Hellllo February.  I don’t know about you all but I’m ready to be done with winter.  One of my favorite things about Kansas is that we get all four seasons.  But winter this year has been brutal!  Like a lot of our songs this one is a little bit depressing and a little bit hopeful.  Its how we roll…

“Daybreak” has nice mix of electronic, effected, and natural sounds.  Makes kind of a neat soundscape.

Did you miss Daybreak when we released it in February?  No worries… you can buy it here.

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PS I’ll update the podcast Monday morning, so if you click subscribe and don’t see the song don’t panic.

“Daybreak”

lyrics by Tim Seley

I know its cloudy
the sky keeps on shouting
its over
but tomorrow’s a new day
and then the sky will say

picture by abbyladybug and used under creative commons

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I recently read a book that has been like a tornado through my soul, tearing out old rusty ideas and ideologies that I’ve held onto for years.  Like many people feel after having an uprooting like this, going back to the way things were isn’t an option.  In this case I’m glad for that.
Tim wrote these lyrics and after I sang them I realized that this is how the last week has felt for me.  I picked up the book Blue Like Jazz and couldn’t put it down.  Donald Miller writes as if he’s sitting across the table from you, and putting the book down was like ending the conversation with a good friend.  (Yeah, that was cheesy, but that’s how it felt.)  I highly recommend it.

“Tornado”

lyrics by Tim Seley and Patrick Largen

the tornado came
blew away my holy name
blew away my holy name
last year

it tore through the town
ripped the trees up from the ground
ripped the trees out of the ground

and everybody shook their heads
said what a shame, what a shame
all this just won’t go away
and even we want it to

what a shame

original picture from Seb Ulysses

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As I look back at the last few months of songs, I’m surprised at what has come out of me.  Lots of somewhat depressing songs, which I’m really okay with, just curious about.  But this week a love song came out.

We put off working on these songs later and later each week and as a result, limit ourselves on what we can improve on.  I’m looking forward to going back and spending more time on this one.  I think it has a lot of potential, but because it was a last minute creation the recording quality is pretty poor.  (I ended up just setting a mic up and recording it in one pass and then going back and adding a beat.) BUT, in some ways that’s the beauty of the song a week project.  Each week is different and has lots of room for improvement.

Tim was on vacation this week in Colorado, so you only get me on this one.   Enjoy!

“More Than That”

lyrics by Patrick Largen

now the summers gone
all I think about
is being with you again

here the winter comes
I can feel the cold
closing in

and all of these memories
being with a friend
chase the pain away

this has gotta be
all that’s left of me
and all I’ve gotta say

it’s how you walk in the room and change the color of the air
and as time stands still and all the people stop and stare
it’s how you tilt your head when your eyes meet mine
it’s these and million things that combine

I love you more than that

like the way your waist feels when we sway to the song
my heart must know as it loudly beats along
it’s how you mumble when you don’t know the words to sing
it’s these and a million other things

picture by prebenangelo

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Another name for this week’s song might have been “Recycle”.  We started off with a little instrumental that I originally recorded back in November.  When we did “In the Way” we took a few of the percussive elements from it (wooden spoons, whisk, banging on guitar) but the original had a very different feel.  We also took some of the lyrics that I came up with for our recent collaboration that we ended up scratching.  The end result is pretty cool.  Check it out!

“Red Balloon”

lyrics by Tim Seley

we’ll float above the clouds
up above the ground
we’ll find a brand new place
and we’ll leave this crazy town
just you and me

soaring through the atmosphere
in a big red balloon
its just you and me my dear
problems seem so small when you’re up here

its funny how the world can change
with a little change in altitude
the problems in parallax now seem miniscule

photo created from pictures by wili_hybrid and Elvis Pépin

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The two phrases that would describe this song would be “puppy love” and “wearing your heart on your sleeve.”  I don’t remember the inspiration for this song, but as I wrote it I had a particular memory in mind.  It was my sophomore year in college and I was going to a Christmas party.  Although I don’t remember everything, one thing sticks out.  There was a certain someone that had caught my interest that semester and I knew there was a good chance she would be at the party.  I remember opening the door and she was right there.  The feelings in this song are some of what I experienced that night.

PS I eventually married her.

“Lost for Words”

lyrics by Tim Seley

you and I were meant to be
as soon you can clearly see
I’m the one for you
you’re the one for me
why can’t you just see?

I’ve got so much to say to you
but as soon as you walk in the room
I’m lost for words
I’m lost for words
I can barely breathe

I can’t take my eyes off of you
you don’t know how much you mean to
me

too bad that you don’t seem to know
if I stay or if I go
I’m invisible
time for me to go

walking past… smell your perfume
grab my coat and I leave the room
and I don’t see… your eyes
follow me

picture by Chris M

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This week’s song is interesting in that it has a strong electronic feel to it, but everything was recorded on an acoustic guitar (with the exception of Patrick’s vocals.)  Patrick did the lion’s share of the work on Saturday and I did a tiny bit of editing Saturday/Sunday then Patrick recorded the vocals Sunday afternoon.  Its short and sweet.  I’m curious… what’s your interpretation of the song?

PS We haven’t abandoned the random noise idea, but thought we’d give it another week or two to allow for more input from people.

“If All Goes Well”

lyrics by Patrick Largen

Nothing hurts more
Than a thousand dreams
And all the world mourns
When they don’t come to be

I’ll fall into a deep deep sleep
If all goes well you’ll be with me

I’ll take you places you will see
A world that’s big enough inside
So go to sleep, go to sleep

artwork by Nadia Minic

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Back to back covers!  This week we tackled “Chasing Pavements” by Adele.  She’s a really fantastic singer that you should take the time to listen to if you haven’t already (Adele on itunes).  There’s a reason she had four Grammy nominations this year.  We did a super scaled down version of the song.  Tell us what you think!

Chasing Pavements lyrics by Adkins, Adele; White, Francis Eg

I’ve made up my mind, don’t need to think it over
If I’m wrong I am right, don’t need to look no further
This ain’t lust, I know this is love

But if I tell the world, I’ll never say enough
‘Cause it was not said to you
And that’s exactly what I need to do if I’d end up with you

Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements
Even if it leads nowhere?
Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place
Should I leave it there?
Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements
Even if it leads nowhere?

I build myself up and fly around in circles
Wait then as my heart drops and my back begins to tingle
Finally could this be it?

Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements
Even if it leads nowhere?
Or would it be a waste even if I knew my place
Should I leave it there?
Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements
Even if it leads nowhere?

photo by mrlerone

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Fast Car has always been a favorite of mine.  I Just love Tracy Chapman’s effortless voice.  It wasn’t until we decided to cover this song that I actually read the lyrics.   Wow what a storyteller!

This last week Tim and I decided to try a little public collaboration project and it has been a lot of fun so we decided not to rush it, and give the “back and forth” a few more weeks.  So we decided to do a cover this week and possibly next week as well.  We hope you enjoy it!

“Fast Car” lyrics by Tracy Chapman

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Anyplace is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we’ll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won’t have to drive too far
Just ‘cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man’s got a problem
He live with the bottle that’s the way it is
He says his body’s too old for working
I say his body’s too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody’s got to take care of him
So I quit school and that’s what I did

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

I remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain’t got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You’ll find work and I’ll get promoted
We’ll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs
You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I’d always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain’t going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

artwork from Ende

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This is an instrumental that I was playing around with back in February. I enjoyed the process of recording it but when I was finished I realized that I’d missed out on a really beautiful day outside… hence the title.  The video came late Sunday evening as Patrick and I were reflecting on how much of life is missed when we don’t pay attention.

Picture taken from Daniel Y. Go

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I set out to make this song very postal service-esque.  My wife Mandy suggested the idea of being seen as who we really are and not who we are trying to appear.  So I took that and ran with it.  I really like how it turned out and since Mandy and I are leaving for NYC early in the AM that’s all I’m saying for now.  Check out the commentary when it posts for more details about the song.

Mask
lyrics by Tim Seley

when you look at me
who do you see
which version, revision
of my psyche
can you tell me what’s real
can I tell you, how I feel

is this the truth
or some alternate reality
can you see?

I’m a master of hiding
what’s going
on in my heart and brain

I’m so tired of hiding
behind this
fake face that I wear
the circus is over
I’m retiring
from this acting career

can you look past
this rose colored mask
and see me as me
because I want you
to see through me
and still like what you see

if you look past
this rose colored mask
you won’t like all you see
but I want you
to see through me
and still love me for me

Picture taken from static416