Shangri-La Paradise
If you’d rather watch, here’s the full video.
I sang this for the first time at the Yardbird in Edmonton.
A proper listening room. The kind where people actually sit and hear you.
The song started out of boredom.
I had this image of a librarian stamping books. One after another.
Stamp. Stamp. Stamp.
Rinse. Repeat. The steady beat. Unrelenting.
That rhythm turned into the verse.
And then I imagined her wanting out.
We all escape somewhere.
Movies. Music. A glass of wine at the end of the day.
This one went a little further.
Old Hollywood.
People who dress for dinner.
Sunglasses. Yachts. George Clooney.
Class.
I kept seeing her.
Maybe she reads romance novels.
Maybe she watches old films on repeat.
I do.
There’s a bit of me in there.
I’ve been to Paris.
I dressed up every day. Took my time. Paid attention.
Most days now, I’m in sweats at home.
There’s not always somewhere to go.
But the idea of it stays.
That’s what this song is.
Not a place.
A mood.
A few minutes somewhere else.
We recorded the track this past summer in Calgary with Steve Dawson and his band.
It’s not finished yet.
There’s more to come. Horns. Lead vocals. The full picture.
If the grant comes through, it will get there.
For now, this is the version.
Just me and the track.
I tend to think if a song works this simply, it’s probably a good one.
You can’t stream this one yet.
So this video is where it lives for now.
Watch it here.
