Klez the Conquerer - Recording Session and Edit 3

I had no trousers!

My trousers last night were manky and in the wash. So for work today I had none. But lucky I got up early and put on an early wash. So after typing up notes for work (which took a few hours), I hung the washing up - specifically putting the jeans on a radiator, fingers crossed that they'd dry in time. So with no trousers and essentially nowhere to go, I thought I'd record a little. Turns out this recording session went very well indeed.

I listened back to 'Klez the Conquerer', and edited bits here and there. It was sounding good. I thought I'd try and add bass to it. I was determined I could get a bass riff for it that would sound good. Messed about with different effects, recording a couple of cleans riffs, a distorted one and a partially distorted one...all not working. The song was never destined for a bass riff at all it appears.

So I thought I'd try and fill in a gap I had in the song for a guitar solo. I set up the guitar, messed about with my zoom pedal, and managed to record after the second try a really good sounding guitar solo, which I just came up with in 5 minutes.

So I then set up the keyboard. I was determined to also get a drum beat behind the repeated one. But first of all I started messing around with different keyboard sounds, and managed to get a really good futuristic sound. Recorded that on a first try, and slightly improvised.

I then tried to come up with an interesting drum beat. At first I was struggling to come up with anything. But then I started messing about and managed to come up with an cool sounding beat. I have also kept the repetative beat in.

The last thing to be recorded was a synth keyboard part with the echo machine pedal and zoom pedal. I messed about with the 'time' and 'repeat' switches, as the recording was in progress. Sounded excellent, but not really with the song. The only bit that was quite good was the outro part.

So after I had finished recording it all, I began the process of editing out bits of the song I didn't like or think was necessary, and edited volumes etc. I cut out most of the guitar part that I recorded last, no bass was put in, edited the sounds to come out at different times. All in all, it is a great wee recording. Listening to it on the bus just now, and there are small tweaks here and there, but it is essentially finished. Three in the bag. Happy days. Next: Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)...

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Hacktivists (Welcome to the Anonymous) - Recording and edit 3

I wasn't happy. I just wasn't. It started a few days ago at a bus stop. I stood there, cold, feeling depleted and down. I didn't want to listen to my new songs: Hactivists (Welcome to the Anonymous), http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com and Klez the Conquerer. I have heard good recordings by great bands; hear the effects and mixing; and just felt mines was poor. Just thought to myself that night, why am I continuing? Why keep doing this when your recordings are essentially pish?

So last night, I had a very small window of opportunity to do something to the songs I have. I had already taken out most of the cut up vocals on http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com and I think it sound loads better. So I was looking at Hactivists because I knew I could make it better. It had a lot in it, but I felt it was rather bland. So what to do?

When I had a simple version of the song earlier in the month, I had put a nice acoustic riff with lots of echo on it at the start. It was quickly done, but essentially the song started with this nice guitar tune, and then the escalating electric tone would abruptly start, and the song would begin truly at this point. I didn't know if it worked really, so I left it. Turns out, after editing this and adding in random samples of music I had recorded and not used in other folders, the song started to become more interesting.

I then got all the levels done, and started making a different outro. Found a nice lead piece, added some repeated vocals, some noises. I then had the genius idea (something I had always wanted to do properly) of linking the songs at the end and beginning. So in the outro I put the synth from http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com in. Sounds great and mixes the song up even more. I then end the song with four bleeps of the first note of the piano tune that starts http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com. Got the idea from Radiohead's 'OK Computer', where at the end of 'Airbag' there are four bleeps before the acoustic in 'Paranoid Android' comes in. Sounds great. Will maybe still need to go back and edit some bits and pieces and fix sound levels, but all in all I have fallen back in favour with my own songs. It is kinda feeling a little like a Radiohead album, which was something I did not envisage for it; I was thinking more like Rage Against the Machine. I didn't think acoustic would work in it, but it starts of the song quite cool.

So, watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Pleasant Statistics - January 2011

Here are some futher statistics that I find pleasant. The likelihood is, these statistics won't change dramatically because I have made a new profile for my new songs, and secondly, there is not a lot of viewings normally anyway. However I'm quite happy with the amount of views, downloads and differents countries, from people. Thanks to everyone who looks and downloads. Makes it all the more worthwhile. Also, Germans and Portugese are checking out my stuff too. Absolutely class. So here they are (from today which is 21/1/11 @ 21.47):

Percentahes of countries most popular in according to soundcloud:

44% UK
21% US
7% Germany
4% Canada
4% Portugal

Most listened to this week:

1. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (Cover)
2. Radiohead - Paranoid Android (Live Cover)
3. R.E.M - Let me in
4. Trip to Mars
5. Jezebel (The Painted Lady)

Plays for some songs:

Gnarls Barkley Cover - 246
Radiohead Cover - 269
R.E.M Cover - 20
Jezebel (The Painted Lady) - 21
Trip to Mars - 21
Blue Funk - 36
Art Imitating Reality - 34
House of Mirrors - 29
Watercolour Memories - 28
Whispers to the Heart - 26

Total plays - 980
Downloads - 84
Favourites - 1
Comments - 4

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/wullaewright

Festivals - Some Feedback

Yesterday (20/1/11) I received an e-mail from a Lucy regarding one of the Festivals I had enquired about.

She told me that there would be an informal meeting of people who wish to take part in the festival, in the many forms that can take. It fills me with a little confidence to hear back from someone. The small informal event is at the end of this month, so hopefully I'll go and speak to the people and see what they ask of me, and what it is kind of going to be like. If it doesn't seem like something I'd actually like then I won't go for it; but I am hoping it will be something I will like.

I still haven't heard from the bar I called regarding the other festival. I will just after I post this, send the same e-mail to the person again. If at first you don't succeed,...

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.twitter.com/wullaewright

Klez the Conquerer - Recording session and edit 2

So had a chance to record today. Class. I always try and start these blog entries with something interesting, but quite frankly, I can't be arsed today.

So on the bus at the moment, but early today I had some time to record and I sure took the chance I had. I today thought of working on 'Klez the Conquerer' once again. I had considered the new riff for 'Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)', but I really wanted to lay into Klez. So I set everything up: leads, pedals, and guitar. I was considering working on a keyboard piece for the song, but then thought about making a new version of Klez...again.

Initially I looked at the 'new version' file in audacity, took the main beat (which was a complete mess originally), and put it in a new audacity screen. Made a constant beat. Nothing special, just a standard beat. I made it quite quick. I then tried to get a good distortion tone for my electric. Pretty much no echo machine, and messed about with number '35' setting. I recorded the song in one go to the beat, and the sound is excellent. I couldn't have hoped for a better distortion. So at this point, sounding awesome.

I then moved onto the bass. I wanted to do the bass the same as the guitar, so I recorded a distorted version. Nope, not working. Then a clean version. Nah, not working either. So I actually have just chosen to leave bass out at the moment. Just not working correctly.

So I then moved onto the singing. I have had in my head the idea of having 'C.I.H' repeating over and over at the start of the song with the beat, and then just singing 'I have an illness, I have a disease running under my skin' over and over at the begining to, as part of the intro. So got to work on that. I first tried to use a 'C.I.H' I'd recorded for the previous versions but no good. So recorded it and the repeated the wav. file over and over. Then recorded three seperate lines of 'I have an illness...', all different, and put them in. Sounding good. Then I recorded the vocals. I recorded a couple of versions that were no good, but then managed to get quite a good one. The vocals could be better (as I was quieter as I am conscious of the fact that I may piss off the neighbours), but they sound great in my opinion. Quite angry and raw.

So then, I put in another guitar piece. I wanted to use the echo machine and recreate a similar sound to the title sequence music of the film 'The Warriors'. There is an effect in it which sounds amazing. So I managed to get a sound like it, and I recorded a simple riff that climbs up the notes. Sound good behind the song. My recording time over, I edited the song quickly, and put it on my ipod to listen to and consider what needs done. It sounds great, and there are definitely a few tweaks here and there, but sounds great. I will definitely get back to this. Good thing is most of the recording parts are done, so just needs a lot of editing. Looking forward to finishing this tune.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)

Itchy guitar fingers. That what I had. So I thought, I have time, why not get the electro-acoustic. And I did.

I sat on the livingroom couch and thought to myself, what do I want? What sound do I want? What do I want to happen here? My mind was blank. But then I had an idea. I wanted to try and write a song that would begin the songs; a kind of opener. The first track on an album. The one that paints the picture for what is going to come in the rest of the songs. I had the idea of making it a riff that bouncys, like odd beats, and then I'd connect them up, so it would become a mess of simple beats. But that didn't happen... I could say I was disappointed with the result, but I'm not. It is a cool sounding riff. I have a little bit that is fairly easy in it, but sounds quite technical. I then came up with a funky quick sliding chorus. I still might try and add a solo part for it, but essentially in an hour or so, wrote a new guitar tune.

So I have several sets of lyrics I've had sitting about on my phone. So I put the lyrics entitled 'Don't feed the Trolls -Pt1) which is about people who deliberately leave abusive or harsh comments up on the internet, be it on social network sites or blogs etc. Those who leave comments like these are called trolls and it is advised that you don't reply to the comments, or as the internet phrase puts it 'Don't feed the Trolls'. I have made it part one, as this song sings about the ignorance of those people who put up stupid comments. However, I may also write another song about how it is a good thing people can express themselves freely in this way. I'll see though.

So I recorded a couple of voice recordings on my phone to remember the music and how I want the melody of the singing to go. I have also restructured the lyrics and tweeked them a little.

Don't Feed the Trolls (Pt. 1)

Make public x3
your thoughts,
Make public x3
your fellings,
Don't wanna hear x3
those retorts,
Don't wanna hear x3
those reeling people,
You invite attack, x3
With stupid comments like that,
Why are you surprised? x3
When you see life through ignorant eyes, ignorant eyes

When your thoughts x3
equate to nothing more,
Than mindless, mindless, arrogance,
oh so uneducated,
The white hollow x3
rectangular box,
Freedom of speech, of choice, of sound mind and voice,
The cursors flash invites
You to attack, you invite attack x2
With stupid comments like that,
Anyone, anything, your heart so
So so so desires,

Anonymity
Is bliss,
no sin can
come of this,
But it can,
and it will,
harm those who
don't agree with the troll

Capo on 7th (like with acoustic monster in the box)

I hope I can find some time to record this idea soon.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous

Klez the Conquerer - Recording session and edit 1

Reached home after an annoying night of getting on and off buses. Finally got home, bag off, and crushed up some boxes that had been sitting about for a few days, fed the cats, had a little something to eat, and settled at the computer.

I fired it up, and before getting the music equipment out, I felt that the volume levels on 'http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com' could be improved as it was too quiet as a recording. So edited that, which actually took far longer than I expected. The process was: alter levels, export the file to wav., move it to appropriate folder and listen to it. If the smallest thing annoyed me, I'd have to edit it again and go through this process again. I had gone through this process 4 times, and by that point was starting to feel like giving up.

So I swiftly moved on after I felt the job was done. I set up all the music equipment. Set up the electric as I have had an idea for a while.

One night, on the 6th of January, I recorded a riff that I was coming up with on my electro-acoustic, on my Blackberry. It is a very quiet, poor recording, but I did it to remember it, as I had no idea when I'd get a chance to get back to it. I had come up with lyrics seperately on my bus journeys. That night I had the idea to put the lyrics with the tune, and 'Klez the Conquerer' worked out quite well.

Since that night I began recording an electric version of 'Klez the Conquerer', but I had recorded the bass and it was terrible. The sound quality and effect I used were shockingly bad. However, in this recording I had made up a couple of beats, and even though very basic, were quite good.

So, last night, I thought to myself, instead of making the bass a distorted mess, I'll make it on the electric, because it will probably sound better that way. So I started a new version on making waves, and got a good effect for the electric riff. Managed to record it after a few attempts. After recording it I kept the 'new version' opened and opened the original file 'klez3'. I put the two together initially without editing to see if, just by chance, it'd sound awesome!...it clearly didn't though. Nothing in time, sounds all terriible. So I took out the horrid bass from the original, and edited the beats on it, with the new riff I recorded. I unfortunately this morning only had about 20 minutes to try and edit the beats, so the song has a long way to go, but it is a start.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Festivals

To date I have had a fair number of gigs. I mean, not mindblowing, but a good amount. I'm very happy with the ones I have had (even though some may not have gone to plan liked the way I'd hoped at the time). Venues played at are::

The Media Club (now the Flying Duck)
Sunny Govan Radio
The Butterfly and the Pig
MacSorleys
The Drawing Room
Sno! Bar
13th Note Cafe
Rio Cafe
O'Henry's
Linen 1906
Cosmopol
Maggie May's
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
The Mill @ Oran Mor
Lebowskis
Republic Beir Hof
The Aragon
Pivo Pivo
Box
The Local
The Art Bar
Wise Monkey
The Liquid Ship

I may have forgotten a few more but I think that is it. The last gig I had was at Wise Monkey in June of 2010. Feels like a long time ago. And the gig could have been better. Since June I have been doing different musically things like this blog, Slowly Slowly, different artwork, the cassette tapes, etc. But no gigs.

So yesterday (18/1/11) I decided to look for gigs, but not in the usual way. Normally I'd look for a gig using contacts on my myspace, and get an individual gig. However, even in 2009 and 2010, I looked at festivals around Glasgow such as the Southside Festival, Merchant City Festival and Westend Festival. I have done gigs on an individual basis but not as part of a festival. Think it would look great on my musical CV. So, I asked around by e-mail how I would take part for 2011. E-mailed address I found regarding southside festival and westend festivals. I then received an e-mail later that day from those at the Westend Festival stating that as a solo musician, I should contact bars that take part in the Westend Festival. So I contacted both the suggestions they made.

I have befriended one on myspace and left a message; and the other I called today and was given an e-mail to contact the boss. At this moment in time, I await to hear back from them both. I want to be part of a festival. It is not something I have done yet, and wish to do it. Here's hoping.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.twitter.com/wullaewright

http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com

It's been a good day for recording music. Starting work later in the day, and my wife was out at Uni, so I had an opportunity to try and get a recording done.

After doing different things, I managed to settle down to the computer. Recently myself and my wife had gutted out cupboards etc, and I bought containers and boxes for them. So I bought one for my music equipment. So, now it is effortless getting all the stuff out. So hooked all the wires up, etc, and had an idea for a song.

Over the last few days, sitting on buses going to and fro, I had the idea of using the nice piano tune I have that was part of 'To Whom this May Concern'. It is a flowing tune, and I thought it would work really well with one of the sets of lyrics I have written entitled 'http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com'. The song is about suicide pacts that particularly younger people make. It is quite a sad topic and quite upsetting to read some of the stories. The internet gives these people this means of committing suicide. The last verses is particularly in relation to a story I read about two teenage girls who jumped hand in hand out of a block of flats in France. I thought the music would have to be nice, but the song quite dark due to the subject matter.

http://www.ireallyhatetherealworld.com

So close to death,
So close to fate,
So close to death,
It's all to late,

Because there is no more,
That I can take,
The real world has gone,
Happiness betrayed,

Where smiles once sat,
Scarred lips now bleed,
I thank you mum and dad,
But my fates now sealed,

Amongst friends, a common goal,
A kindred saddness unites us all,
(Cocktail of pills, and savage slits to the wrists,)
And a leap off the ledge, hand in hand,
We'll meet some other where, somewhere better than this,

Written January 2011

So with these lyrics, and the idea of using the piano tune I got recording. I hooked the keyboard up to my echo machine pedal and essentially left it set up the way it was: with no repeat, half time, and on reverse. The piano tune was recording in one take. Having to rest it on a bed maybe 30cm off the ground and playing it from a chair much taller, added problems, but I still managed to record it in one go. The reverse just adds this beautiful but haunting quality to the song. On its own it sounds amazing, but I wanted more in this song, but not too much.

Again, listening to music on the bus and being inspired, the Silversun Pickups on their album 'Swoon', have an outro to their first song that sounds amazing. They use a deep synth and it sounds absolutely fantastic with the delayed guitars. So I wanted that, a very deep synth, and I did. 'Synth44' on the keyboard, and initially recorded a light strong section that is easy and sounds great after duplicating it three times, and making it come out of different speakers. Then recorded the deep synth. All so far have only taken one try and worked perfectly. So duplicated the deep synth, and did coming outta earphones stuff.

So I wanted to record a simple lead part in the background. I initially thought the lead would sound best as a clean piece, but it didn't; it did however sound great with an echo where the timing was quicker. Sounded great and did it on first try. I also recorded the bass. I want to make the bass quite funky but in a weird way, so I again used the reverse echo pedal. It cut up and delayed the bass, and it sounds amazing and really makes the song uncomfortable. Again, done on the first take.

I then recorded a drum beat using the keyboard and pedal too. It sounded cool on it's own, but not so much with the song. Kinda pulled it off the natural path it was taking.

I recorded the vocals to just the keyboard-piano part. I had to rerecord this about 3 times due to the sound not being great. I had also put a little vocal part at the start but it sounded rubbish. I then after editing bits out of the song and changing volumes extra, cut up bits of the singing and put it on a seperate line. So there are lots of cut up vocal parts throughout the song, right from the start.

And that is it. After a few hours of recording, and editing the song is essentially finished. It is more than what I expected. I thought it'd turn out to be a fairly plain song. But it has turned into a song that to me, sounds great. It fell into place on it's own. I'm delighted with the song, and can't wait to get it up on the net for free download. Will do so soon.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)
www.soundcloud.com/wullaewright

Hacktivists (Welcome to the Anonymous) - Recording Session 2

I can't get into my music equipment properly now. Pain in my arse. Last night my wife and I rearranged the order of the flat, and moved the sofa/pull out bed into the spare room. Now due to a shuffling of furniture, there is a table infront of the cupboard door.

So with much struggling, I managed to get my two leads (one yellow, and one red), microphone, electric guitar, 4-way, and power supply from the cupboard. With stuff lying all over the floor from trying to get it from the cupboard, I set it all up and connected it to the computer.

Had opened the song - known as 'Dance1', but is the working title for 'Hacktivists (Welcome to the Anonymous)' which I had an opportunity to edit the other day. So today I had even longer to work on it. Had wanted to work on the idea I put in the previous blog, about the guitar techinque largely influenced by Bloc Party, with each strum of the guitar coming out of alternate earphones or speakers.

Got recording after messing around with effects. I wanted a very dry, tinny tone to the guitars. Wanted one to be very clean, and one to have a little reverb. So recorded a couple of times, but the effect wasn't right. So began messing around with the pedal again, and edited the effect '32'. Recorded one strum part, and then listened back and came up with the other rhythm section. Was quite awkward at first trying to come up with something, even though the chords are very basic. Eventually got it recorded however and listened back. I had recorded it the length of the song, but it didn't really work as well as I thought it would in the chorus, so I edited it outta there. Then edited it out from the whole beginning of the song, as it just didn't work well. However after the first chorus I put it in for a verse, and then edited it out at the chorus again. I left the bulk of the strumming parts in the outro after the 2nd chorus. Got to admit, sounds fucking excellent. And it has given what was essentially a dark dance song, to having a raw indie edge to it. Something I never envisaged for it at all. So sounding great.

I then tried to record a quiet clean lead part from the intro to chorus, however after recording an idea, I realised this wouldn't suit the song at all and just deleted this.

I then thought about recording a vocal in the background of the original, saying the ends of each sentence, but again this didn't work very well. However everytime I had listened to the song on my ipod when deciding what to do with it at the time of writing the previous blog entry, I had thought the line where I sing 'Information' at the end of a sentence in bits should be cut up and made a bit of a mess. So I added another set of vocals singing 'in-for-ma-tion', and recorded another vocal this time distorted and messed about with that too. I also cut up the distorted and normal sang lines, and put them on a new line on audacity. All the effort into one line is worth it, cause it sounds cool. Not mindblowing, but good.

I also want to at some point use the microsoft voice you get on the pc - it use to be microsoft Sam, but now it is microsoft Anna on mine...not the same. Liked Sam better. Anyway, I want to use it in a recording, hopefully an idea I have called 'Ctrl+Alt+Del', but I'll need to wait and see. I thought I'd use Anna on 'Hacktivists', and recorded her saying 'Welcome to the Anonymous' and sounded ok; but nothing special, so took it out. Also recorded her saying the first few lines of the song and put it at the end of the song...but again, was ok but I didn't think it was working that well.

Overall with the song it needed a good bit of editing. Took bits out, and edited some bits down. Other bits I added or looped. Some made tones better or added effects. And fixed the sound levels in all the parts. Trying to get the sound perfect in a finished song is a bit of a pain, because the way it sounds on audacity, is different from windows media player, and is different from my ipod. But listening to the finished version on all three, I'm very very happy with the results. I'm very excited about putting this up on the internet and soundcloud. When I get the chance I will. I have also put a video advert for Anonymous in general on facebook and am hopefully going to do it for yotube too. The advert is short and simple, but I like it.

That's one song in the bag. Hopefully there will be a lot more to come. Welcome to the Anonymous.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/welcome-to-the-anonymous (coming soon)

Hacktivists (Welcome to the Anonymous) - Recording Session 1

I'm on a bus, on the motorway right now. On a journey to work.

Before I had to head out, and make my way to work, I had a good chance for the first time in over a month, to sit and actually record. It was only an hour or so I had, but it was a good length of time. I logged onto the computer, and sat there in boxers and a dressing gown. Sexy image I know.

Once it started I thought what to do. I have two works in progress: 'Hacktivists (Welcome to the Anonymous)' and 'Klez the Conquerer'. I thought I'd work on Klez, but listening back to it I have decided when I get the chance, I'll rerecord it as it is all over the place and the effect on the bass sounds too tinny. Doesn't really sound like bass. So I decided to work on Hacktivists.

I considered doing the bass for the song, and this song at the moment is made of of a screeching tone, two dance beats, a reversed bass riff, and a messed up electric guitar riff that has been cut up. I wanted to add a bass riff, that sounded cool as fuck but was very simple. I had the bass out but then thought that maybe I should maybe record the vocals as I have the house to myself and the neighbours can't really complain as it was about 12pm.

Set the mic up and used an effect on the fx pedal, number 31. I added effects and took some away; changed tones and pitches, and got a really good sound. Very clear vocals with a good reverb. May start using the number '31' setting more often in songs. I tend to use number '34'.

I already have the Hactivist lyrics in my phone, written on the bus over time. I had one day on the bus listened to the music for the song but with no vocals, and worked out in my mind the melody over the music. So when it came to recording the vocals, I already knew the melody.

So after several attempts to record the vocals correctly, I eventually got there. I was originally singing it in a rapping style, in a Scottish accent, but it just was too flat. So added a little passion and sang the lyrics and it sounds much better.

The only part of the lyrics I didn't really have a set idea for was the lyric 'welcome to the anonymous' which I repeat over and over. I improvised a melody for this line and it is the catchiest part of the song. Totally done on the spot, but sounds great. And is excellent because it is the underlying theme to these songs.

So after editing the vocals volume levels, I duplicated it, put both at slightly different times, cut up the 'now' part in the chorus lyrics 'Act now', and repeated that and did the same as I did with the normal vocals. Also recorded a echoed shout of 'act now' which I put behind the sang part. Sounds great. Picks the chorus up quite a bit.

I then picked the bass up. I consider for a few minutes maybe putting the bass riff for 'Klez' in and seeing how it sounded. It sounded rubbish. So on the spot came up with a simple riff. The bass is drop-D, and it sounds great. Really quite dark and deep. It also has a kinda rough feel about it too. I really like it. The song is going to be worked on when I can, but I have so many ideas for the song. So many things I'd like to do to it. Maybe like to put a synth part in the middle of the song; and at chorus do a rhythm guitar part cut up with each strum coming out of different earphones (like Bloc Party do in many songs on 'Silent Alarm'). Also got a lot of editing to do, but I am very much looking forward to doing it. The song is still a blank canvas to me, and I can't wait to work on it.

I am listening to the version I have at the moment as I write this on the bus. I am dying to work on it.

Watch this space,
Wullae

www.soundcloud.com/wullaewright

Coming soon - webpages for 'Anonymous'.

The story behind - A Butterfly, A Bouncy Castle and A Pole Joust

"Well it was like a bar-utterfly, and a bouncy castle, and a poule joust..." repeated the old cassette tape, over and over.

Back in around 2001, Stuart and I had borrowed his step-dad's telephone recorder and there was a taped conversation on it. Amongst it all was that sentence, said by some unknown man. By the sounds of it, that's what we think he said anyway.

We had recorded this onto my little, poor quality tape cassette recorder. Better than nothing at the time I suppose. Once we recorded it over and over in different variations, again and again, we then stuck the end of the whole conversation on the tape, then played it on another cassette player and got recording the song.

I am sure I played keyboards in it, and Stuart the guitar. The song, for what it was and how it was recorded, I still consider quite a good one. One of the better tape cassette recordings from then. I always remembered thinking Stuart and I had done well to record that song the way it sounded, on a crappy old cassette tape player.

About 6 years later in 2007, I was living in my new flat. I hadn't lived there long. It was my first proper flat with my flatmate Geo. They were good times.

I sat with my laptop on a horrid tiled table, holding my white electro-acoustic, considering what to do next. I had this riff. Had it for months. Was very deep and sad sounding, literary a drop D tune. I remember asking Geo what kinda mood it evoked in him, and he said sad and nostalgic. I also felt it had a nostalgic quality to it.

I had been writing a lot of new songs, and they were all personal to me: Merchant City Man, Mother you deserve, Thursday 5th April 2007 @ 11.51am, etc. I had been listening to the Stereophonics album 'You Gotta Go There To Come Back' - an album I didn't rate highly at first, but with time became one of my favourite albums ever. I wanted to do the whole honesty thing and look at my life, and essentially write about it in an open way. I had always tended to write songs in a very metaphorical way, or political. I had never written about me and my real feelings. So I did.

The nostalgic idea got me thinking. What could I write about? What mattered to me, that I had nostalgic thoughts about? What was significant in my past that now made me sad? It took months to consider the subject matter. Then one day I had the idea of writing about a friendship. Then I thought about one of my best friendships from my youth which had unfortunately at the that time had fallen away - the one with Stuart.

I sat and the lyrics essentially wrote themself. I always had the nostalgic memory of us in my room in my mum's house, looking through catalogues at 3am, deciding what we'd get when we'd get a flat together. Largely what the first verse is about. Another memory was when we use to talk about ghosts and aliens and keep each other up doing all nighters discussing it. Second verse. The third nostalgic memory was about our time making the WriCarHam, and everything with that. Third verse. And then the last memory (or fourth verse) is regarding our time jamming, writing anf recording music, and us trying to get a band together. The last line of the last verse used to sing 'the friendship we lost forever', however I have since changed that as the friendship began again in 2009. It now ends on 'lost'.

The dilemma I had for weeks after that was deciding on the best title for the song. I had ideas, one was something like 'Two Jesters in a pack of cards' or something like that. Didn't think it had an all round significance however. So looked at different opinions, and I thought of our song writing endeavours, and thought of 'A Butterfly, A Bouncy Castle and A Pole Joust'. I thought, the title doesn't make any sense, as both Stuart and I didn't when we were together. We tended to be a couple of fools, with a crude and mental sense of humour. We were just a little eccentric. Also because 'A Butterfly..' didn't have any lyrics (the 2001 recording) I thought it'd be a good all round title for the song. The lyrics are very deep and meaningful, but the title ridiculous and pointless. The extremities with which me and Stuart lived our lives on.

A Butterly, A Bouncy Castle and A Pole Joust

We use to chat through the moonlight hours,
In my room, on the floor in our sleeping bags,
Allowed the ghosts to overwhelm our minds,
Our souls so spiritualised,

We hypothesised what happens when we die,
We stayed the night and freaked each other out,
Stories told, lives shared alike,

We watched the videos,
Watched the memories,
When we were young, when we laughed at nothing,
We were a couple of jesters then,

We longed for the band that never happened,
We tried and we tried, but it never got started,
The Heads of State, spent years together,
But in the. end, the friendship we lost (forever)

Written in July of 2007 for 'Be Lucky'

Since writing it I have recorded numerous versions of it, as recent as December 2010. This was the first song I played on 'Sunny Govan Radio' in August 2007; and I have played it at numerous gigs particularly in late 2007 and 2008.
Watch this space, for more 'The story behind',
Wullae

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New 'Anonymous' music and webpages coming soon in 2011.