When the band I’m in, The Felt Tips, used to have a difficult decision to make, such as the order of a setlist, we’d often jokingly reassure ourselves that it didn’t matter because “nobody cares anyway”.
In truth, we knew that although we weren’t exactly U2 there were actually people who listened to us and did care about the order of songs.
But there was something helpful, and maybe healthy, about reminding ourselves there were more important things to worry about in the world.
I think it also related to an unspoken feeling we shared that what really mattered was being in a band with friends and having a good time, something that isn’t always easy.
Earlier this year I committed to introducing a different song every month from my debut album, Virtual Virgins. Despite nobody caring whether I achieve this or not, it’s now become a personal challenge so I’m going to persevere. So, here’s a little background to ‘Song to Say Goodbye.’
Musically, the arrangement was a lot of fun to do. The Nashville-strung acoustic, gentle drums and sad bass-line sounded ok on their own, but things really came to life while doing the lead guitar. I originally recorded the part with a tremolo effect but it sounded like it needed something else.
Right on cue, through a subscription service I use, I received a great new software sound effect emulating a Leslie speaker, which are famously used with Hammond organs. When I put my guitar part through this speaker emulation it transformed the sound instantly and I knew I had what I was looking for.
There always seem to be happy coincidences with music, like picking up a new instrument or hearing an idea for lyrics, just when you need something new.
Of course, it’s not usually simply a coincidence and it’s more to do with being on the look out for something, so you spot it and try it out when normally you’d be more inclined to let it pass by.
In terms of lyrics, Siobhan (my wife) and I have always had a bit of banter with each other about the fact that I’ve never written a song for her. I’ve always known in reality some cheesy love song wouldn’t cut it so when I came up with this slightly mournful music it seemed like a perfect opportunity to play on this theme a bit.
To bring things back to where I started, music, like most things, usually benefits from a bit of humour. That’s one commitment I’ll never give up on, and if I used emojis I’d use the winking one right now.
See more song introductions and other news here.