So this past 6 weeks or so, we were quietly getting a song and a music video ready for you. We were going to release it all in May.
But then, the unexpected happened. Our world went into lockdown, and two weeks ago, we realised just how pertinent the energy and the lyrics of the song are for right now.
I wrote the lyrics in January 2019 in response to my experience of the California Wildfires. My memories of driving my car alone with our two cats in the back, through falling ash and black smoke clouds, not fully knowing if we would easily get to safety. And in that moment, realizing two things. That these were the kinds of new challenges we were dealing with in our world now. And that in times of fear, I needed to listen to my instinct, and not my fear. And that if I did, I would know what to do in moments when the world as I knew it turned upside down. So the song is a deep call to self-love, self-reliance and 'going within' when the world outside 'spins fast' (as the lyrics put it).
So as you can see, the song is also very 'now'.
For that reason, we have been speeding everything up behind the scenes to get this song out for you. The music video is quite complex, so that will take a few more weeks. But the song will release in the first week of April. (This is all so fresh that the ‘actual’ date is still to be decided, but by April 7th for sure, and hopefully a little earlier.)
For any of you who are members of my community The Portal, you will have heard an earlier and simpler version of this song accompanying some of the monthly MP3s. That version (recorded live in Costa Rica and then added to afterwards) will be the B-Side.
For this new version of the song, Davor and I have created it with a more robust and cinematic sound.
We sent it off to mastering engineer Greg Calbi earlier this week and he did a beautiful job. Greg is responsible for mastering many classic albums, such as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’, Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ and last year, the newest release from the brilliant Bon Iver.
It was a treat to have his ears and hands put the final touches to our track.
I will let you know more very soon, but to say we are proud of this one and excited to give it to you, would be a huge understatement.
The single cover above was designed by Trent Barfield and photographed by Tanya Malott. Tanya took this shot of me in January 2019 amidst burnt trees right by our home, and on a day when I was working on the first version of the song.
Big love,
Lee, Davor and the team
x