Today I found out that I didn’t get the second chunk of funding I needed for the album. Sad trombones! That money would have covered the cost of mixing and mastering the songs, which is one of the key parts of the project.
So now, I go back to the drawing board and try to see what else I can do to make it all happen. If you know of any opportunities or people to email, please hit reply and let me know.
This is the nature of making things. After my first EP I said to myself, “I am never going to create a large piece of work entirely without external funding ever again.” This decision has been good because it has allowed me to Level Up as an artist, but with it comes its own labyrinths and challenges.
I’m no stranger to rejection letters, but getting one like this at what feels like such a crucial time is a bit of a kick in the teeth. But getting kicked in the teeth is the mother of invention… or something like that.
I guess it’s a GREAT TIME to remind you that I’m selling these tote bags I designed. Gneiss is a metamorphic rock which has these wonderful swirly bands of minerals all over it. Every guy, gal and pal can be a gneiss guy! The money from this allows me to cover extra costs of recording, travel to the studio, and rehearsal room hire. So every sale helps immensely.
It’s times like these that I have to come back to the music.
There’s a phrase, ‘touch grass,’ which Gen-Z normally uses to basically tell others that they’ve spent too much time on the internet.
Twelve slides into drafting a powerpoint about why Taylor Swift dating Matty Healy is a conspiration by Jack Antonoff to create a new album? Touch grass, bestie.
Columnar basalt is actually the remnants of giant trees because seventeen Youtube videos told you so? Touch grass!!!
Similarly, I think when it comes to sitting at you desk reading your rejection email for the tenth time, it’s time to touch grass.
For me, though, touching grass is about getting back to the music. The ‘why’ of the project.
Why? They’re damn good songs. And making music is fun.
Here are some things which reconnected me with my ‘why’:
Listening to My Songs
The quickest way to get back in the game is to listen to the work and remember that the songs deserve to exist. This is the main driver behind all of my work — once I create a song, it is a living thing, and if it’s a good song, then it deserves to exist in a way where it can be enjoyed by everyone. It is my responsibility to give these songs a home in the big wide world. I am a father figure and these songs are my silly little children who need to grow up and SUCCEED to MAINTAIN my LEGACY.
Reading About Other Musicians
I enjoyed this interview with pop musician and producer Charlie Puth, and his many, many synthesizers. It’s always so interesting to see how larger musicians also come up against their own struggles. Elton John told him his music “sucked” (which, I mean, to hear it from Elton John… yeowch) and it gave him the impetus to go back to the drawing board and try another way. And I can also pat myself on the back because, so far, Elton John hasn’t told me my music sucks. Granted, Elton John doesn’t know I exist, but what he don’t know can’t hurt him.
Listening to Other Music
Peter Gabriel is always the best. His new album i/o is about twenty years in the making (so, I should stop beating myself up about taking too long to get anything done), and since January he’s been releasing a new single every full moon. The colour of his songwriting has always been something I’ve adored, particularly the ways in which melodies are brightened or darkened by the chords that underlie them. He is also a master of texture. Listening to his new music has reminded me that there is so much still to write, and a lifetime to write it in.
Another musical treat I have discovered is this movement from a suite by the composer Alexander Litvinovsky. I like to listen to this whilst reading for the ultimate feeling of escapism, but I’m also in awe of how much can be communicated by instrumental music. Also, it’s just really beautiful.
Margaritas
This one is optional, but three margaritas in a basement restaurant in Soho with good company can also help you remember that there is more to life than funding applications and rejection emails. La Bodega Negra in London is a good place to go for Mexican food and a secretive atmosphere.
And if all else fails, I just have to remind myself that I am working towards something and it will come to fruition, no matter what.
I hope you have all had good weeks with many productive things, many happy things, and many treats (like a margarita or a good Peter Gabriel song).
Be good!
Olivia 🌋
