Songbird by Natural Sway

This song was inspired by a dream and a drawing- A wingless bird outside of a bedroom window with a human head, perched on a branch. It was an image that kept coming back to me. On a bike ride to work one day, I started singing about a bird in between breaths, backed by the calls of the varied bird species alongside the Alum Creek bike path. At the birth of the song, I wasn't exactly sure what I meant or if I understood all that I was singing. It just felt good to sing, that's how it began- I'm that kind of songbird.

The song seems to be about a lover hearing the sweet song of another. They are lifted and guided by it, soothed by it. But the tune changes. The expectations mount, the dependency comes into focus. The lover is no longer mesmerized by the melody, they need themselves only. That bird outside can sing but it can't fly. They've awoken to their own strength, their own music, their own song. It's time to fly way up, singing out loud, the old song fading behind but remembered. They sound good together a little further away.

I recorded the main vocal and acoustic guitar part on a handheld Tascam DR-05. It was at my old spot, out by Three Creeks. I did it my last night in the house. There's a faint sound of crickets in the track, the room was empty except for my mattress and my guitar. I finished the song in the book-nook of the first house I've ever been a part of owning, right where I'm typing this from now. I sent my raw files to Steve Ciolek (the Sidekicks, Pheramones, Monstrosity, Parma Trash, Saintseneca, Lose the Tude) and he was able to balance it out and bring it all up a notch.

My thanks to Liz Stout and Matt Copley. The structure of this song was informed by an improv jam between us that I taped. I found pieces of the melody while Liz hit drums and Matt played some dreamy sounding, open chords. I am grateful for that creative get together. Thanks to Drew Cline for writing the bass part and Austin Eilbeck for writing and recording the drum part. Thanks to my Dad for putting early ears on it and encouraging me to take it further. Thanks to my Mom for liking it no matter what :)

Thanks to you for listening,
Ry

kinda punk, sorta not

Natural Sway is initiated & maintained by Ryan J. Eilbeck (RY)

other major players: Drew Cline, Austin Eilbeck, Riley Kelleher, Sarah Yetter, Mike O'Shaughnessy, Jessi Bream, Matt Copley

Artist photo by the most excellent Dan Trittschuh