Behind the Record: Reach into your Soul (2021)


After submitting my first EP to the distributor, I soon began thinking of a concept for my first LP, this time round featuring a mix of reproduced old demos and new songs. Evolved during a period of self-reflection, I think the end result is an almost intimate, but certainly an honest representation of where I was then.


The context: With the release date for Lockdown EP still ahead, I have already started working on material for an LP, starting with the complete reproduction of "Another day", which I originally wrote and recorded as a demo in 2005. As it became popular among my friends at the time, it would have been the opening and title song for the new album, however due to delays to the production of new material, it later went on to be released as a single in May 2021, with a reworked version of the 2015 demo "Sway" as a B-side. Soon afterwards, I have resumed writing and producing new songs, again, largely building from voice memos, although in several instances, songs developed from a single jam session.

 

Artwork: I drew it myself using my phone and a stylus! It's me with my first electric guitar, a 2004 Squier Stratocaster and my t.bone SCT700 condenser mic (and a double cuff white shirt haha). Digital drawing has been a passion of mine for a number of years now, although I must admit creating the animations for "Reach into your Soul" and "Ain't No Queen" that can be seen as a canvas on Spotify was a challenge!

 

The songs: One of the last songs I have produced for the album, "Tomorrow I'll Find", is actually a rework of a demo I recorded in 2012, then featuring only an acoustic guitar and vocals in a different key and with slightly different chord progression. It was also much, much slower. This time, I was working on a song that started off with a powerful riff and as the song developed, I realised the chord progression was very similar to what I laid down in the the demo in 2012, so I have tried applying the lyrics and melody and boom! There we were! The song itself was originally written in a state of anxiety, and is about the things I tried to hold onto then; namely that whatever happens, you can never lose your heart and yourself and that tomorrow will come.

 

"Morning Sunshine" was originally written on Christmas Day 2013 and released on New Year's Day 2014. That time I was still working in a hotel and as we had to stay in due to the lack of transport and long shifts around Christmas, I took my guitar with me into work. If memory serves well it took around half an hour to write the song in Room 154, I should still have the very first recording of the song I made on the day soon afterwards. To day, I still consider this song to be one of my best and most upbeat ones so far. The album features a remixed version of the original demo, with only the drums changed and backing vocals added during the solo.

 

The melody and chord progression of "How Could I" came to me as I woke up in the middle of the night in November 2020. The final version also features a harmonica, although only a few notes. The song itself is about the loss of my father a month earlier.

 

"The Tale of Mary" and "Echo" are re-recodings of two of my older songs, that date back to the winters of 2007 and 2008. "The Tale of Mary" was originally titled "Addiction" due to references in the lyrics and was esteemed and often played in rehearsals and gigs with my bandmates at the time - it is because of their suggestion I decided to re-record it for the album. The original recordings of both songs were slower and the new versions feature extra guitar solos.

 

"Soak Up the Sun" evolved from a Sunday morning jam session. As for the lyrics? It is a typical summer song after all, what more could I say?

 

"Ain't No Queen" is actually the very first song I remember writing somewhere around 2003-2004, although then it featured different lyrics. The orgininal title was "Broken American Dream" but it's probably for the best I no longer remember how it went! There is a recording of it somewhere on a CD as we would have recorded it with my childhood friend Peter, but believe me when I say this, it wasn't anywhere near this version. The song is about that type of girl who is just pulling your leg but doesn't like to put their money where mouth is, and girls: boys don't like that!

 

"Kertem Aljában" was one of the few instances where the lyrics preceded instrumentals. It is a Hungarian folk song I wrote as a bounus track for the album, featuring a poem for Easter (for those of you familiar with Hungarian Easter traditions) and I am proud to say it only took two takes to record the song (not that it is awfully difficult).


Reach into your Soul - Release date: 2nd July 2021. 13 songs, 43 min 59 sec.

▶️Listen here 







Bonus:

▶️ Tomorrow I’ll Find (demo, 2012)

▶️ Addiction (demo, 2007)

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