a song i wrote in lockdown. for now, patron-only. {official Thing} (Patreon)

{patron-only post}

hello loves.

greetings from haumoana, aotearoa new zealand. i'm at a friend's house.

the new amandapalmer.net website is almost ready to unveil, after four years of build. it's coming in a few days....meanwhile, new music.

i made a song in lockdown, from the softest and darkest part of my heart. $3+ patrons, you'll get a download code in a moment.

the working title is "the man who ate too much".

it's hard for me to listen to this recording without crying, so i've only listened to it myself two or three times, to approve the mix.

........

i do not take this patronage for granted. i never have, but especially...in this moment. now.

that i'm able to write a song like this, record it in a world-class studio, and work with top-level musicians in LA...all while not having to commercialize it or cut six minutes off it and sell it to radio....

it's a godsend. 

it means i can write and make real things from the depth of my soul and not have to worry about profit, clicks and hustle. 

you made this possible: this art, this moment, this catharsis. 

i need you to know how important that is to me, and to my collaborators. it's everything.

............

please listen with headphones. the song is over 8 minutes. it is not an "easy" listen.

to...understand it?

all you need to know is that i do not feel wonderful about the man who is currently occupying the white house 8,000 miles from here. he infuriates me.

and....there is a mountain overlooking our life here, te mata peak. there is a māori myth in this neighborhood about "the sleeping giant", or as someone local once referred to it: "the man who ate too much". that idea stirred my soul.

so, if you want to understand the song a little better, read this:

https://www.hawkesbaynz.com/see-and-do/art-design-and-culture/the-maori-culture-guide/local-legends/the-sleeping-giant/

we see the sleeping giant every time we walk home, or walk to school.

he's always there.

this is the local children's book i have been reading ash. he actually dragged it out of the bookcase this morning and demanded a re-telling. 

he most have known. the man in the mountain, like the man in the moon.

i wrote the song in my head over late april and may, committed it to piano in june, then  played it for a small room of people in late june.

a week later, i recorded the piano and vocal at roundhead studio in auckland, with the engineer simon gooding....during the who-knew-it-would-close window between post-lockdown and auckland going back to level 3. 

i would not be able to go there and record now; yet one more thing not to take for granted.

the beautiful string arrangement atop the piano was made by my beloved collaborator jherek bischoff, and all the musicians played their parts from isolation in the states, all on the west coast. then jherek mixed and mastered it.

the waves were recorded in haumoana near rosheen's house, by xanthea, on a zoom.

............

my current plan is to try to find a local filmmaker to make a fitting video for this song, epic in scale, and then release the song to the public when the video is ready...which could take a few months. if you have ideas about NZ filmmakers, please. let me know. i'm talking to several amazing people but maybe you know more than i do. don't say james cameron, please.

,,,,,,

and for now, this recording is just for you. if you'd like to share it with people, please just ask them to join the patreon and send them to this post. 

the title is still a working title...the other title idea was "rosheen".

or maybe "a very beautiful and sad love letter to aotearoa and all the nice people here", but that's a little long. i'll decide one of these days, but would love your thoughts.

stream the song on soundcloud, here. and again, please don't share the link on the internet. this is for patrons only for the time being.
https://soundcloud.com/amandapalmer/the-man-who-ate-too-much-patron-only/s-OfDIiTAzMLl

i'll let you know, of course, when the song is out publicly. if we don't manage to make a video, i might press a 7" or something.

the cover artwork is a photo i took at rosheen's house, of the tree.

she gave me permission to use the shot.

......

CREDITS:

Piano & Vocal Written by Amanda Palmer
Extra arrangements by Jherek Bischoff

Musicians:
Amanda Palmer - Vocals and Piano 
Marta Sofia Honer - Violins and Viola
Caleigh Drane - Cello
Korum Bischoff - Drums
Jherek Bischoff - Bass

Arranged, mixed and mastered by Jherek Bischoff at Sweethaven, Los Angeles.

Vocals and piano recorded by Simon Gooding at roundhead studio in Aotearoa New Zealand
Studio Assistant - Alexandra Corbett  

Violins and viola recorded by Marta Sofia Honer at home in LA.
Cello recorded by Caleigh Drane at home in LA.
Drums recorded by Korum Bischoff and engineered by Calder Bischoff at home, Suquamish Washington.
Bass recorded by Jherek Bischoff at Sweethaven in LA.
Waves recorded by Xanthea O'Connor, Haumoana, Aoteraoa New Zealand.

enjoy.

i love you so, so much.

x

a

p.s. i am reading comments.  

------THE NEVER-ENDING AS ALWAYS---------

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1. if you’re a patron, please click through to comment on this post. at the very least, if you’ve read it, indicate that by using the heart symbol. that's always nice for me to see, so i know who's reading. 

2. see All the Things (over 100 of them) i've made so far on patreon: http://amandapalmer.net/patreon-things

3. JOIN THE SHADOWBOX COMMUNITY FORUM, find your people, and discuss everything: https://forum.theshadowbox.net/

4. new to my music and TOTALLY OVERWHELMED? TAKE A WALK THROUGH AMANDALANDA….we made a basic list of my greatest hits n stuff (at least up until a few years ago, this desperately needs updating) on this lovely page: http://amandalanda.amandapalmer.net/

5. general AFP/patreon-related questions? ask away, someone will answer: patronhelp@amandapalmer.net