Ember Swift’s New Album 2016
I am so happy to report that we are in the final stages of the new album for 2016! It’s a full album with three themes: Songs For Adults / Songs For Kids / Songs For Adults w/ Kids. There will be 16 songs, only 2 of which are re-makes of older material that I couldn’t resist re-recording to capture their new audio image for posterity, (not to mention the prowess of this amazing band I’m working with! You already know that I’m the guitarist and vocalist, but here are the details about the other players I’ve been so fortunate to work with:
On the drums, is Anthony Vanacore of the US. He’s a fantastic drummer and truly impresses us all with his chops. Anthony performed drums or percussion on 13 of the 16 tracks, so he’s all over this thing. A “salt of the earth” kind of guy, he’s a solid band member and I feel very lucky to have met him.
On the bass is the equally talented Jack Lecomber from the UK. A gifted bass player, Jack can feel through a song in minutes and always impresses me with his creative ideas and locked groove. What’s more, he’s got a stage presence that makes everyone smile. I have loved working with him!
Finally, Wang Ya Qi on erhu has been working with me for 8 years now. She is a strong supporter and solid band member and has become like a little sister to me. She loaned her amazing skills to the record again, making this her second album with me (first being 11:11 five years ago). Her spunk and energy dance in the melodies of her parts. She’s got it!
And last but certainly not least, Tim Rideout of Fibiimedia in Montreal, Canada is once again behind the desk as co-producer and mastermind behind the cohesion and mixing and arrangement tweaks of this massive project. Having worked with Tim in 2009 for the LENTIC project, I was thrilled when he agreed to work with me again. His talents always surprise me, not with their existence but their range. He is a brilliant musician, and everytime we work together this fact is further reinforced.
I feel very lucky to have met all of these amazing people. As the record release draws near (aiming for September 2016), I will continue to update you all on its progress. Stay tuned!
DETAILS ABOUT THE ALBUM:
SONGS for Adults
It’s been five years since my last recording and I have amasses a big collection of new songs. This spring, 2016, the band and I went into a studio in Beijing to capture these tracks. There are 8 new songs in this collection, 2 re-makes of older tracks:
- Mannequin
- Elba
- Said What You Said
- Nanshou 难受
- Such Lengths
- Love Needs No Dictionary
The re-makes are the following:
- I Wish I May (from my 11:11 album, but a song that has undergone a fairly significant facelift)
- Cheap Drunk (originally on my 1999 album, Permanent Marker)
SONGS for Kids
It’s the inevitable conclusion for a mom who writes music to eventually start writing songs for her kids. In this case, however, my kids (especially Echo, my daughter) insisted I write a few of these songs. She is the inspiration for Dog & Monkey and Balloon, specifically demanding that a song be created about these topics.
- Dog & Monkey
- Balloon
- Lowly Worm
- Tired
- You, My Love
SONGS for Adults with Kids
And the final category of new songs in the collection is this one. They are songs that other adults who have children will understand. The themes are specific to parenting. Any weariness you might hear in the performance is also a result of parenting… Ha!
- Sleep
- Stars Are Many
- (I Don’t Know) What I’d Do Without You
