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.

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.

"This Charming Fan" CW1 for Documentary Production, Edge Hill University...

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