Wednesday, 4 January 2023

A very short story I wrote a few years ago

 I've been doing some rearranging of my possessions and stumbled across some forgotten notebooks filled with mostly unfinished work. Most of it is embarrassingly bad but I did find this short story. I genuinely can't remember if I ever planned on continuing the story or if it was always going to be this brief, but I do recall it was inspired by a writing prompt I saw on Facebook. 


It doesn't seem to have ever been given a title so I'll just call it Untitled Short Story circa 2018.


...........................................................................................................................


The sun beat down on the dusty road as I trudged forward, my backpack heavy on my shoulders. Sweat dripped down my face and I longed for the cool relief of the river that flowed just out of sight. I had been walking for hours and my feet ached, but I knew I couldn't stop. I had to get to the next town before nightfall. As I walked, my thoughts turned to Maria. I could still see her face, her dark eyes filled with tears as I left. I knew I was breaking her heart by going, but I had to do it. I had to see the world, to feel the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. I had to know that there was more out there than the small village we had grown up in. Finally, as the sun began to sink below the horizon, I saw the glint of water in the distance. I quickened my pace, my thirst and fatigue forgotten. As I reached the river, I collapsed to my knees and plunged my face into the cool, clear water. It was the most refreshing thing I had ever tasted. As I sat there, drinking my fill, I knew that I had made the right decision. I had left everything I knew behind, but it was worth it for this moment of pure, unadulterated freedom. I knew that no matter what the future held, I would always carry this moment with me, a reminder of the endless possibilities that lay ahead.

Drawing and painting - some thoughts

 Hi everyone,


I've always enjoyed drawing, but recently I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and experiment with different techniques and styles. In addition to trying out new media like pens, markers, and watercolors, I've also been exploring different kinds of art.


For example, I've always been a fan of traditional drawings and paintings, but I've recently started dabbling in digital art. It's been a bit of a learning curve, as I'm used to working with physical media, but I'm loving the flexibility and potential for experimentation that digital art offers. I've also been interested in art forms like sculpture and collage, which are completely new to me. It's been so much fun to try out different materials and techniques, and see how they all come together to create something unique and personal.


Overall, I've learned that experimentation is a crucial part of the creative process. It's easy to get stuck in a rut and keep doing things the same way, but by trying new things and stepping out of my comfort zone, I've been able to develop and grow as an artist.


I hope you'll check out some of my recent art and let me know what you think. You can find it on Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook. And if you're an artist yourself, I encourage you to take the time to experiment and try out new techniques and styles. You never know what you might discover!


Barnaby Tremayne 

Some behind the scenes info about Winter Cheer

 Hey everyone,


I wanted to share a little bit about the process of creating my new Christmas album, "Winter Cheer".


One of the things that I love about making music is the ability to experiment and try new things. For this album, I had the chance to do just that. I used a mix of traditional instruments, like guitars and piano, and my rarely used flute, as well as virtual instruments and software to create the sounds and arrangement


One of the challenges of recording a Christmas album is finding a balance between the classic, timeless sound of the holiday season and incorporating more modern production techniques. I think I struck that balance on "Winter Cheer".


For example, on the track "Carol of the Bells," I used a combination of live guitars and virtual instruments to create the backing track. I wanted to capture the energy and excitement of the song, but also maintain that classic holiday sound.


Last Christmas I made a sort of companion to the album. I completely redid the mix of "Silent Night" and added vocals with the help of Marie Ork aka Alter/Ego.


I hope you'll give "Winter Cheer" a listen some time.


Barnaby Tremayne.


Returning to blogging at last?

 Hello everyone!


It's been a while since I last wrote a blog post, and I wanted to take a moment to explain why.


As many of you know, I've been struggling with my mental health for the past few years. It's been a difficult journey, and at times it's felt overwhelming. I've tried a lot of different things to manage my symptoms and find some balance, but it's been a slow process.


One thing that I've learned is that self-care is incredibly important. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life and forget to take care of ourselves, but it's so important to make time for rest, relaxation, and doing things that bring us joy.


For me, blogging has always been a source of joy. I love being able to connect with all of you, share my thoughts and experiences, and hopefully provide some entertainment or inspiration. But over the past year or so, I've found it harder and harder to find the time and energy to write. Between work, family, and my own mental health struggles, it's been difficult to prioritise blogging.


But I've missed it. I've missed the creative outlet, the sense of community, and the opportunity to connect with all of you. So I've decided to make the time and effort to get back into it.


I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to post, or what topics I'll cover. But I'm excited to see where this journey takes me. I hope you'll join me on this new chapter.


Thank you all for your continued support and understanding.


Barnaby Tremayne 

First new release for 2023

 Hey everyone!


I'm excited to announce the release of my new single, "80s Daydream." This song has been a long time in the making, and I can't wait for you all to hear it.


As the title suggests, "80s Daydream" is heavily inspired by the music of the 1980s. From the synths to the drums, this song is a throwback to the era of big hair and neon lights. 


I hope this song brings a little bit of fun and nostalgia into your life. You can check it out on all major streaming platforms, or you can listen to it on my website.


Thank you all for your support. I can't wait to hear what you think of "80s Daydream."


Barnaby J. Tremayne 

Coffee - an essay about my favourite drink

To me, coffee is more than just a drink. It is a ritual, a daily routine that punctuates the day and gives it structure. It is a comforting presence, a warm and familiar friend that is always there when you need it. But coffee is also more than that. It is a fuel, a source of energy and focus that helps us power through our work and our daily lives. It is a pick-me-up, a boost that helps us tackle the tasks ahead. And yet, coffee is also something more elusive, something harder to define. It is a symbol, a representation of our culture and our values. It is a way of life, a way of being that is deeply ingrained in who we are. For true coffee lovers, coffee is all of these things and more. It is a constant presence, a constant companion that is always there to lend a hand, to offer support, and to provide comfort. It is a source of strength and inspiration, a way of connecting with the world around us and finding meaning in the everyday. In short, coffee is more than just a drink. It is a way of life, a way of being that is essential to who we are and how we live. It is a ritual, a routine, and a comfort that we rely on every day. And for that, we should forever be grateful.

Sunday, 10 January 2016

Where I've Been In 2015

Hello readers,

I've been even more quiet than usual recently, well about a year actually, so I thought it was time for an update. So what have I been up to? Err, stuff. Mainly procrastinating. I've been very busy but apparently not busy doing anything constructive.

In late 2014 I finally returned to playing live. For a few months I haunted every open mic in town, trying desperately to remember how it's done. After a lot of mistakes and discovering I can't always remember the lyrics to my own songs I finally started to improve. Unfortunately, most of the open mics nearby closed down for various reasons and I was left with no option but to stay silent for a while. There was some good news though, after playing bass at a regular jam night I was offered a chance to play bass on an album that a friend was working on.

In Demember I was unexpectedly invited to star in a documentary about The Smiths, I got to go to Manchester and see some places associated with the band. I had a great time, and the entire crew were fantastic and really lovely people. The film, This Charming Fan, can be found on YouTube or the blogpost before this one.

In January 2015 I met up with producer Dr Jaxon and singer Billy Hobbes from the band Broken Swords. The sessions lasted about a week. Broken Swords's first album Sunlight Skims will hopefully feature me playing bass. Almost a year later, the album remains in a kind of limbo. The last I heard, recording was finished and the project was now being mixed. That was 6 months ago, so I'm not sure when the album will see the light of day. When it does come out, it will be available on most streaming sites and distributed through Damsel Records (aka my label).

In April I found out that the streaming site Grooveshark was shutting down. This pissed me off because most of my available material was hosted there. The Bletchley album and the Songs For EPs were there, along with some other demos and live recordings. At the moment they are all unavailable. The only place to find my music right now is Reverbnation or Soundcloud. More info on releases later.

I spent the next few months doing my day job of caring for family, even less interesting than it sounds believe it or not.

In September, I was injured in the street and broke my wrist. It needed to be pinned and plated and has left me comepletely unable to play the guitar any time soon. With any luck I will be able to play again but it's not definite.

So, where does leave me and making music?

Good question.

Despite multiple false starts over the last few years, album no 4 Broken Mornings is actually almost finished. It needs some more parts recording and then I can mix it and release it. Unfortunately, it will probably be a few months before I can record the final parts. The album is coming but it's going to be a while yet.

With this in mind, I've looked into my options for distributing my music online. I'm still weighing up which deal to take but long story short, The Cerice Trilogy, some EPs and a side project I worked on a few months ago will all be available to stream for free on Spotify, Deezer and YouTube, and available to purchase on Amazon, itunes and Bandcamp.

In the meantime, I've been searching through boxes and found the files for Songs For Cerice 2.0, Songs For Toni 2.0 and Salad Days 2.0. These are all a few years old now but most people never got to hear them since the sites they were on either shut down or got shut down by legal teams. I'm remastering the audio and making them a little more listenable. If all goes to plan they'll all appear on Youtube and Soundcloud ASAP. Probably a few weeks, it's not a big job but I don't have a lot of free time at the moment.

Til next time,

Barnaby J. Tremayne.



Sunday, 3 November 2013

Album no. 4

Hello readers. Can't believe it's been nearly two years since I last posted here. I've been lying low and concentrating on other things in life, seeing if anyone missed my presence. I'll leave it up to you to decide if what the conclusion was hehe.

I'm starting work on a new album, album no.4 is called Broken Mornings. I've started a livejournal to keep everyone posted on my progress. You can find the first entry here. Album 4 will be a new start after the Cerice Trilogy.

I should be posting here more often hopefully, and hopefully the new album will be finished quite soon.

Til next time,


Barnaby J. Tremayne

Sunday, 5 February 2012

A Response To Dr. Don Boys.

I recently stumbled across an article written by Dr. Don Boys, titled “People Without Integrity Ignore Facts About Homosexuality.”

In this article Dr. Boys makes a number of statements that are highly inaccurate. I thought I’d write an article replying to and challenging his original article which can be found here: Publius.

According to the article: Homosexuals are not “born that way” and any study will support that. Even the very pro-homosexual American Psychological Association has returned to reality and in the last couple of months declared: “There are no scientific findings that a person is born homosexual.” One of their brochures declares: “There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops s heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation.”

What is the relevance of the origin of homosexual desires? The title of the article suggests dealing in facts, but the facts of the origins of homosexuality are unclear.

Homosexuals do recruit as classic studies prove. In fact, about half of the adult homosexuals were seduced into perversion before age 14. Homosexuals molest young boys far more than heterosexuals molest girls. Yet, we are told that homosexuals don’t molest little boys!

Dr Boys appears to be basing his argument of anti gay propaganda like Boys Beware!

Also, he seems a little confused about the meaning of the word homosexual. Molestation motivated by sexual desire of adolescents is called pederasty, not homosexuality.

It is also telling that the media do their best to separate pedophilia from homosexuality such as the horrific scandal in the Roman Catholic Church and in other mainline protestant denominations. The vicious predators are never identified as homosexuals, only pedophiles. What’s the difference except in the spelling?

Quite a large difference Dr. Boys. The issue of religious figures abusing children is a complex issue involving repression of sexual desires and having access to vulnerable, trusting people. The homosexual element is a minor part of the issue. The “media” is wise to separate the two terms as any they are quite clearly very different.

Homosexuals indulge in incredible, unbelievable, vile, vulgar, even violent activities detrimental to themselves and society such as fisting (don’t ask); rimming (don’t ask again); illegal drug use; eating or rubbing their bodies with a lover’s feces; autoerotic asphyxiation (about 1,000 die each year); sadomasochism, urine drinking; golden showers (water sports); insertion of bottles, flashlights and other objects up a “lovers” rear; and other repulsive activities. I would love to hear a defense of those activities.

More confusion about the meaning of words and the nature of sexual practices here. Fisting and rimming are far from exclusive to homosexual liaisons. Illegal drug use is widespread in all sections of society and has nothing whatsoever to do with homosexuality. Coprophagia (or consumption of faeces), urophagia (consumption of urine), urolagnia (golden showers) and sadomasochism are all paraphilias (better known as fetishes), not exclusive to any one sexual orientation. Autoerotic asphyxiation is by definition a solitary act, not an act between two or more people and again is not limited to any specific sexual orientation.

Statistically, homosexuals die much younger than normal people. Studies show that homosexual lifestyle may cost homosexuals 30 years of life. Homosexuals were 116 times more apt to be murdered and 24 times more likely to commit suicide than others.

Did Dr. Boys just blame the victims of murder for being gay? People who commit suicide are likely being affected by negative information like Dr. Boys’ article and a lack of positive information and access to services that can help them.

Homosexuals can be “converted” back to heterosexuality.

Many gay, lesbian, bisexual (and other orientations) people claim that they knew that they were somehow “different” to their peers since childhood.

There is no evidence whatsoever that gay “conversion” techniques are in any way effective and victims of these techniques have claimed that the experience was damaging.

Every homosexual is not involved with violence, but all of them live a vile and vulgar lifestyle.

What exactly is vile and vulgar about their lifestyle?

There is nothing gay in the homosexual way.

Subtle.

Follow up.

Two of my closest and most valued friends indentify themselves as non heterosexual. Both have suffered from prejudice and abuse simply for being different. One of them is a victim of so called “conversion therapy” and will state that the only effects were negative and stigmatising and did nothing to change his sexual orientation.

Both are in healthy relationships and are in no way evil or degenerate people. They deserve respect just like any other person, regardless of their sexual desires or lifestyle choices.

Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to find any contact information for Dr. Boys, so I have been unable to communicate with him directly or send him a copy of this article. The closest I could get was to write to him on Twitter, inviting him to read this article and to contact me if he wishes to clarify or defend his stance.

Please comment or contact me if you agree or disagree with what I have said and wish to discussit further.

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

Saturday, 21 January 2012

MegaUpload taken down

Hello readers. I have just found out that MegaUpload and its related sites like MegaVideo have been taken down. Not only is this an outrageous and short sighted move on the part of the authorities, I've lost a number of files that were hosted there. Some early vidoes were there and most of my music was available there. I'll track down the original files (they're on a hard drive that was misplaced when i moved a while back) and placing them on Youtube, Dailymotion and of course barnabytremayne.webs.com.

Part 2: Tonight I'm starting the recording of a potential single. A new song called England's Shore. I haven't chosen a b-side yet, so I'll add an update in the near future.

Thanks for reading,

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

Friday, 30 December 2011

New album completed

News at last. If you've read my previous post you'll be aware that I completely scrapped an almost finished album a couple of weeks ago. Luckily, some of it was salvageable. For the last 2 weeks I've been re-making the album from scratch, taking it in a very different direction and making something worth hearing. Working title Absentia has become Absent Son. Over the next few hours I'll be doing some editing to the recordings and it will be uploaded to the online stores by tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, I've upoaded a video to youtube with the earliest demos for Trinity to give you an idea how the album developed. You can find it here: Trinity Slideshow.

Thanks for reading,

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

PS Happy new year everyone.

Saturday, 17 December 2011

TRINITY ALBUM CANCELLED

Hello readers, I'm very sad to say that the Trinity album is cancelled. After a lot of work and a lot of time, I finally got to listen to the almost finished product. 6 of the 9 songs are finished and ready for release. After listening to some well trusted opinions, it was agreed that the album just didn't quite work.

But it's not all bad news, some of the album is salvageable and with a little work I should be able to make a new album out of the remnants. Hopefully it will be ready by New Year's, if I really put the work in. Christmas is a quiet time for me, so I should be free to record everything I need.

The plan for Trinity was a departure from my previous work, to add electronic elements to my mostly acoustic music to create new textures. There are rough demos online at mediafire/barnabytremayne, and I will upload the complete album (such as it is) for a limited time just in case anyone wants to hear it.

So what's next? I was playing the very first demos for Trinity and I realised how different it is to the original concept. The plan is to return to the original plan and start again, keeping it simpler this time. Luckily, most of the material is recyclable and I should be able to recreate the earlier work very quickly. Working title for the new album is Absentia (I'll let you figure out why).

Til next time,

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

Sunday, 4 December 2011

Update on new album

Today I should be recording the final parts of my third album Trinity. I'd say it's about four fifths finished. It still needs a few guitar and synth parts added and a couple of mistakes need to be fixed. If all goes to plan, it will be finished just before Christmas and before the first anniversary of Bletchley's release. The demos will be available on my website soon, and the finished album will be available from the usual places. Wish me luck. This is the first album to feature anything other than guitar, bass, drums and voice.

Til later,

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

Monday, 31 October 2011

A Video Slideshow of Ampthill

Hi all. Today my best friend Kryssi (see several of the posts below) made a video slideshow of Ampthill Park. The photography is all by her. I think it's awesome. Check it out here. PS Salad Days 2.0 is on its way.

Friday, 21 October 2011

Salad Days 2.0

5 years ago today (a Saturday if I remember right) I was sat on my bed, guitar in hand, trying to figure out how to use a four track recorder. I had the house to myself for a few hours and I'd promised to record a demo to show the people I worked with what kind of musician I was. This seemed like a good idea until I realised that I actually had no idea how to record it properly. I had some very basic equipment, a karaoke microphone from Poundstretcher, a second hand set of bongo drums I bought from the local market which were (actually still are come to think of it) badly in need of repair, an acoustic guitar that I was given for my 17th birthday and a hired Tascam 4-Track recorder which recorded on to standard cassette tapes.
I put on Bill Bailey's Bewilderness for background noise and got to work. First I had to learn how the recorder worked (not that easy without a manual). Second I had to learn how to do overdubs, and also how long it takes to do overdubs if you don't know what you're doing. After about an hour I was ready to record some songs. This was when I learned that it really helps to decide what you want to record before you start recording. I chose 5 of my favourite songs (that seemed easy to play) and finally pressed record. Take 1 didn't go so well. Lesson 4: turn on the microphone if you actually want to record anything except silence. Also, it helps if the microphone isn't muffled by bedsheets. I remedied this by resting the microphone on top of a milk crate (it made sense at the time). Take 2 went better, well sort of, it recorded at least. Lesson 5: microphones record everything, including the sound of Bill Bailey in the background.

I recorded 5 songs that day, only 4 were complete, I didn't have time to record the vocals on a cover of Babyshambles' I Love You (But You're Green). The other 4 songs were: Perfect Day by Lou Reed, Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground, Norwegian Wood by The Beatles and I Feel Fine by The Beatles. I wanted to record more, including an original song called Dove and a cover of Albion, but there was no time and the 4-track had to be returned.

Salad Days took about 6 hours to record, everything took multiple takes as I missed my cue or played out of time and had to start over countless times. Still it was worth it to have something to prove that I really was a musician (to myself as much as to other people). I had just started writing the songs for the original version of Bletchley and I needed something to encourage me to finish them. They got finished eventually but that's another story.

Fast forward 5 years and I'm sat in another bedroom typing this next to a different guitar and a 4-track recorder. Over the next few hours I will be recording a new version of Salad Days. Hopefully it won't take as long as last time and I can get it finished and online by Sunday. Times have changed, now I've got better equipment (did I mention that I used a milk crate as a mic stand? Yeah, money was tight at the time.) and I know much more about recording than I did back then, so it should be much easier this time. The plan is to record the same songs but there may be some additions if the mood takes me.

That's the end of this ramble.

Til next time,

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

Monday, 10 October 2011

Hi everyone, I haven't written in a while for various reasons. This is really just a note to say that a selection of my releases can now be streamed for free on Grooveshark. Find it here: http://grooveshark.com/#/artist/Barnaby+Tremayne/2156544
I will be uploading Bletchley and possibly some previously unreleased stuff there. Keep watch and they will appear soon.

Also a note to say that work has officially started on album number 3, working title Trinity. 5 songs have been written and demo'd, and I'll be starting the final recordings over the next few days.

Finally, I have decided that an album I completed a while back will finally be released. Probably over the next few weeks.

Til next time,

Barnaby J Tremayne.

Monday, 4 April 2011

Kryssi's third gig. Recorded live at The Fox And Hound in Stony Stratford.

Sunday, 3 April 2011

High Fidelity

I just finished watching High Fidelity. Even though it was only made 10 years ago, it's become sort of time capsule of a way of life that just doesn't exist anymore. Do obsessives still spend years searching out a rarity? That single that only four people bought when it was new? The Japanese issue of an album that no one else liked in the first place? Of course we do, we're obsessives, but now we just google it and look around various websites til we find it then download it for free. But double clicking on an mp3 just isn't the same as placing that slab of vinyl on the turntable. And does anyone make mixtapes anymore? The delicate art of conveying your thoughts and feelings with another person's lyrics and music. Then filling out the (always too small) insert, writing each letter carefully in your best handwriting and trying not to make any mistakes.

I got to thinking that working in an indie record store would be the perfect job for me. Then I realised that there aren't any indie record stores anymore. Now we all just set up our own stalls online and sell just one artist. Usually ourselves. Like this or this (yes I know it's self publicity but who else is going to advertise them?) The real indies just faded away, leaving a hole in the high street that HMV can never quite fill. It's just not the same.

Maybe we obsessives need to find a new obsession.

Barnaby J. Tremayne.

Sunday, 27 February 2011

I've just found out that I'm on the NME website. How did that happen? I'm not complaining though. Find me here:
http://www.nme.com/artists/barnaby-tremayne