Hi folks, 

as you know, I released my new album 'The sound of the beat' on May 1st. After you've become acquainted with the songs for a few months, I feel the time is now right to talk a bit more about the album and tell you all the stories behind the songs. What are they about, when did I write them, why did I chose which arrangements, how was it to record them and so on. 
For the next twelve weeks, every tuesday, I will tell you a new story. Twelve songs, twelve stories. Sounds like fun? I sure think so. As with everything nowadays, if it doesn't have a hashtag, it doesn't exist. Since #tbt or #throwbackthursday is so 2014, it's time for #sbt or #storybeattuesday!  
So feel free to talk to me about the stories I will tell you. 

I will follow the running order of the album so first up is the album's opening track Sun's Glow. 

This song is probably the second oldest song on the album and one of the first I wrote after Wolfish Times (the album). I remember when the melody first came to me (they always come to me, I never look for them), it felt like a warm song, as in hot temperature, dust, trembling horizons. The kind of heat that precedes a fierce summer storm. Not long after the basic melody, the first verses began to form in my mind. The song is clearly about the sun and the glow, the warmth it produces. Although I wink at the little nursery rhyme 'Rosed are red, violets are blue' in the beginning, the song really isn't about love or children, but about almighty nature instead.
To feel the  comfortable heat of the sun's glow on your skin, is universally perceived as one of the nicest feelings in the world. The same goes for the soft and warm wetness of summer rain. Without it there would not be life, there would not be growth, there would not be oxygen (you know, fotosynthesis and all...) 
The old man grins of course because he knows rain is finally coming after the drought. 
Sun's glow is as much a song about comfortable warmth as it is a song about devastating heat. The song reflects on living in sync with the elements. 
For that kind of lyric, it was clear from the start that I would want to try to create the atmosphere of scorching heat and an imminent storm rising in late afternoon.... For me, the seventies kind of intro, with the little, almost hesitating and timid bassnotes and the organ, help to paint that picture. Also the picking banjo and the lazy drum by Eric add to that kind of southern summer feeling. The storm rolls in towards the end of the second chorus... (I feel the storm a-rising...) and with the solo, a wonderful repetitive and haunting melody played by Alex Brackx, the rain is coming down hard.... 
The end of the song is also the end of the storm...just a small drizzle still falling from the sky, that's starting to clear up.... The last few raindrops before the song fades. 

Comments? Use the hashtag #sbt or #storybeattuesday. Let me hear it ;)

Coming up next tuesday: On the road! 


Listen to Sun's glow on Soundcloud
Read the lyrics here

Credits Sun's glow
Marjan Debaene: Lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, hammond, percussion
Alex Brackx: Electric guitar, banjo
Bert Embrechts: Bass guitar
Eric Bosteels: Drums

HEY EVERYBODY, 

I'VE STARTED A NEW CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN ON WORLD OF CROWDFUNDING :
HTTP://WORLDOFCROWDFUNDING.COM/SUPPORT-MARJAN-DEBAENE-MAKING-SOUND-BEAT-NEW-ALBUM

A FEW YEARS AGO HOWEVER, I STARTED A FIRST CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN ON AKASTARTER.COM. UNFORTUNATELY, WE AIMED TOO HIGH AND DIDN'T REACH THE BUDGET (10000 €) IN TIME FOR THE DEADLINE OF THE PROJECT TO ARRIVE. WE ONLY REACHED 1230 €. 
CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE, AKASTARTER DOES NOT GIVE THE RAISED MONEY TO THE ARTIST IF THE AIM IS NOT REACHED. WHICH MEANS, I DID NOT RECEIVE THE 1230 €. I RECEIVED 0 €. THOSE WERE THE RULES AND I KNEW THAT FROM THE START. I CANNOT ENTER MY PROJECT PAGE AT AKASTARTER ANYMORE, THAT HAS BEEN CLOSED OF FROM THE MOMENT THE DEADLINE WAS REACHED AND THE PROJECT FAILED. 

THEREFORE I CAN NOT SEE WHO SPONSORED AND CONTACT THE SPONSORS WITH THE MESSAGE THAT THEY CAN - ACTUALLY HAVE TO - GET THEIR MONEY BACK BY LOGGING IN ON AKASTARTER AND CHOOSING A REFUND (NORMALLY THEY CAN SEE WHICH PROJECTS THEY SPONSORED AND THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT, WHICH IN MY CASE WILL READ 'FAILED'.) WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE MONEY WILL BE BACK ON YOUR BANK ACCOUNT - THIS IS LEGIT, FRIENDS OF MINE HAVE DONE THIS. YOU WILL GET YOUR MONEY BACK. 

RECENTLY, I HAVE RECEIVED NOTICE FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT THINK THAT THEY ALREADY SPONSORED THE RECORDING OF THE ALBUM ON AKASTARTER, SO THEY DO NOT NEED TO SPONSOR THIS NEW CAMPAIGN. THEY HAVE NOT YET REQUESTED A REFUND FROM AKASTARTER. TO THEM I SAY, 

PLEASE GET YOUR MONEY BACK FROM AKASTARTER!! 
IT'S NOT DOING ANY ARTIST  (ESPECIALLY ME) ANY GOOD JUST SITTING ON THE BANK ACCOUNT OF AKASTARTER. ONCE YOU GET IT BACK, I WOULD SUGGEST YOU INVEST IT IN MY NEW CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN, BUT THAT IS OF COURSE ENTIRELY UP TO YOU .... :-)

THIS NEW CAMPAIGN IS MORE REALISTIC BY THE WAY. I HAVE FUNDED THE ALBUM FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE COST  MYSELF (AND RECORDED EVERYTHING ALREADY) AND AM NOW LOOKING FOR SOME SUPPORT FROM FANS AND FRIENDS WHO CAN BUY THE ALBUM AND/OR TICKETS FOR THE CD RELEASE CONCERTS BEFOREHAND, SO I CAN FINISH THE MIXING AND PRODUCTION OF THE RECORD. 
YOU CAN ALSO ORDER A LIVINGROOM OR SMALL CLUB CONCERT (SO FOR THE CLUBS AND BARS OUT THERE, THIS IS A VALID OPTION, I WILL COME AND PLAY FOR YOU IF YOUR SPONSOR THE RECORDING).

AND THE BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE WITH THE OLD CAMPAIGN IS THAT WORLD OF CROWDFUNDING GIVES THE ARTIST WHATEVER AMOUNT OF MONEY IS RAISED AT THE END OF THE PROJECT, REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT YOU REACHED YOUR GOAL OR NOT. WHICH IS GREAT! SO EVEN IF WE RAISE ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF OUR GOAL, IT WILL HELP US TO FINISH THE RECORD FASTER!


CHECK IT OUT AT THIS PAGE!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED ALREADY. THIS MEANS THE WORLD TO ME. 

X
M.

I'm done. I have decided that I'm done. 
I have been writing new songs ever since my previous album was released, way back when in 2006. That's almost 7 years ago. You would think that would give me enough material to make a ten cd - box full of music. But you see, I'm not a bulk writer. I don't write hundreds of songs every year. I don't strive to reach a certain number of creative produce. I'm the kind of writer that waits patiently for the muse. And the muse comes and goes. 
Sometimes she's here for a couple of weeks and other times she's up and left me for months. So I only write when she's here. No point in trying when she's not, cause everything I write then is absolute crap. But when she's here I really have to listen to her voice inside of me. She makes me do things. It's when she's here that I write the deepest of lyrics in a matter of minutes. It's when she's here that I can finally get my words to come out right. When she's here, she fills my head with clear melodies in stead of the thousands of undefined sounds and notes that occupy my head at times. When she's here, they become clear, defined, obvious. It's when she's here that I pick up my guitar, or my accordeon, my mandolin or I go and sit at the piano. And I write. 

This week I have summed up all of the songs I have written the past seven years and I have come to the conclusion that I'm done. I have reached the state of satisfaction that I've been searching for. I was writing for my next album and I've have been putting off recording it for a while because of various reasons (time, money as I said in the previous blogpost), but also - and probably most importantly - because I didn't feel like I was done writing. I felt like I had more things to say, more melodies to sing. 
And now, after careful consideration, I have decided that I'm done. I'm happy with the songs I kept after I put them all to the test. I feel like I will be able to record an album that is consistent and that feels complete. 
So I'm done. All the other melodies that are  still floating around in my brain but that aren't very clear yet, will have to wait. I will write them later. Because for now, I have all the music I need. I'm done. 

Now let's start making some plans to record the little motherf****ers:))

Mostly, when I see a YouTube video that I like or an article that I love, I link to it in a Tweet. 140 characters or less to tell my followers to check it out, because it's worth it. At least, nowadays it works that way. A few years ago I would have shared most of that stuff on my blog or on my Myspacepage (may it rest in peace). 

To all my Myspace-contacts, 

after six (or seven?) years on Myspace, 50.000 profile view, 25.000 song plays and 2500 friends (give or take), I am calling it quits. 
I've enjoyed the time here but I've found other networking sites that suit me better while I prepare for my new record 'The Sound of the Beat'. I hope you will follow me there, so I can keep you posted on the recording of the new album.
 
I am deleting this account on September 1st.
Please join me on
Twitter: www.twitter.com/marjandebaene
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarjanDebaeneOfficial
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/debaene-marjan


Or go to my website: 
www.marjandebaene.com and subscribe to the Marjan Debaene Newsletter there

Hope to see you soon!
thanks,

Marjan Debaene

Byebye old blog at http://marjandebaene.blogspot.com
hello new blog.

Here you will be able to follow all progress - if any made - on the new album from Marjan's point of view. Should be very interesting. At times.
Wait for it...

md

*every day feels like Tuesday when you're in the south of France ;)

On the road - #sbt

Another Tuesday, another story, written to you from the poolside in sunny south of France. Sorry, not sorry ;)

I always think of On the road as the little upbeat sunny happy lovesong on the record, although the lyric isn't really that sunny. The song is basically about being away from your loveliest for too long and too often. It's an apology as well as a promise to do better. 

For years it was a solosong, just me on guitar until Alex and I started playing it together in our liveset. Alex played bass to it and when I recorded the demo at home I kept the idea of a dominant bassline. Also, I added a banjo sample, one of those readymade recordings every home recording program features. But it did fit the song perfectly.

 Both ideas remained when we rehearsed the song before recording it in the studio for the album. Bert, however, changed the bassline from a simple straight line to the almost African-style bassline it is today, played on fretless bass, which always reminds me of the Graceland album by Paul Simon. Erics drum feels like a sample but really is a live groove all the way to the end of the song.

In the mix, Ward Neirynck singled out the bassdrum a little and added some effects. Alex mimicked the banjosample with his own banjo and in turn we sampled his recording again. The result is the happy, upbeat but still small little lovesong you hear today. 

Next week a new story ! 

Listen here:

https://soundcloud.com/debaene-marjan/02-marjan-debaene-on-the-road

Lyrics here: http://www.marjandebaene.com/on-the-road.html

Credits 

Marjan Debaene: lead vocals, acoustic guitars

Alex Brackx: banjo

Bert Embrechts: fretless bass

Eric Bosteels: drums