Autumn Evenings

Episode #216: Autumn Evenings (Song starts at 5:33) It was a pleasure to rediscover song #261, Autumn Evenings for this episode. I wrote it in 1993. Here we are now, in 2023 - I’ve written about 800 songs now. At the market this week, people were asking me how on earth I managed to do this (not to mention the 1000s of cartoons & hundreds of seascapes). I’ve found having a peaceful space it really helps me to create. I make sure I’m in the mood before I even pick up the brush, the pen, or let my hands near the keys of the piano. Because emotion gives you the push, the momentum and focus - in fact, almost everything you need. The other thing you need is to have some sort of art ‘down’. For me I can let my fingers just play on the keys of my piano and they seem to find endless combinations of notes that really appeal to me. The opening chords of autumn evenings are emotive to me. They take me right back to the day I wrote the lyrics for this one. I was sitting in my old van, having taken a drive to see the view over Lake Taupo, NZ (quite incredible: a vast inland lake with the volcanic back drop of 3 huge mountains). Beautiful. And the power of the beauty of your surroundings has a big say on what we create in our lives. So I choose to lead a peaceful life. It’s a life of some solitude…more than I thought might have been the case. You can’t pick the future, I never dreamt I’d become a seascape painter, for instance. Back in 1993, I was a piano man, spending some time by myself. Sitting in the van, I let my thoughts drift back to the sunset of the evening before. And then, looking south, beyond the mountains, in my mind, to a person, well, ok,  a love interest, who was never to far from my thoughts. She popped into my mind and that gave me the idea to bring her into the song about the sunset of the previous evening And with just a few lines, it all came together. The idea of somehow sharing watching the sunset, although we were in two different parts of the country…in a sense we’d be together. Ha-  the desperate sensitive mind of the artist, eh. Oh well, you sort of let it out now and then… actually there’s not too much of it ( ‘it’ being overly romantic mush) in the song.. for that reason, I think it works well. Singing and playing the song for this episode was fun (I’ve no idea when the last time I played it was - years ago). Flying by the seat of my pants, I made a couple of changes in the moment. This is an example of what I get up to, when I’m in the mood: I get into ‘performance mode’ and sing and play one song after the other. And as I go along, I make little changes. Changes I wouldn’t have been  able to make if I wasn’t in the performance mode. Because those changes might not make artistic sense - and it’s all about the art. Ok..I hope you enjoy this half hour chat as I sit at the piano  - and the song, of course, too. I’ll also take you to the arts market on this episode (some audio I recorded at my stall). I’ve written another 9 songs this week. It’s so nice when they come tumbling out. Plenty on my blog  including the lyrics of this song and this weeks painting, go here: www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com. and search for autumn evenings. Enjoy.

Om Podcasten

Be entertained with a song and an extended chat, ranging from off the cuff banter/humour to life observations and song analysis. Welcome to Song and a Chat. This is the podcast where you'll have the pleasure of listening to a new song each week - plus, you'll get to step into the shoes of a songwriter : You'll hear about the background of the song, the inspiration, how/ why the song came into being.  After the song finishes, I'll go over the lyrics and finish each episode by looking at the song from a songwriting point of view. If you just want the song and no talk, the time where the song kicks in will be in the title of each episode. Hi, my name is Pete Pascoe. I am a performer and composer - I love lyrics and I love a melody. I play piano and sing. I have a number of albums to my name.  I have written over 800 songs. Of course, not all of these songs I written will make it onto an album. As a songwriter, the first step for a new song is ( or was ) to record a demo. Often you catch something unique in this demo - something that is often not replicated in the studio cut....a certain feeling.  If you're looking to be entertained, like listening to new songs and live recordings, I hope you'll enjoy what's on offer here. I have a stack of demos from which I'm sharing one on a weekly basis. Plus I relate anecdotes about my life as a piano man, from around the time each song was written. I treat each show as a mini intimate concert - with extended chat, which ranges from off the cuff banter/humour to life observations and analysis. The idea is : the song can be listened to for pleasure in its own right, or the listener may choose to also be entertained and informed by the story around the song.  I'm really enjoying recording these podcasts. Each week I look forward to getting behind the mic, setting aside my current musical and artistic projects and casting my mind back in time by focussing on a song I've composed. It's turning out to be a satisfying - and sometimes surprising - time of reflection and discovery for me.  The lyrics and the recordings take me straight back to when the song was written. Gain an insight into songwriting and listen to a series of snapshots of life of a songwriter / performer / artist.  It's a great way for me to archive a song and it's 'back story'. Music is to be shared. What point is there In having five songbooks and piles of demos gathering dust?  I welcome feedback - whether you're tuning in to enjoy music for music's sake, you enjoy finding out about the origins of songs, you're looking for tips on songwriting or perhaps you've got tips for me. Either way, I'll be learning plenty as I go along. Thanks for a having a read. Come on and join me for a listen.