Here's my new demo "Here With Me"
I'm excited and nervous to share this demo with you for a couple of reasons. I'm always pumped to share a new song is the bottomline. It's my high, gives my life meaning. But I'm nervous because this song is a relative departure from my typical writing. It is bare and honest. There is no obfuscation, no burdensome imagery. Here are the lyrics for your reference:
Come sit down
With me
Hold my hand
Keep us warm
Let's lay down
To sleep
In our bed
Sheets are torn
Won't you whisper in my ear
Say you won't be leaving
Keep your breathing near
So I know that you'll be here with me
Have a cup
Of tea
Splash of milk
No sugar
Nestle up
To read
On the couch
Your figure
Won't you whisper in my ear
Say you won't be leaving
Keep your breathing near
So I know that you'll be here with me
Till I'm gone
Won't you whisper in my ear
Say you won't be leaving
Keep your breathing near
So I know that you'll be here with me
Till I'm gone
The process of writing this particular song was a different course than I usually take. The concept and feel came first. Normally I will be jamming/noodling on guitar and will do something that catches my ear, but in this instance I sat down with more purpose. The verse guitar part came first, focusing on a melody that had a simple chord structure placed around it. As the first verse came to fruition, it solidified the idea I had when I began. The rest of the song kind of "fell around" those.
The concept itself is a basic love song. There's a romanticism that I tried to portray that is specifically domestic. Sharing a home with a wife or girlfriend and enjoying each other's quiet presence. That is where my mind conjured the lyrics. Perhaps it is nostalgia or a particular sense of aging at this current moment, but while the words aren't new (maybe even trite), they bare weight. Poignant, at least to me.
In terms of the guitar, I used a simple melody and chord structure to reflect the open nature of the subject. The verse phrase seems to draw from various places like Sufjan Stevens and Gillian Welch, but doesn't move too quickly. The chorus continues the safe warmth of the verse, but begins with a minor chord to bring urgency in the plea.
It seems as of late, in my experience, that intimacy and being emotional (in the sense of emotive, not dramatic) tend to make people uncomfortable. At least dating in my generation is devoid of honest communication. Tinder, Bumble, and the like make it easy to pass judgement and commoditize relationships. I don't hate that necessarily. It's certainly convenient and I definitely have Bumble and Tinder. Then again that's probably why I wrote the song.
Either way, hope you enjoy it and if you do, make sure to spread it around.
Thanks for reading and much love.
-Ian