Happy New Year, welcome to 2021!
I meant to write to you all on the Solstice, and it passed by. Then came and went Christmas. Now it is the first day of a new calendar year, so I'm not letting the day pass without writing to you all.
Would you like to know a little secret? At the start of January 2020, before any of us had heard of coronavirus, social distancing, furlough or mask-shaming, I had a very unusual (for me) and very strong sense of foreboding, and a distinct feeling that I may not be around past June. I realise this sounds batty, but I'm an artist and allowed some level of battiness, right? The result of what turned out to be an incorrect premonition prompted me to let things go that weren't at the core of who I am, such as my Arbonne business, uncomfortable clothes, teaching in my home; and to reclaim things that I'd previously let go, such as hedgerow medicine, foraging, drawing.
Most relevant to this list, I decided to get the help of a partner in music production through which I could actually get my songs released. The recording process didn't turn out how we expected, with his change in studio setting, me fumbling with home recording, and also a national lockdown, but I believe that we understand each other well now to move things ahead at a better clip, regardless of our circumstances.
We are getting close to finishing the recording for a song I've been calling "Lazarus", which I'm very excited about. "Four Places" is now done (and a Finalist in the Singer-Songwriter category of the UK Songwriting Competition, I might add!).
I believe the next recording will be my most recent song, and I've chosen to share exclusively with you the lyrics below. I'm not totally sure what it is about yet, but I can't wait for you to hear it, I think it might address some of 2020. It is so fresh and still full of spirit. In the passing of time between writing and recording, songs achieve stability, reliability, solid form and arrangement. On the flip side, the newness of a song makes it exciting, dangerous, emotional, and vulnerable to record. So with bigger risk might we expect bigger rewards? One can hope.
A couple of weeks ago I finally posted on social media, in my personal facebook profile, about the solstice and conjunction of planets. I meant to send it also in a letter to you all. If you'd like to read it, I've added it to my website, and it is perhaps a bit relevant to the song lyrics as well:
https://aerynn.com/home/blog/wandering-solstice-2020
Again I thank you for being part of my journey, and investing the time to read these love letters.
Blessings and peace,
—Aerynn