and I’ll give it up cause that’s the only way.
....
I’ll give you all that I can offer, please don’t throw it away.
I’ll give you everything I’ve got, be it love or lemonade.
I’ll give you all that I can offer and I’ll give it to you every single day.
Every single day.
Every single day.
....
Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vox, Jigsaw, Percussion – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Saxophone – Bo Terry
Viola – Carl St Jacques
Sunday, September 20, 2009
THE ARENA Part 7 - Wheel of Fortune
Greetings folks. I have just been witness to one of the more inspirational displays of songwriting I have seen this year - Charles Jenkins solo at Pure Pop records in Melbourne. How on earth I have not really come across this guy before I am not sure, but if I was to sum up the show in the simplest terms - it's the type of gig you watch that makes you want to be a songwriter. Makes you want to be a better songwriter. And makes you want to keep writing just for the sake of it. Apparently he was in a band called Ice Cream Hands - I feel ashamed I didn't know this before, but at least I do now.
It was purely by chance that I was there in the first place - having been booked to play the slot before him in the record shop. Anyway, what an awesome show he put on. Out the back of a tiny record store in St Kilda - who would have thought it. This is one of the best things about music - the chance to be inspired when you least expect it. And what a great little joint. PURE POP RECORDS, St Kilda - definitely worth a visit.
On to this week's song - Wheel of Fortune
This one is the newest song on the record, and the one that kept it a guitar-only album. Prior to writing this song, I had 13 tracks that I wanted to include, and another one I had been messing about with on Piano. In one sense, I wanted to have a piano song on this record as a bit of a reference to what I had done previously. But what I came to realise over time was that I was trying to fit the piano in somehow when it didn't really have a place. I can sit and play the piano for hours on end, but I had to settle for using it as a "band" instrument this time round. Music shouldn't be forced, and there was no need to put a stand-alone piano track on the CD just for the sake of it. Most of these songs have been born out of playing solo gigs on my acoustic - feeling the need to have a set of material that would work with just voice and guitar - knowing that if I was to travel, which I wanted to do, I would often have just that instrument to rely on (The piano is notoriously difficult to fit under the excess baggage limit...). Once I had written Wheel of Fortune, I knew it was the extra song I needed for the album. The piano will have to wait for another time.
If you asked me what the song was about, I couldn't tell you off the top of my head. Not exactly anyway. I guess it's a reflective song, a tale of the "been there, done that" intertwined with a sense of hope about the future. "The Wheel of fortune always spins, you just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in." It's a bit of a comment on life itself - the need to put yourself out there, stay afloat, survive the tough times so you can appreciate the good times when they come along. At least that's what I was trying to say - hopefully I've done a reasonable enough job of it for you to understand where I am coming from. Just a solo track this one - no need to over-complicate the situation... Have a listen and see what you think. Lyrics below if you're interested.
And with that, we've reached the half way point! Still a few more to go...
Next week - Jigsaw.
Cheers,
Renny
PS - Thanks to everyone who came along to the Metro on Friday night for the show with Peregrine (including the 7 other people in the band!) We had a great night, and good hit-out prior to the album launch in November.
PPS - At the risk of repeating myself, you gotta check out Charles Jenkins if you get a chance. Really.
-----------------------
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
It was purely by chance that I was there in the first place - having been booked to play the slot before him in the record shop. Anyway, what an awesome show he put on. Out the back of a tiny record store in St Kilda - who would have thought it. This is one of the best things about music - the chance to be inspired when you least expect it. And what a great little joint. PURE POP RECORDS, St Kilda - definitely worth a visit.
On to this week's song - Wheel of Fortune
This one is the newest song on the record, and the one that kept it a guitar-only album. Prior to writing this song, I had 13 tracks that I wanted to include, and another one I had been messing about with on Piano. In one sense, I wanted to have a piano song on this record as a bit of a reference to what I had done previously. But what I came to realise over time was that I was trying to fit the piano in somehow when it didn't really have a place. I can sit and play the piano for hours on end, but I had to settle for using it as a "band" instrument this time round. Music shouldn't be forced, and there was no need to put a stand-alone piano track on the CD just for the sake of it. Most of these songs have been born out of playing solo gigs on my acoustic - feeling the need to have a set of material that would work with just voice and guitar - knowing that if I was to travel, which I wanted to do, I would often have just that instrument to rely on (The piano is notoriously difficult to fit under the excess baggage limit...). Once I had written Wheel of Fortune, I knew it was the extra song I needed for the album. The piano will have to wait for another time.
If you asked me what the song was about, I couldn't tell you off the top of my head. Not exactly anyway. I guess it's a reflective song, a tale of the "been there, done that" intertwined with a sense of hope about the future. "The Wheel of fortune always spins, you just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in." It's a bit of a comment on life itself - the need to put yourself out there, stay afloat, survive the tough times so you can appreciate the good times when they come along. At least that's what I was trying to say - hopefully I've done a reasonable enough job of it for you to understand where I am coming from. Just a solo track this one - no need to over-complicate the situation... Have a listen and see what you think. Lyrics below if you're interested.
And with that, we've reached the half way point! Still a few more to go...
Next week - Jigsaw.
Cheers,
Renny
PS - Thanks to everyone who came along to the Metro on Friday night for the show with Peregrine (including the 7 other people in the band!) We had a great night, and good hit-out prior to the album launch in November.
PPS - At the risk of repeating myself, you gotta check out Charles Jenkins if you get a chance. Really.
-----------------------
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Yeah I’ve done some crying, been shaken to the core
I’ve cried myself a river and been swept right off the shore
It’s a question of survival, you always gotta swim
For the drowning to stop and the breathing to begin
Yeah I’ve done some bleeding, been stripped right to the bone
Been battered bruised and beaten from my head down to my toes
But the wounds are superficial, the scars they lie within
You gotta search your soul for the healing to begin
I had it coming, way back when
The things that I know now, I wish I knew them then
The wheel of fortune always spins
You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in
You know I’ve done my share of digging for the gold
But I looked so god damn hard I only dug myself a hole
Yeah the ending isn’t pretty when you live your life in sin
Trouble takes hold just like tonic in the gin
I had it coming, way back when
The things I don't know now, thought I knew them then
The wheel of fortune always spins
You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in
This here ain’t the gospel, it’s just some things that I know
From feeling the highest highs and living the lowest lows
And I won’t be finished till I’ve taken all the blood from all the stones.
Oh no.
And I ain’t no preacher but I’ll tell you what I’ve learned
Is that time will heal you, it’ll fix up all your burns
And the thing about hope is that it lives in every corner of this earth.
Yeah I’ve done some crying, burst open at the seams
Been thrown out on the railroad with the engine at full steam
These are just the hazards of a journey unfulfilled
Slowly but surely, I’m curing all my ills.
I had coming way back when,
The things that I know now, I didn't know back then
The wheel of fortune always spins
You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in
Suppose I had it coming to me way back when.
The things that I know now, I never knew them then.
The Wheel of Fortune always spins.
You just gotta take your chance when the luck rolls in.
When the luck rolls in. When the luck rolls in.
When it rolls in.
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Shaker – Renny
Monday, September 14, 2009
THE ARENA Part 6 - Set in Stone
Hello again - what a fine weekend it was! If you discount the fact I was sitting in a small room watching cars go round and round in circles... But enough about the day job.
Molly Mae out on iTunes today! If you want to part with $1.69 that is....
SET IN STONE
There is a funny story to this song that goes something like this....
I was in Adelaide about 18 months ago for a couple of shows. As you may have picked up, I don't mind the odd touring excursion and on this occasion I had a day to kill in the city of churches. Is that what it's called? I think so... Anyway I like Adelaide, it's a great town. I could happily live there.
After taking myself for a morning trot, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to maybe go to a park and write some music. A pretty sound plan you would have to agree - write for a few hours, hang about, show up to play my gig in the evening. I didn't have a particular destination in mind, so I figured I would stroll through the centre of town and see what I could find. There is me - walking through the Rundle Street mall on a warm summers day in Rads - suitcase and guitar in tow - and I suddenly have this great idea that I should, here and now, conquer my fear of busking!
Well not so much a fear, more a misconception on my part that there was something wrong with busking, and I probably wasn't going to enjoy it, and why would you bother etc etc etc... Anyway, I picked my spot, parked my suitcase, opened up the guitar case and away I went. A sparkling rendition of Sarah to kick it off (if I do say so myself). There was even some degree of passing interest by way of the occasional "slow-down" from Adelaide shoppers. I can't say if they were old enough to understand anything I was singing about...
Song No. 2 - I am two bars in, and this short annoying looking man in a shirt and tie walks up to me. I am sensing there could be trouble, so slow down, gently, stop singing, stop playing guitar, the man now 2 feet away...
"Do you have a permit?!"
You have to understand - if you could picture a short annoying looking man in a shirt and tie, and imagine he had small man syndrome, and then imagine what that type of person might sound like if he was about to tell someone to stop busking - that's EXACTLY what he sounded like. Really. It was amazing.
R: "Excuse me?" (As if I needed him to repeat it - play dumb Renny, that'll work...)
SALM: "Do you have a permit"
R: "Errr... no"
SALM: "Well you need a permit"
Apparently.
About here you can imagine the scene, and people are starting to look at me funny...
R: "Right, well I didn't realise. I am just here from Sydney for the day, and I thought I'd just play some songs for a little bit here. Won't really be here that long.
SALM: "Well you need a permit"
Yes. As you mentioned.
SALM: "And if you want to play, you need to go and get one from our permit office"
R: "Right, I see. How much are the permits? As I said, I'm only here for a day"
SALM: "Nine dollars"
Silence...
Still he waits for my next move. I am speechless. So the great busking experiment is rapidly imploding. Can I really not just play a few song on the acoustic guitar?
SALM: "If you want a permit, you'll have to go to the office like everyone else"
His voice is getting higher now. But not louder, just higher. More shrill. More grating. More annoying. More determined. This is an argument I cannot win.
R: "Ok well I guess I'll just have to pack up then, seeing as I am only here a day."
He looks. Nods. Waits for me to pack up my belongings.
At this point a lot of people have stopped to watch the Sydney-sider being run out of town, and I must confess even though I really didn't mind much about the permit-thing, I did trudge off in a somewhat dejected manner, as my little friend stood proudly in the centre of the mall and waited to make sure I made it right to the end and I didn't set up anywhere else.
Bureaucracy 1 - Art 0.
Not to be deterred, there was still half a day to kill and still enough time to pen my song, all though I have to say I was wondering how I would find the energy. It was getting a lot hotter, and walking around with my suitcase was starting to wear a little thin. Nonetheless, after another 20min, I had found a park with a nice seat, and I was strumming away.
Not that it was a great park mind you - I managed to set up adjacent to a fairly busy road, so there was quite a bit of traffic noise to content with. If you have been to Adelaide, you will know that busy roads are not all that common, so the fact that this was the best park I could find was somewhat indicative of the type of day I was having.
Finally - a line, and a melody....
"I'm not in love for the first time, and it won't be the last"
As is often the case, I get a line and a melody first then try and figure it out from there. At least I was away, but it wasn't going to be easy. The words were coming painfully slowly, I didn't really have any sort of "chorus", and the afternoon sun was increasing in temperature as the hours ticked by. After getting myself through about a verse and a half, I figured it was time to change location. The sun was giving me a headache, and the road (if you could believe it) was starting to get even busier than when I started.
As it happens, it was about this time that I needed to go to the toilet. And somewhat fortuitously, being a man and not needing a "toilet" in the truest sense of the word, I noticed a nice clump of trees not so far away from where I had been playing the guitar. That would have to do.
I won't describe the next minute or so, but I'll skip forward to the part when I was doing up my fly, only to turn around and see, directly behind me
A Police Car!
In the park, in the trees, miles away from anything that might even remotely resemble a road. Just there to see me take a piss.
P: "How's it going mate"
You can't be f... serious
R:" Ah yeah good thanks"
What could I say. I had been caught in the act. Defenseless.
P: "What are you doing back here"
I can understand his suspicion. I had walked over to the "toilet" with my guitar and my suitcase, it probably looked a bit weird. I couldn't lie.
R: "Ah mate I was just playing my guitar in the park, and then ... errrr... look I'l be honest with you I just really needed to go to the toilet and there were these trees and I thought no-one would notice and.... um....."
P: "I think you'd better move on mate".
R: "Sure"
And for the second time in the day, I was left to trudge off into the distance whilst the Adelaide protectionist forces watched me to make sure I did as I was told. At this point, you would think I was ready to give up.
Ha!
Another park - this time in a quieter street, but still the sun was getting hotter. Fortunately there was a big big BIG tree in the distance, and that, my friends, was where I was going to finish this song. Or at least get a lot closer to finishing...
About 30mins later, things are looking up. I've pretty much knocked out the rest of the second verse, and I've even got a bit of a chorus going on - At least a decent melody and a couple of words. Despite my series of setbacks, things were finally coming together.
Enter drunk aboriginal man with beer in Paper bag.
(I have nothing against Aborigines, I am part Aboriginal myself (true), but I am just setting the scene so you have the complete picture....)
DAM: "Heerrrloooo Mate"
For f... sake.
R: "Hi mate how are you?"
DAM: "Yeeerrrrrrp. Yerrr like... playin the guitar and stuff...."
Brilliant.
R:"Yes, that's right mate"
Dehydration heading really starting to kick in now.
DAM: "Rrrrriight. Yeah me mate... Errrr... me mate got the beers mate.... Over there.... Yeeeaah. Owe me money man. Guitar and errrr.... play meself man...."
Anyway as you can imagine the conversation went from strength, and my friend sort of kept coming and going for the next half hour or so. In between trips to find his mate with the beer I suppose... But somewhere in the middle of it all, someHOW in the middle of it all, I managed to finish off my new song. At least the important parts, and the structure. I am a big one for setting the structure you see.
There was some refinement to be done, sure, but the crux of a song was there. It had taken me a whole day, 2 near arrests, a conversation with a drunk aboriginal, and a mild dose of heatstroke, but I had created something worth keeping. I even sampled a few bars of it at the gig that night, although when I told the story I'm not sure if anyone really believed me.
And looking at it now it's hard to believe myself... But it's all true. Every single word.
And even after all that, I still like Adelaide. I think the redeeming feature was the $2 breakfast I had at Ikea on my next visit. But that's another story altogether.
---------------------------------
About the recording:
Set in stone was a really difficult song to record, because I was essentially trying to create a "Rock" track in a home studio. And having barely even done an acoustic track before this album, to try and create something with the power and energy that I'd imagined this song should have was a real tough ask. It has always been one of the stronger tracks live, so it was a matter of trying to translate that to the recording as best as possible.
In the end I followed my familiar trial and error policy until it started to take shape, and then continued to add instrumentation in the louder sections to try to give it more "meat" (for want of a better word). I am sure there are more efficient ways to go about it, and if I had my time over I could probably think of a whole series of things I could have done differently. But at the end of the day, I like to think the point of the song is still there, and let's be honest - after the amount of effort it took to write the thing in the first place, I should have known that the recording part probably wouldn't come easy. Still, I got there in the end. Sort of...
Special thanks to Simon Rudston-Brown on Electric Guitar.
Next week a solo song - "Wheel of Fortune". The newest one on the album.
See you then,
Renny
PS - Did I mention - Molly Mae is now on iTunes! Ah yes - I did... Sorry....
-------------------------
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
Molly Mae out on iTunes today! If you want to part with $1.69 that is....
SET IN STONE
There is a funny story to this song that goes something like this....
I was in Adelaide about 18 months ago for a couple of shows. As you may have picked up, I don't mind the odd touring excursion and on this occasion I had a day to kill in the city of churches. Is that what it's called? I think so... Anyway I like Adelaide, it's a great town. I could happily live there.
After taking myself for a morning trot, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to maybe go to a park and write some music. A pretty sound plan you would have to agree - write for a few hours, hang about, show up to play my gig in the evening. I didn't have a particular destination in mind, so I figured I would stroll through the centre of town and see what I could find. There is me - walking through the Rundle Street mall on a warm summers day in Rads - suitcase and guitar in tow - and I suddenly have this great idea that I should, here and now, conquer my fear of busking!
Well not so much a fear, more a misconception on my part that there was something wrong with busking, and I probably wasn't going to enjoy it, and why would you bother etc etc etc... Anyway, I picked my spot, parked my suitcase, opened up the guitar case and away I went. A sparkling rendition of Sarah to kick it off (if I do say so myself). There was even some degree of passing interest by way of the occasional "slow-down" from Adelaide shoppers. I can't say if they were old enough to understand anything I was singing about...
Song No. 2 - I am two bars in, and this short annoying looking man in a shirt and tie walks up to me. I am sensing there could be trouble, so slow down, gently, stop singing, stop playing guitar, the man now 2 feet away...
"Do you have a permit?!"
You have to understand - if you could picture a short annoying looking man in a shirt and tie, and imagine he had small man syndrome, and then imagine what that type of person might sound like if he was about to tell someone to stop busking - that's EXACTLY what he sounded like. Really. It was amazing.
R: "Excuse me?" (As if I needed him to repeat it - play dumb Renny, that'll work...)
SALM: "Do you have a permit"
R: "Errr... no"
SALM: "Well you need a permit"
Apparently.
About here you can imagine the scene, and people are starting to look at me funny...
R: "Right, well I didn't realise. I am just here from Sydney for the day, and I thought I'd just play some songs for a little bit here. Won't really be here that long.
SALM: "Well you need a permit"
Yes. As you mentioned.
SALM: "And if you want to play, you need to go and get one from our permit office"
R: "Right, I see. How much are the permits? As I said, I'm only here for a day"
SALM: "Nine dollars"
Silence...
Still he waits for my next move. I am speechless. So the great busking experiment is rapidly imploding. Can I really not just play a few song on the acoustic guitar?
SALM: "If you want a permit, you'll have to go to the office like everyone else"
His voice is getting higher now. But not louder, just higher. More shrill. More grating. More annoying. More determined. This is an argument I cannot win.
R: "Ok well I guess I'll just have to pack up then, seeing as I am only here a day."
He looks. Nods. Waits for me to pack up my belongings.
At this point a lot of people have stopped to watch the Sydney-sider being run out of town, and I must confess even though I really didn't mind much about the permit-thing, I did trudge off in a somewhat dejected manner, as my little friend stood proudly in the centre of the mall and waited to make sure I made it right to the end and I didn't set up anywhere else.
Bureaucracy 1 - Art 0.
Not to be deterred, there was still half a day to kill and still enough time to pen my song, all though I have to say I was wondering how I would find the energy. It was getting a lot hotter, and walking around with my suitcase was starting to wear a little thin. Nonetheless, after another 20min, I had found a park with a nice seat, and I was strumming away.
Not that it was a great park mind you - I managed to set up adjacent to a fairly busy road, so there was quite a bit of traffic noise to content with. If you have been to Adelaide, you will know that busy roads are not all that common, so the fact that this was the best park I could find was somewhat indicative of the type of day I was having.
Finally - a line, and a melody....
"I'm not in love for the first time, and it won't be the last"
As is often the case, I get a line and a melody first then try and figure it out from there. At least I was away, but it wasn't going to be easy. The words were coming painfully slowly, I didn't really have any sort of "chorus", and the afternoon sun was increasing in temperature as the hours ticked by. After getting myself through about a verse and a half, I figured it was time to change location. The sun was giving me a headache, and the road (if you could believe it) was starting to get even busier than when I started.
As it happens, it was about this time that I needed to go to the toilet. And somewhat fortuitously, being a man and not needing a "toilet" in the truest sense of the word, I noticed a nice clump of trees not so far away from where I had been playing the guitar. That would have to do.
I won't describe the next minute or so, but I'll skip forward to the part when I was doing up my fly, only to turn around and see, directly behind me
A Police Car!
In the park, in the trees, miles away from anything that might even remotely resemble a road. Just there to see me take a piss.
P: "How's it going mate"
You can't be f... serious
R:" Ah yeah good thanks"
What could I say. I had been caught in the act. Defenseless.
P: "What are you doing back here"
I can understand his suspicion. I had walked over to the "toilet" with my guitar and my suitcase, it probably looked a bit weird. I couldn't lie.
R: "Ah mate I was just playing my guitar in the park, and then ... errrr... look I'l be honest with you I just really needed to go to the toilet and there were these trees and I thought no-one would notice and.... um....."
P: "I think you'd better move on mate".
R: "Sure"
And for the second time in the day, I was left to trudge off into the distance whilst the Adelaide protectionist forces watched me to make sure I did as I was told. At this point, you would think I was ready to give up.
Ha!
Another park - this time in a quieter street, but still the sun was getting hotter. Fortunately there was a big big BIG tree in the distance, and that, my friends, was where I was going to finish this song. Or at least get a lot closer to finishing...
About 30mins later, things are looking up. I've pretty much knocked out the rest of the second verse, and I've even got a bit of a chorus going on - At least a decent melody and a couple of words. Despite my series of setbacks, things were finally coming together.
Enter drunk aboriginal man with beer in Paper bag.
(I have nothing against Aborigines, I am part Aboriginal myself (true), but I am just setting the scene so you have the complete picture....)
DAM: "Heerrrloooo Mate"
For f... sake.
R: "Hi mate how are you?"
DAM: "Yeeerrrrrrp. Yerrr like... playin the guitar and stuff...."
Brilliant.
R:"Yes, that's right mate"
Dehydration heading really starting to kick in now.
DAM: "Rrrrriight. Yeah me mate... Errrr... me mate got the beers mate.... Over there.... Yeeeaah. Owe me money man. Guitar and errrr.... play meself man...."
Anyway as you can imagine the conversation went from strength, and my friend sort of kept coming and going for the next half hour or so. In between trips to find his mate with the beer I suppose... But somewhere in the middle of it all, someHOW in the middle of it all, I managed to finish off my new song. At least the important parts, and the structure. I am a big one for setting the structure you see.
There was some refinement to be done, sure, but the crux of a song was there. It had taken me a whole day, 2 near arrests, a conversation with a drunk aboriginal, and a mild dose of heatstroke, but I had created something worth keeping. I even sampled a few bars of it at the gig that night, although when I told the story I'm not sure if anyone really believed me.
And looking at it now it's hard to believe myself... But it's all true. Every single word.
And even after all that, I still like Adelaide. I think the redeeming feature was the $2 breakfast I had at Ikea on my next visit. But that's another story altogether.
---------------------------------
About the recording:
Set in stone was a really difficult song to record, because I was essentially trying to create a "Rock" track in a home studio. And having barely even done an acoustic track before this album, to try and create something with the power and energy that I'd imagined this song should have was a real tough ask. It has always been one of the stronger tracks live, so it was a matter of trying to translate that to the recording as best as possible.
In the end I followed my familiar trial and error policy until it started to take shape, and then continued to add instrumentation in the louder sections to try to give it more "meat" (for want of a better word). I am sure there are more efficient ways to go about it, and if I had my time over I could probably think of a whole series of things I could have done differently. But at the end of the day, I like to think the point of the song is still there, and let's be honest - after the amount of effort it took to write the thing in the first place, I should have known that the recording part probably wouldn't come easy. Still, I got there in the end. Sort of...
Special thanks to Simon Rudston-Brown on Electric Guitar.
Next week a solo song - "Wheel of Fortune". The newest one on the album.
See you then,
Renny
PS - Did I mention - Molly Mae is now on iTunes! Ah yes - I did... Sorry....
-------------------------
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
SET IN STONE....
....
I’m not in love for the first time, and it won’t be the last.
I used to think we’d be just fine
Now those days they have well and truly passed.
....
It’s not the end of the road yet, but we’re damn fucking close.
We’ll never outrun the sunset
And I’m tired of crossing my fingers and toes.
....
Cause what we set in stone were borrowed thoughts we did not own
Oh how were we ever meant to see, or ever meant to know.
Cause what we set in stone, we never thought we’d be alone
Oh How were we ever meant to see or ever meant to know.
....
And I’ve looks to the heavens, and I’ve called out your name
I could walk to till the day’s end, but what’s the point when the night is just the same.
Never wanted to judge you, but you gave me no choice
I got nowhere to run to, I got nowhere to fall.
Cause what we set in stone were borrowed thoughts we did not own
Oh How were we ever meant to see, or ever meant to know
Cause what we set in stone, it took us miles away from home
Oh how were we ever meant to see, or ever meant to know
Oh how were we ever meant to see what we never could have known.
....
All I ever wanted was to take this world and make it yours.
All we ever needed was a ship to take us through that storm.
All those things we set in stone, those borrowed thoughts we did not own.
All those thoughts you take them home
But it never makes it, never makes it easier to go.
No it never, never makes it easier to go. ....
....
....
Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, Keyboards – Renny Field
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Electric Guitar – Simon Rudston-Brown
Monday, September 07, 2009
MOLLY MAE - Single Launch
Hi Everyone, how are you?
Here at camp Field, it's all action. Well as much action as you can cram into a one-bedroom apartment in Manly anyway. Oh dear, that really doesn't sound all that appropriate for a music mailout does it.... How about I stop there and give you the info:
Prior to the release of the Album, we've got a big show coming up in Sydney with our good friends Peregrine. It's the launch of the first single "Molly Mae". Who really did look like a simple girl... The single will be out mid-September on i-tunes, and there are wild rumours circulating that you will receive some sort of annoying email asking you to request it on the radio, but I cannot confirm or deny these reports.
FRI 18TH SEPTEMBER - "MOLLY MAE" Single Launch
METRO THEATRE (THE LAIR)
George Street, Sydney.
Full Band Show, with Peregrine and Iron Bar Hotel.
Advance tix now available on line:
http://www.metrotheatre.com.au/events/2009/09/18/peregrine-in-the-lair-the-metro
Music from 8pm!
Also, a mini-single-launch-toury-thingy booked in for September:
TUE 15/11 WOLLONGONG UNI BAR
WED 16/11 THE OLD MANLY BOATSHED
SUN 20/11 PURE POP RECORDS, ST KILDA
TUE 22/11 THE ESPY, ST KILDA
SAT 26/11 ORIENTAL HOTEL, MUDGEE
Stay tuned to myspace for more info on the above shows, and also if you want to have a listen to "Molly Mae" herself.
-----------------------------------------------
THE ARENA - ALBUM NEWS:
Well I am steadily working my way through the weekly album previews on myspace. This week I am up to Track 5 - Crossfire - which seems to be a popular one at the live shows. I am never quite sure why people enjoy a song which ends with the word "killed", but there you go.... (Ok, so I don't mind it either, and I was very fortunate to have some good friends work with me on the recording. I think the end result is almost as good as The Look by Roxette).
Plenty of news on the tour front as well - check out the gig guide for all the dates we have locked in so far, plus more to be confirmed.
Anywhere else you can recommend? Please feel free to drop me a line.
renny@rennyfield.com
----------------------------------------
NOTICEBOARD:
A couple of my friends are doing very cool things in the next month. Both these girls sang on my album, and I love 'em!
SARAH HUMPHREYS is launching her latest EP "Autumn" on 2 October at The Entrance Leagues Club.
www.myspace.com/sarahhumphreys
SAM BUCKINGHAM also has a rocking EP which will be released a few days later. With a big launch at The Vanguard on 15th October.
And would you believe - she even asked me to sing on it!
(Apparently the guy from Roxette turned her down... )
www.myspace.com/sambuckinghammusic
Na na na na na - she's got the look!
OK that's it from me. Enough is enough.
See you soon.
Somewhere.
Cheers,
Renny
MOLLY MAE - Single Launch
Hi Everyone, how are you?
Here at camp Field, it's all action. Well as much action as you can cram into a one-bedroom apartment in Manly anyway. Oh dear, that really doesn't sound all that appropriate for a music mailout does it.... How about I stop there and give you the info:
Prior to the release of the Album, we've got a big show coming up in Sydney with our good friends Peregrine. It's the launch of the first single "Molly Mae". Who really did look like a simple girl... The single will be out mid-September on i-tunes, and there are wild rumours circulating that you will receive some sort of annoying email asking you to request it on the radio, but I cannot confirm or deny these reports.
FRI 18TH SEPTEMBER - "MOLLY MAE" Single Launch
METRO THEATRE (THE LAIR)
George Street, Sydney.
Full Band Show, with Peregrine and Iron Bar Hotel.
Advance tix now available on line:
http://www.metrotheatre.com.au/events/2009/09/18/peregrine-in-the-lair-the-metro
Music from 8pm!
Also, a mini-single-launch-toury-thingy booked in for September:
TUE 15/11 WOLLONGONG UNI BAR
WED 16/11 THE OLD MANLY BOATSHED
SUN 20/11 PURE POP RECORDS, ST KILDA
TUE 22/11 THE ESPY, ST KILDA
SAT 26/11 ORIENTAL HOTEL, MUDGEE
Stay tuned to myspace for more info on the above shows, and also if you want to have a listen to "Molly Mae" herself.
-----------------------------------------------
THE ARENA - ALBUM NEWS:
Well I am steadily working my way through the weekly album previews on myspace. This week I am up to Track 5 - Crossfire - which seems to be a popular one at the live shows. I am never quite sure why people enjoy a song which ends with the word "killed", but there you go.... (Ok, so I don't mind it either, and I was very fortunate to have some good friends work with me on the recording. I think the end result is almost as good as The Look by Roxette).
Plenty of news on the tour front as well - check out the gig guide for all the dates we have locked in so far, plus more to be confirmed.
Anywhere else you can recommend? Please feel free to drop me a line.
renny@rennyfield.com
----------------------------------------
NOTICEBOARD:
A couple of my friends are doing very cool things in the next month. Both these girls sang on my album, and I love 'em!
SARAH HUMPHREYS is launching her latest EP "Autumn" on 2 October at The Entrance Leagues Club.
www.myspace.com/sarahhumphreys
SAM BUCKINGHAM also has a rocking EP which will be released a few days later. With a big launch at The Vanguard on 15th October.
And would you believe - she even asked me to sing on it!
(Apparently the guy from Roxette turned her down... )
www.myspace.com/sambuckinghammusic
Na na na na na - she's got the look!
OK that's it from me. Enough is enough.
See you soon.
Somewhere.
Cheers,
Renny
THE ARENA Part 5 - Crossfire
Hello again folks, does anyone actually read these things? I doubt it. But it's important for my therapy you see - I am slowly starting to believe that the album is actually finished! I even put it in to get pressed last Thursday. How about that.
Crossfire:
Well I'll be perfectly honest with you, I don't have a whole lot to say about this song. It is what it is I suppose. I can tell you that it's one of the older songs on the album, and that I wrote it at a time of uncertainty in my life, where a lot of things weren't really making sense to me. Hence the "Caught in the Crossfire" line that keeps returning. That's a bit how it felt. As a general rule, I am not usually able to write much when I am in those periods - the songs tend to come afterwards via a process of reflection. A lot of songwriters will tell you that their best work often comes from the more difficult times in their lives, and whilst I would agree with that to an extent, I rarely seem to get the music out until after the event. Crossfire I guess is a bit of an exception to that rule.
The emotions in this song are pretty raw, and I didn't want to lose that from a production point of view. As such, it remains fairly sparse throughout aside from a slight build through the second verse. There was a really strong energy with the band on this recording, which made it one of the easier songs to work with when I took it back to my home studio. Fortunately I had a nice old upright piano at my disposal (thanks to my grandmother who no longer uses it), and that would become a really important part of how the song took shape.
A big shout-out again to the viola skills of Carl St Jacques, who seems to have an amazing ability to capture the mood of a song when he plays. It was purely a stroke of good fortune that I was able to work with him on this record, as most of the time he is based in the USA. I can't imagine what he must have been thinking when I set up the mic in my brother's living room (in a place called "The Purple Palace" of all things...) and told him to "Jam", but to his credit he remained as professional as ever, and ended up giving me some really beautiful parts to work with.
Thanks also to Kent Eastwood, whose accordion drones added a nice bit of energy to the track through the middle section. A curious decision you would have to say, as we had never used the accordion on this song before, but I think it really made a difference. And last but not least, the beautiful voice of Sarah Humphreys, which would not be out of place on any recording. www.myspace.com/sarahhumphreys - please check her out if you haven't done so before.
As for the rest, well that's just me doodling on a few different things, but no-one really needs to know about that...
Next week, Set in Stone.
See you then,
Renny
PS - National tour dates taking shape... Check out the gig guide for all the info.
----------------------------------------
CROSSFIRE
I left my heart in the open again
Now I’m running out of breath in the land of no man
Will I be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm
I got myself in a bad place again,
Now I’m running in the dark, down a street with no end
Don’t wanna be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm
C’mon courage, tell me your name, come and make friends with me
C’mon courage, come and feed me again, cause this could be the end of me
The end of me
I left my soul in the spotlight again
Now I’m lit up in a field where I can no longer pretend
Will I be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm
Show me a way I can make this all a dream,
Show me a way I can live here, show me a way I can breathe
Don’t wanna be caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rain storm
C’mon courage, tell me your name, come and make friends with me
C’mon courage, come and feed me again, cause this could be the end of me.
My body breathes, but my mind cuts off the air
Honey I wish I didn’t love you, I wish I didn’t care
Looks like I’m caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rainstorm
Looks like I’m caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rain
Looks like I’m caught in the Crossfire, caught in the rain
Don’t wanna be killed by the Crossfire, killed by the rainstorm.
Don’t wanna be killed.
Vocals, Guitars, Piano, Synth, Percussion – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Viola – Carl St Jaques
Accordion – Kent Eastwood
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys
Monday, August 31, 2009
The ARENA Part 4 - Love Potion
Hello folks, back again with some Love Potion - sit back, take a sip, enjoy...
The chorus of this song actually came to me in a dream last year when I was performing a one-month solo residency at a hotel in Thailand. Not that I was falling asleep on stage of course.....in case you were wondering... but in between performances, they gave me this beautiful room with an enourmous double bed, very conducive to dreaming about choruses in fact. Especially after playing a gig for 4 hours in a bar by the beach.
I say the "chorus", but all I got was the line "You make me wanna drink that Love Potion". Where did it come from? Who knows, but there it was. At another time and place, I may have ignored that sort of thing and never really done anything with it, but free from distractions and with a day to kill on the coast of Phuket, I figured it was worth trying to turn it into a song... A few hours later, and after yet another outrageously good all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast, I had the basic gist of where it was going, then it was a matter of refining the song over the next week or so. I wouldn't say there was a whole lot of "refining" going on mind you - just enough to make it sound listenable. This was a song I had started in a dream after all, so I didn't want to be over-complicating it too much. Essentially, I was trying to make it feel like I was almost still asleep - I guess as some representation of where the song first started.
The lyrics themselves I wouldn't say required too much attention - have a listen and you will see what I mean there. In keeping with the overall feel of the song, I tried not to agonise too much over the words, just ran with whatever came to me first (and seemed to fit in). Sometimes I can think for days and even weeks about a word or a phrase in one line of a song. I would do it quicker if I could believe me, but it's purely a personal thing, and I am prepared to play the same line over and over again in my head until the right words come to me. It's always worth it when you get the one you were looking for.
In keeping with the "dreamy" feel of the song itself, I tried not to over-think things with the recording, so it didn't really depart too far from the original acoustic version. I have a special attachment to this song because I started from scratch and created the whole thing myself - not an incredible feat by any means in the overall history of self-produced records, but significant because I was trusting myself to play all the instruments for the first time. In the end, this song probably also gave me the confidence to play more different instruments on other tracks as the recording progressed.
Having said all that, there wasn't really too much to do - once the acoustic guitar was down then I layered a few different percussion tracks (nearly said "Drums" there, although technically not a drum credit because I wasn't playing a "kit"... one day I'll figure that one out...), then the bass, and finally a couple of electric guitar parts that drift in and out in a sort of mock relationship throughout the song. (You might be interested to know that I used one of my mother's old lipstick canisters for the "slide" guitar part - that was the best thing I could find in the house... it really doesn't sound great, but it works... ). I think there is a keyboard in there as well, but it's so low in the mix that I can't remember what I played. As for the harmonies, they are all me too - a Renny overkill perhaps? Well probably, but that's why I got the girls in for the other songs!
Anyway that's it for this week. Next week Crossfire.
Cheers,
Renny
PS - If you listen really closely in the quiet parts, you can here the crickets outside the window of my studio.
PPS - Album Launch is booked in. Check the gig guide for all the info. Would love to see you there.
---------------------------------------------
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
The chorus of this song actually came to me in a dream last year when I was performing a one-month solo residency at a hotel in Thailand. Not that I was falling asleep on stage of course.....in case you were wondering... but in between performances, they gave me this beautiful room with an enourmous double bed, very conducive to dreaming about choruses in fact. Especially after playing a gig for 4 hours in a bar by the beach.
I say the "chorus", but all I got was the line "You make me wanna drink that Love Potion". Where did it come from? Who knows, but there it was. At another time and place, I may have ignored that sort of thing and never really done anything with it, but free from distractions and with a day to kill on the coast of Phuket, I figured it was worth trying to turn it into a song... A few hours later, and after yet another outrageously good all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast, I had the basic gist of where it was going, then it was a matter of refining the song over the next week or so. I wouldn't say there was a whole lot of "refining" going on mind you - just enough to make it sound listenable. This was a song I had started in a dream after all, so I didn't want to be over-complicating it too much. Essentially, I was trying to make it feel like I was almost still asleep - I guess as some representation of where the song first started.
The lyrics themselves I wouldn't say required too much attention - have a listen and you will see what I mean there. In keeping with the overall feel of the song, I tried not to agonise too much over the words, just ran with whatever came to me first (and seemed to fit in). Sometimes I can think for days and even weeks about a word or a phrase in one line of a song. I would do it quicker if I could believe me, but it's purely a personal thing, and I am prepared to play the same line over and over again in my head until the right words come to me. It's always worth it when you get the one you were looking for.
In keeping with the "dreamy" feel of the song itself, I tried not to over-think things with the recording, so it didn't really depart too far from the original acoustic version. I have a special attachment to this song because I started from scratch and created the whole thing myself - not an incredible feat by any means in the overall history of self-produced records, but significant because I was trusting myself to play all the instruments for the first time. In the end, this song probably also gave me the confidence to play more different instruments on other tracks as the recording progressed.
Having said all that, there wasn't really too much to do - once the acoustic guitar was down then I layered a few different percussion tracks (nearly said "Drums" there, although technically not a drum credit because I wasn't playing a "kit"... one day I'll figure that one out...), then the bass, and finally a couple of electric guitar parts that drift in and out in a sort of mock relationship throughout the song. (You might be interested to know that I used one of my mother's old lipstick canisters for the "slide" guitar part - that was the best thing I could find in the house... it really doesn't sound great, but it works... ). I think there is a keyboard in there as well, but it's so low in the mix that I can't remember what I played. As for the harmonies, they are all me too - a Renny overkill perhaps? Well probably, but that's why I got the girls in for the other songs!
Anyway that's it for this week. Next week Crossfire.
Cheers,
Renny
PS - If you listen really closely in the quiet parts, you can here the crickets outside the window of my studio.
PPS - Album Launch is booked in. Check the gig guide for all the info. Would love to see you there.
---------------------------------------------
.. .. .. .. .. .. ....
LOVE POTION....
....
I’m not a soldier, I’m not a saint
And just some combination of these things I’d like to think I ain’t
I’ve spent a lifetime trying to get to know myself
Now I’ve gone and put that person on the shelf
....
Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion
Like it was going out of style
I’d come for you across the greatest ocean
Just to hold you one more time
....
I’m not a loser, I’m not a star
I guess I’m somewhere in between those two but I ain’t ever sure how far
I’ve spent a lifetime trying to work these damn things out
But I could learn to love the middle ground with you about
....
Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion….
One more time.
One more time.
....
Now nothing can hold me down, cause this feeling just hangs around
And I’ve had this dream before, but I don’t wanna sleep no more.
....
Cause you make me wanna drink that love potion…
One more time.
One more time.
....
Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Keyboard - Renny
Monday, August 24, 2009
THE ARENA Part 3 - Molly Mae
Well look at that – two songs with girls' names, and I’ve stuck them right next to each other. It seemed only fair that they got to enjoy each other’s company for the rest of time – I’m sure in real life they would be great mates. In comparison to Sarah, Molly Mae was a little less of a metaphor and a little more based on a real person to begin with, although in the final analysis it’s not as specific as I sometimes make it out to be. Really, it’s about that mysterious person that catches your eye – be it on the bus, on the train, at the supermarket, at the bar, or perhaps working at the café down the road – you know what I mean – the type that you never really meet, but who nonetheless warrants a little more attention than the rest. We’ve all had someone like that cross our path from time to time – I guess this is my way of explaining the situation through music.
There is, therefore, an element of fantasy in this song – the thought of “what if you and me could get together one day” - but at the same time there is the inherent realisation that the “fantasy” can exist only as a result of a corresponding defeatist mentality, whereby you are acutely aware that it would never actually happen. I’ve had this discussion with people in the past – the common view is that if your “Molly Mae” (whoever it might be) ever progressed beyond that initial point of admiration, it would ruin the whole experience.
Recording Molly Mae was a real sticking point at first, because I never really knew what I wanted to do with it. The pre-production sessions were basically concentrated on getting the bass and drums right, and not much else. But whereas with the other songs, I had some idea in my mind of how I wanted them to sound in the end, Molly Mae for a long time never progressed passed the point of being a good little ditty – fun to play live, a song people seemed to like, but lacking something production-wise.
In a solo setting, I always found the dynamic of song seemed to work, so I knew I probably didn’t have to change too much when the band came into the equation – it was just a matter of adding something interesting that gave it a bit of “pizzazz” (for want of better term). Enter the organ…
I had borrowed Kent Eastwood’s (fellow Sydney artist) Nord 2 keyboard for a couple of weeks, and I decided to dig up a dirty organ sound and run it through my old Traynor guitar amp. I couldn’t tell you why I made either decision, but once I started jamming the fun began. And the frustration I might add, because I had never really tried to play an “organ” part before, and if the truth be known I had little or no idea what I was doing. But as the hours ticked by, the part began to make sense, and the whole song began to take on a bit of a “novelty” feel. There was a chance I was going too far, but this organ-through-the-amp thing was sounding just crazy enough to be kind of cool, and in any case I was having a great old time getting the part together. As for the next door neighbours, I can’t be sure if they were feeling the love, but in my defence I did go and apologise when I was done.
The backing singers (or the “oooh bop bop” girls as I like to call them) were almost a matter of course once the organ was in there doing its thing. Again, I’m not sure where the idea came from, but in the spirit of trial and error I was all of a sudden running back and forth to the microphone, trying to produce the best “ooh bop” girl I could come up with, and layering up a three-part harmony to run throughout the song. When I had settled on all the parts, I was stoked. It was a bit wacky sure, but even though the ideas were from left field, I was happy that it seemed to have changed the song for the better. In my mind anyway, I’d captured the type of mood that the song evoked when I was first writing it – that playful aspect of the relationship I described above – and I suppose that’s what was missing up to this point. Judging by other people’s first reactions (pretty much everyone I played it to), it could be argued that I had lost the plot slightly, but then again sitting in a little room by yourself for days on end can do that to you. And slowly but surely, they are all coming around to it… Just as I did!
To add the finishing touches, Sarah Humphreys and Sam Buckingham came in to help me re-do the backing vocals (there is still one “Renny” in the Ooooh bob bob girls….), and I dug up my old mate – the Clarinet – to add a final little melody to the last chorus. I may not have lived up to the school’s expectations on the old clarinet, but as it turns out I had learned to play it well enough to put a wacky little part at the back end of Molly Mae, so I suppose I must have been paying attention at some point. Finally, a bit of tambourine seemed to be in order so I've done my best "Oooh Bop bop" girl impersonation with that too... Rumours still circulate that it was on this song that I broke my “clap free zone” rule for this album, but I cannot confirm or deny these reports. No comment.
Anyway, enjoy “Molly Mae”.
And guess what – it’s the first single! (See below for details of the launch).
See you next week for some Love Potion.
Cheers,
Renny
(Against my prediction, it tuns out this was longer than last week. Typical...)
------------------------------------
MOLLY MAE
Oh Molly Mae, you look like a simple girl
I like the way you talk and the way you move
But I hate what you’ve done to my world
I gotta tell you, oh listen babe,
You got me licking all my wounds
Oh what I’d give, if I could put the same spell on you
....
Baby I could use you around, but man I’m such a hopeless clown
If you build me a bridge I’ll probably burn it down
....
Oh Molly Mae, you know I’m just a simple man
Yeah I ain’t that rich and I ain’t that flash,
But I promise that I’d love you just the best that I can
Believe me, I only need a fighting chance,
But please forgive me sweet, I got two left feet
So don’t you try making me dance
....
Baby I could use you around, Oh Molly I could use you know
So build me a bridge and I’ll try not to burn it down
....
Oh Molly Mae I will not do you wrong
Cause girl you know your sweetness wrote this song
I’ll stand in line forever if that’ll take me to the head of the queue.
It’s a damn small price to pay to get to you.
....
Oh Molly Mae, maybe I’m headed for a fall
Yeah but I’m fine with that, I’ll just keep on coming
My heads never been shy of that big brick wall, oh baby
I’m gonna keep banging away
Till that wall starts breaking, the earth starts shaking
And maybe you’ll stop and hear what I’m saying
....
Baby I’ve figured it out, just as soon as that wall comes down,
I’ll build us a bridge we can follow it right out of town
Baby I could use you around, oh Molly I could use you now
So let’s build us a bridge, we can follow it right out of town
I’ll build us a bridge, we can follow it right out of town
Yeah I’ll build us a bridge we can follow
Right out of town.
....
Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Percussion, Clarinet - Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham
Monday, August 17, 2009
THE ARENA Part 2 - Sarah
Hi again, time for another new song. If the first one didn't scare you off... I certainly hope not, there are still 12 more to go after this. Anyway...
Everyone always asks me the same question about this song. "Who is Sarah"? Well believe it or not, it's actually not about a girl, but about contentment and happiness. I sometimes liken "contentment" in this case (mostly when I am trying to explain it at my shows) to sitting on your balcony when you are 85 years old, smoking a cigar on your rocking chair, staring off into the distance, looking back on your life and thinking "F.... that was good". It's a rough analogy sure, but it's the best I can do, and it's the one that came to me first. And you've got to admit, if you were in that situation, it would feel pretty good!
The song could have been called anything really, it's just that - for whatever reason - "Sarah" was the first word that came out of my mouth when I started writing it. I wondered at the time if there was a reason for that, but I can't say there was. Only problem being - "Sarah, shine your little light on me" seemed to be such a good fit for the opening line, that I didn't want to change that part. And lots of people have songs called Sarah - why should I miss out on the fun?! She seems to be a popular choice...
In one sense then I made the song a bit of a metaphor. I like to think if you listen in the context of Sarah being happiness/contentment that it makes some sense. On another level I suppose it's a bit of a love song - at least based on my idea of love, and the place it comes from. The beauty, and ultimately the simplicity of that emotion. I have often thought of love and happiness as going hand in hand, and maybe that's the best explanation I can give about how this song came together.
Like most of the tracks on this album, I really had no idea how I would make it sound something like I had imagined it should. Being the first time I had produced anything, this feeling of hopelessness was something I was coming to terms with. Fortunately Matt and Pat had laid down some great drum and bass tracks to start with (the same process I used for all the band songs), and the maestro himself Carl St Jaques had given me some beautiful Viola takes to work with. Over time, through a process of trial and error, the music started to make a bit more sense, the arrangements started to come to life, and the whole thing slowly (very slowly) started to sound like something worth listening to. Which is a fairly important part of the equation you would have to say... By the time Sarah and Sam came over to sing the BV's, I was confident I was on the right track.
In the final analysis, there are still some things I could have done better, but the end result was an improvement on what I had expected. And whatever imperfections there may be, they are all worth it for the final chorus - which I think is my favourite section of any song on the whole album. A big call maybe, but it was the first time I had a "yes yes yes - there it is, there it is!! (fist punches the air)" moment in my studio, and maybe for that reason I will always have a special attachement to it...
Lyrics below. Have a listen and see what you think.
Next week - Track 3 - Molly Mae. (I can't imagine the description will be as long as this....)
Cheers,
Renny
(In case you're wondering, I will leave the songs up for two weeks at a time. So they'll still be there if you miss a week. Cheers!).
----------------------------------------
SARAH
Sarah, shine your little light on me
I’m waiting in the garden, I’m wandering through the trees so aimlessly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave
Sarah, come speak your sweet language to me
Come and whisper in my ear so the words you say are clearer than my dictionary
Can we lay down just you and me underneath the willow tree
If I found you here with me, you know I’d never have to leave
If you sing by yourself I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us
The way it was meant to be
Sarah, shine your little light on me
Come find me in the garden, you’d fit here in the trees so perfectly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave
If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you.
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s so much better with you
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us
The way it was meant to be
You know I’d never have to leave
Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Glock – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham
Violas – Carl St Jaques
Violas arranged by Renny Field and Carl St Jaques
Everyone always asks me the same question about this song. "Who is Sarah"? Well believe it or not, it's actually not about a girl, but about contentment and happiness. I sometimes liken "contentment" in this case (mostly when I am trying to explain it at my shows) to sitting on your balcony when you are 85 years old, smoking a cigar on your rocking chair, staring off into the distance, looking back on your life and thinking "F.... that was good". It's a rough analogy sure, but it's the best I can do, and it's the one that came to me first. And you've got to admit, if you were in that situation, it would feel pretty good!
The song could have been called anything really, it's just that - for whatever reason - "Sarah" was the first word that came out of my mouth when I started writing it. I wondered at the time if there was a reason for that, but I can't say there was. Only problem being - "Sarah, shine your little light on me" seemed to be such a good fit for the opening line, that I didn't want to change that part. And lots of people have songs called Sarah - why should I miss out on the fun?! She seems to be a popular choice...
In one sense then I made the song a bit of a metaphor. I like to think if you listen in the context of Sarah being happiness/contentment that it makes some sense. On another level I suppose it's a bit of a love song - at least based on my idea of love, and the place it comes from. The beauty, and ultimately the simplicity of that emotion. I have often thought of love and happiness as going hand in hand, and maybe that's the best explanation I can give about how this song came together.
Like most of the tracks on this album, I really had no idea how I would make it sound something like I had imagined it should. Being the first time I had produced anything, this feeling of hopelessness was something I was coming to terms with. Fortunately Matt and Pat had laid down some great drum and bass tracks to start with (the same process I used for all the band songs), and the maestro himself Carl St Jaques had given me some beautiful Viola takes to work with. Over time, through a process of trial and error, the music started to make a bit more sense, the arrangements started to come to life, and the whole thing slowly (very slowly) started to sound like something worth listening to. Which is a fairly important part of the equation you would have to say... By the time Sarah and Sam came over to sing the BV's, I was confident I was on the right track.
In the final analysis, there are still some things I could have done better, but the end result was an improvement on what I had expected. And whatever imperfections there may be, they are all worth it for the final chorus - which I think is my favourite section of any song on the whole album. A big call maybe, but it was the first time I had a "yes yes yes - there it is, there it is!! (fist punches the air)" moment in my studio, and maybe for that reason I will always have a special attachement to it...
Lyrics below. Have a listen and see what you think.
Next week - Track 3 - Molly Mae. (I can't imagine the description will be as long as this....)
Cheers,
Renny
(In case you're wondering, I will leave the songs up for two weeks at a time. So they'll still be there if you miss a week. Cheers!).
----------------------------------------
SARAH
Sarah, shine your little light on me
I’m waiting in the garden, I’m wandering through the trees so aimlessly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave
Sarah, come speak your sweet language to me
Come and whisper in my ear so the words you say are clearer than my dictionary
Can we lay down just you and me underneath the willow tree
If I found you here with me, you know I’d never have to leave
If you sing by yourself I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us
The way it was meant to be
Sarah, shine your little light on me
Come find me in the garden, you’d fit here in the trees so perfectly
Can we lay down just you and me so I never have to leave
If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you.
I can live by myself, but it’s better to be near you.
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
If you sing by yourself, I won’t hear you
I can live by myself, but it’s so much better with you
Oh Sarah can we walk, through the fields, by the stream
Sarah can we walk, just the two of us
The way it was meant to be
You know I’d never have to leave
Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Keyboards, Percussion, Glock – Renny
Drums – Matt Field
Bass – Pat Savina
Backing Vocals – Sarah Humphreys, Sam Buckingham
Violas – Carl St Jaques
Violas arranged by Renny Field and Carl St Jaques
Thursday, August 13, 2009
THE ARENA Part 1 - Iron Will
If you've logged on for the first time and you are wondering what this is all about, then best to check out the previous blog and that will give you a bit more info.
As mentioned, I'll be posting a track each week from the new album "The Arena". A bit of a preview before the record is released in October.
IRON WILL:
Iron Will, the first song on the album, is also the oldest song on the album. I wrote it 5 years ago in fact - at a very different time in my life, but it still remains one of my favourites. Unfortunately I came up with some obscure tuning for this song, so I don't often play it live because I figure people don't really need to hear me tuning the guitar for ten minutes every show... And it's the only song I ever really play in that tuning. Those of you interested, its D-F#-D-E-A-C#. How it works, I am not exactly sure...
I wanted to start with a solo track on this album because essentially that's how all the songs started off - just voice and guitar. Me in the bedroom. In recent years I have really tried to make a point of writing songs that work on their own, because often I am touring around just solo with my guitar. Whereas a lot of the other songs however have really come to life with the band, this one is a little unique - every time we have ever tried playing it with the band it hasn't really worked. I am not sure why that is, perhaps it will one day. But for the time being, I am happy playing it by myself, and it was a nice fit for the opening track.
As an aside, I figured out just the other day that when I was recording this song my guitar was not actually IN tune. Relative to itself yes, but relative to the rest of the world of tuning not really... An odd mistake on my part you would have to say... I must have picked up the guitar at home and figured it sounded ok, so I ran with it. Hey it was very late at night, and I didn't want to take too long in case I woke up the next door neighbours. For those of you with perfect pitch, this might be annoying to listen to... For the other 99.9% of the population (myself included), I think it still works.
Thanks to my brother, who pretty much insisted that I put this song on the album. It didn't make the cut for the last CD - funny how things work out...
Next week - "Sarah".
See you then.
Renny
-------
IRON WILL:
Iron will, you think that’ll get you through
Drink your fill, there’s no more that you can do
Rest your frame on me.
Make the most of someone else’s company.
No-one’s gonna judge you.
....
Will of steel, staring at the ocean in front of you
How does it feel when you’re camped out on the rocks
Watching the tide come in to get you
If you don’t articulate what you’re thinking
How you gonna stop yourself from sinking
Let it all go. No-one’s gonna judge you.
Let it all go. No-one’s gonna judge you.
....
Why would you settle for this, like it was meant to happen
You should be shaking your fists, not pretending it doesn’t matter
I know it feels safer inside, but what’s the use in living with something to hide
....
How can you keep that same face, like you have no emotion
I want you to feel my embrace, but you’re numb from your magic potion
You don’t need to hurt any more
So do yourself a favour, let someone in the door
No-one’s gonna judge you.
....
Iron will, you think that’ll make things better
Quiet still, not happy with discussing the state of the weather
But this cloud will rain like any other
And an iron will won’t give you any better cover
....
Let it all go, no-one’s gonna judge you
Let it all go, no one’s gonna judge you.
....
....
Vocals and Guitar – Renny
-------------------------------
Random Touring Story - As promised...
The Locomotive Hotel, Junee. Sat 25th July 2009.
(This is true. No I did not make it up. It really happened...)
After a mad dash up the Olympic Highway to Junee (the game of golf in Albury took a little longer than expected), I arrived in Junee for my second show at the Locomotive Hotel. Aptly named - it is right beside the train tracks. But then again, everything is right beside the tracks in Junee - that's was the main industry in the town for many years. Railroads.
Anyway, as I enter the pub, it's quite clear that trains are the last things on anyone's mind. The local rugby league team has returned from their match in the afternoon - a draw against Narrandera. So there's not the celebratory "get wasted" vibe that accompanies a victory, there's not the down-hearted "get wasted" vibe that accompanies a loss, instead there is the "get wasted for the hell of it just because it's a Saturday night and what else would we do anyway" vibe that accompanies a draw. If you hadn't figured it out, they don't mind a beer in Junee. But I suppose that's not so different from most small towns.
The country pub gigs are interesting, but I love them because there's always some amusing tales that you end up with at the end of the night. Each venue has it's own "magic" about it. In Junee, I set up below 4 TAB screens (actually 3 TAB and a Fox Sports TV), which get turned down to a low volume whilst I am playing, but they are not COMPLETELY off. So there is just enough noise to remind you that certain patrons are probably more interested in the greyhounds. But that's cool - they are paying me.
The last time I played in Junee, every 5 minutes someone would request "Flame Trees" by Jimmy Barnes. This is a great song, but I didn't know it. Which I kept telling them of course, it's just that they REALLY wanted to hear it. So on this occasion, I had prepared "Flame Trees", and gave it my best effort. Twice at the pub, and 5 times at the house part I went to afterwards (I am getting to that - that's the good bit).
You've always got to be careful at the "Loco" (by name, by nature?), because there is no "Stage" so to speak - you are on ground level with everyone else. So when I am playing a particularly well known cover song, and various Juneeans decide they would like to dance, I always have to keep an eye out for the odd stray arm or leg that flies into my microphone stand, thus thrusting the microphone itself straight towards my mouth. If it weren't for my lightning reflexes, it's very possible I may have left Junee without any teeth. But hey that's all part of the fun.
So, if you're up for a character-building exercise, and a good laugh, then I thoroughly recommend going to play a show at The Loco in Junee. They even put your name on the big poster out the front. It's awesome.
On this particular night, the fans of Flame Trees apparently wanted to hear more when it came to closing time, so they invited me back to their house to play for a few more hours at the after-party. Having given up the alcohol, this is an interesting proposition. I am stone cold sober, and I have been asked to go to a house at 12.30am to play cover songs for a few more hours to a room full of wasted people. However, there is a cash incentive on offer, and I figure I haven't got much to lose - at the very least it's another story to tell. And really the people in Junee, wasted or otherwise, are a pretty good crew - it was worth giving it a go.
Half an hour later, I had packed up my things, found the house, and I was sitting in front of the fire with the aforementioned room full of wasted people playing a whole bunch of requests - songs I don't really know but I can do a good enough job of figuring out. Including Flame Trees of course. It's a really great song - did I mention that?
At some stage of the night, and I can't remember when exactly, it became apparent to me that most of the people in the room had stepped outside for a cigarette. An interesting observation, because we weren't in the pub any more, so there was no real need for anyone to go outside, but they did anyway. A polite gesture for a wasted rugby player you would have to agree... But I digress...
So yes - most of the people were outside. In fact, there were just 4 audience members remaining. And me playing one of the classics. A one hit wonder of some sort I am assuming - I can't really remember. I wish I could, but perhaps I have erased it from memory on account of the circumstances that unfolded.
Anyway I am about half way through the song, and one of these blokes decides, in all his wisdom, that to simply dance and sing along is not enough, and the experience would be so much better with his pants around his ankles. Not the full monty fortunately - just the jeans.
So there I am - playing a cheesy cover song to 4 blokes dancing and singing along - one of whom has his jeans around his ankles... In itself, probably the most bizarre gig experience I have ever had. What I wasn't prepared for was the next part.
The other 3 followed suit!
You
have
to
be
kidding
me...
So now - if you can picture it - I am singing a song in a random house in Junee. In the wee hours of the morning. In a room with 4 blokes dancing and singing along with beer in hand. All with their pants around their ankles. This is surely something that could only happen in Australia. Come on.
I would say I was speechless, but somehow I managed to finish the song, at which point the jeans were pulled back up and the four of them all left the room like nothing had ever happened. And shortly after, the rest of the party returned, and everything was back to "normal". I played for another hour or so, threw in a triple encore of flame trees, said my thankyous, then took off back to Wagga where I was staying.
I remember looking around whilst "the incident" (shall we say) was taking place, just to check if there was anyone else around who was witnessing the situation. But I never saw another soul. It's like everyone else at the house had vacated the room just so me and the four dudes with their jeans around their ankles could have our special moment together. On reflection, I am not exactly sure why I kept playing. Was it the old "Show must go on" mentality that kept me going? It's hard to say. In any case, I don't imagine I will ever have another gig experience quite like it.
Well here's hoping anyway. I think once is enough...
Then again, if they were the Miss Australia contestants....
OK that'll do me.
Anyone for a trip to Junee next time round?
Introducing THE ARENA
Hi Everyone. I am still alive.
Well I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever make it to this point but my third Album, "The Arena" is pretty much ready to go. A few bits and pieces to sort out before it gets pressed up, but as far as the music is concerned, my work is done! It's a big relief after what has been an extremely challenging year trying to self-produce for the first time. Holed up in my home studio at Avalon, I did often wonder if I would ever emerge... What's it like? Well I reckon it's ok. Here's the first review in fact:
"Enough highs to make it interesting. Not enough lows to make it crap."
Renny Field.
In truth, there are moments where I can't believe how good it sounds, and there are moments where it hasn't quite ended up the way I intended it to, but it all comes together to create something I am proud of. And I suppose that's the most important part.
"The Arena" will be out through MGM distribution in October, and to promote the release I will be putting up one new track each week on myspace. There are 14 tracks in total - that will take us through to the start of the launch tour in November (dates to be announced soon). I suppose it's like a sneak preview, although that always sounds a lot grander than it actually is.... In any case, it's a chance for you to have a listen to some songs you have never heard. And some others you might have heard, but which now sound a lot different to the solo versions that have been in circulation to this point.
Together with the music, each week I will post the lyrics, along with a bit of information about the song, where it came from and how it was recorded. It might give you some idea of how the album came together, and what it's all about. Something to look forward to at the start of each week? Well I guess that depends on what you think of it...
Hope you enjoy "The Arena".
Stay tuned for more updates and info in the coming weeks.
And a few stories... It's been a while since my last touring tale...
Cheers,
Renny
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)