Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly - an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.
𝙄 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪 - 𝙀𝙙 𝙀𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙚
Charles is Ed’s brother from another mother…
We are all born much the same. A cute, squidgy blob that dribbles. As time goes by, some of us change little. But for most of us, we all end up different. What makes you, YOU? Now, I’m not talking about your preferred hairstyle or your penchant for baggy flares, but something less tangible. Our being. The way we do things. Our voice, our manner, our gestures. Was it all picked up at school? Was it an obsession with a character from a Netflix production? Maybe you’re NOT so different and you prefer to blend in with the crowd… Even if so, you will still be different. To figure this out, one has to go back to the start. We are all born much the same. A cute, squidgy… Yes yes yes, we’ve done this. The point is, we were born. We were not manufactured on a production line. We were born as the eventual outcome of a couple’s canoodling. Eurghh! I don’t want to even think about it. Despite the severing of the cord, there is (almost) always the strongest connection between blob and makers. Not only is said blob born, but so too is a family. The messy young blighter embiggens the household by one. For many years, this wriggly thing knows nothing outside parent one and parent two. These two “carers” ARE the world of this wispy-haired giggler. And so it is only natural that over time it should start to take on characteristics and maybe even sentiments of its elders.
These three may not always be the best of friends. One might storm out, never to return. When the child reaches the teenage years, it will probably get all “teenage” and hate everyone and everything. There might be the most horrific arguments and tantrums, becoming so normal that you don’t even think of it. But then again, everything might just be fine and dandy from beginning to end. And it is that “end” about which I will speak. The end is not something we can alter. It is not something we can choose. All people will eventually fade away. This might be a sad thought to ponder, but I might be able to bring light into this shadow. Our makers will eventually rise to heaven, or maybe they have already done so. Despite having had quite literally a lifetime with them, as they migrate to a different place, we naturally wipe out any negative times from our memories. We concentrate on the good. This goes for life in general too. We look back on the “good old days”. The endless summers. The smiles, the laughs, the good times. But usually there are two remaining twinges. That you hadn’t spent more time with them, and that they aren’t still around to see what you have since accomplished. Your accomplishments might be in the form of making money and being successful. Ha! It might be what you have created in art. Or, it might be another form of creation entirely: your very own squidgy blob. You very own teenager to hate your guts. How fond.
I am personally very fortunate in still having both my makers around to moan about the modern world and reminisce about the “good old days”. As I grow less young, I feel closer to them than ever. We are more like best friends. And I never want that to end. I think the best thing is to not consciously think about it, but to be aware of it in the back of one’s mind. This way, you will be aware of time passing, but will not be confronted with a ticking clock.
Advice: Don’t wait for God’s impatient watch-tapping, to realise the love you have for your parents. Like it or not, you are them. Or they are you. You are the Eggman. They are the Eggmen. I am the Walrus. Goo goo g’joob. What could possibly follow these wisest of words…?
The one thing we will ALL think at some point in our lives, is: “If only mama and papa could be around to see all this”. So make the most of them while you still can. For some though, this thought is all too current. Their elders have already flown through the wide open pearly gates. They may not be here in physicality, but they are all too present in thought and memory. The New Artist Spotlight founder, Ed Eagle, is halfway to being one of these people. He lost one, and the other he has not seen for years, due to the pandemic. But really, he keeps them both close by, at all times. Left chest pocket. Easy access. I mean, neither are/were tiny little people, but my point is, he keeps them close to his heart.
Most people might find it hard to talk about the departing and distance of said folk, but luckily for us, Ed is an artist. He is able to express his thoughts and feelings through song. Simply, yet effectively. And most importantly: believably. Ed’s latest single, I Miss You was released on Friday - within the same week as his mother’s birthday and Father's Day. This in itself is a beautiful gesture. A nice addition to this sentiment was that I delivered the mix to him on Mother’s Day. I was fortunate enough to be chosen to mix the track, but I won’t be dwelling on that. This is about Ed and his family. The song was written after 3 consecutive dreams about his father. I gather this was not a common occurrence. Ed took it as a sign, when art thrust its wand and made magic happen. The whole song came to him at once. It is very much an ode of love to his parents. I Miss You is very personal - obviously - and he wanted to “keep it in the family”. Rather than playing and singing all the parts himself (although still managing the majority), he relied mainly on a chap and a chapess. The chap is Jeff, his brother in law - otherwise known as J.H.M. - who played the piano. The chapess is his young daughter, Cora, who sings full harmonies with Ed on the chorus. Everything is cosy. The eventual sound is like the whole family swaying in unison in the old country barn. Including the parents in the background, proud of their son. I Miss You not only shows Ed’s fondness for his parents, but also takes us back to his childhood, and shows us that he truly loved those days as a boy, and that he would simply love to re-live it all.
I said I wouldn’t be dwelling on my mixing, but one thing I was aware of was the pressure of getting this right. A good pressure. I am from a different family. I didn’t want to get this wrong. Something personal is always more special and more important to the artist. I had to be careful with what to fix and what to leave alone. What to enhance and what to soften. Musical judgement is always key with mixing, but this time it was more than just sound. I had to create the feeling in Ed’s head. I gather I did so. Phew!
After the dream-like bridge (reminiscing on the dreams that gave the song life…?), we step up from what is ultimately a fleshed-out acoustic song, and into an altogether more heavy, vibrant sound. It is as if the clouds have gone their separate ways, leaving us nothing but thick golden sunshine. Basking in the heavenly glow, Ed’s parents smile with approval and pride from on high: “That’s our son!”
Ach. Funny how words can make you tearful…
So what made Ed, ED? I blame the parents.
Listen to 𝙄 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!
Listen to 𝙄 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!
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