tag:kiyaashton.com,2005:/blogs/birdieBehind The Gigs2023-12-18T12:45:34+00:00Kiya Ashtonfalsetag:kiyaashton.com,2005:Post/73191772023-12-18T12:45:34+00:002024-01-11T10:46:30+00:00Dizzy<p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">I am so beyond excited to present you with my latest single “Dizzy”, a song that's been whirling around in my head for years. It's gone through a lot of changes and reiterations, but the demo is finally here! </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/327961/196902e6b77f343e2ef6ff4d916266f16f52a9ad/original/dizzy-artwork-v3.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_inline border_" /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">In its current form, this song began in September 2022, but really the piece has its roots in August 2021. Starting as a song of yearning, it had a different guitar melody and was tuned to Open B. Through a few different versions, the subject changed from a hopeful love song into a much sadder piece, as it got clearer that my hope was misplaced. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">I couldn’t finish it, and was never happy with the melodies or the words. Then, in April 2022 I changed the tuning to Open D (present day tuning) and transposed some of the melodies that had been sitting around, not really going anywhere. It messed with my head a bit but it gave me something new to play with, without throwing away the time I spent on it. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">Anyway, that still didn’t give me anything I was super happy with. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">Fast forward a few months and an old friendship rekindled, and just like before the line between friend and lover quickly became murkier. Afraid to experience yet another painful disappointment, I didn’t question until it was too late. And thus, inspiration! </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">The lyrics walk the listener through the day of this particular disappointment. The waking up, trying to get on with things but being distracted and indulging far too much in this anxious excitement. It brings you through my morning routine, which was undoubtedly enhanced for the occasion. Showering under “warm raindrops” and using “all the things that make me feel beautiful” in an attempt to build my confidence and make myself as desirable as possible, so I wouldn’t be dumped again. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">Then the hook, “nothing ever changes around here” is a quite simple summary of the moment(s) when people decided they didn’t want me anymore, that I wasn’t worth any of it. I’ve always had these troubled, one sided, unloving relationships/friendships, but 2021 & 2022 were particularly harsh. It was heartbreak after heartbreak and to an extent, all of them seemed to just combine together in my head and my heart as this huge, gut wrenching loss. I tried so hard to pick myself up every time, but the feelings just kept getting recycled with each new infatuation, and some of it spilled over into 2023. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">So, that’s the verse and the hook, but the bridge brings us into more of a reflective space, the aftermath. “I wish I could turn this back, And play it out differently” pretty obviously describing regrets and the way we so desperately want to fix the past to save ourselves, or other people, pain. To be better and worth the time. It eats you up. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">I had a habit of fixating on small details, and, being a very emotive songwriter, music speaks to me. I exchanged songs and albums with this guy and one in particular really caught my attention, ‘Dizzy On The Comedown’ by a band called Turnover. I loved the sound it had, the twinkly guitar parts were gorgeous but still mellow in their own right. And the lyrics of songs always stand out to me, but this one talked about love and attraction with such dreamy overview, and then it focuses in on a somewhat profound question that’s exchanged within this relationship, and the whole song really just feels like this all encompassing, tingly love that I was chasing so often. Then the chorus drops, and it feels like the pit in my stomach that I grew so used to. That chorus really inspired what I did with the bridge in this song. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">The title “Dizzy” also has its roots in my own health, as around August 2021 I started getting these really random episodes of lightheadedness, the first one came as I was running off stage in an amateur production of Sweeney Todd. As soon as I was out of view from the audience I let myself fall to the floor thinking I was about to faint. Still not sure if I actually did go for a second or not. (Now in 2024 we're looking at an epilepsy diagnosis.)</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">But, that production was how I met the person I started this song for, originally. And so the “dizzy” theme really represents that, as well as how the person made me feel emotionally, like I was floating, orbiting around them, never grounded. The connection between the Turnover song came later on but ended up fitting quite perfectly.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">I round this song off with “nothing ever changes, for me”, because as I was writing this, sitting with my losses, I looked back for the pattern to try and place some blame, and for a long time all I could find was me. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">So ultimately, Dizzy is a fairly abstract song about a handful of failed relationships. People stick with you, and looking back at the writing process since 2021 I think it really represents just how hard I was holding on to their memories. I don’t think I was allowing myself to let go enough in order to write this piece how it needed to be written. But this feels like a good place to leave those stories now.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">But I can’t leave this post without mentioning the incredible artwork by Richard's Illustrations. All I sent him was the recording, lyrics and my drafted blog post, and he came up with this beautiful piece of art. Absolutely lost for words!</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">So, Dizzy is available for download </span><a class="no-pjax" href="/shop" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Shop"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">here</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"> on my site, and will soon be out on all major streaming platforms. Thanks for reading and supporting my music!</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">Kiya</span></p>Kiya Ashtontag:kiyaashton.com,2005:Post/69225952022-04-23T08:00:00+01:002023-10-16T15:58:36+01:00Sarnia Cherie - The Soundtrack of Occupied<p>In 1940, the island of Guernsey was left defenceless after being demilitarised by the British Government. The island was attacked on the 28th of June in a German air raid and was then occupied by Nazi forces for the remainder of World War II.</p>
<p>The local short-film Occupied ventures into this time in our history, using both the local talent and breathtaking landscapes that Guernsey has to offer, a first for the war films depicting our island. The film is immersive and powerful, exploring themes of isolation and grief as the main character, Carolyn, loses loved ones during the White Rock bombing. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/ef666b02b5f08eb52e7a97b0d9676621270c11d1/original/occupiedfilmposter.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_thin" alt="" style="margin-right: 15px;" /><br><strong>The Audition</strong></p>
<p>Now, it's 2021. January 25th, to be exact. <a contents="White Rock Productions" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/WhiteRockProductionsGsy" target="_blank">White Rock Productions</a> posted a plea on the world of Facebook for a "female singer with a soft, folk voice" to be a part of the soundtrack. My phone proceeded to scream at me as I was tagged in comment after comment as the singer for the job. So thanks for that guys!! Felt a bit famous.</p>
<p>With this encouragement, I whipped up something of a musical CV and got in touch with the team behind Occupied, who shared with me the demo of Sarnia Cherie, arranged by Joseph Collier. My first impression of the arrangement was pure joy as an ethereal piano track unfolded before my ears. </p>
<p>Now, most folk over here know the chorus of Sarnia Cherie, but the rest of the song proves a bit of a mystery to the general population (me). Luckily, YouTube was on my side and I found a few different versions to take a look at. The first was this <a contents="choral version" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/jf3nnoFyPj4" target="_blank">choral version</a>. I was very inspired by the haunting sound of this version, though we weren't going for quite the same church hall reverb that they had. I also noticed that this particular version used lots of rounded sounds, something fairly typical in choral/classical music. Whilst these sounds resonate beautifully in this rendition, I decided to bring out some brighter sounds on the high notes for my version.</p>
<p><br>This <a contents="next version" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtu.be/NDD0LVdi4j8" target="_blank">next version</a> gave me a more clarity on individual notes which came in handy. The diction is very strong in this version, and I also noted the obvious vibrato that decorated the song. I began singing along and playing with the tone of my voice, taking some mental notes on the very classical vocal style this rendition has. This style of singing can be absolutely gorgeous, but I do feel totally fake when I do it.</p>
<p>I do, however, often take small stylistics from a variety of genres, including classical, to then use in my own music. For instance I've used a little vibrato on some of the grander notes to add some texture, and for this piece in particular I payed closer attention to my diction than I would normally for my own original music in order to pay homage to its classical roots. However I didn't emphasise my pronunciation further than still felt natural, which I think tied it in to this floaty piano arrangement that Joseph had made. </p>
<p>But, I'm getting way ahead of myself! Quite a lot of those choices came after experimenting when recording my demo. A process which saw a lot of tears from me, because I find nothing more frustrating than DIY recording! It had been maybe a year since I'd properly home recorded, with the demo for Anchor being that last project, so remembering how to work GarageBand was interesting! I've never been all that good on it anyway, much to learn, but on top of this loads of my recording gear was giving out on me, and I ended up submitting half the song! It was still more than 3 minutes long though.</p>
<p>Learning the original Sarnia Cherie was the straightforward part. Play a version, hum along, get lyrics, sing, keep singing. The new arrangement was a little different. Although I could apply some things from the original versions, there was such a dramatic time difference between them that I felt like I was relearning it all from scratch! The sheet music also didn't include lyrics, only the vocal melody and then the piano part. I really struggled to figure out some of the phrasing because of this, and it meant I had to trust my gut. </p>
<p>And so, many deleted takes and lots of self criticism later, I said screw it, it's a demo, and hit send. </p>
<p>One month later I had confirmation that director, Alex Bates, and composer, <a contents="Joseph Collier" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/JosephCollierMusic" target="_blank">Joseph Collier</a>, wanted my voice for the track. Whilst I was shocked to hear this, because I was in no way happy with the demo I'd sent, I was ecstatic that these guys resonated with my version, and ultimately saw a reflection of the film within it. </p>
<p><br><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/e22f59955d80680e7930b911d73ae43482782356/original/img-9382.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_thin" alt="" />Recording For The Film</strong></p>
<p>The next step was virtually meeting Joseph and exchanging ideas for the official recording. I wish I could think back to our discussion in detail, but so much has happened since last year that I simply haven't got the brain space!! I do remember how useful it was to share ideas and further develop the song as a story, unlike with the demo where I only had my ideas and interpretations to work with. We also ironed out a couple of timing and phrasing differences, but mostly we just got familiar with each other and the vision for the song/film.</p>
<p>From here, it should've been all systems go! But my laptop kicked it. Suddenly I had no device, or DAW (digital audio workstation) to record the song on. So I tried my absolute best to get GarageBand on the MacBook leant to me, but the app store was blocked. And so began my attempts at Audacity and Pro Tools, quickly realising I couldn't wrap my head around them to get to work on Sarnia Cherie in time. </p>
<p>Luckily, my family came to the rescue, as they often do, and my grandparents offered up their 2012 Mac. Familiarity was restored! I still hit plenty of bumps along the way though, including old versions of GarageBand, and my lack of detailed understanding of DIY recording.<br>But, now with 3 weeks until the film premiere, the cracking on commenced!</p>
<p>I began recording as I played around with the full version, checking in with Joseph to confirm the structure of the arrangement. Somewhere down the line I started listening to my body, and I started to notice how tired I was getting after singing the piece just a couple of times in one session. From this project I had realised that my vocal stamina was lacking a bit, but this was really impacting the work I was doing.</p>
<p>With some assistance from the lovely Lisa Murfitt, we agreed that the song was simply too high (not something I say lightly) for me to comfortably sing for long periods of time, which was unfortunately the best way to get lots of takes. So, we endeavoured to find a suitable key. Eventually after talking to Joseph about it we agreed to take it down from Eb to C, which offered the piece a little more depth, less shrill high notes, and my voice a little relief after hammering it out for so long.</p>
<p>We then decided to go ahead and lay some extra tracks and harmonies down, though I had issues finding ones that fitted thanks to all the lush suspended chords that Joseph had written in. But, I just kept experimenting until we had something we were happy with. </p>
<p>Now, 6 days before the film premieres, we have a completed track that both Alex and Joseph are happy with. Sweet!</p>
<p>At the end of it though I didn't feel very proud of my work, just proud I was still functioning! I really struggled on this project, making creative decisions about the piece, whilst adopting a studio engineer persona, and trying to manage my own health throughout (vocal and otherwise) was seriously very difficult. And because I was often very overwhelmed when recording, my performance on the recording was no where near my best. However, the version you hear at the end of the film is the absolute best I could get out of myself during those 3 weeks, and to be honest, when I listen back now a year on, I think it's my favourite recorded version we did for the project. <br> </p>
<p><strong>The Premiere</strong></p>
<p>On the 13th of May 2021, Occupied was presented to a packed out Beau Sejour Theatre. A treat for anyone who came <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/935233173816e6ced238bf23b4fcf94683963e2b/original/occupiedpremierepic.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_thin" alt="" style="margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 10px;" />to see it indeed! I went along with my family, and it was amazing to see the finished film in all its glory, with all the sound design added in. I was stunned. And totally bricking it for my performance. I broke out the heels for the first time in a while, and was absolutely convinced I was going face first down the stairs on my way down to perform.</p>
<p>I was introduced and called up (or down) to the stage, and with a tactical sip of water I began my descent. I survived! No fall. I reached my microphone, settled in place, and began singing the Sarnia Cherie that myself and Joseph Collier had worked so hard on. </p>
<p>I cued in the backing track with a (hopefully) natural hand gesture, and was very nearly caught out with it coming in a few milliseconds sooner than I counted, but managed to save it! We knew that might happen. Huge thanks to the sound guy that night for practising it with me a couple of times.</p>
<p>It was absolutely incredible to be performing to a room of 400, and to only hear myself and the track. Nothing else. I mean, people are fairly well behaved at my solo gigs, but it'll never be that quiet in a pub! And what was even more amazing was talking to people after the show. One gentleman stood out as he came up to me, still, with tears in his eyes. Connections like this made all that work so worth it. </p>
<p><br><strong>The CD</strong></p>
<p>About a week after the premiere, and my birthday weekend off, we started on the CD. But before I get into all the details, I must give a mention to Keith Pengelley from GNET Radio & Thinking on Your Feet. This wonderful chap had me on his show to talk about music and spin a few tunes, and then, if I remember rightly, Keith also had Alex Bates on the same show, a brilliant coincidence considering Keith didn't know I was working on Sarnia Cherie! So the three of had a nice impromptu chat about how it was all going, and Keith offered to sponsor us to make the CDs of the soundtrack, a very generous gesture that I won't be forgetting any time soon!<br>(You can listen to Keith's show <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://gnetradio.com" target="_blank">here</a> at 3pm on Fridays)<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/ec56bb12674b66bca1f0cddf6560b0bd9e418fe5/original/occupied-digicoverpsd.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_thin" alt="" /></p>
<p>So, after all I learnt from recording for the film, I had thought this extended version would go a lot more smoothly. I was more familiar with the song, and I knew what I wanted to do with it. But that's not exactly how it played out, because it was that month I took the leap into "The Day Job". Doing retail 9:30am-5pm was not exactly my dream, so as it slowly sucked out all of my enthusiasm for life, I also had to battle how this new routine was affecting my Fibromyalgia and Hyper-Mobility Syndrome. </p>
<p>I don't recommend that any folk with chronic pain/fatigue do a 30h day job, evening classes, and then pursue a music career on top. I was just burning myself out and never recovering, and it really impacted my creativity and confidence in my abilities. I felt super lost.</p>
<p>So, after trying to record a few different evenings with pockets of time and failing, I set aside a weekend dedicated to finishing Sarnia Cherie. But, that was the weekend I got too sick to sing, typical! Threw me way off.</p>
<p>Alex and Joseph couldn't have been sweeter about it all though, which I'm very grateful for.</p>
<p>About 6 weeks after the premiere, I managed a handful of takes that covered good bits of everything, or at least the best I was going to get out my worn out body. I cracked out some harmonies, and proceeded to ruin our internet connection as I sent them to Joseph to mix.</p>
<p>I was definitely not proud of my work, which is a horrible feeling when you've tried so hard on a project. But, after all, these renditions have brought tears and a smile to so many people's faces, and that, along with the hours of hard work, is what I'm now proud of. And it's all I ever really strive for with music, to make someone feel something.</p>
<p>The launch event at Candie Museum was lovely, we showed the film in the theatre and followed this with a performance of Sarnia Cherie, which you can watch for yourselves <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://fb.watch/cyBBr57Rmy/" target="_blank">here</a> from the livestream! Camera work credit to my mum.</p>
<p>This was such a beautiful little gig, and so fulfilling to be able to properly talk to people in the audience afterwards. The folks from the museum and Gsy Arts were super helpful throughout the whole process for this event and I want to give them a huge thanks for that, and to everyone who walked up that exhausting hill to support the project! </p>
<p>Performing Sarnia Cherie live has been the highlight of this whole process by far. I doubt myself so much less when I perform live compared to recording in a studio. In a studio, you can always go back and edit a track. In a studio, you can hear every little detail in your playing. Every minuscule crackle in the texture of your voice, every breath that just doesn't sound all that nice.</p>
<p>With a live performance, your microphone isn't going to pick up anywhere near as much detail as a studio mic. But, I also know that whatever happens will happen, there's no dropping back in at time 1:36 on the track and tweaking, it's just what it is. And maybe it's a little strange, but I find that quite comforting.<br> </p>
<p>And with that, I will conclude this blog entry! Thank you for reading, I know it was a fairly long one. I wanted to write about Sarnia Cherie now that Lib Day is coming along again, and some of you will know that I've been asked to perform our version live at the Hangar Balls and Liberation Tea Dance this year! An honour to say the least, and even further out of my comfort zone.</p>
<p>There are still some tickets left for the balls so if you fancy it, get yours <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/amherst/beau-sejour" target="_blank">here</a>. And don't forget that my next gig with The Folkadelics is on <a contents="Lib Day at The Last Post" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/valeearthfair/photos/a.306048159555432/2092884714205092/" target="_blank">Lib Day at The Last Post</a>, so it's a big weekend for me! Be lovely to see familiar faces at any of the events over the Liberation weekend.</p>
<p>See you soon guys! X</p>
<p><strong>Read my other blog posts <a contents="here" data-link-label="Behind The Gigs (Kiya's Blog)" data-link-type="page" href="/behind-the-gigs-kiya-s-blog" target="_blank">here</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Get a copy of the Occupied Soundtrack <a contents="here" data-link-label="Shop" data-link-type="page" href="/shop" target="_blank">here</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Stream <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/album/0dibkGEsqaH4kCzivlRvVh?si=FyQqQJIuRM2VO4ZzGHyoTQ" target="_blank">here</a> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Follow White Rock Productions <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/WhiteRockProductionsGsy" target="_blank">here</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Follow Joseph Collier <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/JosephCollierMusic" target="_blank">here</a></strong></p>Kiya Ashtontag:kiyaashton.com,2005:Post/68743142022-01-21T14:39:40+00:002022-07-21T14:33:31+01:00The Folkadelics and Bands<p><strong>Back in December, a new chapter for my music started. Fellow musician '<a contents="Its Own Animal" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/Its-Own-Animal-1729604134032666" target="_blank">Its Own Animal</a>' invited me for a gig at The Vault, on one condition: I put a band together. </strong></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/e0c03ca0a24ec6d846922acaa18713255839f03b/original/vault03-12-21-1.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_medium" alt="" /><br>For a long time I wanted to bring more musicians onto the Kiya Ashton project, but, as we're all guilty of doing, I kept getting myself too busy to actually develop this project. This event in early December gave me a deadline, and so, I brought these folks on board: Andy Degnen (violin), Squirrel (kit), and Elliott Mariess (bass).<br><br>Three amazing musicians who I'm honoured to be sharing a stage with. These guys have put so much work in already, and the vibes from The Folkadelics are astounding...</p>
<p>Now, most of you will only have known me as a solo artist, occasionally joined on stage by folks like <a contents="Gregory Harrison" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/Gregory-Harrison-Music-650472108314153" target="_blank">Gregory Harrison</a> (pictured) and <a contents="James Le Huray" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/jameslehuraymusic/" target="_blank">James Le Huray</a>, so a band might have come as a shock. But, a handful of you might have followed me from my early days fronting rock cover bands...</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/d620aec1b8c1076354de9ad38bee9c9660c2b12e/original/img-8758.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="" />I first got into the gig scene in venues like The Fermain Tavern, fronting a rock/emo cover band called Figure It Out, way back in 2016. This band lasted a handful of months and gigged, at most, 3 times. None of us got on very well, and at the age of 12 I didn't have any previous experience of teamwork in a musical setting. I'd also began work for my Grade 1 Vocal Exam a little while before this band, so as a musician I was growing, but still very inexperienced. </p>
<p>At one of our first, and last, "proper" gigs, I managed to mess up Wonderwall of all songs! And I will never live that down. Nerves were my worst enemy and I think I sang it double time? Good times.</p>
<p>When we broke up I moved on to a new band, calling ourselves <a contents="The Violet Diversion" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Violet-Diversion-1185833451534789" target="_blank">The Violet Diversion</a>, we ended up gigging a fair bit, enjoying the events from SOUND Gsy which lead to us playing Chaos and VEF. Though, of course, we argued a lot. Why? Because we were all hormonal, emo pre/teens. That being said, we did have a laugh, and I think we all learned a lot through that project. I certainly did!</p>
<p>It was this band that made me realise that I had other areas of music to explore. I didn't want to solely perform rock and emo, I wanted to share different sides to my vocal in live performance, not just an exam room. Knowing full well that the local gig scene doesn't take kindly to musicians and backing tracks (that's another conversation) I picked up an acoustic guitar, learnt a few chords and began writing music, one of the first successes being Freedom. </p>
<p>Whilst I continued my solo journey, I also moved on to <a contents="RoadKill RubberDuckies" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/RoadKillRubberDuckies" target="_blank">RoadKill RubberDuckies</a>, an emo/punk cover band that I ended up playing bass for in a turn of events! This was a really fun band that again taught me a lot about teamwork, and though I moved on from it to focus on Kiya Ashton, the band still exists today, though in a slightly different form.</p>
<p>Now, back to present day!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/327961/b442e6f472d3d18e691cd6b812be2a5fcd07814b/original/bunkerpic03-12-21.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_medium" alt="" />Working in a band with an extra few years of experience in my tool kit is amazing. I'm having so much fun experimenting with the music I've already made, creating something new and taking from metal and psychedelic music to make genre-bending weirdness. Our violinist has a pedal board for gods sake! And I'm finally making use of the top notch gear that I've collected, lots of which has been kindly gifted to me over the years by family and friends.</p>
<p>One chap, called Ian Duqemin, very kindly handed me a carrier bag brimming with TC Electronics pedals! Quite the insane gesture that I would expect from no one, but am ever grateful for as they now make up my board for the band. However, I couldn't possibly use all of them at once, so I'll be fulfilling my promise to Ian soon and passing on the rest to friends and young budding musicians.</p>
<p>Sometimes though, having fancy gear gives me a lot more to worry about! More things to forget, more carefully timed switch-pressing to botch, let alone using a proper electric guitar amp. <em>Gasp!</em> But, I'm over the moon to be pushing myself again. <br><br><br>I was on a high for the entire gig. We also started drinking after soundcheck, so I'm sure some liquid courage played a part in it... Nonetheless, as the venue started filling up with both new and friendly faces, everything I was worried about settled. I remember opening my eyes early in the set and seeing a dense crowd of people dancing to my songs, and not wanting to close them ever again. The dancing might sound pretty ordinary, but, as a solo artist who plays sad, acoustic, folk/singer songwriter originals, you really don't get many dancers.<br><br>It felt incredible, and suddenly I found a spark that I hadn't felt in my performances for a while now. I adore performing, but I've done the same songs in the same way for a while now, and at the moment new songs are taking longer to write than that first bunch from <a contents="Sweet Decadence and Chirrup" data-link-label="Shop" data-link-type="page" href="/shop" target="_blank">Sweet Decadence <span style="color:#000000;">and</span> Chirrup</a>. So, sometimes things can feel a little bit samey. It's really important to keep growing, and that's my plan for this year.</p>
<p>Although right now I write this in COVID isolation, in 2022 I'm working to develop both my practical and theoretical knowledge of music, as well as improving my own self care. As for The Folkadelics? You can expect new music, and lots of gigs, with our next outing bringing you to The Vault, 19th Feb! <em>(Bring party hats and dancing boots, it's Elliott's birthday weekend!)</em></p>
<p>And with that, I hope you've enjoyed my first entry of 2022! Let me know in the comments below. More is coming next month about other the events and projects from 2021, so please stick around and make sure you renew your subscription every month to keep access to the blog. To stay updated on gigs, head to my <a contents="events page" data-link-label="Gigs & Events" data-link-type="page" href="/gigs-events" target="_blank">events page</a>, find me on social media, and we'll see you at the next one! X<br> </p>
<p><strong><em>Watch the livestream from The Vault (whole set) <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://fb.watch/aFg3eparzp/" target="_blank">here</a></em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Reviews from The Vault gig:</em></strong></p>
<p><a contents="Tommy Girard" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://tommygirard.wordpress.com/2021/12/08/its-own-animal-and-kiya-ashton-and-the-folkadelics-the-vault-03-12-21/?fbclid=IwAR1PjHQG-Ys3XL4TQdeq2nLYBrJHZaBM3Ov1TIRQGDG2HII9lWik1RQjwVE" target="_blank">Tommy Girard</a></p>
<p><a contents="Bailiwick Express / Barry Brehaut" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://gsy.bailiwickexpress.com/gsy/opinion/music-review-kiya-ashton-folkadelics/?fbclid=IwAR1N6Iq98LoLB27gbOFfn7JmVU099nPzt8f3bCQNGhnYAimajLUe1YJcsKU#.Yel5qC-l1-W" target="_blank">Bailiwick Express / Barry Brehaut</a></p>Kiya Ashtontag:kiyaashton.com,2005:Post/64073422020-08-11T21:37:41+01:002020-08-12T17:00:59+01:00Birdie<p><strong>The Story </strong></p>
<p>Birdie follows the story of a young blackbird, not yet a fledgling, that falls out of its nest whilst mum and dad aren’t around. This little birdie is looking around in awe of the world, hearing sounds in all their glory, literally feeling new ground. It’s magical. But, just behind the bushes, a magpie watches, it plots its next meal. Alone, young and bewildered, this little birdie is a perfect desert. </p>
<p>The perspective flips back to the voice watching over our little birdie, who still is yet to uncover the looming presence through the greenery. “Listen” the voice cries, “Oh listen there’s something in the branches” but birdie doesn’t understand this danger yet. The leaves shift and crunch and our little birdie hopes for his mother’s return through the bushes, needing the comfort of two, ironically represented by the use of the magpie rhyme, “one for sorrow, two for joy”. But little birdie, chirrup and cry for your mother, she’s nearby, though you can’t see, and she doesn’t see this danger. </p>
<p>I’m after you, curious thing. I see you there. The magpie makes its move, our little blackbird cries and yelps in confusion and fear… and then, we fly. Mother heard you, little one. </p>
<p><strong>Lyrics</strong></p>
<p>Listen, listen to the world </p>
<p>Hear heart beats pounding </p>
<p>Find why the branches are swaying </p>
<p>Chirrup, chirrup and see who responds </p>
<p>Pipe out and cry for your mother </p>
<p>Twitter but see no one flying </p>
<p>I’m after you, curious thing </p>
<p>I see you there, oh oh </p>
<p>Ayea, yada, ooh, ooooh </p>
<p>Listen, oh listen there’s something in the branches </p>
<p>Your hopes are raised, it could be your mother </p>
<p>It seems we need two for joy </p>
<p>But chirrup, oh chirrup and see who responds </p>
<p>Pipe out and cry for your mother </p>
<p>Twitter but see no one flying </p>
<p>I’m after you, curious thing </p>
<p>I see you there, oh oh </p>
<p>Ayea, yada, ooh, ooooh </p>
<p>Ayea, yada, ooooh, da da doh </p>
<p>Oooh, it’s coming </p>
<p>Ooohhh, </p>
<p>now we fly </p>
<p><strong>Chirrup, Cheer Up </strong></p>
<p>As you’ve probably guessed by now, my upcoming mini-album is named after Birdie, the title coming from the lyric “Chirrup” in the 2nd/4th repeated verses. I played with so many ideas to name this release, trying my hardest to make it stand out and still represent the music and the stories within. Some of them came out very cheesy if I’m being honest. I gave up for a while, at a loss, but was soon inspired again around the time I went into Apocalypse Studios to record. </p>
<p>I was reminded of the confusion from listeners around the lyrics “chirrup”, many people mistook it for “cheer up”. This first came to light when I was writing Birdie and bouncing ideas off of Casey-Joe, one of the wonderful performers for the launch night, but also, my guitar teacher at the time. Casey mistook the lyrics for “cheer up” and we both recognised the double meaning that now existed behind the lyric, but moved on without it affecting the rest of the song. </p>
<p>Come forward to March/April time this year (feels like a way back now) and I had decided to look at my songs for inspiration in the title, and I was reminded about the above encounter when I looked at Birdie. In the studio on a Tuesday night in early April, Mikey from Apocalypse asks me the same thing Casey had after recording the first vocal take, only this time Mikey forgets that chirrup is even a real word. After clarifying and convincing, we spoke about what the double phrase meant in relation to the song, to the album and to me. </p>
<p>To chirrup is for a bird to make short, repeated, high-pitched sounds. To reflect the lyric on a musical level, I added in a flourish on the higher strings at the end of vocal phrases, hammering on and off to create this playful bounce in pitch, reminiscent of the chirruping as well as a carefree young bird hopping about the leaves. To me, chirruping and other such noises are the product of animals’ natural instincts to draw attention and make noise when something interests them, or when they’re confused, in danger, unwell, in pain, you name it. In most social situations in the human world, making loads of noise is considered disruptive and rude, and completely unnecessary, which really is a topic all in itself on how we’re taught to stay quiet, however, we can relate this to mental health. When I was coming into my teens there were times where I struggled deeply with my mental health, and I stayed quiet to the genuine people, and made noise to the wrong people. </p>
<p>Whilst this all taught so much in the long run, I felt very lost for that period of time. It’s not that I wasn’t given the right tools or opportunities to express things and ask for help, I just couldn’t quite fit it all together in my head yet, and I eventually fell into the habit of punishing myself by investing in the wrong people, ignoring the right ones, harming myself directly, pushing myself to think about very intense, unpleasant and life threatening scenarios, then pulling myself back with the reasoning that I didn’t even deserve that attention, or that I wasn’t worth grieving over, and the cycle continued. </p>
<p>Eventually, I fell into some more of the right people, and for whatever reason I decided to trust them, learnt to open up to my friends and family, and eventually strangers, learnt to love me. Music helped me there, so much. Sweet Decadence was the first song to explicitly talk about my mental health and self hate that I felt was good enough as a piece of music. I could write my feelings out in gothic novel esc stories for years, but I couldn’t accept the story as my own experience, let alone voice it, until that song. I took a leap of faith, and here I am. </p>
<p>So, “cheer up”. Whilst I didn’t write Birdie to replicate my story, I can see some of myself in it. The back and forth story telling gives you a section of immersive natural scenery and sounds and an introduction of a dilemma, given from a narrator of sorts. Cheer up, there’s so much to be exploring and experiencing, live, it’s a beautiful life! </p>
<p>Then, the dark inner voice of the magpie, lurking. Chirrup, because, actually, you’re scared, and you feel lonely in this new view of the world, and you’re not sure you’re safe.</p>
<p>But, eventually, all is well, you’re flying and you’re free</p>
<p>All this from three words, eh? This is why I love writing lyrics. I took “chirrup”, with all this behind it, and recognised how it wrapped up the entire contents of the album, and the journey I went through in writing it all. It’s no secret that my songs come from places of passion. “Chirrup” because I am happy now, I don’t need to Cheer Up, and I have learnt to Chirrup when I sing and when I speak, and I want others to do the same.</p>Kiya Ashton