Song and a Chat Pete Pascoe

Episode #214:  Trust To Receive.   (Song starts at 7:12)

Hi there &  welcome to another episode. Here we are, looking at another song again, in a ‘songwriter speaks’ style  - inclusive, casual fun, entertaining.… this time it’s Trust To Receive, song #105. Composed in 1989!

Again this week, this song popped into my mind. I knew it was in the ‘green book’ (my 1st old book of handwritten songs)…as an experiment, I held the book upside down and back to front, flicked the pages once - and it opened, sure enough - on Trust To Receive. Amazing, to me. Go figure. I take it as a 'nod that I’m heading in the right direction’ when this sort of coincidence happens.

Then I opened the cupboard, dug up the cassette (which I knew the song was on, in this case). And it was all but teed up - just the end of a nice song by my co-songwriting buddy, Paul Dredge, to listen to (I’m loving producing this podcast. I’m rediscovering more music each week).   The cassette was a recording of an album Paul and I wrote and recorded way back in the the early 1990s.

And here I am, in 2024, finishing our 6th ‘proper’ album which will be steaming shortly.

Determination would be the key.

The demo you’ll hear was recorded on a 4 track machine. It’s fair to say I was really just finding my way as a song writer, with 105 songs under my belt.

There’s something about Trust To Receive that I really like. It’s different. Sort of a reggae influenced song - unusual for a pianist to write this sort of song, but immediately you can hear I was hearing in my head more than just the piano and voice, as I wrote this one.

The whole band arrangement came along as I wrote the music to the lyrics for the first verse.

From there, it really is about following the feeling, the story, if you like.

Each musical phrase is related to the preceding and the one that follows.

Just like each line of the lyrics.

I can’t tell you where this snap shot of series of images came from: 'silent stare, a motionless vigil.’… a dream? Set against a cold city, a feminine character emerges. Obviously having been through some trials, the narrator sees beauty, sees fragility but also senses underlying strength ..potential. Trust is required for love to be received and that’s the message of the song. I would say for the both the character in the song - and the narrator (and of course the listener).

It was fun to listen back to this old demo. What would I go back and do differently? …well, pretty much everything. But it remains a document of it’s day. It captured a feeling, a groove, with the gear I had. And if I hadn’t recorded that, the song would’ve disappeared.

I’m glad I recorded it and I’m glad I thought to feature it this week.

I hope you enjoy hearing a bit about how Trust To Receive came together,

On this episode I’ll also take you for a walk down to the beach, as I take photos to use for references for a seascape painting which is going to an exhibition this week. I’m busy…..

2 new albums so close to being finished now. I really enjoyed doing some mixing last week (lots to listen to online streaming on the usual platform.

blog: www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

Ok, on with the show…hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed recording this episode.

‘Trust To Receive, rollin’!…’

Episode #213: Revolving Door  (Song starts at 5:42)

I’d completely forgotten about song #453, from 1999, Revolving Door. Well, it isn’t 1999 now! The years have certainly whizzed by.

The great thing about being a songwriter (or doing any creative activity) is, it gets you ‘in the moment’ - the moment where your sense of self is put a side somehow. You are so focussed on your art, you’ve let go completely. In that moment you’re inspired.

A song becomes a document of a series of moments like this, it’s a magic, slightly altered state to be in, if you will.

That sort of energy seems to come down through the years, listening back to a recording like the demo you’ll hear on this episode, which I recorded in 2000.

It’s only piano vocal, but you’ll feel the energy I was feeling at the time, I was hearing guitars, bass, drums, orchestra, the whole works.

That’s what often happens when I play the piano. An arrangement begins to take shape, right from the beginning of the writing process, for me.

So what’s 'Revolving Door' about ? My girlfriend at the time (now my lovely wife),  was a Gemini. The twins is the astrological star sign childlike and playful one minute, measured older, wiser view the next. A certain style of jewellery and clothing one day, the next a total different style. It’s fun, it’s ‘up’ and keeps things interesting.

So this was my initial idea fro writing a song.

And then the lyrics move on to asking a question of the listener …how many people speak through you? Explores the idea that we all change and grow and evolve constantly.

The energy of the lyrics inspired me to cut loose on the piano. The result is a song that’s written to be performed by a full band. It’d would require a few different guitar parts to create the arrangement I hear in my head.

The bridge monetarily becomes reflective but soon explode with a ’thunderstorm of anger' and then back into the song, which becomes ‘a summer holiday’.

It’s a happy thing to find an old demo like this. This one sounds like a real celebration of love, of life - and it is.

It’s fun to think back to what I was up at the time I wrote it….I was a pianoman, here in Melbourne. We’d recently moved over from New Zealand. There were sacrifices to make. It was hard. It still is, at times. But it’s also a joy.

As a song writer, you’ve got to keep moving on.

On my podcast I encourage listeners to do something creative regularly - or carry on on this path if they’re already underway.

I’m keeping on moving on all these years later, painting and writing songs, blogging podcasting, gigging, doing markets (where I sell my art), working on sheet music and video courses behind the scenes - and 5 new albums.

So plenty happening, I’ve put a lot of my art and music online you can find it via my blog ( lots of links here on 200 odd posts, which you can browse through, it’ll take you to al sorts of platforms to listen to musicians and view my art) www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

Enjoy.

Episode #212: New World Dawning  (Song starts at 6:22)

I really enjoyed writing song #207, New World Dawning, back in 1992.

The lines ‘I never thought I’d cry tears You can buy at the chemist’ Were never going to shake the foundations of anyone’s world, but that was my opening gambit (I was talking about the saline solution I used with my contact lenses). Undeterred, I carried on.

The words came and they lead on to an expansive sort of a world view. A world that felt like it was yet to exist: a world of golden opportunities, communication and love - that’s one description of this world. Perhaps that was an artists vision. I was inspired at the time and I still am today.

You are what you listen to, what you eat, etc. I see at the top of my page in the songbook, there’s a wee sentence scrawled…’it’s amazing what a Crowded House video can do’, so thank you Neil Finn, and the guys, you really inspired me.

The demo was recorded in 1996. I remember the afternoon. It was a spur of the moment decision to record one of my piano vocal sessions. What I did  - and still do - is this: I flick open my songbooks (all handwritten, the 800) ..and I find myself in a very free performance mode.

I play random songs one after the other, and I keep my ears open for new hooks, harmonies, and lines, as I sing and play. I make mental notes and sometimes quickly note a key line.or new melody to sing for a line.

I think as songwriter, you need to be open to editing and rewriting again and again. A song isn’t cast in stone - even when it’s recorded you can always record a new version.

So New World comes from an honest place, I think. After walking home from the piano bar, in the early hours of the morning, back in 1992, I opened the door at home. I was living in a converted garage. A single room abode, I gratefully climbed into my waterbed, enjoying the warmth.And I picked up my pen (my habit, my ritual) and began writing.

And I’m pleased I did. What made me write all these songs ? ( and there’s also stacks of unused pages of lyrics and poems somewhere around here) Passion. I loved it. And I still do. That’s why I still write.

In my studio tonight when I went to record a podcast episode, New World Dawning came to mind. I put my hand in a box of cassettes of random recordings and put the cassette I pulled out on the tape deck. And there it was, all cued up ready to roll.

That amazes me. Because it’s not the first time it’s happened for these episodes.

I take note of these things. I find coincidences like this all very mystical and reassuring. I do operate on another planet a lot. It’s who I am - I’m an out and out artist. Perhaps this is the new world dawning…the time of the arts…

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this demo - and and the chat about how the song came to be. I enjoyed recording the episode, as always.

If you want to hear more , you can stream lots of my music on the usual platforms (eg Spotify)

I have a music website: www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com (You can my hear my music; with Paul Dredge; and with the Patient Hum band). Folk rock, rock , solo piano and singer songwriter. I love the variety.

On that note you’ll see on my blog I’m also a cartoonist and seascape painter. I’m working on tuition videos to present everything I’ve learned and am still learning. See www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

If you’d like to get onboard on my email list, I’d love that (via www.petepascoe.com)

I’m into sharing creative uplifting art and music. And I encourage others to get creative.

Here we go. A new world dawning…rolling!

Episode #211:  Got Away On Me Again  (song starts at 4:02).

Welcome to another episode. Picture me sitting at my piano, with the microphone on. Before me I have my songbooks. I’ve picked out a song Got Away On Me Again (Song # 663, written in 2017).

Yes, I have a song to sing, which is nice to be able to present and talk about. I’ve written quite a few over the years. It’s nice to have them up my sleeve. The real pleasure has been the time spent creating them.

There’s a line in the this song. Time, time, time’s got away on me again. It’s funny, after last week’s song, written in my twenties, the same theme has popped up again.

Although with this song, it’s more just an observation, rather than sort of fretting about the years passing by a too quickly.

I really think one way to alleviate the worries of getting older is to immerse ourselves totally in some sort of artistic process.

If I ever feel a sense of regret about anything in my life, one things for sure: I’ve never regretted time spent writing songs, painting pictures or writing lyrics, etc.

This week I performed Got Away On Me live this week at the Mornington Winter Music Festival, here on the Mornington peninsula, part of greater Melbourne, Australia.

I included a snippet of this live performance on this episode. On the street, it’s incredibly noisy. There’s an art to performing in that sort of an environment . What happens is: you’re nipping in and out of ‘the zone’, as such. People walking by smile and nod and you reciprocate, perhaps say thanks for a dollar tossed into the briefcase with the CDs and sign. The cars, crows, the seagulls all catch your ear.

When I’m songwriting , I’ve been extremely lucky to have a very peaceful environment, for the most part. I think that’s really important …not essential, but it sure helps if you can really focus on what you’re doing without any distractions. Fairly obvious, right?

The thing is, the longer I’m in the moment, the deeper in I get. It’s definitely a shift in consciousness. You’re gone. It’s such a pleasure to be a songwriter. If you’re thinking about getting into it, I say: go for it.

Got Away On Me Again is about catching those moments in your hands…sure the years are passing by, but they’re always going to be doing that.

So we may as well be free and do things that we love doing - as much as possible. Personal freedom is the key,

And how do we create time to do this in our busy lives? I think by committing to a definitive amount of time each week. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time, even 10mins. But if you do that you can up the ante to 20mins..and so on.

Pretty soon, hopefully you’ll be looking back on 6 months where it’s become a habit, and you’re enjoying it som much, it’s something you really don’t want to let go of.

That’s where I find myself: 200 odd podcast episodes, 200 odd blog posts, 800 songs, a dozen albums  (soon to be 17).

Looking forward to releasing some albums shorty. And finishing those video courses… yep time got away on me again.

I hope you enjoy having listen to this song …and the chat

Here we go, rollin’!

Lyrics here (+ links to more art and music): www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

Episode #210: Forever  (Song starts at 4:20)

I went outside tonight, just before I recorded this episode. The stars are incredible aren’t they? Infinite. Makes you realise how insignificant we are, really.

I like to think we all count. We all made up part of the universe.

Those sorts of big thoughts are the sorts of things I was thinking when I wrote Forever, song#85.

It was 1988. I had a gig at the ski fields in New Zealand. I was playing the piano and singing in the evenings. Apart from this, my time was my own. So I skied. And when it rained I wrote songs,

When you’re up the mountain, your mind can really wander. It was a moody place. Often serene, some days the wind was really howling.

Also what was inspiring me was Crowded House’s 2nd album, Temple Of Low Men. I listened to it every night as I went to sleep. So 80s music was the style I was listening to.

Also what had a big say on how Forever came together, style wise was: everything night after the gig , I’d walk back to my room, feet crunching on the frosty gravel. Under my was my Roland D50 synth.

Before I listened to the Crowded House album, I’d pick up my pen and write a page or 2 of lyrics.

The next day, I’d fire up the synth. And randomly select a patch (a different sound).

It’s quite different to composing on the piano, writing on the synth. A breath of fresh air. And it suited the style I was writing.

I enjoyed recording the demo for this episode. I fired up the drum machine for a bit of fun. It was nice to finally record the demo, it’s been a wee while since 1988.

The lyrics are about sitting back in the evening, considering the bigger picture, how the years are nipping by. ( the pinch of the years) and the the little dreams that eat away. Endless evenings of different plans.

What’s this all about? For me, it’s about the fact that I’m a very driven person when it comes to the arts.

Something made me write 800 songs, and I’m still going. I’m loving recoding them - I’m working on wrapping up another 5 albums presently,

The 6th folk rock album, with Paul Dredge is finally done. Whoo!

It’s is nice to complete a creative project. But then what happens? The next thing suddenly becomes the new focus, us creative people need to keep moving on.

It’s never about the destination. It’s about the process.

I wonder whether I’ll record Forever one day? Perhaps. It strikes me as a sort of an album track.

Ive been toying with recording an 80s sort of a synth driven album. I imagine Forever might fit on that sort of an album .

It’s good to have variety in my life. I’ve composed all sorts of songs from quiet piano solo pieces to rock songs. I paint and sell seascapes, cartoons of animals and teach piano. I enjoy making the videos for my music. And I’m working on video courses for the piano, seascapes and cartoon drawing

Today was one of those days where I felt like my plans were getting away on me. So made a new plan, came up with a timeline, some deadlines. We’ll see how it goes.

Anyhow, I was still in a bit of a reflective mind when I came in to my studio tonight to record this episode. Forever had been floating around in my mind these last few weeks.

I flicked open the 1st book and there it was, song #85. There are 154 songs in the first book

Look at yourself in the mirror is there a stranger staring back?

The years pass by and it seems some days you have a realisation you’ve got a bit older. It’s not something you think of each day (well, I don’t). It just catches up on you now and then.

Ok come back in time with me to 1988. It was a most enjoyable gig, the ski gig.  I’m glad I wrote songs like Forever. Here we go (lyrics here: www.petepascoe.wordpress.com (The Bounce/Forever)

Episode #209:  A Certain Kind Of  (Song starts at 4:41 )

This song, #213, is in a different style to the piano vocal ones that have made up the bulk of the songs featured on this podcast. It was written in 1992 by myself and with Paul Dredge on guitar. So it’s a guitar + voices song.

Writing with Paul, when we are in the same room, is great fun. Having had a brief chat about the lyrics, what sort of mood style might suit, Paul will start playing a riff or some chords on his acoustic guitar. I have the prewritten lyrics draft in hand.

It’s completely liberating for me to wing a melody over the top of what Paul is playing. I have no idea what chords he’s playing (I don’t play guitar). His fingers moving easily on the fretboard, his eyes are shut for the most part. Me, I’m alternatively looking into space, or projecting some sort of energy back to Paul as we write together. He’ll look up now and then and we just click together.

There’s been a fair few songs written like this by us now. We are about to release our 6th folk rock album. Our last one was called The Untrodden Track (It’s streaming on all the usual platforms).

Being able to write songs so easily and quickly together is something we certainly don’t take for granted. It’s a joy.

The words include Tip toeing on broken glass. It was an emotional time for me when I write the lyrics (a love interest, things not running all that smoothly).

t’s a good idea as a song writer to keep an eye on yourself in terms of maybe keeping a diary. You can then. glean some truths, what’s true to you. When you do this sort of work on the self, I think you’re more likely to write songs that ring true. Because they come from a place of some clarity. That’s the idea, anyway.

You may choose to tuck of that truth into some arty sort of lyric writing, obtuse, if you will.. there’s some interesting lines in this song that’s for sure: communicating in a chamber

One of the great things about emotional upheavals is they can be great experiences to draw on to put into art. Affairs of the heart.

When Paul and I write, we are completely on the same page. We communicate without talking as we improvise our parts. You have to listen very closely to what the other person is doing, when you’re in the moment, composing together.

A Certain Kind Of was one of 17 songs we recorded and mixed in 3 days (!), our first time in a real studio. With Earl Pollard on drums and Michelle Pickett on vocal harmonies, it all came together really well. Everything was one take - including the vocals. All sung live together, with some tight harmonies.

Performing music like this in the studio is a blast. I was as high as kite at the time of - and for days after - the recording sessions. It was like we managed to produce the paintings which I always imagined we could, after having working drawings and sketches for so long.

Composing and recording is still where it’s at for me after all these years. I’m putting the finishing touches to 5 albums at the moment, in different genres  - and I intend to release them all this year.

This podcast is such good fun, creatively, it’s a great release for me to me to be doing what amounts to a songwriter speaks sort of online gig each week. It’s nice to be sharing the music, the stories, some songs writing ideas.

By the way, you certainly don’t need any musical theory up your sleeve to enjoy this podcast. It’s inclusive, each week, while I’m inviting you into my songs (which at times are very personal), once they are complete , recorded even a demo, means they are outside of me, so I’m comfortable sharing.

Each listener is going to hear the song differently. Some will hear the beat, others the melody, others the mood, others the lyrics.

Arranging a song is great fun as well. So it’s a multifaceted thing, this song writing..there’s the lyrics, the music to compose,