Dear friends, I present to you the closing chapter for the Tangled era; My Own Shoes, a collection of the singles I've released since 2021, when I first began making music for myself and by myself as Tangled.  An end in a way - but also a beginning (see the end of this post to find out why!). 

You can find My Own Shoes on streaming services … here is a link to Spotify but it's on all the usual suspects as well as Bandcamp.  

I didn't set out to write and record an album.  This is the product of an organic process of writing songs, recording them and then - for want of anything better to do with them - publishing them.  If I had thought about it I would never have imaged that I'd do it without anyone's assistance.  But that is what I did.  I wrote, performed, mixed, mastered and released 11 songs* - enough content for an album.  Every little piece of what had to be done to turn an idea into a finished product and get these songs out into the world was done by me, alone.  I taught myself as I went.  I did the album art, I made the videos.  I learned how to programme drums and write bass lines.  I did it all with my hands (and no AI :)).  I'm pretty proud of that.   

Why have I done this?

It's a little bit of a line-drawing exercise and marks a change of musical direction and approach for me, to go along with my change of performer name.  Wrapping up what was done as Tangled into a package - to make way for what comes next.  Two things really.   I have after a long time learned how to trust again in collaboration (thanks in no small part to those listed below) after a previously not so great experience.  Plus I want to stretch my wings.  Doing everything alone, while very satisfying, is inherently limiting.  I cannot, alone, produce the guitar solo I hear in my head - or that tom groove I KNOW has to go with song so that it can be the best version of itself.  So alone, I make the version that I can make - which sometimes isn't what I actually wanted.  

So - the next thing I am going to do is make an album that is exactly what I want, not just what I can.  Or at least, an EP.  I will be working with the supremely talented Mr Nathan Gaunt to do that.

Although I've said I did it alone, I didn't do it without support.  Some of you may not have even realised how much your support meant.  So, even though I've not won an Oscar, here is my list of thank you's.

Duncan.  For believing in me and telling me you did.  Before you said anything to me, I honestly didn't think anyone else would be the least bit interested in what I was making.  To have someone I respect as a person, a player and a connoisseur of music in general say that they liked my tunes and provide the encouragement you did, meant so much.  I think my foray into original music would probably have ended without you.  Thanks matey, I owe you big time.

Ivan.  Having you travel from a place of not being keen on original music - and definitely not mine!  to saying to me that you genuinely appreciated and liked what I'd made - that made a difference.  Now you know words matter … and I know that the parts between and around the words are just as important to a song.  Win, win for both of us in our musical growth.  Thank you.

Bod.  Always honest and kind, my musical litmus tester.  Thank you for being there, my friend.  You are such a talented person.  One day we will get on a stage together again, I promise.

Patrick G.  Having someone I met through music and an accomplished musician in your own right - appreciate my stuff (i.e not just because you were a friend or family member and had to be kind!) was a new thing for me.  You have always been so kind and supportive - and full of really insightful suggestions about mixes and arrangements when I was very green and learning the ropes.  Thanks buddy.  So glad our paths crossed all that long time ago. 

The crew. I have been beyond lucky to be surrounded by a bunch of people who are just always there for me - and it, whatever I do, all the time.  You lot are a gift.  To my posse (Edgar and Denise), my Ceduna family (all of you lot, you know who you are), to Shon and my Aquino family - thank you.

I hope you enjoy these little stories I made and let loose into the world.  And please stay tuned for what's next, I'll keep you posted.  I'm really excited to see what comes of it.

___

*Apart from Beautiful Sweet, of course which is a collaboration with the awesome and talented Meg Travers.

Songwriters?  Does this happen to you?  

It's a heap of fun writing and recording .. particular when you're doing it in the company of good people - like this dude in the picture with me >>.  It's like this little bubble of happy, creative time.  I thrive on it, I could do it all day every day.  It's the actual thing, right - this is what it's actually about.  Music.  You don't want it to end, because of that - but also because then the rest of it needs to happen.

What's the rest of it?  So glad you asked.

Well once you've done the musical part of making music, there is a shit ton of other stuff that has to be done to get it to the point of being out there in the world.  Artwork, videos, release admin, shameless self promotion (SSP) in the form of social media blergh. Designing posters and merch.  Trying to take selfies with your iphone that are not horrific. See this post for my boomer adventures in selfies and I'm not even a boomer.  And then you launch it.  Aiiiee.  Band and venue logistics.  Ticket sales.  Do they let cats and infants in to make up numbers?

So you really need to knuckle down and concentrate on that stuff.  Get on with it.  RING the venue Tanya.  BOOK THE BOYS IN, THEY WILL ALL BE TOO BUSY IF YOU LEAVE IT TOO LONG!!

But no.  Another song has arrived and is living rent free in my head.  Banging off the insides of my skull while I try to sleep.  And I have to write it.  It won't let me alone. This is how it always is with songs, for me.  However right now it's ABSOLUTELY INCONVENIENT.  I am supposed to be FINISHING things not STARTING them.  Sigh,

Is it just me?  I think it's a good song though.  Let's see.