SongByte Records

This picture sums up how I feel. (Warning, long, heartfelt and brutally honest post following…)

This week has been extremely difficult, even painful at times, but I had to listen to (and advertise) the BBC Radio Derby sessions: 6 interviews and 5 songs played live on October 6th, 2022, because I’m actually extremely proud of what we achieved.

We’d never even all physically met until that day. And yet within an hour of Tris and Charl meeting, we played live for the first time… with no proper sound check, on a one go, no second takes, radio session!! I mean, that’s crazy right?!!!

We’d worked remotely for two years, the exception being Charl/Charla May coming round to my studio to record 5 times and then rehearse maybe 8 or so times, with Tris 113 miles away connected online (with us hearing slap-back, or at times a quaver, even a crotchet, time delay)! OMG, how did we actually pull this off?!!

Like I say, I’m hugely proud of what all three of us did. We’d had two singles from the 5 songs we submitted picked up by BBC Music Introducing, one going on to be Track of the Week on Radio Derby. Soon after that, we were invited in to do these radio sessions. And that’s when things became a challenge… If you’ve listened to the radio sessions and the interviews (interview number 5, I think), I don’t think you need to be a psychologist to hear the doubts, the tensions and the divergent aims. So, finally, the punchline…

Sadly, 12 days after recording the radio session we split up and two of us haven’t spoken or communicated since. There, I bet you weren’t expecting that, were you?!

Music is about conveying emotions and also, at least one hopes, giving a home for other people’s emotions (happy or sad) when they hear what you’ve poured your heart into creating. Because of this, musicians can, quite naturally, be very emotional people. And there were a LOT of emotions pulling us in all directions in the weeks running up to the radio session. I suspect, some of the resulting wounds have been reopened for at least a couple of us this week. I don’t know. Because none of us have been speaking during this week and, apart from me doing these posts, and two likes and a share from Charla (thank you), none of us have even communicated at all. And that’s sad, really sad.

So, I think I finish this week in a similar position to where Charlotte was six months ago: wanting to take time to reflect on things and work out what I really want to do in music. This week has made me feel empty and lost. Though my head is like that cluttered room of unopened boxes and tangled cables, and, from where I am, I just can’t see much daylight through the glass. (You can tell I’m the lyricist, can’t you?)

(Just to say, in case you’re reading this, Melissa, Molly, and Layla, I’m very happy I’ve found you and the studio doors are definitely still open to record more songs. Between you, we have 7 songs recorded in three months and, I hope over the next few months, 7 amazing sounding tracks to produce up and release. Keep the faith. We’ll get those songs finished and out there!)

And the offer that we talked about on air in interview 5 is still there for another amazing singer, but, as we discussed, the ball is in your court. I feel it was left in such a way that I’m utterly unable to climb over the net to retrieve it… if you want to speak/message, you know where I am. And that applies to you as well, Tris. STOP PRESS: Tris has been phoning my previous company mobile which I haven't had since 2018.)

This has been very difficult and painful to write. I tend to do light-hearted, self-effacing, even comedic, posts. But there’s no laughter here, just sadness and regret.

Yet through the wall of silence, as said, I’m immensely proud of what we pulled off here, guys. What we achieved, having never all met, was amazing. Absolutely bloody amazing!!!

OK, I’m done. Emotionally and, through tiredness, physically. I’m typing this into ‘Notes’ on my iPhone in the middle of the night as, once again, I can’t sleep. Thanks to AstraZeneca for that and my crazily overthinking mind. (And I'll re-read it, no doubt 20 times, before posting... )

If people haven’t heard the radio sessions, I’ll add the links below to the five songs later. They’ll be active for three weeks or so and then the BBC will take them down. (Which, ironically, is exactly what they did to the three of us by offering us the radio sessions… who knew?!)

Can’t quite believe it was 6 months today when we recorded these radio sessions! Tonight it’s two Rogue Nation (featuring Charla) tracks for the price of one: ‘Heart Of Me’ (8:15 PM), Charla May’s first (and last single - as it was re-released) then the former BBC Radio Derby track of the week, ‘I’ll Be There’ (8:45 PM). These are taking the tempo back up again and, embarrassingly, I’ll be on backing vocals for these two… luckily, I keep it to a minimum whilst Charla powers out the lead part or does her adlibs. Take a listen if you can: usual link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_derby

Oh, and I’ve thrown in a ‘Spot the Difference’ competition too. I’m short of photos of the day, so have gone for a variation on Monday’s pic. Again, please share the post if you can. Thanks!

Female Singer(s) wanted by EDM/Dance Music Production Team & Indie Record Label. Must be Reliable, Ambitious & Confident