From the recording Anchor (demo)
Anchor is the new 2020 single from Kiya Ashton, written one day during lockdown to get some feelings out on paper. This version has been home recorded and mixed to release as a demo, keeping it raw and unperfected to get close to the feeling of a live performance. If this gets a good response I'll take it to the studio in the future!
The piece uses many metaphors combined with imagery of the sea to describe a relationship which became heavy to carry, just like an anchor, though not always a burden. The lyrics are poetic in their own right, and they offer a meditative atmosphere to go along with the seascape visuals.
The chorus puts across the main feelings of the song, and my main feelings about the situation. "Can you reach out further, can't you see me trying," translates simply to I need you to try as hard as I am here. Then, "if flare guns aren't enough dear, I will pull the anchor", meaning that if all I've said isn't a big enough signal of what you need to do to make this work, then I won't tether myself down here anymore with this weight, and I'll drift off to new horizons. This song was the stage before admitting I was ready to move on.
The oceanic theme touches on my folk roots and influences. I've grown up listening to many songs about sailors leaving their homes and their loves, many with tragic endings or the few which end sweetly. So to me, the sea fits so naturally with matters of the heart.