This song was written when I was living in the Villeray neighborhood of Montreal. I had been experiencing the dreaded “writer’s block” for some time when this song just suddenly seemed to fall from the sky. Being at the tail-end of a rather sweet yet going-nowhere relationship, I had to take a step back from it all and have a laugh. The first few lines were very much a straight-forward description of the moment: “I don’t know what to do with myself, just can’t seem to keep you off my mind…” The rest of the song practically wrote itself. I had in mind a ukulele, the first instrument I learned as a kid. I loved the chorus and couldn’t help but think of Rufus Wainwright, pounding those chords and singing languidly. I must also add, the second the song was completed, I remember yelling out: “There’s your album opener!” Fast-forward about three or four years and here it finally is, opening this album. When I played it for my roommate, she immediately said: “Reminds me of ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’!” which we’d been listening to quite a bit in the last few days to accompany the rainy weather outside. By the time I finally got around to recording this with the amazing jazz trio of Felix, Marc-Antoine and Chris, my instructions were simple enough: think the Beatles’ Michelle meets Paul McCartney’s Ram On and we should be in business. The band delivered! With the lovely addition of the lovely Bell Sisters, Shirley and Karen, the song finally sounded exactly as I’d heard it in my mind that day I wrote it.
credits
from You,
released June 20, 2015
Lead vocals, harmonies, acoustic guitar and piano: Max Comeau
Lead electric guitar: Félix Tellier-Pouliot
Bass: Marc-Antoine Forget
Drums, tambourine, additional percussion: Chris Lepp-Forest
Ukulele: Bryan Ortiz
Harmonies and back-up vocals: Shirley Bell and Karen Bell
Clarinet: Bastien Talgorn
This four-track live EP from singer Merryn Jeann has a sense of otherworldliness in its mystic, magical compositions. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 3, 2022
“Portraits” is a collection of expertly drawn narrative songs with sharply observed lyrics and rustic instrumentation. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 25, 2022
These sweet, sad indie pop tunes accompany Ian Coss's podcast of the same name, in which he interviews his family about their divorces. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 17, 2021