ALBUM STORY
This album is quite simply, an accident. Not that I, in a moment of weakness, made love to a blank CD, or that the songs by any means wrote themselves. No, I, through many long anxiety-riddled days and nights, took the time to write them. But where my old band Audioride (myself on vocals, guitar, piano. Matty Ryan on drums, and Dale Trickett on bass) were at a stage ready to demo our set with mind to stand back, assess the demoed songs, choose the best four, and rerecord and release an EP, I, as the songwriter, got a fraction carried away.
We first went into Idge’s studio and recorded the drums and bass (myself providing guide vocals as a reference for the rhythm section boys). My guide tracks were deleted on the day, and, with mind to save us a pile of coin, I, in a cyclone composed more of determination than technical aptitude, endeavoured to continue the process of tracking the guitars, pianos and final vocals, back home.
My poky childhood bedroom – containing no more than a pine desk, a wobbly red stool, and my trusty PC – assumed role of the project’s cockpit. My older brother’s abandoned room next-door – containing my heavily-cranked guitar amp, and, a single drum mic with the hardiness to suck it up – assumed the cabin of rollicking sound. The words ‘Don’t ya reckon it’s getting a bit late!’ and ‘Phone!’ were on many occasions barked by Dad downstairs, but, wishing to refrain from featuring his hollers on the songs, I recorded around his schedule of sitting in front of the telly as artfully as possible.
I was supposed to be quick, the very opposite of precious, but I guess I should speak only for myself when I say it, that for a young songwriter there are few highs higher than hearing the music you’ve been carrying around in your head become born into the outside world. In spirit of this labour of love, it was many all-consuming weeks later that I crawled out of my little room.
Delighted with my efforts, I played the final product to band-brothers Matty and Dale. ‘It’s good!” they said, frowning as much as smiling, ‘But it was meant to be a demo, not a f*cken album!’ ‘Sorry…’ I returned. But it is now, several years later, that I release it without apology.
LYRICS
TOCK TOCK TIME
Run jump fly
You’re flying on tonight
Dark dim bright
You dilate to the light
Drip drop dry
Tick tock time
The pounding numb in rhyme
Slip fall die
Again!
Again!
Again!
Again!
DRIVE INTO THE SUN
Throw your head away
Tie it to the wind and let it sail
You’re on the road and half awake
Evolution’s left you frayed
Mother should I stay?
She can’t remember life before the pain
A pretty frame without a face
Who’d rather run than sit and waste
Chorus –
Someday
You’ll drive yourself into the sun
You’re going off like a broken gun
Someday
You know that you’ll be beautiful again
Bleeding for a dream
Something’s eating you, well so it seems
Is it me? Coz I want more
I’ll be bleeding at your door
And shadows strobe your face
Like memories
You’re short of breath and fire
Leave them behind, please let me go
Chorus reprise –
Trying to throw a line around a future life
Reel me in (reel me in)
It's just a state of mind I cannot touch
The future never exits
Chorus reprise –
You’ll get there but your
Hair’s a mess
Your makeup’s run
You’re going off like a broken gun
You’re short of breath
And short of fire
Tripping over the finish line
Grip the road like a safety rope
Reel it in you’re getting old
And running from yourself
With a suitcase full of hell
Someday
KICK THE MOON
So you’re lost
The four-walled house of glass
You float across
Wading through the smoke
And I know
Take my hand
I almost know where I am
Let’s spin and dance
And watch this world dissolve
Chorus –
Climb on up the fairytale vine
Watch your feet now you’re getting high
Kick the moon, steal the light, up you come
Forget your feet, forget your mind
The world will be there next time
Climb on up the fairytale vine
It’s night (it's night)
I’m tired (I'm tired)
Let’s drag ourselves outside (drag ourselves outside)
Like rope (like rope)
Entwined (entwined)
So slowly we unwind
Chorus reprise –
Climb (ooh ooh)
Climb (ooh ooh)
Climb (ooh ooh)
Climb (ooh ooh)
HEADSPACE
At clock on time
I’ll be sure to think of you mate
At half past nine
We snuck out at night
We were 15 years of age
Burning time
But you were like a recipe
Desperate to hit the plate
I just could not taste
But the undertow within his veins
Washed away the pain
Chorus –
He played those days like games
Trading foil bags for chains
Weighing heavy on his name
And headspace
Colours spilled
Left an ever-running stain
On and on and on and on you ran away
The moon is still
And the stars forget your name
A burning tail fades
Now you’re just a memory
Spreading out across the page
I wish I could erase
Chorus reprise –
ALONE I WALK OUT
Feel the oceans rise
Hear the closing skies
It’s happening again
To put it quite simply
I struggle just to breathe
I run on ten percent
Push me off like a toy boat
Wish me well in the undertow
I’m shimmering like a pyramid
The water’s coming in
Chorus –
And you hold me down
Drag me out
Where would I be now without the ghost at my back?
So you hold me down
Drag me out
Alone I walk out
Drive me to my knees
Straight jackets in the breeze
You haunt me like an ex
I reach down to rip you up
Unwanted occupant
I’ll get to you just yet
I’m underground, I need up
Head in hand, dirt in cup
I’m stuttering like a skipping disk
The water’s coming in
Chorus –
Still you hold me down
Drag me out
Where would I be now without the ghost at my back?
So you hold me down
Drag me out
Alone I walk out
Get me out of here
Get me out of here
Get me out of here
Alone I walk out
PRIVATE JUNGLE
Read between the lines of the corporate life
Voluntary imprisonment, do you strive?
The pot is cooked, the water is boiled
The ice is cracked, the mountain soiled
World wars three to nine before our eyes
Happens in the air, the air we tear
The city glows, it sweats and smells
As we flick though the channels to find our hell
Chorus –
Let’s go, let’s go
Let’s let that city burn
Let their private jungle churn
White-eyed but never learned
Let’s go, let’s go
A deep breath and I now know
So sweet but somehow stern
Let’s let that city burn
Mother nature talks she quietly screams
Within the trees is an angry breeze
The branches dance to an ancient call
Beyond we know they’ve seen it all
The frowning sun he grins and smiles
Plans a cutthroat revenge for his third best friend
A frightened howl of an injured dog
Chorus reprise –
DISSOLVE (I JUST WANNA RISE)
Sleep be still ambitious hearts
Beat as you will
Or slow down
Fall to your dream
Where they cannot touch
Where walls dissolve
Walk on out
I don't know
I don't care
Where you go
I'll be there
Hitch on the breeze
Like a newborn kite
Fly with me
Or watch me rise
Like smoke
From a burning crash
Quick get out
Don’t look back
I'm humble now
If you walk
I will run
Like a train
I'm gaining
Chorus –
Cos I just wanna rise
And before getting old
I'd love to know
The secret of your life
Over glass or stone
You just glide on
On and on
GOLDEN CARROT (SUMMER MIX)
It’s true that she’ll always be
A living mystery to he
There’s too much sugar in this black coffee
Given some time it’s bound to hurt me
I’m like a leaf soaking in the day
When my seasons is up I’ll float away
Back to the earth it’s time to pay
My back is getting sore while I lie this way
Chorus –
It’s true that she’ll always be
My only light in the darkest sea
It’s been like this for centuries
Golden carrots hang in front of me
Swinging promised clash like bells
Send me into a dizzy spell
You won’t hear I’m sure you’ll tell
About that day the first one fell
I’m like a stone sinking in the sea
Sinking for a week wondering what will be
Holding my breath wishing for the beach
Chorus –
It’s true that she’ll always be
My only light in the darkest sea
It’s been like this for centuries
Swinging promises out of reach
NOW I WALK
I’m jumping out of planes
I’m wide awake
As I fell I screamed your name
Chorus –
And now I walk
And sometimes move too fast
The only man on the moon
In a crowded room
Standing like deadwood
I cannot move
Juggling all the options
I’m confused
I could drop it all and walk away
Chorus reprise –
And when I let go is when I found out
I’m better off not looking down
Chorus reprise –