It’s a song that I always mess up the verse order in when I play it live, but at the same time, it’s a song that I tend to pull out a lot when I’m playing live, as it’s just lovely to play to be honest. I might record an instrumental version of this when I work out the rest of the instrumentation. I think that would be lovely.

Maria (demo) by misterebby

Initially I was going for a piano version of a surf-pop kinda song, to counteract the bite in the lyrics, I’m still not sure about what way the arrangement will go: whether to make it poppier and lighter, or to go for a more piano rock sound. I’m still toying with this song in that regards, but I do like playing it solo with just piano.

I’m rather terrible at programming beats, but I just needed something to play off and to start to give myself an idea of how the whole song would sound. So, it’s definitely a demo, and definitely quite rough still, but it’s helped me to see the shape of the song, and what I want to change or alter, and to give me ideas on how I want to flesh out the arrangement more.

Friday Night Friends (demo) by misterebby

Being able to just relax into the role of the performer, instead of trying to do two things at once, was a really lovely feeling. I got to chill out and just focus on giving a good performance of the tracks we were going to lay down quickly. Ended up working on three tracks in total – just vocals and piano takes of The Best Of Me and Maria, and re-taking the lead vocals and the piano line on Take Me Away. I was keen to keep all the work that Meadhbh had done on the latter track, as her vocals are just beautiful on it, but I really wasn’t happy with the guide piano and vocals I’d laid down for her to sing off.

Maria I’d never recorded before, and I’m really pleased to have a nice little demo of it done at this stage, as I can go to the other arrangements I’d sketched out for various instruments, and see if those lines will fit the way I think they will. As it turns out, re-recording The Best Of Me in the key and tempo I now play that song in was really helpful too in terms of further instrumentation, as when I was listening back to the best of the takes, I could hear the other parts I wanted in the track. I have some arrangements for that to sketch out on some manuscript paper, but I think it’s a ‘cello and viola I’ll need. I’m not sure – I’ll need to tease it out a little bit more.

I’ve not listened to those takes again yet after last night, but I’m going to leave them to listen again fresh later this evening after I go and play some Samba drums with some kids from Youth Work Ireland as part of their fundraising day. The LGBT youth group I’ve been volunteering with for the last few years, shOUT!, are under the umbrella of YWI, so helping out the main body helps keep the LGBT youth group going.

I’ve had the house to myself again today, so after spending a while in town being sociable I came home and spent the evening playing with the cat, cooking dinner, and demoing a song.

This song is one that popped up in the video clips from a gig I did in January, so I’ve been wanting to start recording it in some way. I never really get to hear the songs until I hear a recording of them, as when you’re playing them it’s hard to be an outside listener too.

Regardless, this demo is scrappy: bum notes on the piano; bum notes in the vocals; rough sketch of the middle bit with the layers. Just generally a bit scrappy all round, but it gives a good idea of the whole song.

I’m not 100% sure of about this song yet – it feels too long, and I’m pondering whether I should cut a section, or merge some parts or something. As it stands, the lyrics were mostly written when I lived in the UK in 2005 or so, and the music was written when I was living in Galway a year ago at this stage. It’s a song that has kinda hung around for a while without really becoming anything until it just popped out while I was playing around with a piano idea one day.

Anyways, here’s the demo I put together this evening.

Download audio file (galwayraindemo.mp3)
Galway Rain (demo) (right-click and save to download)

Lyrics

The umbrellas are at full attack, and the rain falls on South Bank.
But it doesn’t feel the same as I remember Galway’s rain.

London’s become my friend for walks at 4am,
But it doesn’t compare to the line out to Renmore,
Singing “Stand By Me” in harmony,
Preaching the gospel of Kali.
I’ve become so used to London,
that I know my way around
Stuck in the back of my wallet,
is a map of the Underground

The umbrellas are at full attack, and the rain falls on South Bank.

I sometimes go for days without talking to someone,
Except the checkout girl at ASDA or someone on the phone,
In Galway I walk down Shop St
And am stopped by friends to chat.
I hate the crowds of London,
They’re all rushing off to somewhere,
Instead of ambling around Galway,
Eventually you’ll get there.

The umbrellas are at full attack, and the rain falls on South Bank.

In Galway you wait in doorways for the worst of the downpour to pass
Or walk through the lighter rain spotting tourists in plastic macs
You can sit outside Tigh Neachtain’s, and watch the city pass you by.

You’re still the one – I’ve got to get out of this city.
You’re still the one – I’ve got to get out…
I wanted you to call,
I wanted you to…
I wanted you to call.

The umbrellas are at full attack, and the rain falls on South Bank.
But it doesn’t feel the same as I remember Galway’s rain.

There’s a section in the demo where I think it’s clear that there’ll be a fuller instrumentation in the song from that point. This is one of those songs where the melody and piano part just came together at the same time. It’s a simple little song and I’ve grown rather fond of it. It’s about someone I know, sort of. But I guess it’s true that any song I write about someone I know, or something I’ve experience, is fictionalised in some way. Most of the elements remain, but altered just enough that I feel more comfortable with them.

Download audio file (rebel.mp3)
Rebel (demo)

Lyrics

Outside the door
she sits and waits
Not wanting to go in at all.

Cropped hair
Leather
Screaming for you

She put your head
under the blade
too many times, too many times

They say she ran away from herself
Too often
But I know,
I know that she’s in training

Running for miles,
She could run
For miles, for her.

But even still, no music ever jumped out at me for it, and then the original idea I had for the song is completely different to what it actually has become. I remember sketching out a vague idea for the lyrics, and having this clear idea of how I wanted the subsequent section to sound – which was going to be completely instrumental.

However, this little piano riff snuck onto the keys one day, and I got completely addicted to it. Any time I’d sit down at the piano it was the first thing I’d play. It’s only a simple little riff, but I loved it. And then the lyrics one day just fitted over it – I could hear how they should go. The song has ended up something completely different from what I thought it was going to be, even after I’d previously thought it would never be an actual song.

This demo version may yet change and develop as I add more instruments to the song. I have a few ideas of what I want to add on – but at this stage, who knows what way it’ll change before I have a final proper recording of it that I like.

Download audio file (blissjandemo.mp3)
The Bliss Returns (demo) (right click and save to download)

Lyrics

devoid of anything
nearing regret
my senses blunted
and out of reach

sprawled over, white cotton
caresses softly remind me

of the world
surrounding

whispers of the cityside
sing to the morning sun

as he, inches
across cotton folds
beauty blinding
as I catch the sight

smiling playfully
the warmth arousing
the smile arrives
the cotton moves
the bliss returns

The demo is just an idea of what it’ll be like – I think this is going to be a very richly arranged song when it is finished, and I hope that the person it is about likes the song. It’s quickly become one of my own personal favourites to sing.

Download audio file (phoenix.mp3)
Water Phoenix (demo) (right click and save to download)

The verses were bits and pieces from various places. Little ideas or leftovers from other songs, so in a way the song itself is a bit of a composite of a few different things.

The piano riff sticks in my head, and was the first part of the song to be written, in terms of the music. Once I’d sat with that for a while the rest of the song just fell into place and I had this little boppy little piano pop song that is great fun for me to play.

Download audio file (romance.mp3)
Is This What They Call Romance? (demo) (right-click and save to download)

I met up with Morgan of Cuckoo Savante (check that band out – they’re awesome) and was chatting about our lives and work. Just catching up really, but he was excited by how many songs I’ve got at the moment. Which made me stop to think how few I’ve demo’d and how badly I’ve done those. I need to stop spending time alone with the songs and start performing them and sharing them with other people so they don’t start to suffocate in my bag.

I’m going through my lyrics at the moment, adding in the edits I’ve made on the fly as I practise and work out the songs. I like a few of them, but I blow hot and cold about my own work quite frequently. I guess I need to let other people judge the work and not be so critical of myself.

But even as I had started playing the song live a little, there was something missing in it, and I couldn’t hear what it was. Then an Allelujah I’d written for a amateur musical production inspired by the music of Sister Act (no joke), decided to slip into the song. It fitted, and definitely suited this song more than the choral arrangement of Kylie’s Can’t Get You Out Of My Head that I’d written it for initially. (again, I’m not joking. I still have that arrangement.)

But as soon as the Allelujah slipped into the song, I realised what the song was about, and it all became much clearer to me. The beautiful Meadhbh Sullivan added the vocals for the Allelujah parts for me, and the demo is a good idea of what the song will be.

Download audio file (tmademo.mp3)
mister ebby – Take Me Away (demo) featuring Meadhbh Sullivan

Lyrics

No I don’t belong here,
This isn’t my place,
I feel really ugly,
I feel like I’m a waste.

Somebody come and hold me
Somebody take my hand
This place is quite scary
Take me to a happier land.

And take me away – just like Dorothy
Fly me through the air to a land overseas
Take me away – I’m not worthy
Put me in a hole and just forget all about me
Don’t pass me by – please take notice
I love you so much, I love you so much.
Allelujah

I’ll peel off all my skin,
And look in deeper,
There must be something there,
There must be something creepier

And take me away – just like Dorothy
Fly me through the air to a land overseas
Take me away – I’m not worthy
Put me in a hole and just forget all about me
Don’t pass me by – please take notice
I love you so much, I love you so much.
Allelujah

All day long people looking at me
Staring a the monster lurking in me
So I check behind my eyes – searching me
I check into the mirror