Fifth Of July

Photo on 04-07-2015 at 15.06

One year ago today I was sit in my room, hungover, on a comedown, confused, upset, worried and generally “not in a great place”. On the fourth of July last year I spent the day with my friends; enjoying the sunshine and getting very drunk. It was a great night which I blogged about – but I missed out some of the background details of that time; details that were not fun, or joyous, or celebratory, and therefore had no place on my blog.

Continue reading

LEIA #7: You Are Not My Art

IMG_3021a

I sometimes feel as though my life is like a parade of people I used to know. Most of my friend pool has been in my life for quite some time, and at this point I have a fair number of exes to run into; friends of friends; other peoples housemates; ex-colleagues; a pal from “back home”, somebody’s cousin who was in town for the weekend. The list goes on. Continue reading

International Women’s Day Playlist

Photo on 08-03-2016 at 09.56Guys, I’ve made the best International Women’s Playlist. I’ll add to it through the day when I’m not working on the business I set up, achieving my life goals or being adored for my goddess-like tendencies. And I’m still in my PJ’s! No seriously, it’s a great playlist: there’s divas, girlbands, legends, heartbreakers, newcomers, sass-queens, sirens, songwriters and composers alike on this thing. It’s epic. Trust me. Give it a subscribe so I know you’re there. Whack it on and give thanks for all the amazing women in our lives – and if you’re a woman, then high bloody five from me.

Continue reading

A Christmas Song For Somebody

I’ve written a lot of songs for people in my life. I’ve written some songs for people that aren’t in my life, and some songs for people I’ll never meet but have impacted my life in a big way anyway. I’ve written songs for friends, lovers, exes, family, idols, teachers. But as far as I can remember, nobody has ever asked me to write a song for them. This Christmas, somebody asked me to write them a song. I gave myself half an hour and sat down and wrote a song. This is the song for somebody.

When the circus comes to town
Or when Christmas rolls around
Like when gourmet cheese is on the high price shelf
Like when beds are freshly made
Or the day when you get paid
Or you finally for the first time watch the Christmas movie ‘Elf’
 
Hosting Quizcats nights you miss
Writing stupid songs like this
Or a tender kiss beneath the mistletoe
Like unpacking food from bags
Getting dressed in finest rags
These are all the things that make me feel aglow
 
Though it hasn’t been that long
You still asked me for this song
Which is really pretty cheeky, so I’ll use the time to ask
Will you make me feel “amaze”
Or set my heart ablaze
Or catch a falling star, jump sharks, complete some other cliche task
 
Whatever answer that you say
I am grateful for each day
I hope it’s not discourteous to want some of your sweet time
There’s a warmth that’s in your smile
Makes me hope you stay a while
You might become a favourite of mine

Blue Blue World

Here’s another song I wrote. It’s odd recounting a lot of this songs because of the real life outcomes, but I’m glad I’m doing it. If I’m honest, I feel like a lot of this year has been a brick wall.

I purposely recorded this song with a moving tempo because I wanted it to feel a bit lopsided and crooked. James reckons it just sounds like I don’t know what I’m doing. I will re-record it.

Photo on 13-10-2015 at 23.57 #2

For Under the Mistletoe

fcc6bf75faa848c9bb7d267796ddf1camistletoe

If I was a full-time blogger I would have photographed my record player covered in tinsel (it’s red and white anyway), but I’m not, so you’ll have to trust me. This is kind of a weird title for a blog post but hear me out! We’re all very familiar with Christmas music as it’s been blaring out of most shops since August, but there are some absolutely cracking tunes out there that don’t get enough airplay and I’d like to introduce them to you.

Seeing as my job for about 3 months has been curating the best Christmas songs for this event I thought I’d share some of the underrated festive (and suggestive) hits. I’ve also made a playlist featuring these songs as well as youtube links for individual songs in this post, so if you have Spotify you can listen and save along. So here we go with the top bangers for banging! (Sorry)

The Man With The Bag – Jane Monheit

This isn’t the original version, but it’s certainly my favourite. Jane has quite a soft voice and her cool delivery on a relatively fussy tune makes for a song full of anticipation. Perfect for a cheeky party peck.

The Christmas Song – Chicago

Lay those funk grooves down, boys!! This is such an overproduced arrangement of this song but I LOVE it! It’s so different from the original and there are some banging horn lines on this track. A good one for all those festive lounge parties you’ll be hosting in your penthouse flat. (?)

Back Door Santa – Clarence Carter

I don’t know if it’s the overly suggestive lyrics (“I ain’t like the Old Saint Nick… he don’t come but once a year”), the sleazy horns, the fat funk guitar in the background or the honky-tonk keyboard… but this song is SO hot. It’s just an absolute banger of a song. I’ll actually be singing this on Sunday (for Quizmas) in full bed voice, so wish me luck with those frustrated growl sounds! *gulp*

I’ll Be Home For Christmas – The Carpenters

It basically invites you under the mistletoe, it’s that sweet and coy. Believe me, as somebody who has studied Disney music to academic level over the last 7 years, the production on this value of the popular festive ballad is PURE 50s Disney. The choir, the high winds and strings, the percussion. It sounds like it’s from a vintage Disney Christmas film that never got made. Add in Karen’s super-sultry voice and it’s a Christmas winner.

This Christmas – Donny Hathaway

I love this song. Donny has the best voice ever, or at least one of the sexiest voices ever. It’s so warm! His voice is like a brandy for the soul: add in how desperately he wants to have a good christmas with you and his talk of “carolling” through the night and it’s just a deeply sensual christmas tune. Cracking horn line too. This is another one I’ve been learning for Sunday so let’s REALLY cross our fingers I can channel my inner goddess for the whole set!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Pearl Bailey & Hot Lips Page

Before you skip over this really overplayed/over-covered song, give this 1949 recording a go. It is HILARIOUS, I absolutely love it. There’s just so much character and atmosphere in the song! The ad-libs from both performers are hilarious, and Pearl is just such a sassy broad (there’s no other word for it) that it really makes the song. There are several times they almost miss the cue to sing because of the crazy improv over the top. I think my favourite bit is right at the end where she says “I don’t got no fur coat or nothing, I really can’t”, and then about 10 seconds later “I’ll tell her to go about her business” with a clear smirk. Brilliant.

Ole Santa – Dinah Washington

Dinah can’t help but sound sultry, and though this song is ostensibly about waiting for Santa to arrive, it doesn’t take a huge leap of imagination to imagine Dinah, dressed in feathered gown, sat at the dressing table and gazing longingly out of the window waiting for her guy to arrive.

Let’s Make Christmas Merry Baby – Amos Milburn

The gentle piano suggest a late-night home alone, the slightly fuzzy production suggest a couple of egg-nogs, and the lyrics suggest… well, what don’t they suggest? He wants to slide our chimney and fill our stockings full of toys! Oh Amos. There’s even a sultry sax solo. It’s all very, very mistletoe.

Dear Mrs Claus – The Barr Brothers

What girl doesn’t want to be wooed at Christmas time? Promises of gifts, holding our hands and distracting the elves for the night, it’s all very sweet and coy. 6/8 is by far the sexiest time signature and the innocent vocal delivery coupled with the humming harmonies in the back, leading into a well-placed guitar solo make this perfect mistletoe fodder. Probably in front of a log fire. Maybe even in matching Christmas pjs. Adultery never seemed so sweet.

I’d Like You For Christmas – Julie London

Julie London has such a soft and sultry voice anyway that she could probably sing the phonebook and it would sound perfect under the mistletoe. But this sweet ballad has some well placed syncopated backing vocals (god knows I love a thought-out backing vocal) and coupled with the high melodies it’s all very intimate and delicate. More of a prolonged smooch than a quick peck under the mistletoe.

Trim Your Tree – Jimmy Butler

This is so, so, so deeply unromantic. But it’s just so hilarious I had to include it in case you hadn’t heard it. The lyrics are ridiculous, the musicians sound like they’re having a ball – the keys player is loving it – and Jimmy is just absolutely going for it on the vocals. Have a sleazy Christmas!

So there you go. A very brief guide to some of my favourite christmas tunes! I haven’t done many music-based posts but this could have been a LOT longer, so let me know if you’d like to hear more.

537c63e6_tumblr_lvx0nsXf6a1qfu47lo1_500

Highbury

This is a song I wrote in the summer. Like most of my songs, it’s about a situation I didn’t understand which I mentioned in passing at the time. There was a lot going on. I wrote the lyrics when I was still optimistic about the situation, but I wrote the music later when I knew where I stood.

I thought about typing the full lyrics out into this blog post but I think it’s better to just listen and interpret them yourself. Thank you if you do listen and please let me know what you think!

Rose’s Song

Day 4 of #Slogmas! Hopefully from tomorrow onwards I’ll get out of the habit of posting these at the end of the day.

Today’s “thing” is not a blog. It is a rough demo of a song. Here you go.