The Boy Who Never Sleeps (First Post)

  • 17 Replies
  • 2504 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

David Christy Jones

  • *
  • Open Mic
  • **
  • Posts: 106
  • Shaping the air into beautiful sculptures.
« on: July 25, 2017, 12:49:54 AM »
Hey everyone! First time poster here.
I've been writing songs for about a year now, I'm 23 years old and I live in Ireland.
I got inspired to write after becoming a big Frank Zappa fan, though my work isn't at all like Franks.

I have a huge love of Americana, the likes of Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, Bela Fleck etc.
I think that would be my biggest influence.

I wrote this song in the wake of a very hard breakup, but more specifically, reuniting after spending years apart. The song had great meaning to me. It's played in Open D tuning on a resonater. The percussion is played entirely with traditional African instruments.

I record everything myself from my home studio, and I have particular difficulty with vocal harmonies. I chose to upload this song to get peoples feedback on a part of songwriting I find particularly challening and wish to better myself on.

Any comments and feedback greatly appreciated!
I look forward to sifting through all your guys work too!
Peace out, and keep creating! :D

David Christy
https://soundcloud.com/user-534764711/the-boy-that-never-sleeps

*Lyrics*

Come back home to this fools gold;
To the boy who never sleeps.
Bring your shoes and we'll take these blues
and we'll walk them home with you.
And we'll walk them home with you.

So if you've got the time,
Take my hand and fly.

Stay with me;
You help me sleep;
So I can smile every morning.
Give me time, and in a while you'll see
A new day is dawning.

So if you find the time for me.....



(C) David Christy Jones.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2017, 12:54:04 AM by David Christy Jones »
Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is the best!

Mikey

  • *
  • Solo Gig
  • ***
  • Posts: 407
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2017, 08:26:40 PM »
Very nice track, even though it is just acoustic and vocals it keeps the interest going all the way, you have a good voice too and I thought the harmonies were fine, enjoyed it very much, well done

Mikey

Cawproductions

  • *
  • Platinum Album
  • ****
  • Posts: 687
  • Producer, Engineer & Songwriter
    • AtticVibes Music Library
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2017, 08:32:35 PM »
Dude,

Nice resonator vocal combo, Vocal sounded fine to me, you have a nice tone there.

The song has a nice chilled vibe, You did well to keep the interest going with so few instruments.

Great work.
Andy

Skub

  • *
  • Stadium Tour
  • *****
  • Posts: 3660
    • Soundcloud
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2017, 08:54:26 PM »
Yo D.

We share the same first name,so you gotta be a straight up dude.  ;)

I'm from the same oul sod as yersel and as such I am not adverse to a good song well sung. Ya did both.

There's a bit of the David McWilliams (Days of Pearly Spencer) a Ballycastle man in you song.

I hope you participate in the forum and just don't fly by,there are a right few folk here who will love your music and input.

PaulyX

  • *
  • Stadium Tour
  • *****
  • Posts: 1796
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2017, 09:48:37 PM »
Hey David, welcome to the forum. 
Very mellow & characterful song to introduce yourself with.  I like its unhurried, confident feeling, plus the reverb on the guitars (sounds a little far back from the mike, a bit like you are busking in a subway but that fitted the vibe of the song I thought).  Vocals are very strong too, sounds like you have a fine baritone at your disposal, and I dig your lyrics - they are a little ambiguous and open to interpretation with no cliche or clunky forced rhymes = sharp writing.
Looking forward to hearing more of your stuff.  Pauly
It's all too beautiful.

pompeyjazz

  • *
  • Stadium Tour
  • *****
  • Posts: 5668
  • pompeyjazz
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2017, 09:15:25 PM »
Hi David. Welcome to the forum. Liked the feel and style of this. Your vocal really reminded me of Ian McCulloch from Echo and the Bunny men.  Well put together and thought out. You've got some nice light and shade going on there as well. Excellent first submission

Cazrolina

  • *
  • Open Mic
  • **
  • Posts: 246
    • Instagram:
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2017, 12:14:34 AM »
What a fab listen. Just gone back for another. It evoked such a lovely, happy, days-in-the-sun kind of feeling. Cool and relaxed yet wonderfully playful, somehow. Really, really nice work.  :D
Caz
AlphaLine

Debut EP ‘Polarity’ out now.
Listen here: https://www.alphalineband.com/press-1/polarity-out-now

Paulski

  • *
  • Stadium Tour
  • *****
  • Posts: 4417
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2017, 12:48:16 AM »
Hi David

Very  nice song - I like the simplicity of it and how the guitar work echos the melody lines. Oh, and any fan of Zappa's is a fan of mine huh  ???

Welcome aforum - Hope you follow through and review others' work - there's some fine writers/performers here  ;D ;D

Paul

David Christy Jones

  • *
  • Open Mic
  • **
  • Posts: 106
  • Shaping the air into beautiful sculptures.
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2017, 06:28:42 PM »
Hey everyone! Thanks for all the terrific comments, really appreciate it! :D
I hope to post a lot more here, It's a great forum and I'm glad to have found it!
As I said before, I look forward to hearing all your stuff too! :D

Thank you! :D
Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is the best!

Gill

  • *
  • Open Mic
  • **
  • Posts: 121
« Reply #9 on: July 30, 2017, 10:10:03 PM »
Very majestic and simplistic melody. The best kind of combination . Great job man  ;)

Martinswede

  • *
  • Platinum Album
  • ****
  • Posts: 667
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2017, 08:58:06 PM »
Hi!

What wonders that can be made with just a bit of multi track recording.

Good harmonies can be hard to make and sing. When you sing yours you sound a bit out of breath.
To me it has aesthetic qualities giving it a contrast to your powerful voice.

Anyway great song!

Martin 

JoeAntaine

  • *
  • Busker
  • *
  • Posts: 48
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2017, 03:55:56 PM »
Some nice lyrics. Nice acoutic feel. I can hear a real 60's american folk influence

Viscount Cramer & His Orchestra

  • *
  • Stadium Tour
  • *****
  • Posts: 1560
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2017, 06:21:58 PM »
Nice voice David...you lucky man! Great to be able to knock out stuff like this which relies so heavily on the vocal to carry it.

Really like this. Like the guitar and you sing it so well too. Lot of feeling. No, maybe the vocal harmonies aren't perfect but they're not bad either. One of the hardest things to get right in a mix I think...but I can't help you there!

I'm having difficulty at the moment articulating what I like about this song but I do and I'm glad you've decided to join the forum. Look forward to hearing more.

You might not be aware but there's a monthly song competition here. It would be nice if you could take a listen to the nominated songs and make a vote. I'm hosting this month so you'll have to pick according to my choices but it would be a good introduction to some of the songs on here.

http://www.songwriterforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13576.0
Take it easy.

You can check my stuff out here. Mini-album getting bigger slowly. Free download if you're poorer than me.

Easy Life - Viscount Cramer

Morefrog Jones

  • *
  • Platinum Album
  • ****
  • Posts: 599
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2017, 09:40:26 PM »
Chilled enchanting acoustic song - intro possibly a little long - nice backing vocals and general feel.
Country/folk feel with a late 60's 'Bread' vibe.

JoeAntaine

  • *
  • Busker
  • *
  • Posts: 48
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2017, 11:55:06 PM »
Chilled enchanting acoustic song - intro possibly a little long - nice backing vocals and general feel.
Country/folk feel with a late 60's 'Bread' vibe.
I'm agreement that intro could do with a trim.