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SONG WRITING

FROM BOWLER HAT TO STETSON

Bill and I live in St Helens: a small town about fourteen miles east of Liverpool, England. We’ve written, played and recorded many different kinds of music, but our first love has always been country. From hearing Hank Thompson’s “Blackboard of my heart” along with all of the Hank Williams songs, to Vince Gill and Ricky Scaggs and many others – we were hooked! In fact there’s quite a sizeable Country music following in the UK, as there is for Blues, Jazz and Bluegrass. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the CD buying public favour Pop, Slop and White Noise! (Calm down, calm down) of course people are perfectly entitled to listen to whatever kind of music they like – I just don’t want to have my brain and ears removed to be able to tolerate it!
Do you know – I feel so much better now. Back to the plot!
I’m sure that many, many Americans don’t realise the influence that America and things American, has had on our lives here in the UK. Particularly the music, let me explain: A few years ago my wife and I enjoyed a wonderful holiday in Texas and Louisiana, touring. We heard some great music and met some lovely people. But perhaps more importantly, from a songwriter’s point of view, I saw and heard many things that tied in with lots of the terms and lyrics previously heard in my youth in so many Country songs. For example, one time in Pecos- I heard in the distance a train whistle. Nothing special about that you may think. But coming from the UK, where trains don’t whistle they cough, it evoked memories of all those Country songs, which refer to “lonesome whistles” blowing, it reaffirmed the fact that Country music (the best country music) is true. It’s real. It has heart.
We stopped at many diners and motels: saw lots of hats and exquisitely tooled boots, enjoyed a real margarita, drank an ice cold Corona from the bottle – I could go on and on. All of the above and much more, were so exciting to see, taste, hear and experience as being real, alive and well, living in America!
So I think you can see why we’ve been inspired and influenced by America particularly American music. The names of the various cities and states mentioned in some of our songs evoke memories of our road trips and hopefully paint pictures for others.
We are very interested in the lyrical content of songs and so the richness of our common language coupled with country music idioms gives up plenty of scope. To you Americans, names like North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and many others are probably quite prosaic. Where as to our ears they are the very essence of enchantment. Also when we think of the superb lyrics of the great rock and roll and country poets: Chuck Berry and Hank Williams, what beautiful imagery. If I could ever write a line like the “silence of a falling star” I’m sure I would feel that I had qualified for the country music Hall of Fame!
As far as the actual writing and recording goes, Bill and I have a very open arrangement. If Bill gets the initial “idea” then he has the final say and pilots the ship so to speak. If I come up with the spark, it’s the same deal with me at the helm. The whole creative process always fascinates us. We still get excited when we see the song coming together. When it stops being so much fun, then I think we’ll just pull up sticks, amble west and live the dream for real.

Garry

Kansas City Lights is just one of our songs that was written with the USA in mind. Both Garry and myself have a strong interest in country music. Let em roll is just one of our songs that was written by us and produced with the help of Pete Gillman We have enjoyed the works of various American artists for many years, Vince Gill, Rickie Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Rodney Crowell and many more, for their guitar and songwriting styles. We have always tried to use words to paint pictures coupled with a strong melody in our work.

Some of our songs:
All night long is a song for anyone who is separated even for a short while from the love of their life. Reference is made to many areas in the US and their associated themes.

In contrast Dolly Daydream is an incredibly beautiful song the lyrics goes straight to the heart. and echo’s the feelings of all parents and grandparents.

Man with no name is story in song form that relates to many a successful man who has made his way to the top by any means at his disposal only to find that it is lonely on the way down, the words are relevant to all mankind, in that sooner or later we reap what we sow.

"Don't the city look good in the rear-view" one of Garry’s more poignant lines in “It Your Move”, showing how it looks like we have lost the plot, if we think that hi-tech business is a good lifestyle and it just could be a case of us serving technology not the other way about.

Bill