How it feels to make a record when you're Sarah Humphreys

How it feels to make a record.

In less than two weeks I go into the studio to make my second full length record. It's been waiting for a long time, waiting for the right songs, waiting for me to be ready. I don't know if i've ever been 'ready' to make my records. But the time has come for me to step into this for two solid weeks and come out of it with a new baby to take care of and to share. Record number two, she's nearly here!

I remember writing songs for 'record number two' over five years ago in my Kincumber home. I was still married, i was still paying off my first record and I wasn't even close to becoming a mother. Life has changed dramatically. And i'm truly glad it has. There have been many dark moments, wandering through all the unknown. The artist in me doesn't mind what i need to go through in order to bare my soul and write the perfect song for that moment. But I mind very much!

I am not hungry for this world, for this industry, to MAKE IT.

Some (lovely people) have asked…

Do you even want to be famous?

Why don't you go on Australian Idol/The Voice/All the other ones

You'll make it one day.

Why aren't you famous yet?

You just need a manager/a big break/an interview with this person/to meet this person/to go to Paris/To do this show for nothing which is a wonderful opportunity/To go VIRAL *shudders*

After all of these years I can truly say that i am simply a Mother and an artist. I will not strive just so others believe i am deserving. I will make beautiful music out of thin air and I will share it with whoever wants to listen. I will give you my time, I will give you my heart. But this industry will not own me and I will always put my son and my self first, for without those two things - well… the art will just dry up like a drained and exhausted old river. And to have not one but TWO companies who get that, who support that, who love me and my life and my music and my personality for what it is - I am eternally grateful. ABC Music & Mushroom Music Publishing are the backbone to this album, this next phase of my musical career. 

Sometimes the hardest workers just keep working and striving and working til they're all worn out and they're somewhere up a river they didn't even know they were swimming up. It's kind of like me when i've had too much coffee, i'm going really fast but i'm not getting much done. Nothing real anyway. So I will just keep swimming, slowly and surely knowing my time will come. I will get to where I am going, I can't not. In fact, I'm very nearly almost there.

I felt very sad when Seal (yes i'm going to talk about The Voice again) handed his singers a piece of paper which said 

THERE IS NOTHING ELSE

Actually, there is. Balanced, normal, loving human beings know that they are not the centre of the universe. Your best? It's enough. It's more than enough. Success at all costs doesn't work out for anyone around you, not even you in the end.

Thankfully even though i'm a pretty peaceful homebody these days, I do love to share. Songs, emails, text messages, blogs, tweets, status updates… You name it. Except phone calls. Jude HATES me talking on the phone. And why shouldn't he? So add me on all of those thingies. Don't call. You'll just make a two year old cry. ANYWAY I'll be keeping in touch while i'm recording this new beautiful beast of an album. My new word is 'yes!' instead of 'no!' 

I am working with some of the most talented people in this country. Matt Fell. Josh Schuberth. Jeff McCormack. It's incredible. I trust them to know my soul and to know my music. And even when something sounds a bit odd, like 

'Let's record this outside! In a compost bin! With a sitar!' 

I'll be like, 'You know what you crazy old men*? Let's effing do just that!'

*Older than me. Not old ;)

x Sare

The boy getting squished. I love him so.

There is always room.

'There is always room for love.

There is always time.'

When my eyes are closed various things happen. I might feel inspired to do something, but most of the time i feel like a nap after a long morning of 'requests' from my two year old boss which are actually demands. However, i try and see the glass as half full most of the time. A guy i was speaking to today was trying to convince me of the 'terrible twos and aren't they shocking and oh my' but i continually repeated to him that although Jude is intense, i don't like to think of it this way. Complaining and whinging won't make this time any easier. Repeat. Repeat. Breathe. Repeat. (I'm all for a good cry/whinge/moan/scream when it's needed, rather than holding it all in and pretending everything is fine. But a constant hum of complaints does nuttin' for noone, especially the complainer.)

Anyway.

Sometimes i feel like getting up and having a spoonful of nutella.

Sometimes i feel like having a bath.

Sometimes i feel like puttering around the house, moving things around but not really actually cleaning anything.

Sometimes i feel like making something. Crappy - but made with love.

And sometimes when my little heart decides it has enough inspiration and wants to do what it used to have time for day in day out - it comes up with some words. Sometimes a song, sometimes a poem, sometimes a list of affirmations and dreams and things that long to be put on paper.

This is what came out the other day, short and sweet.

x