Sand In My Socks

Episode #132: Sand In My Socks   (Song starts at 8:22) For this episode, I have included some audio from the actual songwriting session of this song: Paul Dredge on his acoustic guitar, me ‘winging’ a melody, then us harmonising together. So you’ll get to really hear how this song came together. I wrote the lyrics first: ‘Got sand in my socks, reminds me of yesterdays walk by the ocean, my shocked soul is soothed by the water’s talk’ … sounds pretty cruisey, right? Yes. To get into that state of mind, I got myself down to the beach. I’ve included a recording of me, talking at the beach, observing the scene. Even more relaxing, right? But… Before we go to the beach, I take you shopping with me - a couple of humorous observations about how things in the city can really wind you up if you let them.. And that’s the crux of sand in my socks. It’s about feeling the sand between your toes which reminds you of the feeling of walking beside the ocean, leaving the city behind - the mediation, the battery charging. I love recording the music & I love sharing the ‘behind the scenes’ sort of stories. 'Sand In My Socks' is track number 1 from our new album, 'The Untrodden Track' (streaming now). It’s a medium tempo easy shuffle. Sounds like a walk on the beach, doesn’t it? In fact, the music is a great fit for the lyrics - free, toe-tapping and uplifting. On the songwriting session audio, You get to hear the laughter, the easy friendship that Paul Dredge and I have. It’s a vibe we bring into our music together. The co-composing is a very easy & natural process for us. Paul gave the song a really nice mood with his acoustic guitar. As I ‘wing’ a melody over the top of the guitar, you can almost hear Paul thinking ahead, instinctively going for the next chord. Instinct would be the key word here. Yes, we both have a handle on music theory, and we enjoy singing and playing our instruments. But overall, you just go with ‘feeling’ in the moment. As we compose, we are drawing on the theory, for sure, but we also drawing on thousands of gigs we have done together. There is nothing quite like performing ‘live’ with someone to get things like vocal harmony locking in together. This sort of ‘flying time’ together is invaluable. You learn about how the other person plays his instrument, see how they fit together. When you have this sort of history together, it feels relaxed and exciting when you’re about to compose some music. This gives the process energy before we start. There’s a sort of energy, an electricity you can feel and away you go - and it gets better and better. My blog is: www.petepascoe.wordpress.com  you can read more / read the lyrics / view my art here. I hope you enjoy hearing Paul and I compose this song, the conversation and the observations. Here we go….

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.