Finding This City
Episode #189: Finding This City.\xa0 (Song starts at 3:42\xa0 )\nHi there, this episode was a fun one to put together. To start with, Finding This City came into my mind as I went into my studio. I went over to a large box of old cassettes and selected one completely randomly. Amazingly, the tape that said Peter \u201994, was teed up and ready to play the uptempo rocker that is: 'Finding This City'.\nThat sort of thing really appeals to me. It feels very close to the sort of magic feeling that can happen when I pick up a pen to write lyrics, or when I let my hands just play some bits and pieces on the keys of the piano.\nThat\u2019s what I was doing back in 1994. I\u2019ll put you in the picture: I was new to a city called Hamilton, in New Zealand\u2019s North Island. I had a lot of hair, in my mid 20s. I had an old van that smoked like \u2018billy-o\u2019 but it got me around the country from gig to gig.\nA few things hadn\u2019t exactly gone to plan musically - and personally - at this stage. But a new chapter beckoned in Hamilton and I was determined to carry on and create some new opportunities.\nI met up with an old friend, Mr Grant Hislop, again. He offered me a couple of weeks employment, recording voice overs for radio commercials (which I\u2019d never done). It was a big step up from home recording on 4 tracks. But I took on the challenge. I learned on the fly, recording these radio ads.\nAnd over the course of 5 nights, working from 9pm til dawn, I put together an album of demos. It was initially all done on the keyboard (drums and bass included) except for the guitar.\n\u2018Brendon\u2019, a guitarist, heard me recording one night around midnight. About then I\u2019d been thinking \u2018Man, I wish I had a guitarist for these songs\u2019 and lo and behold, Brendon knocked on the door and introduced himself. 6 hours later, as the sun came up, we were putting the finishing touches to the last song.\nSo, lots of energy - the energy of a driven artist in his mid 20s.\nFast forward now, to 2023. And the energy still flows. I\u2019m starting to figure out I better let those 3am finishes go. Especially when I do 3 in a row.\nI\u2019ve worked extremely hard on my song writing over the years. It\u2019s my passion.\xa0 It\u2019s easy -\xa0 I\u2019ve never sat down and just slogged away for hours. It\u2019s never been that way. For that, I\u2019m extremely grateful. It\u2019s a total joy.\nIm Working on 5 albums presently, in various genres. I\u2019ll let you know when they\u2019re up and streaming.\nSo it does take a lot of hours and work to write songs. I think it\u2019s worth every minute. I recommend it, for sure.\nIn fact, if you\u2019re thinking about getting busy on a creative path, I say go for it. It\u2019s such a rich life to be living in so many respects.\nI get energy by walking in the outdoors, by water. It\u2019s pretty easy to explain, I guess. It literally fills the well, gives me what I need to carry on.\nThis is song number 323 out of 800. Sandwiched between two mellow songs, Balcony and Post The Picture\u2026gentle songs I\u2019ve already featured on this podcast.\nAlso, I mention a chap I met in a restaurant one night..which ended up being a song, I Wish (also on this podcast).\nOk, It was fun rediscovering this song. Here we go\u2026let\u2019s find this city.\nEnjoy.