Some songs come out of joy.
This one didn’t.
“Freedom” was written during my Vancouver years when everything felt louder. More divided. More tense. I remember watching the news and thinking, this is not sitting right.
I didn’t want to stay quiet.
If you’d rather watch, here’s the full video.
I was working with Bill Sample at the time. I’d show up with a hook. He’d sit at the piano. We’d see what happened.
“Freedom” started in a minor key. It sounded polite. Like we were asking.
Just before the studio, I said, “Why does this sound like we’re pleading? I don’t want to plead.”
So we changed it.
Major key. More groove. Less apology.
That felt better.
I wrote it reacting to what felt unsettled back then.
Funny thing is, it doesn’t feel dated. If anything, it feels like it grew up with the world.
I wish that weren’t true.
This clip was filmed at an outdoor show in North Vancouver. It’s live. The lighting is what it is. The mix is what it is.
But you can hear the shift.
You can hear the point where asking turns into stating.
I don’t write many protest songs. I’m not interested in yelling for the sake of it.
But this one came from not wanting to stay quiet.
P.S. “Freedom” lives on my album Plush Red Chair. If you’re curious, that’s where you’ll find it.