#hailey beavis

Tape on the Reel [Among Horses IV, track 2]

Tape on the Reel crept up to us on the first day. The guitar part bubbled up and I played it to Hailey Beavis. She pressed me for what it meant, what I was feeling in the music. We had an extended (and hilarious) conversation about many things, and the next day she came back with the most beautiful lyrics. I truly felt like she had understood me on the deepest level, and written in what sounded like my own voice. Very special. We then tinkered with the lyrics until it felt complete. “All of this time turns to tape on the reel Trying to make sense of the things that I feel The moon will still be there, with or without me To stand underneath it and speak of its beauty Give to me burdens and give to me rest Life brings me both and I bring my best I will come weary with strength of my own To walk beside others on our way home Look under the bonnet and inside the case Call down the prophet, look into her face Wrestle the question and let it all go Dig in the dirt for what I already own”

OK Pal presents Now Prancer! (2022)

OK PalBuy: Bandcamp I’ve been waiting on this one with bated breath ever since Christmas Underground favorite Virgin of the Birds hipped me to its existence. Scotland’s OK Pal Records is taking a stab at their first holiday compilation with Now Prancer!, compiling their roster of Scottish artists alongside far-flung friends, with 50% of the proceeds going to charity. The quality of this…

The Key [Among Horses IV, track 5]

Less Lost [Among Horses IV, track 3]

I had a lot of fun playing with these lyrics, chasing a sentiment initially laid out by Hailey Beavis in some of our chats and her pages of writing. We spent plenty of time singing the chorus that week, polishing the timing and melody as we went. It was a lot of fun. My personal highlight was during recording when a bag of cornflakes became a percussive instrument. Yes, it ended up all over the floor. “The ties of the city loosen on leaving Something that’s wild calls out in our breathing The rush of the river rounding the bend races my heart No more time to pretend

Together we’re getting less lost as we go If we walk ‘til tomorrow we’ll find our way home The sun drinks the mist away from the trees Difference dissipates from you and me Our bodies lie closer in a soft crush Two fresh coffees in two tin cups

Together we’re getting less lost as we go If we walk ‘til tomorrow we’ll find our way home Again and again we will learn to be kind This pretty much happens to us every time I’m on a high and you’re going low Somehow, someway, we converge as we go Now you’re heading up and I’m coming ‘round The peak doesn’t look so impossible now Together we’re getting less lost as we go If we walk ‘til tomorrow we’ll find our way home Again and again we will learn to be kind This pretty much happens to us every time”

Forget It [Among Horses IV, track 4]

On the last morning of writing I overheard Hailey Beavis sitting on the porch outside my room, playing the guitar part. Something in it clicked with me, and an hour later the song was written. The most special memory in this song for me is the tiny, thousand-year-old chapel where we recorded it, just over on the neighbour’s property. It was mind-blowing to record a day-old song about wishing to forget the hard truths of life, while standing inside a structure that has survived so much. It was a very memorable day.

“I don’t really want to do this anymore And I don’t really blame you for it at all I wish I could forget it

I don’t really know why you said those words And looking in from this side it’s still absurd I wish I could forget it

I know that we promised to co-exist But I know what I need now and it isn’t this I wish I could forget it”

Talk to Me [Among Horses IV, track 1]

To me this song feels like a pure balance of Hailey Beavis and I. It really feels like a weaving together of light and dark, delicate and deep. I think of this song as a wise friend, someone who would sit with you for a doctor’s appointment. The kind of friend who isn’t afraid to be with you through the changing terrain of life. “No-one trembles here but me Embroidered are the many memories I hear your voice but your face I cannot see We chose a path so complex Both foolish and amazing to the rest I wanna talk, I want you to talk to me My heart beats inside the dial-tone In the void I build for us a home I dream of you, with the sun you melt like snow Your eyes open as I close the day So many things I wait to say I wanna talk, I want you to talk to me After the last curtain call Will we feel like we have said it all? I’ll just wanna talk and want you to talk to me”