I love how your songs and now your posts (yay!) always offer new layers to ways of thinking, or seeing, or things I have been working on articulating. I find this particular subject quite difficult, particularly the ‘knowing’ of love when it’s first seen, or that it was summoned, and agree with the narcissism of it and yet it undeniably exists, creating entirely its own culture. It’s refreshing to read an exploration of this, rather than the blind declaration of some love films, song, stories etc.
I’ve had a piece of work up my sleeve for ten years that explores fire as an analogy for love and these two sections struck most:
I had drawn something down from the ether and touched it to the earth, and on the journey, it had caught life.
The unknowable currents of the universe are powerful; we as individuals are passing conduits, struck at random by its shuddering, awesome will.
Thank you for putting your words and work out there. And always really examining things. They are incredibly influential and corroborative.
I am really loving reading your Substack posts - this one struck a particular chord with me. Your music has been the soundtrack to mine and my partners life for the last nearly 15 years. Next week I am walking down the aisle to For You 💖
My friend has also made us a banner for our wedding with lyrics from your song - precious things are hard to find. It’s such a perfect song that really does capture that intangible thing you talk about coming down from the ether. Magic ✨
I will also now be listening to the Bob Dylan and Tom Waits versions of the songs you have mentioned … I love a good cry to a great song 🙃
The song For You and specifically that line “I drew pictures of you, long before I met you” is a very special song to me because I also have a woo-woo, the universe giving me lovely-magical-“pictures”-of-my-lover kind of love story.
Thank you for sharing more about this favorite song,
Oh wow. For You is a song I sang almost every night to my belly while I was pregnant with my daughter. And when she was born I sang it to her as I rocked her. Having left a really stringent fundamentalist religious upbringing, singing “I thank a god I never met, never loved, never wanted for you” to my tiny daughter felt so healing and radical. She’s about a year and half old now and this will always be our song ❤️
Blake's "Skeleton Is Walking" utterly - and repeatedly - floored me last year. Reading this stuff is such a delight Laura - thanks so much for writing it. I'm the anti-romantic and feel a lump (not in the big hairy psychadelical beast sense) in my throat as I read it. I feel so happy for you and Gj xx
This is the stuff of life, mysterious and humbling. Thank you for sharing so eloquently your experience of the Magician and the intimate journey of Sound
I spent 25 years in the music industry. 15 years with Tower Records managing stores in the Phoenix, AZ area, and 10 years with Warner/Elektra/Atlantic records working the labels and artists. My ride ended in 2009, but in 2008 I was given a copy of “Alas, I cannot swim”. I was hooked!! I am enjoying your words, thoughts and musings here. I must say that “fortune” is such a beautiful song. My wife and I flew to San Francisco to see you at The Independent. Hearing and seeing you play live again was stunning. We saw you in Arizona when you opened for Andrew Bird and had been waiting for a chance to see you again. We are waiting with anticipation for yet another opportunity.
After reading this latest installment of your musings and your praise for Blake Mills, who was not a guitar player I was familiar with, I was inspired to hear him play. I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that YouTube is littered with good musicians making bad music, so it was as refreshing as a Vesper martini to find Blake’s Guitar Moves Interview; to hear him talk about his instrument and listen to how his fingers conjure the strings to speak. Listening to him play made me think of Ted Greene, who was stylistically quite different but whose guitar prowess expressed through his chord voicings was similarly exquisite.
I too am a fan of the Tom Waits’ version of “Somewhere.” So far from the original romantic tone and delivery of the original yet with no less of the romance.
Beautifully written. It’s so relevant to comprehend your points of view especially on love. Surely you talk about love on your songs, but this way of explanation really made clear the essences which surround life, choices, and finding something unknown out in an early time that may turn to, in most of the times, a surprisingly answer. So far, It’s been an awesome experience to know your relation with songwriting.
Thank you Laura for sharing your wonderful story through lyrics of others and your own words about the beginnings of your relationship with GJ. "For You" is a brilliant love song/story and one of my favorites. I just listened to it again. "No childish expectations, love is not the answer, but the line that marks the start." A perfect description/lesson for any healthy relationship. It's a lesson I wish I learned much earlier in life. The song is also a reminder of the Paul McCartney songs I listened to long ago.
Your lyric "I speak because I can, to anyone I trust enough to listen" is the ideal description of a photo project I have been working on since 1917. I only discovered your music in 2020/21. When I first heard this lyric, it solidified why I was so drawn to your lyrics/storytelling and artistry. Art inspiring art!
In December of 2019, I photographed a friend Amanda, telling me a story about how she met her husband. I titled the finished image "Good Vibrations" with the sub text being... How I Met My Husband; I Saw “Him” Standing There. The finished photograph is a single picture that contains 6 images to tell Amanda's story.
Looking forward to more of your storytelling, here and in your songs.
I love how your songs and now your posts (yay!) always offer new layers to ways of thinking, or seeing, or things I have been working on articulating. I find this particular subject quite difficult, particularly the ‘knowing’ of love when it’s first seen, or that it was summoned, and agree with the narcissism of it and yet it undeniably exists, creating entirely its own culture. It’s refreshing to read an exploration of this, rather than the blind declaration of some love films, song, stories etc.
I’ve had a piece of work up my sleeve for ten years that explores fire as an analogy for love and these two sections struck most:
I had drawn something down from the ether and touched it to the earth, and on the journey, it had caught life.
The unknowable currents of the universe are powerful; we as individuals are passing conduits, struck at random by its shuddering, awesome will.
Thank you for putting your words and work out there. And always really examining things. They are incredibly influential and corroborative.
Thank you, Sally
I am really loving reading your Substack posts - this one struck a particular chord with me. Your music has been the soundtrack to mine and my partners life for the last nearly 15 years. Next week I am walking down the aisle to For You 💖
My friend has also made us a banner for our wedding with lyrics from your song - precious things are hard to find. It’s such a perfect song that really does capture that intangible thing you talk about coming down from the ether. Magic ✨
I will also now be listening to the Bob Dylan and Tom Waits versions of the songs you have mentioned … I love a good cry to a great song 🙃
I’m honored! And congratulations
The only thing people think when they see me across a room is ‘How the fuck did he get back in?’
🤣
The song For You and specifically that line “I drew pictures of you, long before I met you” is a very special song to me because I also have a woo-woo, the universe giving me lovely-magical-“pictures”-of-my-lover kind of love story.
Thank you for sharing more about this favorite song,
A fellow mucky millennial manifesting magician.
Moving, fascinating, honest. Thank you!
Oh wow. For You is a song I sang almost every night to my belly while I was pregnant with my daughter. And when she was born I sang it to her as I rocked her. Having left a really stringent fundamentalist religious upbringing, singing “I thank a god I never met, never loved, never wanted for you” to my tiny daughter felt so healing and radical. She’s about a year and half old now and this will always be our song ❤️
Beautiful
Woop woop! You sneaked in the little bombshell of an album coming in the mailing list!! Can’t wait!!
Blake's "Skeleton Is Walking" utterly - and repeatedly - floored me last year. Reading this stuff is such a delight Laura - thanks so much for writing it. I'm the anti-romantic and feel a lump (not in the big hairy psychadelical beast sense) in my throat as I read it. I feel so happy for you and Gj xx
This is the stuff of life, mysterious and humbling. Thank you for sharing so eloquently your experience of the Magician and the intimate journey of Sound
I spent 25 years in the music industry. 15 years with Tower Records managing stores in the Phoenix, AZ area, and 10 years with Warner/Elektra/Atlantic records working the labels and artists. My ride ended in 2009, but in 2008 I was given a copy of “Alas, I cannot swim”. I was hooked!! I am enjoying your words, thoughts and musings here. I must say that “fortune” is such a beautiful song. My wife and I flew to San Francisco to see you at The Independent. Hearing and seeing you play live again was stunning. We saw you in Arizona when you opened for Andrew Bird and had been waiting for a chance to see you again. We are waiting with anticipation for yet another opportunity.
After reading this latest installment of your musings and your praise for Blake Mills, who was not a guitar player I was familiar with, I was inspired to hear him play. I’m sure it’s no surprise to you that YouTube is littered with good musicians making bad music, so it was as refreshing as a Vesper martini to find Blake’s Guitar Moves Interview; to hear him talk about his instrument and listen to how his fingers conjure the strings to speak. Listening to him play made me think of Ted Greene, who was stylistically quite different but whose guitar prowess expressed through his chord voicings was similarly exquisite.
I too am a fan of the Tom Waits’ version of “Somewhere.” So far from the original romantic tone and delivery of the original yet with no less of the romance.
Checked out Ted Greene - like it a lot. Reminds me of Larry Carlton, who is also a big inspiration for me
Lovely stuff.
Also a big Blake admirer. Can I ask what exactly you mean by “playing a scale in chords moving up the fretboard” ?
Will attempt to address this in the next post
Beautifully written. It’s so relevant to comprehend your points of view especially on love. Surely you talk about love on your songs, but this way of explanation really made clear the essences which surround life, choices, and finding something unknown out in an early time that may turn to, in most of the times, a surprisingly answer. So far, It’s been an awesome experience to know your relation with songwriting.
Laura I’m so grateful to have access to this substack and your thoughts. Thank you for sharing and excited to see what’s in store for the future 💫
Thank you Laura for sharing your wonderful story through lyrics of others and your own words about the beginnings of your relationship with GJ. "For You" is a brilliant love song/story and one of my favorites. I just listened to it again. "No childish expectations, love is not the answer, but the line that marks the start." A perfect description/lesson for any healthy relationship. It's a lesson I wish I learned much earlier in life. The song is also a reminder of the Paul McCartney songs I listened to long ago.
Your lyric "I speak because I can, to anyone I trust enough to listen" is the ideal description of a photo project I have been working on since 1917. I only discovered your music in 2020/21. When I first heard this lyric, it solidified why I was so drawn to your lyrics/storytelling and artistry. Art inspiring art!
In December of 2019, I photographed a friend Amanda, telling me a story about how she met her husband. I titled the finished image "Good Vibrations" with the sub text being... How I Met My Husband; I Saw “Him” Standing There. The finished photograph is a single picture that contains 6 images to tell Amanda's story.
Looking forward to more of your storytelling, here and in your songs.
I was blackout drunk on McCartney while writing that song
Beautiful, Beautiful work.