Forget Friday....It's all about Sunday. Girl.

An artist that I''ve found quite interesting to watch over the last year or so has been Sunday Girl aka Jade Williams.

I guess the first thing you notice about her is how gorgeous she is, but the moment you hear her sing, you instantly discover a very unique tone in her voice which I find rather captivating.
I love the sounds of her vocal coupled with some equally twisted sounding production (cue Diplo).
Throw in some acid meets 80's tracks and a whole host of (left of centre) pop covers, Sunday Girl sets herself apart from the average cookie cutter pop artist.

In the year I've been following her on the (copeous amounts) blogs, what I have also noticed is how engaged she becomes with her fans, and not just how often she conversates directly on twitter and facebook with them, but extended her talents beyond just being a singer, but entertaining them with various DJ sets and throwing tea parties for her fans. From a marketing perspective, I think this is important (and pure gold). I think an artist needs to be accessible to their fans and not sit up on a peddlestool like some unattainable glorified popstar.

Just to add more meat on the bones, she exhibits a very strong point of view when it comes to her personal style; it's quirky and very chic at the same time. What I think is amazing, is in the year or so that she's been around, shes become the face of River Island, modelled for ASOS, collaborated on a joint collection with Firetrap and grabbed the attention many of the fashion elite.

One of my favourite songs to listen to and is on constant replay on my iPod is Four Flours. There's something so relatable about these lryics, maybe it's the whole idea of someone jumping out of your bed!

"We left on a note, but no ones singing.
Better off alone.
Made no excuses, you made your escape.
No explanation. How dare you.
Out of my bed and off down the stairs. The back of your head was a clear view.

Four floors apart, but we just keep missing.
Two worlds in half, and I'm still wishing.
Four floors apart, and I'm still wishing to see your face again.
Wonder just what I'd say."

I could write on and on about this girl but if you haven't been living under a rock, you would have already come across this echanting Siren. So I'll just leave you loving her more, like I do.

Cover Inspiration From High School Memories

It's been a while. I'll keep it short and sweet.

My cousin Emma is pretty much like my sister and has always been a strong influence in my life. Even when we were kids, we'd always be inseparable.

Her taste in music always rubbed off on me dating back to high school and through to when were living together in our Maroubra apartment. 

Anyways, I did this little cover for her back around her birthday in July, but totally forgot to post it. What better time to follow through now that she's just given birthday to a beautiful baby girl - Sienna.

Here's to you cuz and your beautiful new daughter.

How far a best friend will go to get you to the Monster Hall

So I think I have to dedicate this post to my best friend Esther. No one knows me better in this world and only she really knows how much I really love Gaga and knows how much I draw inspiration from her artistry and business savvy.

Despite all ranging opinions, from "she's amazing," to "she's crazy," it has to be said Gaga does it, and she does it f**king well!

Drunken after party photobooth antics

So how was one going to get one self to the monster hall, when you can only win 1 of 1000 tickets.
Thankfully the industry I work in offered the chance to win a media and advertising trade ticket by getting their paws up in public - the more Gagaesque and the more public, the better!
I thought surely between the both of us crazies, we could come up with some brilliant winning entry.
Esther had the idea of getting her paws up in front of the Kings Cross coke sign.
My first thought was, "hmmmm that's kinda lame....what can we do better."
Then I thought "Wait.....in  front of the coke sign....WEARING DIET COKE CANS IN HER HAIR" ala prison scene from Gaga's Telephone!

Whilst extremely reluctant to get out on freezing cold Wednesday night wearing nothing but a leather jacket and coke cans in her hair, Esther pulled through with the goods and got us the winning photo and entry into the coveted Monster Hall!

I'm so happy to say, I saw Gaga for $20 at the Oxford Art Factory in 2008. Again in 2010 at the Monster Ball - Sydney Entertainment Centre. And again in 2011 - at the Monster Hall Town Hall.
Guess that makes me one happy little monster after all.

Almost chose the cuter photo

But it was the slightly deranged one that was the winner!

The Monster Yeti and Biker Jesus

Still in love with Judas baby

Back up dancer Mark. Making me 1 degree of separation from Gaga herself

Wouldn't be a night if I didn't smuggle BFF#2 in too!

Inside the Monster Hall

Record Company Commemorative Plaques. A Rare Commodity

From a musical golden era long forgotten. Where record companies reigned supreme.

The commemorative plaques - an acknowledging accolade with it's proudly positioned CD disc's and cover art representative of a time long before the Juggernaut that is the digital revolution.

Where there were record shops and CD's instead of Itunes and mp3's.

When music wasn't so disposable and a lot more valuable.

How the times change.

Have you got the candy? Preview.

So it's been a while since I've blogged. This doesn't mean I've stopped doing my thang!
Contrary to my lack of blogger presence right now, I have been working on a little number.

About 4 weeks ago, my awesome le talented friend Kris gave me a complete track to pen some lyrics and melody to.

It's almost done! After a few creative blocks here and there, a few windy roads with the direction of the song, Got the candy is shaping up quite well.

Before the full version gets posted, thought I might share a little preview.


Got the candy (Preview) by Thom_edward

Turn it on its head

So I wrote a song about 5 or 6 years ago. The song is called I'll be all you need and it's very lovey dovey, sappy and butter would totally melt in your mouth kind of song.

At the time I wrote it, I didn't actually know what being in love was all about or even knew what love felt like.

I hear artists like Natalia Kills say things like you should live and experience life before you can sing about it. Oddly enough, I hadn't lived this part of my life out yet.

I revisited this song, re-read it and thought the lyrics are totally generic and boring, and even after experiencing love, I didn't connect with it.

What do you do with a meaningless song? The melodies for it were actually pretty sweet and catchy, so I didn't feel comfortable just throwing it away.

So I thought, what have I experienced in my singledom? Hmmm. Bitterness, anger, making my feelings and myself vulnerable to another person, being walked all over, being pissed off at people messing you around. DING

I'll be all you need is now, I was all you need. I flipped it on it's head and turned it into a song about reckoning and making someone regret they ever messed you around. Suddenly it has more meaning.

I'm yet to record it, however, here are some lyrics that I just finished reworking today.

 I was all you need

Verse 1
There are no words, there are no pictures
To describe the way that you fucked up my heart
Cause you were my world, you were what I lived for each day
You took it all away, I begged you to say with me

Bridge 1
So I’m gonna do what I need to do to get past you and the games you’re playing
Make you regret, make you sorry, you wont forget why you shouldn’t mess with me

Chorus
Never find no body else, no body just like me
One in a million stars, far in the galaxy
Travel through time, look back and you will see
I was all you need
And I, I’m better off without you here
Won’t cry for you won’t shed a tear
You no longer mean all the world to me
And I was all you need

Verse 2
I hate you, I swore my love to you
Promised everything my body mind and soul,
And all you need to do, was to just believe me,
And know everything I said to you is true

Bridge 2
So I’m gonna do what I need to do to get past you and the games you’re playing
Cause what you left was a mess, made me full bitterness, an empty hole in me

Chrous

Bridge 3
In times of good in times of bad
In times when you’re feeling baby down and sad
You use to mean the world to me..
No longer mean the world to me…

Chorus

Rocket Man

 Saturday night in. What do you do? Cover Elton John.

Instrumentals

Just a quick post.

While I think lyrics, and vocal melodies are important in a song, I also believe the instrumental track and all the little hidden and intricate layers you wouldn't normally take notice of are just as important.
   
I stripped the vocals of Forever and Always so I could show how I structured the track but also what my very talented and creative friend Kris did.

He performed a bit mastering on the track (also threw a melody or two in there), which really added some really punch, musical magic and sparkle to what I'd already done, so much so, I think the instrumental stands alone really well.

Extended club mix perhaps is next?
Forever And Always (Astronomical Instrumental Mix) by Thom_edward

Forever and Always Lyric Video

So my YouTube presence has pretty much been non-existent for me or my music (unless you count the fun little sizzle/teaser video I did last year for me and my friend Luka's birthday).

I thought it might be a fun little creative exercise to put together something a little more visual for my song Forever and Always' YouTube debut in the form of a lyric video. Seems to be what all the kids are doing these days.

A bit of classic script in Photoshop, some fun/posie photos, a few snappy transitions, a bit of colour and movement, and a whole shitload of space nebula's = a perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday night in.

Feel free to re-post it because sharing is caring, but one proviso, make sure the bass is blaring!!!!


Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Grace in your face

Seriously doesn't get any cooler than that

Seems to be of late that Grace Jones is on everyone’s minds. I keep coming across many blog posts about her. Maybe it's because she's coming to town very soon (playing at the Enmore).

Along with making some of the funkiest music, she is probably one of the coolest and innovative artists out there of all time. Definitely one of the first female artists to play around with androgyny and masculine elements in her style.

Crazy face masks, massive head pieces, huge shoulder pads............who else does that sound like? :)

 A few pieces I found around work! Seems like I was influenced by her before I even realised it.

Attack of the clones: A story of stereotypes

So this is one of a few that's been lurking around the depths of my consciousness, swirling around like a electromagnetic shit storm.

I wrote this my last year uni in 2008 where my passion for music got re-ignited when I did an electronic music production general education subject. I did three years of Economics and Marketing only to be smacked in the face with music at the 11th hour. Seems like no matter how far I deviated from music in life, the path always seems to lead back to it.

I digress. Attack of the clones was a product of an assignment to demonstrate our knowledge of Logic and Protools. Back in 2008, what came out lyrically and musically was a (half finished at the time) tongue in cheek stab at club kids and stereotypes.

Fast forward to 2011 - Attack of the clones continues deep into the galaxy on an intergalactic piss take robotic rampage to seek and question an individual’s psyche and ability to exhibit individuality.

If I was ever to write a song that was ironic, contradictory and hypocritical, this would be it.

Attack of the clones by Thom_edward

Inspiration: The Queen

I think can be found anywhere. I love my workplace. My boss is a hardcore collector of music paraphernalia.

I think I'm in good company when I have none other than the queen looking down on me all day.

Lyric Quote of the day: Elastic Love

"Elastic love, everlastic love
Ever lusting love, such a spastic love"

Who knew M.I.A + Christina + Switch would produce such an intresting track.

My Lil Setup

Forever and Always with a little injection of stardust

I'm not musically trained in any kind of way. I can sing. I can hear the music and know if what I'm doing is right or wrong. I'm also constantly teaching myself how to play scales, how to use programs like Logic, Reason and Protools to help put my musical ideas into something real. I think I'm getting there. Recently the flood gates have opened up on how to use Reason which is helping me transform my music into new things!
I recently stumbled upon some effects and sounds on Reason that turned Forever and Always into something intergalactic which oddly enough goes with the lyrics of the song.
Robyn is my clear influence in this track. I think she's pretty amazing.
So here's my Astronomical remix of the track. Hope you like.

Forever and Always (Astronomical Mix) by Thom_edward

Forever and Always. A tale of unconditional love

And here goes. My first soul baring post.
I wrote this song over a year and a half ago. What's interesting I guess about this is that I was in a bit of a dark place. I'd just been hurt by someone that I loved (and still love) so much. Such is life.
What I've come to accept is that being hurt is a part of life. There's no denying it. Loving someone is opening up yourself to be venerable to that person and susceptible to being hurt.
Inevitably, exposing myself to such extreme hurt enabled me to grow and become a stronger person.
What was surprising about my situation was my ability to acknowledge the pain, get past it and channel it into someone creative.
As a result, this person inspired me to write a hyperbole and a tale of unconditional love. Forever and Always is about loving to the extremes. Love beyond the physical and into the spiritual and universal.

Forever and Always by Thom_edward

Hello, Good Morning....

 

Always wanted a blog but never knew what it should be about.

I'm kind of a private person and I don't express every detail of my life to everyone, however what I can't help but express is my endless love for music. Seemed kind of obvious the blog should be about music.

I love hearing it. I love seeing it. I love being it. I love to create it.

Music to me can be truthful or fictional, serious or stupid, can make you feel emotional or feel nothing at all. I love that it can tell a story.

So here I am, wanting to tell some of my story.