Exciting times… Last year I was asked to contribute a song to vol 2 of Krossborder Rekords ‘The Best British Blues’release. I had just finished writing my slide song ‘Silence Changed’ and so here was the perfect song for the situation. I had a great time recording the song with Russell Cottier (who also mastered my EP Chasing Tales) and love how it came out.
The CD is set for release on 23rd Feb and is available to buy from the Blues Matters shop here.It will also be available to buy from me at gigs.
The CD also contains music from other top Blues artisis/bands – Split Whiskers / The Mighty Boss Cats & Jed Thomas Band to name but a few….
A few months back I was invited into the cover of Blues Matters for their Blue Blood section. The magazine came out in December and here I am telling tales of my musical journey, my inspiration and songwriting. Blues Matters does a lot for the British Blues scene and for people like myself who don’t quite fit into a traditional category.
I also had the pleasure of playing the Blues Matters stage at Jaks this year at Skegness Butlins for the 2015 Great British Rock & Blues Festival. Good times and a great gig to start the year on 🙂 Great opportunity to write some new songs! My set list is growing by the week these days….
When I was asked to contribute a song to Searching for Dandelions for this year I admittedly struggled with what angle to approach from., Ultimately I wanted to have fun writing it but the one thing that reins over the festive period is how much of a love/hate relationship people have with it, I love this time of year but often we forget where the root of Christmas comes from, there’s also a lot of sadness for people around this time of year. In ‘Christmas Come Home’ Christmas is a loud/garish/lush of a friend, who eventually I remember why we became friends in the first place.
Here are the lyrics…
Christmas Come Home
Christmas you come on so strong
Like whisky for breakfast on a work day
Shaking up a winter storm
I see you let yourself in
With your bells and your elves and your reindeer and your relentless seasonal cheer
Well you’re here now come in, make yourself at home
Christmas when we were young
You could’ve stayed here all year
But now I’m not so
You’re a little bit overkill
With your red suits and your chocolate boots and you plastic trees and your festive cheese
You bring a lot of baggage are you staying long?
Christmas you’re an old, old friend
And I’m a sucker for your lavish charm
But you’re somewhat an acquired taste
On repeat like a frozen alarm
With your trumpets and drums, your crackers and ‘Noels’
All is revealed! Bells and Glockenspiels…naturally…
The release date for my new Christmas song ‘Christmas Come Home’ is 19th Dec. It will be available as digital download from Amazon/iTunes/Spotify/CDBaby.
Just a quick update before Christmas REALLY kicks in!
1) I have an incredible gig coming up for my first of 2015. It is a real honour for me to be invited by Blues Matters Magazine to perform on their JAKS stage at The Great British Rock & Blues Festival in Skegness on 25th Jan. I will be performing a 1 hour set at 1.15pm on the Sunday 🙂
Here is the poster for the event., if you can make it please come along!
2) I’ve done two ace collaborations recently, both very, very different!
I performed and recorded backing vocals and guitar on a beautiful track by Songwriter Tiki Black called Free Like Smoke..
This will be available to buy on 15th Decemer.
Also as of 24th November the excellent concept album Sail to the Deep by Bowker was available to purchase. I composed/sang vocals for this on The Dream (Valentina pt 2)
Aaaaand 3)…. last but not least!
I have my very own Christmas song coming out called Christmas Come Home as part of Searching For Dandelions Christmas vol. 3. It is written, ready, the artwork is done and I will be back with a confirmed release date..
On Friday I went along to perform my entry for the finals. It was a great night of music both from 2 of the judges (Robert Vincent & Kaya) and also the other 9 finalists.
There’s a big smile on my face and I’m also very overwhelmed by the amount of congratulations from people. I genuinely entered the challenge for a bit of a different songwriting venture but to come out winner is very nice…
This is the painting I chose from View Two Gallery to write about… I was really drawn into this picture and had the whole song concept very quickly.,
The song…
The lyrics…
Riches to Rags
Do you know I used to be a Queen?
I followed you here
Enticed and entranced by your need
But I know I’m never going to be your Queen
Though dress in golden seams
I’m left alone with my dreams
And I gave my colours for you
Gave my colours for you…
*
Honey, how I ache to be your queen
Oh invisible me
Now we’re strangers its clear that I
Served a purpose it seems
Left to dote in the breeze
Carry all that I’ve seen
And It’s alright
I know how you feel
I can’t keep you here
You’re not meant for me
And we used to dance and you’d hold me so firmly
I’d fly like a bird
And you’d touch me so softly I’d slip through your arms
Like the breath that you drew
When you kissed me
Unhooked me from all that I knew
Now all I know is you
Now all I know is you…
*
Darling I could never never be your queen
The world worn weary
This Goddess has dignity
And darling I rage like the sea
You took all that I had
From riches to rags
Not sure I exist
Chameleons and twists
Laments of lives gone by
I float between two skies
I’ve been chasing ghosts
Since you caressed my throat
Spinning mirrors and smoke
I tenderly choke
And we used to dance and you’d spin me so firmly I’d fly like a bird
And you’d touch me so softly I’d slip through your arms
Like the breath that you drew
When you kissed me
Unhooked me from all that I knew
Such a beauty, you told me I shone like a charm
These red lips you could kiss
That remind you of sunsets so bold
So unspoiled, I unfold, you took me from all that I knew
The prizes for winning are a vocal lesson with the amazing Balance Vocal, a studio recording of my song with Crosstown Studios and I am also invited to perform at Liverpool Acoustics Birthday event on 27th Feb 2015. 🙂
This weekend whilst I was soaking up the vibe of Halloween, Day of the Dead and trying to write a Christmas song I also took it upon myself to update my website. It’s still a gradual work-in-progress but is now much snazzier and more organised 🙂 ACHIEVED!
To celebrate this, I bring news..
Last month was the return of Liverpool AcousticSongwriting Challenge. I had intended to enter this for a couple of years now but 2014 was the year I actually put it into action. The challenge was to go to View Two Gallery in town (Liverpool) and pick a piece of artwork to write about. This was a really interesting undertaking for me as I haven’t written many songs in this way before. I enjoyed it a lot and here is my offering below. I have been selected as one of the 10 finalists and will be performing at the finals on 21st November at View Two Gallery, Liverpool. There are some really strong contenders among the other finalists and it will be a great night. So…if you fancy, come along and see what’s going on!
In gig news…. I have been confirmed as a performer at January’s Great British Rock & Blues Festival in Skegness. This is very exciting for me! I will be doing an hour long show on Sunday 25th Jan on Blues Matters stage @ 1.15 – 2.15 pm. Hope to see you there!
Finally…Last week marked the return of the one and only Bob’s Folk Show. Bob was one of the first to hear/play my debut album Cycle Grace Pulse Break in 2010 and has been an encouragement ever since. His show is always a great listen of folk and roots artists and the first one (including my track Chopping Wood), can be heard here..The show is every Tuesday at 9pm., go and check him out.
Whilst patiently and creatively spending the last few months immersed in writing new songs and playing with new guitars I haven’t been out as much as usual on the old gig scene…it is however, time for the summer to begin 🙂
This has been booked for some time now and I’m very excited at my first festival of the summer..camping, beer, music 🙂
I was invited to play on the Area 2 stage..this is a dedicated section for up and coming developing acts…honoured! I’ll be there with my new tunes on Sunday 23rd June at 7.40pm…I hope to see youthere!
Until then have a little listen to the live version of Woollen Hearts I recorded for Billy Kellys Radio show in Liverpool last month.. Jo x
Well for as much as I’ve been having a hibernate and writing lots so far this year I also appear to have done much! 2 new songs under my belt all good and strong: Last month I set free ‘Woollen Hearts’ into the ether and this month I have my newest ‘This Garden’.
I had a play around with some new textures on this one and added some harmonies and a sprinkling of flute, thanks to my fab Blythe Cooper. The song is about having somewhere that brings you back to your recharged state. Somewhere that reminds you of home (where ever that is) and who you are when things my shake you away for a bit. I wrote this on my newest acoustic guitar (Taylor 314) and as it was crying out for some finger-picking that is exactly what happened. The guitar has been beautiful to play on and I’m very much looking forward to doing much more writing on it 🙂
You can listen to the song here! It is a free download at the moment so feel free to sing along, upload it to your Ipod etc….
Over the last month I did my first gig at Threshold Festival, Liverpool and was filmed over the weekend by Addistock and Liverpool Live TV performing Woollen Hearts. You can see both of these vids on my Videos page. I had a wonderful review of my gig thanks to Ian @ Liverpool Sound and Vision.
For April….well, tomorrow I head to finish my session with Addistock by playing a cover song that will be revealed soon enough 🙂 I shall also be live on The Tillerman Show (www.liverradio.co.uk) 4pm – 6pm from The Lomax, Liverpool.
More updates to come soon! 🙂 Until then enjoy the music and create!
This year is my dedicated ‘writing’ year. A bit like crop rotation! I have been nurturing some new tunes for a couple of months now and the first one is ready for the ears of more than just my own.
It’s called Woollen Hearts. I bought an electric resonator last year and also started getting really interested in slide guitar playing….a world unto itself 🙂 It opened my eyes a lot and I had some good fun playing around and seeing what I could come up with creatively. This is my first installment….
It took me a while to get used to the weight of the brass slide but it sounded so awesome that I had to power through!
I’ll be putting up top quality demos of my tunes over the next couple of months as I write and record I hope you enjoy the journey with me. They’ll all be downloadable so you can learn the lyrics in your own time 🙂
I sign out with a picture of my beauty of a resonator that helped my write this tune x
Jo Bywater 