Take Two If You Want One

My mum grew up a southerner, living in Maidstone, Kent, but moved up north to Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, after marrying my dad. Poor girl.

We’d go down to Maidstone to visit my grandparents, Arthur and Lily, a couple of times a year, and during those stays we’d often visit my mum’s brother, Colin and his family. For reasons unbeknownst to me, he and my mum had a bit of a falling out, and these family visits simply stopped. As sad as it is, I don’t remember my mum speaking of her brother again. As far as I knew, my uncle Colin and auntie Doreen had just the two daughters, roughly the same age as my sister and me, but it turns out that they'd later welcomed two sons to their family unit. Sadly, due to the lack of contact, I had no way of knowing that these two cousins existed.

Three or four years ago, I happened to connect with one of them via an impromptu Facebook discovery, and we did some serious catching up. Turns out he’s a pretty spectacular person - smart, accomplished, artistic, and a real sensitive soul; so, completely different to me...

It was quite exciting to discover this person who I seemed to really relate to and admire, but while I was grateful that I'd been afforded the opportunity to finally get to know him a bit, I also felt a tinge of sadness thinking of all the family celebrations we'd missed out on as kids.

Now, my grandfather, Arthur, was a man of many talents - a vaudeville performer turned hairdresser and dance instructor, by all accounts. A svelte, quiet man, he had a sort of lovely theatrical air about him and a wry, mischievious sense of humour. He was also prone to a little good-natured teasing. I remember how he'd hold out a bag of sweets to me, and then quickly close his hand around the bag as I'd attempt to grab one. When he'd finally allowed me to grab a sweet, he’d turn all generous, holding out the bag again, saying, “Go on…take two if you want one!”

When I was writing this song - based on the aforementioned fractured family dynamics - the chorus was the last part of the song to come together, and the “Take two if you want one” line just seemed to fall in there naturally; couldn’t believe my luck, really. It’s too good a phrase not to repurpose, isn’t it? Thanks, grandad!

(Thanks also, to the lovely and talented Ed Woltil, who not only played beautifully on the song with me, but put together this delightful lyric video too.)

Everyone's a song...

"Strange Orchestra" was spawned from my musing about people being a little like songs. I mean, some hold a special place in our hearts and we cling to them, while others can easily drive us up the wall and so we shut them out. Then there are those who instantly lift our spirits while others can bring us down as soon as they’re within earshot. Collectively, we make this big beautiful, sometimes discordant noise.

While it began its life as a loose, sort of Stones-influenced chugger, the song evolved as both Ed Woltil and Dave Gregory got their paws on it. Ed proceeded to mangle the bridge section, tossing in a couple of extra chords and sent it back to me with what to my ears sounded like a sprinkling of magical mystery tour-era fairy dust, which pleased me to no end. Funnily enough, when Dave heard it, he said it made him think a little of The Who’s “Join Together” for some reason, and decided to go the Townshendian guitar tone route, reaching for one of his trusty Rickenbackers. On top of that, he threw in some spacey slide guitar accents that mirrored the vibe of some of Ed’s kaleidoscopic/psychedelic adornments, and things got decidedly trippy. Happy? Yeah, chuffed to buggery, as my dad used to say.

These collaborations are little magical mysteries to me. Whether a song is great, or simply average; whether it picks you up or ultimately lets you down, it’s still something that would never have been born without the input, interpretation and collaboration of the parties involved. I just love the process, and I really feel so lucky to have a group of quirky, wickedly talented people from disparate backgrounds and artistic leanings to do this with.

We're a strange orchestra, alright...

Penny Black Music stamp of approval!

Malcolm Carter, a kindly and erudite Englishman (yes, they still exist apparently) who lives in Sweden (lucky blighter), has written some nice things about Temporary Sun for the Penny Black Music online music publication. Read all about it HERE.  His check should be in the mail by the morning...

Malcolm also interviewed Ed and I about the record, our influences and our approach to songwriting, etc. I think he may have been hoping that we'd say derogatory things about each other. Find out HERE.

New Steve Robinson & Ed Woltil Release!

Temporary Sun - a portable bit of warmth and light to keep in your pocket for dark times. For creators and listeners alike, a good song inspires, illuminates, renews, fortifies. Let's hope so anyway. Why not find out for yourselves?

Have a listen here...

...and I won't let go

Here's the opening salvo from Temporary Sun, the third Steve Robinson & Ed Woltil release available now at all of your favourite record emporiums. When I say "record emporiums",  I am of course living in the past (something I do as a defense mechanism I think). No, despite vinyl albums making their big comeback, I can't afford to press the buggers, so CDs, downloads and streaming it is. If you're so inclined you can place your orders at Bandcamp

Thanks for listening!

Careful with that dorsal fin!

 

When I relocated to Hendersonville, NC back in 2019, one of the first watering holes that caught my fancy was Sanctuary Brewing. They've since had a name change to Oklawaha Brewing, but it's still my brewery of choice. I remember back then thinking that I'd like to play there sometime; it only took me six years or so. I have excuses. Not very good ones, but still...

Thanks to Ed Woltil for his cool poster design!

All Hail the King!

Ever find yourself purposely striding into a room and instantly forgetting what you were looking for? Ever think of a great idea and immediately lose sight of it? Of course you do. If not, you should probably leave this page immediately. You're probably too young to be wasting your time reading the ramblings of crotchety and forgetful old bastards like me.

Anyway...where the hell was I? Oh yes, this zany little song is a bit of an energetic ode to absent-mindedness. It's all a bit of laugh really - silly lyrics; the occasional royal trumpet; and acrobatic and madcap guitar heroics courtesy of XTC’s Dave Gregory. Could be worse you know.

Lyrics: 

There’s no more smiling in this land of frowns

I can’t remember where I left my crown

Lost the castle keys, it’s a royal pain

When you’re the King of Scatterbrain

Iron fist on a plastic throne

Busy spitting feathers through a megaphone

Same sad song with the lost refrain

Just like the King of Scatterbrain

People everywhere on their arses laughing

Cruel but fair, I’m totally aware

Try to fly my flag but I’m just half-staffing

Blow my own trumpet to little fanfare

Like this reign, I’m coming down again

Decks are shuffled and the drinks are stirred

I’d play my cards if I knew where they were

Royal flush busy circling the drain

Just like the King of Scatterbrain

Feel like the King of Whatsisname

Here’s to the King of Scatterbrain

I stumble through the door

I forgot what I came in for

Sometimes I wonder if I really, really, really want to know

(All hail the King of Scatterbrain)

I had a good idea

Then watched it disappear

It’s really weird but clearly this is how the story goes

(Scatterbrain!)

I had a good idea

Then watched it disappear...

Oh Canada!

"Every artist lives in dread of being compared to another, better-known artist rather than be seen as an Artist Unto Themselves. This may not be the case here as the references come tumbling out with each and every brilliant composition: latter-day XTC, ’67-era Beatles, most smart, Brit-sounding artists you’ve ever cared for."

No complaints about this "Window Seat" review from Eric Thom at Americana Highways. He's a Canadian, so I probably wouldn't complain under any circumstance. Canadians are my people. Or they would be if they would grant me a visa...

You can read the review right here: WINDOW SEAT

Why I Love...

Over the years, Ed Woltil and I have been so fortunate to have been assisted in many a musical endeavour by one of our guitar heroes, Dave Gregory of XTC fame. Ed and I were both fans of Dave when we met back in the Tampa Bay area back in the early 80s, and remain so to this day. I'm totally ok with being a bit of a fan-boy, so I wrote a few words for the "At The Barrier" website about Mr Gregory. It's all right HERE.

Goldmine review

Heartfelt thanks to Lee Zimmerman at Goldmine Magazine for the nod of approval for my "Window Seat" record. You can read it HERE

Unnecessary War

Although some of the more politically tinged songs from recent records of mine have tended to be a little on the snarky side (some of them bordering on barely concealed rage, if I’m honest) "Unnecessary War" attempts to strike a more conciliatory tone. Being angry all the time is tiring, so rather than just going for another diatribe against the usual easy political targets, this one ended up as a bit of a plea for solidarity and understanding across the political divide, albeit with a darn good skewering of those on high horses who seek to pit us lowly folk against each other. Almost akin to poor old Mick Jagger’s, “People, why are we fighting?” plea to the seething crowd at Altamont in ’69. Not that I was there, of course - I was too young and in a different country, but still...

My cousin, David Wise, had shared with me a collection of dramatic WW2-themed pinhole camera shots that he'd taken in Europe, and I wondered if it might be interesting to use them as the backdrop of a lyric video for the song. Now, David and I have never actually met (long story) but it turns out we are very much alike. Consider this quote from a 2023 article in The Hamilton Spectator about him and his pinhole photography: “He has slept on the desert floor in the Sahara and walked and run hundreds of miles at a time across several continents.” Ok, so maybe we’re not really alike at all. I mean, I’m such a cautious homebody these days, that I’ve been known to contemplate getting travel insurance before heading out to the Publix downtown for our weekly shopping excursion. My idea of risky behaviour is to eat a bowlful of ice cream while sitting on the couch without a napkin. Truth be told, I’m a little in awe of him, so I’m really happy that our creative lives have clashed this way. By the way, the article is worth a read; it’s right here: https://www.thespec.com/.../article_9ed8c2c7-6ae6-58e7...

As he usually does, my friend Ed Woltil helped me traverse the minefields of my own technical ineptitude and created this seamless video for me after I’d picked out the shots I thought would work best to accompany the song. Funny thing is, after it was done, my cousin David happened to send me an old photo of our great-grandfather that I’d never seen before. In it, he was very young, and cut a striking figure dressed in his military finery, and after I shared it with Ed, he indicated that it should probably be added to the video. So, in it went (it shows up around the 2:30 minute mark) and I’m so glad he suggested it. Not just because I was hesitant to infringe on his time any further by asking him myself, but because ultimately, I think it makes a for a lovely and poignant addition to the photographic slide show.

After seeing the video, David mentioned to me that he’d like to think that our shared great-grandad would be quite tickled, and might well indeed raise a pint glass to the idea that one of his great grandsons would end up moving to Canada, the other to America, and would both one day connect via an artistic collaboration that would incorporate this very photo. Sappy old bugger that I am, I find the idea quite moving.

Anyway, onward to war stuff…

I Don’t Hear a Single…

It’s always nice to get word of an encouraging album review, especially when it comes in on your birthday. Thanks to Don Valentine for these kind words.

Read the review here:

Read Listen Watch

 

The first review for Window Seat is in. Thanks to Andres Kabel for the kind words!

Read his thoughts here: Window Seat

Golden (Interlude)

Are we golden?

Or beholden?

We left but never got too far

We said goodbye, but why?

Now here we are...

I've always been quite partial to interludes on albums - little song snippets that serve as a bit of a breather in the flow of more fully fledged songs. Sometimes they work well as a little segue into a song of a different mood and vibe; other times the listener may well just wonder, "What the hell was he thinking with this? It's barely a bloody song!"

Either way. I'm quite happy with this little daydream of a song fragment, and I've included it on the new "Window Seat" album. At the very least, I get the opportunity to marry it with a few photos from one of my favourite photographers, Bob Hinchcliffe, who shot these photos back in my hometown of Scunthorpe.

Take a Window Seat...

 

I've toiled, I've laboured, I've laughed, I've cried, I've repeatedly tripped over the dog in my makeshift recording studio. In between it all, I've somehow managed to cobble together another full-length album of songs. When I say, "I've managed", I do of course mean that "my trusted friend, Ed Woltil and I have managed" - for without his stellar production assistance and encouragement, I'd still be stumbling around my studio space, irate dog nipping at my heels, trying to figure out which buttons to push.

Be that as it may, I'm quite chuffed with this one. Ed's fab playing is all over it, my daughter Emma's harmony vocals adorn it, and my favourite guitar player out there, Dave Gregory, makes a couple of his customary appearances. I'm a lucky lad. 

The new record will soon be available at the usual streaming sites (iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Starving Artists R Us etc.) and hard copies in a rather suave gatefold CD wallet thingy with lovely artwork courtesy of Ed will also be available at Bandcamp. While it's not officially released until October 19th, I’m now set up for pre-orders at my Bandcamp page. Pre-ordering gets you two tracks now (Unnecessary War, the album opener which features the aforementioned Dave Gregory on guitar duty, and Treasure, the album's rather pastoral closer), plus the complete album the moment it’s released. If you need something to listen to on those lonely car journeys, you could do worse, you know. Have a look and listen here: Window Seat

I Don't Hear a Single

Aside from having one of the best blog (and blogger) names out there, Don Valentine is the cool bloke and astute writer behind the "I Don't Hear A Single" site.

With a dizzying array of indie music reviews, it's obvious that he loves the music he writes about, and feels a kinship with us struggling artists out there who persist in this whole music-making lark.

Obviously, releasing albums with a view to making money is a bit of a fool's errand, so speaking for myself, it's all a bit of a labour of love. I simply want to create records that I can be proud of; let the chips fall where they may. The reality is that it can be a lonely and frustrating endeavour out there putting these things together on miniscule budgets and struggling to promote them (ask anyone with "Independent Musician" in their bio!), so having someone who values what we bring to the table and takes the time to shine a little light on it, is really encouraging and much appreciated.

Have a look around his site and see for yourself, and while you're there have a look at his kind words about Shadow Play

Life On A Trampoline

The Robinson sisters (Steve and Emma) on background vocals; XTC's Dave Gregory on his trusty SG; Ed Woltil on loads of stuff, including his beloved Looney Tunes timpani drum. (Don't ask)

It's a scream...it's Life On a Trampoline!

Read Listen Watch

A heartfelt thank you to Andres Kabel, for his rather eloquent review of Shadow Play. It's the first one out of the gate and it's a beaut. Thank you sir!

https://readlistenwatch.com/2022/shadow-play/

What we did on our Covid holidays...

 

Cycle, the last Steve Robinson & Ed Woltil release back in 2015 holds a special place in my heart. A fair amount of blood, sweat, tears and grinding of teeth went into it. As I remember, we originally envisioned it as a bloated double album set; almost a willful attempt to be as unbearably pretentious as possible. Ultimately, common sense prevailed as we jettissoned several songs and a rather pompous instrumental segue section, ending up with a rather more sensible 12-track album (13 tracks, if you count the opening 20-second prelude that somehow eluded the editing scissors.)

Shadow Play proved to be an altogether smoother affair. Songs came together quite quickly and it seemed like we zoomed from exchanging early sketched song ideas to hashing out final mixdown decisions in the blink of an eye. I really can't take much credit for this; much of it was down to Ed's alarming work ethic and otherworldy musical focus. His instincts are such, that instrumental touches he adds to our songs almost always seem to hit the mark. He does it so quickly too. I mean, I'm really quite happy with my musical contributions to a slew of the songs we've worked on together, but I also know they're usually a result of considerable trial and error. I'll add and replace guitar and vocal parts over a few weeks until I feel I've landed on the right approach. Ed, on the other hand, will receive a song of mine via email, and the next day he'll toss it back painted with instrumental colours that I didn't even realise I wanted. Mental.

Now, I don't know if this album is better than Cycle (whatever that might mean) but for me, I think that making this one might have been even more enjoyable, in a way. Whether it's due to getting older and more sappy, limping through the jarring stops and starts of the pandemic/lockdown, or simply the realization of just how special it is to have a musical foil like Ed to work with, I'm really not sure. I do feel like our hearts are in it though, and I just treasure it. 

The album will soon be available at the usual streaming sites (iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music etc) and hard copies in a swanky gatefold CD wallet with lovely artwork courtesy of Ed will also be available at Bandcamp. Speaking of which, we’re set up for pre-orders of Shadow Play at the Bandcamp site. You get 2 tracks now (a power-pop nugget called Kickstart and a rather bouncy, Beatlesque gem called Life On a Trampoline, which features XTC’s Dave Gregory on guitar duty), plus the complete album the moment it’s released. Have a listen here:  Shadow Play

Highly recommended, apparently...

                                              

"With The Headlights connection, it will probably be labelled Folk Pop, but Swallowing The Sun is more Pastoral Pop. It is a beautifully arranged album, gentle, magnificently moody, whilst still being melodic. Plenty of hooks, but far more it is about a vibe." - Don Valentine, I Don't Hear a Single

Really kind words from Mr Valentine, for sure. Don't know if he hears a single or not, but I'll take it anyway...

https://hearasingle.blogspot.com/2021/08/steve-robinson-swallowing-sun.html?m=1