‘The Time Is Now’ is a song that lit a fire in me that wouldn’t be extinguished. So I knew it wasn’t enough to submit it and then let it be otherwise unheard. The message was too important…
The theme for the week was “dashing.”
I sat at home, contemplating my child’s attendance at the School Strike for Climate. I was struck by how fitting the theme was. The inaction of our political leaders is literally dashing the hopes and dreams of our children. I’d written an open letter to these leaders in song for an hour later. I uploaded it to my group, just like I’ve done every week for the last four and a half years.
But this song lit a fire in me that wouldn’t be extinguished. I knew it wasn’t enough just to submit it and then let it be otherwise unheard. I felt the message was too important. So I created a video clip, put the demo on an unlisted YouTube link, and sent it out to my subscribers. But, it still wasn’t enough. I was compelled to be part of the action and to have my voice heard.
I emailed Josh, my longtime producer and musical kindred spirit and asked if he was available on the public holiday. He said yes. In one day, we recorded, mixed and mastered the track. After that, I got to re-editing the accompanying video in preparation for the single’s release.
On Friday, 11th October, “Our House Is On Fire” went live on Bandcamp and YouTube.
From writing to release, it was three weeks to the day.
We are so fortunate that we have the tools in place that allow us to turn around a passion project in a short space of time. Why should a song so timely sit unheard for six months or more while we contemplate putting it on an EP?
Of course, the skills I’ve built over the last four and a half years of consistent songwriting have enabled me to write efficiently and know instinctively whether a song is worth being shared publicly. The urgency of the message gave me the impetus to do it. The time for action is now. What are we waiting for?
