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Musings

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VIDEO: SETTLE UP

November 16, 2017 asd by samanthalong

Planning for the new EP is wrapping up & I’m so anxious to get to work on the new project.  I’ve been combing through the cuts that make it onto this record and feeling my way through the landscape of my life right now looking for some fresh perspective.

This song is one of my husband’s favorites.  I think he’s still a bit sad that it didn’t make it onto the new record.

After I was done putting together the setlist for my show last Friday, I handed it to him.  He glanced it over, handed it back and said, “you forgot ‘Settle Up.'”

So, here it is.

Enjoy.

-S.

 

Day of the Dead

October 31, 2017 asd by samanthalong

The air rife with tension. The waters muddy. The rivers dry.

We up and raise them still although the stakes be much too high.

No past can haunt a man until it first be left to die.

-S.

It’s Complicated, OK?

September 28, 2017 asd by samanthalong

My relationship with music has always been terribly complicated.  It has carried me through some of my most difficult times.  It’s also up and deserted me.

Growing up, failure was never really an option.  I still remember the feeling of coming home with my first B on a report card.  I opened it up and I was frozen in fear.  That was the longest walk home of my life and I thought that night would never end. Time isn’t so cruel as that; it did end.  But even though the time would pass, the bite of staring your fallibility in the face never really did for me.

I’ve never had a problem with arrogance.  Quite the opposite.  I’ve always been acutely aware of my faults and my shortcomings.  I try to steer clear as much as possible but… astigmatism (sorry, son).  In every way, I consider myself to be an optimist, except when it comes to myself.  With me, all manner of crash-and-burn, blockbuster-worthy disasters are possible. No, probable.

It’s not that I don’t think I’m capable.  I know I’m capable.  It’s just that the left side of my brain can’t help but focus on all the unknown variables. Sure, you’re good.  You might even be great.  Cool. So are a lot of other people.

My entire worldview is one of constraining the ego, seeing the best of myself in others and seeing the worst of others in me.  It’s been incredibly helpful in directing and centering my efforts around something meaningful.  But sometimes it’s a trap that animates my hard-won self-awareness into a sort of bully.

Fear can pervert & weaponize even the best of intentions.  Sometimes, your intentions don’t matter.  Sometimes, the only thing that matters is what they leave behind.

Today, as I sat down to write a new song, I felt it again: I was frozen.  The words were all derivative, the chords were all stale. The pages were piling up in the trash. Only this time, I did something a little different.  I faced the silence.  This mortal enemy of mine, this unwelcome void of creativity, I invited it in for a conversation and gave it a seat at my table.  I asked it why it was so quiet, where it tucked away all of the feelings that were just here a minute ago.

Today, I confronted my fear and forced it to account.   Instead of walking away and letting it off easy, I sat with the stillness.  I stood my ground.  I badgered, I blustered, I bluffed.

And out came the song. Another one that I love.  It’s called “Dreamer” and I can’t wait to share it with you.

It’s amazing what you can do with a bit of confidence. Arrogance, even?

Yeah, arrogance.  Just don’t overplay the hand.

-S.

VIDEO: Fair Warning

September 20, 2017 asd by samanthalong

I wrote this one late last year but it’s currently one of my favorites and since my show calendar has been pretty sparse, I thought I’d share it with you here.

Warning: This video contains gratuitous wine drinking. Feel free to have one with me, if you’re so inclined.

I hope you enjoy.

-S.

 

 

VIDEO: Dirty Work

August 16, 2017 asd by samanthalong

New song. I hope you like it.

-S.

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