Week 45 – ‘Flaws & Ceilings’

by Frank Hamilton

Greetings, faithful #onesongaweek folk.

We’re going to treat this weeks blog like a town planning meeting. Here’s the agenda:

1)  Introductions / news in brief
2)  This weeks song
3)  Week 52 – the final #onesongaweek
4)  Support act for live show.
5)  onesongaweek on an advert!?
6)  Frank’s final thought
UPDATE:
7)  ‘Flaws & Ceilings’ featuring Lauren Aquilina.
8) Favourite Lyric

1 – Introductions & News in brief
Hello, hello.  Hope you’ve all had a lovely week.  The news in brief reads as follows:

2 – This weeks song
If you’re a regular Tweeter/follower you may already know that this weeks song isn’t ready for your ears yet.  Let me explain…

Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon at about 5pm the song for week 45 (which is probably going to be called ‘Flaws & Ceilings’) took a slight detour.

Originally it was going to be a solo, acoustic guitar tune but then I decided it might sound better on piano.  Then I realised I’d used a line in it that was actually written in a session with someone else (so I had to check with them) and then I realised the whole thing would work really nicely as a duet (and set about racking my brains and making phone-calls).

I can now confirm:
The song will feature the dulcet tones of someone else, who’s voice you’ve (barely) heard on #onesongaweek already…

‘Flaws & Ceilings’ will be released on Tuesday (which is technically in week 46) so for one week and one week only you’ll get two songs.  This isn’t ideal and I am sorry you’ll have to wait a few days… but I promise it’ll be worth it.

3 – Week 52 – the final #onesongaweek
Some of you have been sending in ideas and concepts for a song we’re going to try and write together… and I’ve decided that week 52 would be a nice week to release it.

Furthermore, we’re currently trying to work out a way of recording this live at the #onesongaweek gig on December 20th – which would obviously involve those in attendance singing along and featuring on the recording.  More news on whether we’re able to make that happen soon.

In the meanwhile get your ideas/concepts/song titles sent in (if you haven’t already) to onesongaweek@mail.com  Nothing too deep, mind… we want to end the year on a reasonably happy note, right?

4 – Support Act for the #onesongaweek live show.
We’ll be announcing this properly on Monday but since you’re missing out on the song you deserve a cheeky heads up…

I’m super chuffed to tell you that my support act for the first and last onesongaweek live show will consist of two chaps who go by the names of Mark Grist and Mixy.  When they go on stage together they become spoken-word duo ‘The Dead Poets‘ and as a massive fan myself I’m delighted to have them aboard for what’s shaping up to be an utterly mental evening.  Tickets here.

5 – #onesongaweek on an advert.
I’ve only just found out about this!! Thanks to Beefeater Gin for paying me some pennies to have a cheeky pop at religion, politics and the queen in one of their adverts.  Here’s the video…

 

6 – Frank’s final thought
Have a lovely weekend… but make sure you come back on Tuesday afternoon/evening x

UPDATE: 7 – ‘Flaws & Ceilings’
I woke up at 8 (EIGHT) am this morning.  So early that I feel justified spelling it out in capitals like they do on the football results when a team defies all odds to score 8 (EIGHT) goals.

The reason I woke up early is because the lovely Lauren Aquilina arrived at my house to sing the female part on this weeks song.  Since working with Lauren back in week 29 she’s released her first ever record (Fools EP) which has quite literally taken over the world (number 1 in Malta, how cool is that?!) so it was a lovely surprise when she replied to last weeks cry for help and offered her vocal services for the #onesongaweek cause.

She was also involved in the writing of this song a tiny bit, too.  Back in week 29’s session a lyric about walls was coined which we both really liked but couldn’t work in to the song.  That lyric (like many others) has spent 15 or so weeks floating around, feeling ignored and unloved… before eventually finding itself a tidy home for life.

 

From a production point of view I’ve really enjoyed having a few extra days to live with the track (while waiting for Lauren’s vocal) and I think it probably shows.  A very important part of making (especially mixing) music is the time you have away from it – in which your ears and brain are allowed recover/de-clutter.  Needless to say this #onesongaweek lark, with it’s weekly Friday deadline, hasn’t allowed much time for that.

Anyway, enough words.  I need to start working on week 46 (to be released in a mere 72 hours). Cripes.

8 – Favourite Lyric
I really like most of the lyrics in this song. The ‘flaws/ceilings’ wordplay, the ‘books/stories’ line, the bit about being calm when someone else is angry, etc etc…

I think I’m just going to write them out and you can choose your own favourite…

“I’ve got flaws, she’s got ceilings,
When she wakes I’m still dreaming
The long days get me thinking
Always get me thinking
I’ve got doors, she’s got windows
I see in but only she knows
What goes on underneath the ceiling
I wonder what she’s thinking
I wonder what she’s thinking

When she lies in bed coz
when I wake up she’s in my head
And i’m thinking in a few years time
will I still be yours will you still be mine.
We can’t build our walls
Unless you knock down yours
So let me in

I read books,
he writes stories
He’s so calm
When I’m angry
And I’m not sure what he sees in me
Won’t tell him what I’m thinking

I wonder what he’s thinking
When he lies in bed coz when I wake up he’s in my head
And i’m thinking in a few years time will I still be yours will you still be mine.
We can’t build our walls
Unless you knock down yours
So let me in

I wanna be inside your house
So let me in…“