Finally Sharing My Voice
I never imagined I would one day say this, but I’ve just released my first solo music in four years, and it’s the first ever featuring my voice and lyrics.
And along the way, something less life changing but even less imaginable – I accidentally found myself on the local news in China.
Gravity
After over a decade of releasing instrumental music, I’ve finally found my voice. Today I released Gravity, the first song from my next album, and the creative evolution that set the path of the last few years of my life.
I still remember the precise moment the chorus lyrics came to me. I was running along a ridgeline above the ocean in this vast park and bird sanctuary near where I live. Realising I was somehow the only person there, I suddenly had clarity about my emotions at the time, something I couldn’t put into words before. And it came with a free astrophysics metaphor, even better.
The day I wrote the song might have been the most transformational, but learning to sing has definitely been the longest part of the journey. I was getting closer each day, but every attempt to record the vocals still wasn’t quite there. So I went back to Suzanne Lynch – NZ music legend, and long-time Cat Stevens band member – for one last dedicated session on Gravity.
After the long drive home that evening, I went straight to the microphone, and finally the notes came easily, and I could fully express the emotion I felt in the song.
I didn’t leave everything else behind though. The piano still sits front and centre, and the strings were performed by an incredible group of 8 players. It was the largest string section I’ve ever worked with, and the magic we captured was worth it all.
Honestly, I’ve never been more nervous to share anything with you, or felt more exposed, but it’s also never felt so rewarding. I hope you enjoy the song.
Making the Local News, but in China
Since I visited China last year, I’ve been posting some music on their online platforms. But last weekend I finally filmed a dedicated video in Mandarin, talking about a stunning park I went to in Liuzhou, a rather small city there.
I posted the video, went to sleep, and to my absolute shock, woke up to thousands of comments. People were sharing their own beautiful stories and photos from the same mountains, laughing at the way I (unknowingly) picked up the local accent, and the most bizarre part – my video even ended up on their local news channel.
“New Zealand musician finds inspiration in Liuzhou,” and I truly did.
And now my voice is out in the world (in more forms than I imagined…), along with a song that’s so special to me. I truly hope you enjoy it 🤍
As always, feel free to join my Discord Server or send me an email if you’d like to chat. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the song.
All the best for now,
Levi
