Episodes

Episode#131: The Flow (Song starts at 3:28 ) So where does a song come from? Well, it comes from…being in the flow. The morning I wrote the lyrics, I’d just woken up and I was still half asleep. Snippets of dreams were floating around. So it’s a creative sort of flow I’m alluding to here. But the dreams were not what I wrote about. I looked around the room and started with: ‘When you pull the curtains back and the gentle morning light is shining, true…’ and from that line, which was really a sim...

Episode#129: The Long Haul (Song starts at 5:05) It’s been a long time since I wrote the song Secret Lullabies. I use the riff as my theme music for these episodes. That particular song was song number 3. The long haul is song number 614. I wrote it in 2014. Yes, there’s been a few years & a fair bit of water under the bridge. It’s been a long haul. What inspired this song?… yep, you guessed, it: a feeling. And the feeling was: I’d realised I was in for the long haul for the relationship I fou...

Episode#129: You’re Going To Be OK (Song starts at 3:06) Welcome to another episode, I hope you’re having a great day wherever you are n the world. I am, living here on the Mornington Peninsula in Melbourne Australia – it’s a busy day, plenty on. I mention this because no matter how busy I get, I have a sort of a pact with myself that whenever a feeling that a song may be coming through, I’ll stop whatever I’m up to, go to the piano and see what’s on offer. I had the feeling a song was ‘comi...

Episode #128: Goodbye To Say Hello (Song starts at 4:46) Welcome to another episode. Where does a song come from? It’s something I’m fascinated by. This has lead me to producing 120-something episodes. That amazes me. I wasn’t sure I’d get past my first one. But all we need is a start. And away we go. Isn’t that like just being human… we make a start and…. we make it up. The great songwriter Jimmy Webb inspired the style of song that this is. I’d been to his concert here in Melbourne, back in th...

Episode #127: Wide Open (Wings Of Grace) (Song starts at 5:48 & 27:46) It’s a rainy night here in Melbourne as I write these show notes. As usual, I enjoyed recording this episode. I had no idea what song I was going to pick until I saw the title on an old cassette tape cover and I thought… why not. It’s a moody sort a song, suits the wintery evening – and suits the day I’ve had. Software problems.. Sigh. I was about to do some editing of some videos I’m working on (a seascape painting course) a...

Episode#126: Too Dark To See (Song starts at 3:33) Hi, for this episode I recorded a conversation with Paul Dredge, the co-composer of ‘Too Dark Too See’. Although the audio quality isn’t quite up to scratch, I think this was a well worth while exercise. The resulting candid conversation offers an insight into our songwriting style/relationship (and friendship) in an engaging and entertaining manner. ‘Too Dark To See’ is track number 3 off our new folk-rock album, The Untrodden Track. It’s one o...

Episode #124: The Test Of Man (Song starts at 7:20 & 28:35) ‘A trail of mystery’ is one of the phrases in this week’s song. That pretty much sums up what I’m up to each week, as I record the ideas that pop into my mind and roll off my tongue for these episodes. I endeavour to put you in the shoes of a songwriter – how it feels. I like to allow the song to lead the way…the lyrics bring up memories, ideas spring to mind as I chat. This is not a highbrow presentation. This a ‘singer / songwriter sp...

Episode #124: Innocent (Song starts at 4:17 & 28:14) Where did Innocent, song #465, come from? It came from a dream. The finished lyrics were pretty much what I wrote down as I recalled a dream which I had, just before I woke up. I recommend trying this…often what comes though is more than you bargained for. Sometimes you end up remembering more than you thought would about the dream. I’ve had fully formed songs come to me in dreams – music and lyrics. In this case though, after casting my mind ...

Episode #123: Someone To Lean On (Song starts at 3:02 ) Hi there. Welcome to the podcast where the plan is : you’ll get to understand how it feels to be in the shoes of a songwriter. So how does it feel? It feels completely free to let your hands wander on the keys (if you play piano, like me). It’s like the ignition is there waiting for you. And… it’s like the sense of excitement you had when you were a child and you have some presents to open. When you’re have some lyrics ready, it’s a great f...

Episode #122: All We Need (A Little Bit Of Peace) (Song starts at 3:02) Hi there. All We Need, song #46, was one of those songs that’s been sitting in my songbook, doing nothing. Why? The chorus wasn’t up to scratch. The lyrics were just not right. So I decided to rewrite the lyrics for the chorus. Then, just before I recorded this podcast episode, I thought I’d have some fun and record a demo of ‘All We Need’. I think this sort of ‘ahh, what the heck!’ / free sort of feeling I have presently, i...

Episode #121: Miles and Messages (Song starts at 2:33) Carrying on from the last episode, this song, #256, was written a short time after Fairy Tale. While Fairy Tale (as it’s title suggests), is mostly an imagined scenario with a projected happy ending with a moral, Miles and Messages is where the songwriter (yours truly) came back to earth with a thump and faced up to the reality of what was really happening at the time. Yes, this one shoots straight from the hip – the reality of the situation...

Episode #120 Fairy Tale (song starts at 3:46) We are going back in time again – with some help from this week’s song. Fairytale, song #252, was written in 1993. The demo was recorded then, too. On this episode, I touch on how much our surroundings affect us. Nature is my thing, particularly being next to a river or the ocean . I was living in Kuratau, NZ when this song came to me – and the song for the next episode popped up at the same time. They seem to belong together, somehow. Kuratau is a s...

Episode#119: This Is How It Goes (Song starts at 4:28) The evening I recorded this episode, I went outside because I heard a strange song. A chorus of hundreds of frogs could be heard on the wind. Talk about nature’s tune. These frogs were really making a racket. As it turned out, this fitted in nicely with the song featured on this week’s episode. ‘This Is How It Goes’ talks about getting in touch with nature’s tune. Also, following on from the essence of last week’s podcast: as we are all ...

Episode #118: The Patient Hum (Song starts at 4:58 & 24:38) Song #436, The Patient Hum was written in 1998. Back then, there was a sense of peace about what I was up to (and I’m happy to say there’s a sense of peace about what I’m up to today). So the song came from a peaceful place. The lyrics talk about how everything is in a state of constant change – including us, as people. The arts offer a place of reflection where we can see ourselves for who we truly are. It’s also a ‘safe place’ where s...

Episode #117: No Crime To Stay (Song starts at 10:00) This week’s song (#263) was written in 1993, when I was living in a very beautiful & peaceful spot in New Zealand: Kuratau, on the shores of lake Taupo. The meditative pastime of fly fishing for trout really relaxes me. I find that once I’ve been out in nature, all my worries have drifted away and I’m ready to create. As a songwriter, I really think it’s important to get away from it and do some other activity that takes your mind completely ...

Episode #116: Still Crazy Here (Song starts at 3:43) Hi there, For this episode, I dug up a box of old diaries and found the year/week where I wrote this song. I read through some passages. It turns out I’d left my stage piano at the gig. So I wasn’t able to write songs… and I wrote: ‘If I’m not being creative, I feel terrible!’. I was flat. Didn’t see the point in watching TV, I was disgruntled to to say the least. Then something happened. I tidied up my desk, found 15 lots of lyrics, went for ...

Episode #115: Winter’s Song (Song starts at 4:57) It was a cold day, back in 1999. I looked around the flat, saw and heard the rain in the trees outside the window. We had a heater like a back handed compliment: it blew air out, not nearly as warm as what was required.. So I started by writing: ‘Raining in the trees, winters song….’ Song #454 presented itself this week when I opened one of my song books. ‘Winters Song’. I haven’t thought of this one for years. But I like a bit of fun and thought...

Episode #114: In Your Mind (Song starts at 4:19) Hi there, In this episode, we are going back to 1987! We are looking at song #24 from my song books… As I walked into my studio to record this episode, a little voice suggested this song. I haven’t thought of ‘In Your Mind’ for years. I wasn’t sure about it. But when my fingers opened the song book straight to the correct page, I knew this was the one – and I thought: it’s all good fun, so why not? One of things that come through time and time aga...

Episode #113: Tenderness (Strongest Memories) (Song starts at 5:17 ) This song came along when I was sitting at the piano, letting my hands wander on the keys. Some nice chords came through. I opened my eyes, looked up and saw the seascape painting hanging above the piano. On this episode, I read an excerpt from an old diary. I thought for a change I’d try it. The very page I opened to happened to be the week I recorded my first podcast episode. Bizarre. And it includes my statement where I say ...

Episode #112: Made It Through (Song starts at 7:31) This song caught my eye to feature in this week’s episode. Each week when it comes time to record another episode, I enjoy just going with the flow. I leap in there and see what happens. The threads appear as I go along and we just sort of see where chatting about the song takes us each week. It’s always a fun and there are always pleasant surprises. Sometimes my songs are based on reality, sometimes they’re sort of ‘made up’. The lyrics of tod...

Episode #111: With You (song starts at 2:45) This episode features a song I wrote in 1993. Song #309 jumped out of my song book this week. I haven’t played this – or thought about it for that matter – for years, for some reason. Perhaps this is a ‘universal’ love song for someone….for someone (if that makes sense). It also talks about a higher love that I think can be found (rediscovered – a bit like me rediscovering this song) during our time on earth. I had to make sure I could still play it b...

Episode #110: Lonely Path (Song starts at 7:03) I enjoyed singing and playing Lonely Path live for today’s episode. I do this sometimes. Other times I’ll select an old demo or maybe an album track. It adds variety along the way. It’s all a work in progress. I played a gig today – and yesterday – at the village green. It’s a small village. A very nice community farmers market was on today. I’d shut my eyes as I started off singing and opened them after a couple of songs. I found myself pretty mu...

Episode #109: You Can Hurt Them Worse (by leaving things unsaid) (song starts at 6:37) There are so many different places to start writing a song. Number one would be feeling, I would say. You can find it in a space within in yourself where you can be completely honest. That doesn’t mean you have to wear your heart on your sleeve or hit prospective listeners over the head with the wet bus ticket of your therapy… But I find that if I write from a place of honesty..the result is: the lyrics an...

Episode #108: St Kilda (Song starts at 7:42) The Autumn weather has turned a little wintery here in Melbourne. I played 6 gigs in 7 days last week, which was pretty major after no gigs in 2 years, with the Covid lockdowns going on. The last 2 gigs I played were over the weekend and that was when the wintery breeze got up. These were outdoor gigs, so it was a bit nippy in the outdoor seated area. It reminded me of the time I was in St Kilda years ago, sitting in a bar after doing an acting and si...