We’re extremely pleased with the response to our first release After the fall and are excited to share song number two with you, a mellow melody called Surf. Featuring chilled-out rhythm guitar, a xylophone solo, synth cello and exemplary backing vocals, we transport you to a beach, the sea and sitting around a campfire with the people you love.
Song
Discussion
STEVE: Last week we featured a song written by Chris (with over 1,100 listens and downloads and counting! Thanks!), and this week, our second release, is a song written by me.
CHRIS: This is a really beautiful song that reminds me a bit of Hawksley Workman, especially the “ebbs and floowwwws” part. I also think that in many ways it’s a “typical Steve song†to juxtapose with last week’s somewhat “typical Chris song.†What I mean is that I tend to write simpler, poppier songs, while your guitar progressions are usually more interesting and your lyrics more poetic. The backup vocals you wrote for this (which I sing) also remind me of some other songs you’ve written in that they’re kinda messy and misaligned in an intentional way.
STEVE: And I didn’t tell you this after you recorded those backup vocals, but you were bang-on singing them. I think you are right with the “typical song†descriptions; I always have more trouble writing songs that are poppier. Makes us a good team.
CHRIS: Yes. If only we could figure out some way to combine our powers! (Seriously though folks, so far we’ve been writing separately but we’ll also write some songs together before we’re through.)
STEVE: Maybe if we both get over-sized rings with mystical precious stones from another planet, matching Lycra suits and offsetting superpowers? Perhaps then, the sum of the parts will be greater than the whole. Perhaps that is our next collaborative song topic.
CHRIS: Greater than the whole? Then we could start calling our band Synergy! (You see, this is a joke, because I was once in a band called… oh never mind.)
STEVE: Back to the song, often when I write I try to be abstract in an effort to draw out personal emotions you may have as a listener, and that is what I attempted to do here. We hope you can relate to it on an experiential level. I also have the luxury of working at a school with a music department, so I’ve been able to explore different instrument options. Enter, xylophone.
CHRIS: Yeah, the xylophone is real, the cello ain’t. Could you people tell? (Maybe next time we should turn that kind of trivia into a contest.)
STEVE: I like that idea. As with last week’s song we’re hoping to one day add real drums, hopefully the cello will be real one day too. In any case, enjoy! And if you like it, as always, take a moment to spread the word.
CHRIS: Word.
Lyrics
When I look into your smile
I see every single ocean
Compressed into the iris of your eye
And when you look right back
Your love flows
In tidal waves and currents
Moving continents in my heart and my mind
Come away with me
To the edge of
Where the sand does war with water
And every battle sounds like summer
No beach is long enough
So we’ll surf in our own ocean
We’ll make waves in our own sea
And when the waves crash all around you
Look up and you will see
We’ll set all our clocks
The second hand
Matching every crashing wave
The hour hand by days and weeks and years
As our love ebbs and flows
We’ll let it shape itself with
All the tides that life provides
As our love ebbs and flows
So we’ll surf in our own ocean
We’ll make waves in our own sea
And when the waves crash all around you
Look up and you will see
So lets make waves in our own ocean
And we’ll make waves in our own sea, our own sea
When the waves crash all around you
Won’t you look up and you will see me
Credits
Chris Tindal: Backing vocals
Steve Salt: Acoustic guitar, lead vocals, xylophone, synth arrangement
Words and music: Steve Salt
Illustration: Claire Salloum
Produced by Steve Salt and Chris Tindal
I really enjoyed this mellow tune. Warmed me up on a cold January day!
this is an awesome song. Keep it up you guys.
All i can think of is the Family Guy skit
Douchebag plays Guitar
“This song is called water”
“….and sometimes I face my speakers out my windowwww”
other than that, it’s production is much better than the first song
the atmospheric fake cello gives it a fuller sound that makes it easier to listen to
definitely hawksley moments, but like treefull hawksley not wolves hawksley
I would have liked it to be shorter and had a raging guitar solo
5/10
I really love this song! beautiful arrangement and great lyrics! I cannot wait to hear what is up for next week! Great job!
beautiful! especially liked the chorus. this is going to be a great year:)
While you lament one day being greater than the sum of your individual parts, I believe it is the breadth and diversity of your talents that make you guys true collaborators and artists.
Great stuff, and thanks again for putting yourselves out there as you do. Makes Saturday mornings here in Cairo much more interesting and enjoyable!
Hey Steve and Hey Chris! Both songs so far are amazing! Thanks so much for sharing them. It’s inspiring. If you ever feel the need for a “real” violin for one of your tracks, you can have one anytime.
To all, thanks! Another successful week, we say. As we pick up momentum, be sure to tell your friends and share the songs you like.
@Ingrid, we agree, 2011 off to a great start. We aim to live up to your expectations of course!
@JD, I still dug Treeful, so I’ll take the compliment! And will work hard to bring up that score of course. A JD endorsement is worth more than it’s weight in wolves.
@Dinner, glad we are becoming a Saturday morning mainstay!
@Daniela, I hope you know we are already thinking of you. Expect the call.
Well guys it is great to hear your music. Thanks for the mellow tune. It helped to sooth Joshua to sleep. Any thoughts on potential lullabyes this year? All the best to you.
@Reg, it has been far too long. Lullabyes will be in the works, no doubt. This week’s song might not cut it in that sense, but we’ll hit at least one I am sure!
Sweet dreams!
So amazing. You are both so talented!
Dudes. It’s a nice enough tune, but that is no xylophone. An actual xylophone is fairly big and made of wood and makes a pleasantly warm and hollow sound. Seems like what you’ve got is a glockenspiel. Totally different animal. Still good, of course, but this stickler for percussion was disappointed.
Having worked with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada for a couple of summers, I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t pick up on that! Thanks for the correction!