For years I made pop music. most of it a bit dodgy but it made money for me. I also spent a lot of time being in bands. That was fun too. But I never liked the names. I also spent some time doing music for adverts and didn't like much about that, except the pay off for sucking Satan's xxxx. So then I made a choice. No more shit. Why don�t I just do music that I like?
I grew my hair long and joined another band with a dodgy name and discovered a new world of festivals and freedom. Then I met Mr Catto. He was going through the same thing. Being a musician should be about making beautiful music not just doing a good job. Then I turned 40 and we met Chris Blackwell. Now there was a result. He liked what we were doing and gave us the keys to the gate. So off we went! Now it was up to us to come up with the goods. I think we did too. 1 Giant Leap was born. The first band I've ever been in that I really liked the name (good start). Now we've finished the second one and been through all the struggles that that entailed and we're on to the next stage.
My current fascination is with the concept of Surrender. I'm listening to Esbjorn Svensson and mourning his tragic loss which I can't quite believe. I LOVE his musicwww.est-music.com ... Also still digging 8 Storeys by Dave Randall. If you haven�t got it in your iPod yet you're missing a trick. Get it from out website www.spaciousmusic.com. and get The Happening at the same time. It�s an album improvised in three days and then we mixed and edited it and added some salt and pepper.. Its lovely stuff... kind of a prequel to 1 Giant Leap.
13/10/08
So I'm off. Time to disconnect for a bit. The last 5 years has finally found a conclusion. The DVD is done the Album is mixed and mastered, the TV show is being shown and I'm thinking about the future. I did a week long juice fast a few weeks ago and found the space of disconnect. Oh my God it felt good. I wasn't thinking about deadlines, or story lines or Jamie Catto or anything. My phone was off, email was out of the question and I just sat in the garden watching the birds flying high above me and felt beautifully at peace. Not sure how long it's been since I felt so at peace. I decided
I need much more of this.
In the meantime though opportunities keep flying my way. The latest is a trip to Columbia to meet with Kogi Elders and drink medicine and write and record music with them. They call themselves the Elder brother and we are the younger brother and they feel we may have forgotten how to live in unity with our planet. I'm going to ask them some questions. Ben our cameraman is coming with me as is Matthew Barley who is incredible. He plays cello like you're in Heaven. We're being led there by our friend Ya'acov Darling Khan, a Shaman and movement teacher. We'll be there for ten days. I'll keep you posted...
Check this documentary about the Kogi. Its very inspiring
We've got a big stand at Mind Body and Spirit in London but as I'm in Columbia and Jamie's in Spain we wont be able to attend. So we're doing a Q&A after the screening there on iChat. . Very exciting. Like being in the future or something. Hope it works. Hope the internet connection in Columbia is fast enough...
After Columbia I fly to New Zealand and Australia to do promotion for What About Me?. It�s being released down there and there's rumours that it'll be on ABC2 too... very exciting... check out the news section for complete listings
Then the disconnect. Two weeks in Thailand @ the incredible spa/retreat The Sanctuary on Koh Phangan. They show the first movie there a lot and now I'm taking the new one with me and we'll do a screening (or two) and Michael has invited me to hang for a bit. Yes please.
Then to Goa for Christmas and full disconnect. I'll have my guitar and my little studio of course. Time to write some mew musical prayers. My favourite bit. Sitting around strumming my guitar and waiting for something nice to appear :)
Oh yes, Have you seen Zeitgeist? Amazing film. Big stories told very well. Anyway whether you believe it or not watch the new Zeitgeist addendum. Its VERY cool (too long though) but the first 20 minutes is amazing. Especially with what's going on in the financial world...
watch it here
More soon...