The Writing Process
As a musician first and foremost, melody/chords are my favourite elements of nearly any song. So for me, it makes sense to start with the music. But that’s not to say the melody won’t change once the words are in.
Music: A bossa nova-inspired track, Alchemy was entirely music-driven from its inception. I had the chords, groove and melody before I even set pen to paper, but went on to change large swathes of the melody once I had the lyrics in place. When tied to the words, my original melody no longer flowed the way I wanted so I went through an experimental process to find what worked better/best. Such trial and error often risks turning into a never-ending task, so it’s become something I must monitor strictly. I’m constantly reminding myself that while we strive for ‘best’, ‘good enough’ is sufficient. Creating something and finishing it is better than lingering in the doldrums.
Lyrics: I enjoyed finding alchemy-related words and motifs to include in the lyrics, and simply letting myself be free to express the magic of finding that someone special who lights your days, the one who understands you on every level. It’s a rare beauty, certainly worth savouring in a song!
Alchemy
The most enchanting part of recording and producing Alchemy?
Hearing my children (completely unprompted!) singing it back to me. My two year old still requests this track before she goes to bed every night, and my heart brims listening to my three daughters (6, 4 and 2) serenade me in unison, even at the most inopportune times. For who needs a packed stadium when you’ve got your three favourite fans at home?
Now that's what I call alchemy.