Sidney's Lullaby by Washed Out

For me, the process of writing a traditional song (with verses, choruses, etc.) can be a very time consuming practice. There is always an initial feeling of excitement upon discovering an interesting chord progression or melody, but the nuts and bolts of actually seeing the song through until the end can be quite maddening.

I love to offset this way of working by improvising short instrumental sketches simply for the fun of creating and I feel like this material often has a purity and spontaneity that is often missing in my more “produced” work.

Much like every other musician who was forced to stop touring because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I spent a lot of time at home and because of quarantine measures spent more time with my two young children than I ever have before. As any parent can tell you, it is an amazing experience seeing them discover the world around them and their minds are so pure, honest and open. I thought these two instrumental sketches had a sweetness and playfulness about them that characterized certain aspects of their development during this time. I tried to capture both of their unique spirits but also the tenderness I feel for them as their father.

Perhaps these songs might come across as too personal or sentimental - like sharing an intimate family photograph with a stranger. However, I hope that listeners might think back to their own childhoods and how it felt to have such an innocent view of the world around you.