haydnbrine-pom

[haydnbrine-pom]

Photo By @Adam_chxndler

[haydnbrine-pom]

Photo By @Adam_chxndler

[haydnbrine-pom]

Here is a link to a cover I have done recently, of the song ‘Where we go when we die’ by Thornhill. 

It’s been receipted pretty well, and I would say its the best cover I have done so far. 

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I wrote this song a couple days after ‘Drop The Life’. I set myself the challenge of trying to write an EP over this lockdown period just to get my creative juices flowing, and to develop myself as a songwriter. I’m really proud of both of these pieces and they hold a strong place in my heart. 

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Sweet Release Lyrics

VERSE 1

Are you coming down, off that cloud that you call home. Because I’ve been thinking bout you and them bad thoughts.

infecting your brain, transcend to the pain

CHORUS

Sweet release, are you coming down,

Cuz the clouds are raining, and your memories fading 

Sweet release are you coming down,

Cuz the clouds are raining, and you’re close to fading  

Verse 2 

I don’t want you thinking bout 

All the worries on your mind

Your demons they take it all away 

They won’t let you go,

To the bright red door on your own 

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Drop the life Lyrics

Based on my mental state for the past coming weeks. This song was a massive release for me, as It marked the first time in a few weeks where I had creative energy. I wrote the song in a couple of hours, and the lyrics came so naturally. 

Intro

Lie and wait 

Verse 1 

It’s all gettin too much, 

I’ve not left my bed for days 

Deadbeat and out of touch 

You’ve gotta drop the life  

Chorus

Lie and wait as the sky is swirling

Am I getting too much 

I’m not keeping in touch 

Die in sleep

I’m not made for the earth 

So Let’s drop the life 

Bridge 

3 nights in a row. You thought I’d dropped off the face, of the earth 

2 reasons why I can’t leave my past behind 

Pre chorus

I feel like dying in my sleep 

Trying to claw the thoughts out

You’ve gotta drop the life 

Chorus 

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Tell Me I’ll be Fine Lyrics

These chains that wrap around my throat,

Leave nothin but marks of my last life where I cowered to your touch. 

Cuz I been thinking lately are we, meant to be. 

I’ll always be at the end of the hallway. 

Chorus 

Just tell me That im fine, cuz I’m fallin even faster now, you’ll be the death of me. 

started only carrying yourself, no thought for me. But pleaaaase DONT let me go 

Let me go. I’m trying to tell you now that all the times we had were rose glass, and I have really grown past this. 

So fly away with me, and I’ll show you the places that you never thought I would see. 

Setting sights and wanting to be free

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Here is a song I’ve done recently in collaboration with Batfish, who produced it and made the beat, entitled ‘CRYNOMORE’. 

It is for my solo project ‘Amber Palace’, and deals with a rather heavy subject for me. The concept of the song, is about me suffering through a really depressive time, feeling like I was completely alone with no help at all. Regardless of having people who care about me around. It also is almost a cry out for help for more funding for mental health, and the line ‘Just another figure to you’ is a shout at the government who I feel couldn’t care less for the general population and their struggles with mental health. 

Here are the Lyrics: 

I don’t mind if you keep touch 

But I won’t wanna cry no more 

These days, they merge together.

I’m Dying in my sleep right now,  seems poetic, as I watch the clock tick,  right now, 

Spiralling out of control

I’ll have these thoughts until the day I die, 

No help I’m fucking crying dry to the sockets,

While your filling pockets,

I’ll fall farther through this fog

Tell me I need help 

Tell me you can’t help 

Underfunded you’re planning my suicide. 

Just wait till I jump. 

Just another figure, to you.  

I’ll drink another bottle don’t you dare 

Tell me to man up and cuz that ain’t fair 

I’m blinded out cascading in thought, intrusive 

Amnesia 

Forgetting my place 

Forgetting my time

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Coalesce Lyrics

Gods will bleed and I will usurp the earth,

The snakes entangle your mind,

The prophecy of all I’ve become. 

Torturing the weak and deviated,

Their minds embraced by ache,

Shattered hands wrap around your neck,

You called your end. 

For your demise, we are waiting.

Your fall will reap anarchy.

To them all.

I never thought it’d come this far, 

Too reap a kingdom you never had control of.

We died for you, your only cause.

You only wanted us dead, 

You only wanted our debt

You can’t rebuild out of ashes of man.

Watching painless vengeance has no recoil. 

Choke on your blood when they come for you (x2)

It only serves the many when you serve them all,

Setting sail to a burnt down kingdom, 

Rise from the ashes and fight for your kind

Reclaim your life, embrace your right.

Burn down, your vices,

Burn down your crime

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Here is the YouTube link to the Live performance of our piece ‘Vacant’. 

After all the hard work that went into the practices of this piece, I can honestly say that I am proud of how it turned out for all of us. It was performed really cleanly, with minimal mistakes. 

I believe that my performance in this, was pretty solid. The fills that I wrote for it were creative, and pulled off well. There were a couple mistakes that I made in regards to rhythm, and a couple missed hits; And if I were to do this again, I would book out the rehearsal studio for my individual use to work on my drumming and the sections. However for my fourth time playing drums, I feel that it went really well all things considered. 

To Conclude, in a far from ideal situation for me, I believe that I excelled and rose to the occasion. I now feel that I could drum again and fair pretty well. 

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Here is the remixed version of the song. 

For this, we decided to rework the already tracked studio version; And use the vocals from that in this piece. As that's what a Remix is anyway!

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Here is the link to the studio version of our arrangement. 

The workflow fo this, was Rebecca wrote the song, then sent it over to Robyn to track vocals. After Robyn finished the vocals, I was sent the version with her vocals on it. 

What I felt like my job was during this piece. Was to add harmonies, and vocal doubles to give an interesting, unique dynamic. Kind of like what ‘The XX’ do with their songs. I find male and female vocals go together so beautifully, and create a really emotive feeling. On top of this I added high harmonies to the chorus, that merged perfectly with Robyn’s vocals perfectly. 

As well as all of this. I wanted to fill in the gaps where there weren't any vocals. As there were quite a few gaps which I feel benefitted from being filled with vocals. 

My favourite part that I added to this was the ‘I’m not coming back’ line. I tried something new for this that I didn’t know if it would work. I did the base layer, and then sang it 6 different ways. Some harmonies, some in the same key but belted. This added a whole new dynamic, and feeling to the song which I am very proud of. It occurs twice in the song, once in-between the first and second verse; And again at the climax of the song. Both sections are sang differently, to compliment the sections that they are in. 

Overall I am very proud of this piece, and feel like I contributed a great amount to it. 

Here are the lead sheets to this arrangement:

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Here are the lyrics for the piece

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GROUP ROLES

Studio version: 

Haydn - Vocals, Technician, Co-writer

Robyn - Vocals, Lyrics

Rebecca -Guitar, Song writer

Leah -  Bass

Live Version:

Haydn - Drums

Robyn - Vocals

Rebecca - Guitar

Leah - Bass

Harri - Saxophone, Keys

Jazz Remix: 

Haydn - Vocals

Robyn - Vocals 

Rebecca - Production

Leah - Bass

Harri - Composer, Saxophone

Other Jobs:

Haydn -  Booking equipment

Robyn - Booking rooms

Rebecca - Recording rehearsals

Leah - Snacks and drinks

Harri - PA and levels

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Here’s a clip of the second rehearsal we did as a group for the main assessment. 

For this assessment, I was a little worried as I was left without a group. I didn’t really know what I was going to do at all. I then raised this in a lecture, and Robyn and Rebecca said I could join their group. I had no idea what I was actually going to do. As I specialise in Vocals, Guitars and bass. It then sprung to me that I could try and play drums and see how that went. 

In this video. This was the second time I had ever actually touched a drum kit. I’ve never had access to them. I was struggling quite a bit to keep rhythm as I haven't got the coordination between my hands and my feet. it felt completely alien to me. However I persevered. 

in this Video, I am mapping out what I was going to do over the song. Thinking about what fills I could do, what would compliment the song the most. It is very sloppy, but for a second time It isn't too bad. 

Im very glad that I took the leap to attempt drums. As it pushed me so far out of my comfort zone that I started to get anxious about it. However this pushed me to really focus on it every waking moment to think about what I could do better, and what would work best. I could happily now say that I could sit behind a kit and hold a decent rhythm, by no means flashy, but solid. 

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Near the beginning of the term, we were set the challenge to create a song using the theory of ‘Prosody.’ What is prosody you may ask? Well you’ve came to the right blog. 

Prosody is the practice of using real emotion, or a concept, in your composition. Like you're setting a scene through the medium of music. It also helps all of your music fit together. So if you've got the agenda of “I want to make this song sound like someone taking a walk with a warm coffee on a snowy winters day, admiring its beauty.” You could certainly write a song that gives you this emotion. So you would think about lyrically, what do you want to say that portrays this picture? What instruments remind you of this setting, and so on. 

What I chose for the theme if this piece, is ironically a lot more melancholy. I wanted to base this song around the idea of “Drowning inside your head.”

The way I accomplished this, was through writing a very sombre piece. The guitars were very light in the verses, absolutely drowned in reverb. With layered ambient leads in a descending pattern to imitate the feeling of sinking. This, all accompanied by a soft, soothing, warm vocal, with quiet layers of falsetto.

In this piece, I wanted to convey the feeling that I was accepting the sinking. Which is why I made the verses so calm. However, I wanted to show that this sinking is also not always peaceful. That I didn’t accept it. Kind of like two sides of me. Like I’ve lost all faith, but at the same time. I don’t want to accept this, I want to make something of my life. I will fight to get out of the ocean that is my head. This is portrayed in the chorus, where it is a lot more loud, energetic and full. With a fast drum beat to show I am alive and kicking, and wanting to get to the surface and breathe. 

To add to the immersion, I took a wave sample off of YouTube, EQ’d it, and added reverb. This was to relate the the nautical aspect of the song, and to set the scene immediately. 

I’m very proud of this piece, and believe that I have achieved prosody. This was the first full song that I ever wrote in full. It went so much better than I expected, and came together a lot quicker too. 

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Over the lockdown period, I have set myself the challenge of writing an EP from scratch. In the past I haven’t really wrote many songs, so this is a big challenge for me. However I know even just through this song that it is going to be highly beneficial for me. 

For the Guitars and bass I used the Neural Abasi Archetype, for the drums I used MT power drums, which was a free VST that I found that surprisingly sounds really good. I whacked Valhalla vintage verb on the kit to make it sit better in the mix as well.

for the vocals, I used my SM7b with the signal chain - EQ, Joey Sturgis Gain reduction. Then sent to a vocal bus containing a limiter, Valhalla Vintageverb, and delay. 

An improvement I would make however, would be to add another verse after the first chorus. While the current structure works, I think it would give the song more time to shine, and it would also give me chances to bring in motifs previously heard in the song, or to set new ones!

Overall I could be more proud of this piece. As it’s really coherent and I believe that the production itself is actually pretty good.