#time to draw i just need to find out if mika is on tour and if he's coming to canada and read his entire wikipedia page and time to draw

[fakemagicjaye]

I HAVE FIVE PAGES. LEFT. TO DRAW.

[shemakesmusic-uk]

This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to shemakesmusic@hotmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

Bayleigh Cheek

Dallas native Bayleigh Cheek began her love affair with music at an early age thanks to her immersive upbringing. Both parents were in the music scene, exposing her to a variety of sounds ranging from psychedelic and folk to progressive rock and new wave. Some of her personal music influences include Patti Smith, P.J. Harvey, Radiohead, and Angel Olsen. Those influences led to the creation of her EP, Immortals, that was self-released in early 2020 which brought her DOMA nominations for Best New Artist and Best EP. Her latest single is ‘Release Me’. "This song is about what it means to realize you've believed a lie, or false identity of yourself, and the process of becoming free from it and knowing the truth,” explains Bayleigh. “Growing up listening to a range of genres, from psychedelic and folk to progressive rock and new wave, ‘Release Me’ opened my eyes to the world of synths and everything electronics can provide to create a whole new universe of sound. Taking something seemingly fun and cheerful on the outside, and revealing something deeper on the inside. Before I started writing my upcoming debut album, I decided to be more vulnerable, honest and raw. I've hidden behind surrealism, which is still a big part of my art and always will be, but in light of the pandemic, I felt I needed to really let myself be open and not hide anymore. I'm becoming the person I've always wanted to become, and art will always be there as gentle reminders." Listen below.

Bayleigh Cheek · Release Me

Cozy Slippers

Cozy Slippers have released their first new music since 2019’s single ‘A Million Pieces’ b/w ‘Will You Disappear?’ (Kleine Untergrund Schallplatten) and the band’s tour of the United Kingdom. Like everyone else, the Seattle indie band had to adapt to the challenges of 2020 and beyond. ‘When Will When Come?’ is the first release to come from a year’s worth of home recordings done by the band. “We started from scratch. We didn’t have any gear and hadn’t really thought about recording ourselves before. It was so great to escape the stressful outside world for a while by recording and meeting on Zoom to put it all together,” explains vocalist and bassist Sarah Engel. While the band couldn’t be in the same room at the same time, they made use of samples from their prior recordings in order to stamp their sound and personality on the song. “We did whatever we could to get this thing recorded. Some of the vocals I recorded into my phone while sitting alone in my car or late at night when everybody else was asleep. It was a challenge to find space to be creative and alone time to make the recording happen during the past year,” remembers drummer and vocalist Barbara Barrilleaux. The track was mixed by Dylan Wall (Versing, Great Grandpa, and High Sunn).  Lyrically, ‘When Will When Come?’ is a plea from one person to another to embrace life’s messy possibilities -- to live before it is too late. Instead of participating in their own life, the subject of the song stares out a window and fantasizes about pink flamingos.  “I remember the first time I heard Sarah singing the lyrics. I thought the idea of somebody daydreaming about traveling to see flamingos was weirdly sad. Flamingos look cool, but the world has a lot of other things I’d want to see before a bunch of birds. It seemed poignant to have such a relatively small wish and still be unwilling to make it reality,” recalls guitarist Steven Skelton. Listen below.

Cozy Slippers · When Will When Come?

Everstill

New York-based alternative rock band Everstill have released ‘In Your Dreams,’ their first single off their debut album, Longing. Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sara Aridi (vocals, bass, guitars, keys) weaves her melodic guitars and haunting vocal harmonies with percussionist Luca Bertaglia’s pulsating drums to evoke sounds that are at once melancholic and euphoric. The group draws from disparate influences and genres including grunge, indie rock, jazz, metal, folk and more. ‘In Your Dreams,’ recalls artists like Warpaint, Wolf Alice and Chelsea Wolfe. Aridi wrote the song — something of a seductive plea to an unknowing crush — in 2015. A year later she met Bertaglia while playing in an alt-prog band, and the pair reconnected in early 2020 to bring her songs to life. They found themselves working on their debut album during the pandemic. Listen to ‘In Your Dreams’ below.

Everstill · In Your Dreams

No Lore

No Lore is unlike any other indie alt-pop duo. It all started when Manila-based visual artist Tita Halaman decided to make music out of her paintings and poetry with her brother Jerald. As an artist, she wants to elevate her audience’s experience by expounding the message of her paintings through the art of words and sound. No Lore’s goal is to continuously release a new song with a painting every month and to publish a book out of it. The band name No Lore comes from the concept of having no formal studies in visual art, music, and poetry. Both Tita Halaman and Jerald are self-taught and everything is D.I.Y. from ideation to audio and video production. New single ‘With Little Light’ is “a song about courage,” explains Tita. “I believe there is no such thing as complete darkness to a soul that thrives to seek for “light” everywhere. With all that’s happening these days, I hope that we can still see hope no matter how little it may seem. Hope prevails if we believe. I’m a visual artist here in the Philippines and my signature style is writing poems at the back of my paintings,” she continues of her creative process. “On top of that, me and my brother Jerald are also into music - we’ve been playing together and learning different instruments since we were kids. No Lore is our attempt to create a layered expression of our emotions. I’d say our songs are my art and poetry, but in sonic form. Every song is inspired by a specific painting of mine and the latter serves as the former’s cover art.” Listen to ‘With Little Light’ below.

Another Nguyen

Ngoc-Anh is a Vietnamese German independent artist from Berlin performing under the name Another Nguyen. She has just released her new single ‘My Friend’ which was entirely written, produced, mixed and mastered by women. She says of the song: “I wrote this song after a friend of mine opened up to me that her long-term partner was physically abusive towards her. Hearing her story was shocking because I had always perceived them as a very happy couple. With this song I want to tell my friend and anyone who has experienced intimate partner violence that "I see you" and "You are not alone". Listen below.

ANOTHER NGUYEN · My Friend

Noni A.

‘20s’ is the new single from the Berlin-based artist Noni A. Written in her bedroom and turned into a chill pop production by her brother, ‘20s’ talks about the aspects in your twenties that happen in the background but are not often addressed. 21-year-old singer-songwriter Noni A was born and raised in Prague in a German-Greek household. In 2020 Noni A. released her debut single ‘Losing Game’, an acoustic pop ballad. Currently based in Berlin, Noni dives into a different sonic direction in her new music. Inspired by the sound of Jeremy Zucker, Audrey Mika and Quinn XCII, Noni A. blends emotionally honest and unreserved lyrics with a clean and minimalist chill pop production. With her new single ‘20s’, Noni A. takes a new sonic direction. '20s' dives into the chill pop scene, including lo-fi elements, more samples, underlined by a strong beat. "I walked into my kitchen one evening and had absolutely no motivation to clean it,” says Noni A. “Apparently when you’re 20 that becomes a regular activity (cheers to my mom for letting me live blissfully unaware of this and cleaning up my stuff too). This realisation of my day-to-day life as a 20-something-year-old turned into the inspiration of '20s'. This song talks about all those things that everyone experiences in their twenties that happen in the background of our lives: moving out of your hometown, adjusting to life on your own, procrastinating (if you say you don't procrastinate, stop lying) and learning how to use your washing machine (in my opinion a straight-up mystery)." Listen below.

Noni A. · NONI A - 20s

Chrissie Huntley

One of Bristol’s most promising new artists, Chrissie Huntley has released her brand new single, ‘Supposed to Be’. Huntley decided to use the time granted by national lockdowns to her advantage. Collaborating with musicians across the globe and transforming her closet into a home studio, Chrissie has spent the past year equipping herself with a brand new body of work to return to the stage with later in 2021. ‘Supposed to Be’ is the first of a series of single releases set for release this year, and is one that the Brit School graduate holds close to her heart: “‘Supposed to Be’ is one of the first songs I ever wrote when I was a teenager and I just got dumped by the guy who I thought was supposed to be “the one”. I think we’ve all been in that position where you know that it’s over, but you just want to hold on and pretend just a little while longer…” Recorded in Bristol with upcoming songwriter and producer Laurence Fazakerley Buglass, the track demonstrates why Chrissie’s effortless vocals have had such an effect on her audience to date. Working with rising producers Jon Will, Gabriel Gifford (Harvey Causon, Maya Law, Lucy Lu) and Peter Beckmann (Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula, Marie Dahlstrom) to bring the song to life; ‘Supposed to Be’ is the perfect balance of collective ingenuity, creativity and talent...  mixed with the exposed, emotional honesty that comes with having your heart broken. “... It’s a very vulnerable track I suppose. It was very raw at the time of writing and I never had any intention of releasing it- it was more like a therapy to me than anything else. But, seven years later and here we are! Releasing this as an introduction to my new sound seemed like the perfect fit, as it holds the part of me that first turned to music at a time where I was struggling, which went on to become the entire premise of my musical journey..." Listen below.

Karen Harding

Weaving enchanting melodies straight from the heart, Karen Harding crafts, intimate heartfelt tracks that help us become ones with ourselves. The kind of one-to-one soul conversations that dig deep into our hearts and wake emotions once thought long gone. She specializes in helping people shed away their insecurities and finally feel again in a special moment of true authenticity. Drawing from a lifetime of experience, the Melbourne-based singer crafts bittersweet melodies that move and inspire. She gorgeously crafts an entire experience with every timeless track she creates. The emerging singer has just  released her debut track ‘I Didn’t Realise’. The heartbreak ballad talks on the struggle of an earth shatteringly painful breakup in a way so intimate it feels like we’re right there with her. It’s a reflective song that navigates us through every raw emotion during the healing process; from processing the pain to finally coming to terms with what’s happened. Truly a breath-taking journey that will leave you with a deep sense of wonder. The song was passionately penned in the peak of Covid-19 on a piano she played growing up. Like much of her music it came to her very organically. She had the chords already laid out and the words just flowed out of her soul naturally. It wasn’t created with the intention of being turned into a record. Rather it was a simple moment of self-expression based on the way she currently felt. The result is something deeply authentic that’s oozing in originality. She worked with acclaimed producer Josh Hennessy of Pivotal Music to bring the project to life. He helped add the magic to this simplistic yet innovative piano and vocal track. Listen below.

KarenHarding · I Didn't Realise

[suzakumuto]

(Rp verse)

Minako: "He's been in that shower for three hours we need to get him out"

Guren: "the door is locked, if we break it we could get into trouble"

Minako: "we don't have much of a choice, we can pay the damages dads got mor than enough money to cover it"

Guren: "if you say so kid"

Guren draws out his cursed gear and cuts down the door.

Guren: "I leave your dad to you, I'm going to go and see if I can get a doctor in here"

Guren exits the room as he puts his drop in away. Minako grabs a towel and turns the shower off. Suzaku just sat there not wanting to move.

Minako wraps the towel around his dad.

Minako: "if you were human you'd catch cold like that...."

Suzaku doesn't respond and hugs his legs close to his body as he burried his face into his knees.

"You, Mika and my wife you all hate me.... I've lost everything, there's no way things will go back to the way they were...... I've also lost one of my best friends.... I can't bare to look or think about her with out feeling sick"

Minako:"we don't hate you dad but you are unwell and I think you may need therapy, who would of thought you'd get targeted with a love spell"

Minako: "come you should get dressed, soon as we cancel this concert I'm taking you back home to recover"

Suzaku nods....

"I really want to be with my wife right now you know..... it hurts so much I can't go threw this alone"

Minako: "your not alone dad, I plan on finding this demon and make her pay for the damage she's caused"

Minako hands Suzaku some clothed as he takes them.

"Thanks Minako, but I rather you didn't get involved she might target you or Milo if not carful"

Minako: "she will have a hard time, Mika is wanting to get his hands on her too and I think mom does too"

"I don't think your mom will, she's not that type of person to get revenge besides I'd rather you guys stay out of it and leave it to your cousin Maya and the other demons"

Minako: "I'm a demon too, I want to help"

Suzaku shakes his head as he gets changed.

"I rather you didn't and I'm saying this because Your my daughter, if you ended up the same way as I did under that spell... I don't think I could ever forgive my self.... I already hate myself for what I've done to your mother...."

Minako: "alright I won't get involved......I just want to see you get better and start touring again"

[salmonthestoryteller]

Cold Breakfast and Hot Green Tea

A Gravitation Fanfic

Ryuichi was exhausted. Mentally and physically. Starting with the infamous world tour that went along with his movies openings, moving onto the numerous interviews surrounding it, and finishing with other public appearances - mostly related to various charities and causes - he hadn’t had a moment’s peace. But peace was what he was about to have. Peace, quiet, a home cooked meal, and some well deserved pampering by the one person who made his hectic existence into something resembling a real life. That was the plan, anyhow. They were derailed by a text message as he exited the shinkansen at a stop in Kyoto. Simple, direct, and to the point.

‘Couch.’

Coming home to a pissed off lover had not been on Ryuichi Sakuma’s to do list.

The house was empty and dark, but the lanterns were lit at the temple. That meant Tatsuha was meditating. If it was dark and Tatsuha was meditating, it meant he was upset - not that the text wasn’t hint enough. Ryuichi wanted a bath, but the bath was traditional and he didn’t want to draw it now and leave it cold for Tatsuha. Normally Tatsuha would be there to tease him that as the eldest he should use the bath first. Usually he’d tease back that they should just use it together. Some days he’d be indulged on that whim - others Tatsuha would laugh and tell him he’d burn their dinner that way and send him off to get cleaned up with a brief kiss in consolation.

He turned on the lights in the house and set his suitcase in the hallway next to their bedroom - proof to the younger man that he was taking the text seriously but was also still hoping he’d change his mind. There’d been no hint that the other was in a foul mood the previous evening when they chatted via webphone. In fact the conversation had gotten to what Rage would no doubt have complained was “grossly sappy” levels. Right before telling them to say something sexy instead to satisfy a lonely fangirl’s cravings. That usually earned her a kumagorou beam from him and a complaint about her stealing his position as number one pervert in their ragtag family from Tatsuha. In a group gathering, this would usually earn a remark from Eiri that Tatsuha had lost the position when he’d settled down, and a cheerful offer from his lover to prove him wrong. (And that he was more than willing to go along with.) Then Mika and Noriko would smack around all parties involved because they were going to influence their children. He’d have thought both women would have realized a long time ago that said children were doomed due to their relatives. But despite what some tabloids claimed, he wasn’t a masochist and had no desire for a second thrashing from the two.

The memories made him smile despite his current predicament. He made his way to the kitchen, hoping for at least cold left overs. Said leftovers was a pot of rice. There was other foods in the fridge, and he was glad to see that. However, current evidence hinted that, on that day at least, Tatsuha hadn’t eaten anything but rice. He was going to lecture him again, just as soon as he patched things up. And maybe got a little of that pampering in. Okay, the latter was him being spoiled. Lecture first, because making sure Tatsuha took care of himself was more important than his own selfish whims. And even though he had a well-deserved reputation as a diva, Tatsuha was one of the exceptions.

He found the newspaper open on the table next to a half-finished plate of rice. He winced when he saw the picture. “Oh.”

“That’s not much of a defense.”

Ryuichi turned to find Tatsuha in the doorway, still dressed in his robes. The scent of sandalwood incense floated toward him, and he had to resist the urge to go throw his arms around the other. Because he had missed him, horribly so, and texts and e-mails and webphones still wasn’t the same as being truly together. “The charity arranged the tour-”

“A warning, Ryuichi. A warning would have been nice before I saw pictures of you rubbing elbows with the bastards who would love to see me shut down.”

Swearing and still wearing his robes. Pissed off might have been an understatement considering how careful Tatsuha was about the temple’s reputation and his behavior when representing it. “I knew you’d be upset-”

“That’s an understatement.” Tatsuha’s voice was cold.

“Which is why I didn’t want to have this conversation over the phone.”

“You could have refused to go there.”

“The reporters following us would have latched onto that in an instant. They could have claimed libel or any number of-” Ryuichi began.

“And a media scandal meant more than doing the right thing? You cause media scandals all the time, Ryuichi. You practically thrive on them. You know what they’re like there-”

“I know what he is like.” He stressed the pronoun. “I know some of the others are the same way. But it’s a big temple, Tatsuha. You can’t judge everyone there by-”

“Are you defending them? If anyone there had an ounce of respectability they wouldn’t let them get away with it!” Tatsuha snapped out.

“Even if it is to get attention, their assistance with the charity group-”

“Is to make them look good! And, fuck, Ryuichi, they should give some back considering all they do is exploit everyone else! If I had half as big a temple as theirs’ I could do twice what they do with it-”

“But you don’t. You don’t and you won’t try. You won’t build this place up. You don’t even take on anyone to help you with it.” Ryuichi snapped back.

“Don’t fucking tell me how to run my own temple!”

“Don’t fucking yell at me for doing my job!”

Tears. Oh, heck. Ryuichi snapped his mouth shut the moment he saw the tears in those dark eyes. Oh, hell, Eiri and Mika were going to kick his ass. And he wasn’t even going to fight back.

Tatsuha snatched the newspaper out of his hand. “Screw you.” His words were calm despite the tears running down his cheeks. When he strode from the room, the slamming of a shoji door accompanied it only a moment later.

Ryuichi cursed himself in every language he knew how - about fifteen, since swear words were so easy to pick up - and wondered if the couch had gotten any more comfortable.

“I hate you.”

“You saw the newspaper article I take it?” Tohma sounded far to calm for his liking. He was probably curled up in a nice comfy bed with Mika by his side. Ryuichi told himself he wasn’t jealous. His lying skills were apparently getting rusty.

“Tatsuha saw the newspaper article.”

“How’s the couch?”

“I really, really hate you.”

“You got a photoshoot, I got a promise. You knew I’d collect.”

“You knew where the charity tour stopped, didn’t you?”

“If our positions were reversed…well, that’s how you got your photoshoot, remember?”

“I must be losing my touch. I used to be able to avoid your collection attempts. This is so uncomfortable. I should get a hotel room.”

“But you won’t. Because you know you deserve it.”

Ryuichi turned to face the couch cushions, pressing the cellphone to the opposite ear. “I deserve alot of things for all the shit I’ve done. And I’ve never worried about the punishments I deserve.”

“And it will make it harder to gain his forgiveness.”

“…did you really sleep on the couch that night?”

“I got a few things chucked in the general direction of my head as well.”

“I am glad throwing furniture around seems to be an Eiri and Mika thing and not an Uesugi thing.”

“So spoiled.”

“You and Shuichi just have lousy taste. I got the best of the three.”

“I’m sure there’s an explanation for you. Maybe you got dropped on your head as a baby.”

Only Tohma could say something like that while smiling. Of course, he was probably one of the only people who would laugh at it. “Of course, he got the best too. I’m way better than you or Shuichi.”

“The next time I’m over there I’m breaking one of the couch springs. Right in the middle. So it’ll poke you in the back every time you have to sleep there.”

“And here I thought you’d done that already, from the feel of things…” For a moment there was silence. Then Ryuichi sighed and turned on his back. “I made him cry.”

“Apologize.” Was the simple advice - serious in tone. An offer from experience.

“Tomorrow then.”

“Have a good night.”

“I really, really, really hate you.”

He awoke to a cold breakfast on the table beside him. And a cup of hot green tea. Sunlight was spilling in the window and he must have missed morning prayers. It explained both the cold breakfast and hot tea. “So…what did I do to be forgiven?” He asked aloud.

There was a sigh, and then Tatsuha was there, in his robes again. Temple was open, after all. He sat down on the couch. “Page Four.”

“Ah.”

“You could…y'know…tell me this stuff before-”

“You go off on me?”

“…you deserved it.”

“I suppose I did.”

“How did you know about the embezzling?”

“I just happened to mention to one of the reporters that rumor said certain people at the temple were shady. I couldn’t have anticipated the outcome.” He kept his expression neutral. He picked up Kumagorou from the couch. “Hai!” The bunny nodded. “It was all a coincidence. Hai! Hai!”

“Coincidence my ass.” Tatsuha’s look was more amused then upset, though he could tell from the rings under his eyes he hadn’t gotten enough sleep. They were puffy too, lingering evidence of his crying.

“I’d like alot of coincidences involving your ass, but in this particular case let’s leave it out of the conversation.” He winked at the younger man, and had to grin at the dusting of pink that colored his cheeks momentarily. Despite being lewd himself, Tatsuha did get embarrassed easily when you caught him off guard. Ryuichi enjoyed being in on that little secret quite a bit.

“Now you’re being an ass.”

“If you keep talking about asses, I’m going to think your implying something.”

“Ryuichi…” The tone was both amused and resigned. It meant he was joking too much and needed to be serious. He set Kumagorou to one side.

“This isn’t my world, it’s yours. I’m sorry for what I said. It was out of line.”

“I’m sorry too. I know it’s your job. And I don’t normally have any problems with any of it. This was just too close to home.”

“I should have talked to you about it the moment I found out.”

“I probably still would have been upset.” The other admitted.

“Still not the same as picking up a newspaper and seeing your lover being friendly with the enemy.”

“You might have been spared the couch.”

Ryuichi chuckled, taking a sip of the tea. “It’s not any more comfortable. We should consider a new one.”

“I don’t know what you mean, it works perfectly.”

“To drive off potential couch crashers?”

“Exactly.” Tatsuha’s grin was infectious.

“I’d prefer the bed still.”

“You look like you could use a bath. Smell like it too.”

“It’s so nice to come home and have your lover tell you you stink. Makes the whole coming home process very genuine.”

Laughing, Tatsuha leaned in to nuzzle their noses together. “I’ll draw your bath for you.”

“Will you stay to wash my back?”

“I’ll consider it.”

Ryuichi leaned in to capture his mouth with his own. It was good to be home.

Fini

So I have been writing a fic titled The Price for Loving You over at the Pit of Voles for about ten years. Yah, I know, no comment. Anyhow, this ties into that fic and is meant to be a years later type of thing.

But generally, what was supposed to have happened is Ryuichi spent time with groups connected to a charity as a favor for Tohma. One group was another temple - one Tatsuha is at odds with. Essentially several of the monks are supposed to only be interested in the money they can get out of their job and not truly helping anyone.

The conversation with Tohma is connected to another fic of mine - Photographic Memories where Ryuichi makes a deal with Tohma to get Tatsuha to his photoshoot. In return, he owes Tohma a favor - one that will earn him a night on the couch. Tohma came to collect. This is Ryuichi’s night on the couch and was my first actual full on attempt at writing how I think Ryuichi and Tatsuha would be in a relationship. (They kinda skirt each other in my other fics with them.) So pretty much domestic fluff.