Song and a Chat

Episode #102:   Lead The Way      (Song starts at 3:40) This week’s featured song, Lead The Way, is song #693. There wasn’t a day where I decided I was going to write so many songs. I just committed to composing because I love it. There’s a line in the song that sort of sums it up: ‘Like a story that’s been written by an artists loving hand’. While the song comes through me, it comes f...

Episode #101:  Thin Air      (Song starts at 4.18) Welcome to a bit of chat and some music. As usual I’m sitting at the piano, hands on the keys, at the ready to accompany myself as I talk about whatever comes to mind. I imagine it’s a bit like playing piano along to a silent movie like they used to… or perhaps like adding music to a movie. It’s really good fun. Fun seems t...

Episode #100: Stop     ( Song stars at 7:19) Hi there  and …( cue fanfare ) welcome to episode #100! Thank you for coming along with me on this journey. If it’s your first time here, you can just leap straight in – the episodes are not sequential. Although if you were to listen back, you’d see that there’s been a series of changes as I’ve gone along. It’s...

Episode #99:   Family Photo  (song starts at 2:37) When I went to record this episode, I actually had another song in mind as went into my studio. But then my hands opened up the book on song #622.. Family Photo.  This then lead on to my recording a version of this song, for the 2nd time, as part of the episode. Hey, it keeps it interesting, trying different things.  I touched on this in the last...

Episode #98:  This Story (Golden Times)   (Song starts at 5:14) Hi there, I see this week’s song was written in January 2012. That amazes me. At the time of recording this podcast episode, that is a decade ago. Wow! I think the thing is, when you create something, you are so far ‘in there’, in the creative zone, it seems you etch this time into your mind the memory. I think this...

Episode #97: This Dream Will Do        (Song starts at 5:24) Hi there, this episode is packed with all sorts. I’ve been on a holiday, camping beside the ocean for a couple of weeks. It was brilliant. I include some voice recordings I did while I was there. So you get to come on holiday with me on this episode.  How does that pertain to songwriting? (I hear you ask). Well, when I go away and...

Episode #96:   I’ll Tell You What      (Song starts at 3:38 ) Sometimes you can really tell nature is talking to you. Birds tell you off for being too close to their nest. I think perhaps nature is talking to us constantly on a more subtle level. That’s the crux of today’s song. Here’s what inspired it: My concern for how out of touch we are with nature. It’s a wake up call...

Episode #95:  Plain Sailing      (Song starts at 5:58) Hi there, If it’s your first time here, thanks for having a look at my podcast. What will you gain by listening to an episode? My goal is to put you in the shoes of a songwriter. Why would I do that? Well, for a lot of people it seems it’s only for the chosen few. At the risk of sounding like I’m attempting to demystify and s...

Episode #94: Full Moon      (Song starts at 6:18) Here we are again, having a chat & allowing the conversation – the content – to be guided by the song of the week, which in this case is Full Moon, song #353. I wrote the song back in 1995.  How does it feel to be a songwriter? It’s a joy. Have a listen again and find out more. I do my best to put the listener into the shoes of a so...

Episode #93: Summer Sun        (Song starts at   8:25 ) Welcome to an ‘End Of Year’ / Christmas special. Summer Sun (song # 576), was inspired by a memory of being the waves at the beach – the joy of being in the water, feeling completely free. I’ve really enjoyed this year of podcasting. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it really helped me during these Covid times. That’s...

Episode #92: Foggy morning  (Song starts at 4:47) Hi there, This week’s episode features my song ‘Foggy Morning (Not A Bird Call)’. This is song #680. I love composing songs. I like talking about the process and enjoy letting each episode wander just where it will, allowing the song to lead the way. It’s keeps things interesting and natural. Talking as much about anecdotes,...

Episode #91: Pictures Falling This has been so much fun, recording these episodes. Long may it continue.  This is a pretty peaceful episode…before recording this, I was recording keyboards and mixing 3 songs. Paul Dredge (NZ co-songwriter) and I have another album well on the way. We are bouncing parts back and forth online. This week’s song appeared on the album ‘Walking Through A Dre...

Episode #90: Lost and Won (Song starts at 3:12) I composed the song Lost and Won in 2013. You can find it on the piano/vocal album ‘Don’t Miss The Bus’, on my bandcamp website: www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com I like to get to the beach as often as I can. The sounds of nature wash over me when I’m there. It helps to get me into a peaceful state so I’m able to tune into ‘so...

Episode #89 Queen St    (Song starts at 6;58) This is the podcast where you get to hear how it feels to be a songwriter.  How do I do this? What I do I talk about?  The answers seem to come as I follow my nose, as I record what comes into my mind in the moment.  As a songwriter, you instinctively know when to jot notes down, when a phrase catches your ear in a certain way. It might be something th...

Episode #88:   Life Is    (Song starts at 4:27) Welcome to another episode. It’s great that this podcast is being listened to and enjoyed by listeners around the world. I’m very grateful to you all for tuning in each week. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.  I guess that’s the power of music, the intrigue… The interest in ‘where the heck does a song come from?  This w...

Episode #87: The Drum  (Song starts 5.14) Where did this song come from? The first line is: ‘The rocking train challenges my pen to stay upon the page’.  Yep, I was on the train when I wrote these lyrics.   It feels great to be a songwriter, to close my eyes and just write whatever pops into my mind. I don’t question it, I’ll just write something, knowing (and it definitely...

Episode #86: The Best Story      (Song starts at 4:38) Hi there. Join me this week, as I go back in time again, to a wooden table and chairs at the local park. This is where I wrote the lyrics for this week’s featured song.  I break a few songwriting rules with this song. Originally, there was no structure to the sentences – not one rhyme either. It could’ve remained a poem (I in...

Episode #85:  Made Me Realise    (Song starts 7:20) This week’s episode has a nice laid back mood again. This is how I felt when I wrote Made Me Realise (song #41) back in 1987. I can still till remember the evening this song came to me as I let my fingers wander on the keys where they would and let my voice float where it chose to go. This is the podcast where one of my aims is to give you...

Episode #84: At What Cost      (Song starts at 4:38) Welcome. This week’s episode has very peaceful feeling about it. The 30 minutes or so just floated by for me, as I recorded it.  I’m really enjoying myself as I talk, no notes, no pre-production.  Tonight I just walked into my studio, thinking “What song shall I talk about..” And this one jumped out at me. I let the song...

Episode #83: BP Diner    (Song starts at 8:38)  On this episode I have Mr Paul Dredge (from New Zealand), along with me. We wrote this song about (surprise) the BP Diner…it was a petrol and food place, which was opposite a resort I worked at with Paul Dredge. To get the full picture (and more stories), have a look at this blog post from a while back:  The Hazy Line /Wairakei Resort. https://thehaz...

Episode #82: Old Hat In The Sun / Life In One Day    (Songs start at 6:18   & 22:07) Hi there. I’m writing these show notes immediately after recording this episode (which is what I normally do) … Although I also normally listen back through as the recording ‘bounces’, ready to be put online as a stereo file.  This time, I’ve stopped the tape. Just wanting to real...

Episode #81: Remote    (Song starts at 7:02) I’ve changed things up a bit this week: here’s a lively, slightly edgy sort of a pop song from a while back.  The word ‘remote’ is a bit of a pun in this song. There’s a line about me not having a remote to turn off the incoming creative inspirational visions that are pretty much constant for me. Best I can do is get out into remote nature, away f...

Episode #80: Everything Comes To An End  (Song starts   4:16) Hi there, thanks for stopping by and checking out the show notes for today’s episode.  This podcast is where you’ll get to hear a how a song comes together and gain an insight into what makes a songwriter tick. It’s proving to be an ongoing exploration. I never realised it was so complicated. Writing songs is something...

Episode #79: It’s True     (Song at 6.25) Welcome to a very mellow, slightly mysterious sounding episode. This week’s featured song has that sort of a vibe about it.  Song #60, written in 2014, came about a few days after a fishing expedition. It was a moonlit evening and I set off after sunset.  In fact, we going to set off together. Yep, on this episode I’ll take you with me to...

Episode #78: Secret Lullabies    (Song at 3.36) Hi there and welcome to another episode. For the next 30 minutes or so, I’ll be guided by my feelings as to what’s interesting to talk about about with this song.  It’s the way I roll, here on this podcast – it’s a fun way to go about it. I end up in places I never guessed I would’ve, when I hit the record button a...