#very 74-75 by the connells

[neomachine]

i just know he went hard when ok computer released in 1997

[boilmynoodles]

Hello darling! I don’t know if it’s too late but I’ve seen you reblogged the music ask game too! So if you wanna still do it: 2,4,5,7,15,26

Love you so much😚🫶🏻💕

Hello babe, thank so much 😘😘

2. So nostalgic to me and I don't know why

4. Reminds me of my ex friend bc it was her favourite artist, I kinda like that song though...

5 obv Led Zeppelin song, I like the reggae vibe

7. I haven't got my driver's license yet but I feel like I'll be playing this song very often

15 I really thought it was his song lmao

26 Actually, I'm already in love

[velvetmalice]

music ask thingy: 9, 12, 20, 30? 😊💕

Thank you, sweetheart 🥰 Now that I see the answers infront of me I wonder why I pondered some of the questions for so long 🤔 9: A song that makes you happy Young Americans - David Bowie Of all the Bowie songs this is the one that bring me most joy. And when he died, I drove through town windows rolled down blasting it at full volume, clad in my leoprint fur coat cause I am dramatic like that. 12: A song from your preteen years The Connells - '74-'75 The music video to this song was my very first. My friend’s parents got cable tv and for a couple of days we did little else but watch VH-1. I’ve got awful long-term memory but this moment really sticks out! 20: A song that has many meanings to you Amanda Palmer - The Ride Actually this song is pretty straight forward but it bears so much meaning for me. While it saddens me to listen to it also comforts me at the same time like a good listener telling me everything is going to be just fine. Life just is and will play out the way it was meant to. 30: A song that reminds you of yourself Cosmic Dancer - Marc Bolan and: The Importance Of Being Idle - Oasis These are twin songs for me. I’ve always danced my way through life to much confusion of everyone around me and I’ll always be happy “as long as there’s a bed beneath the stars that shine” but also “can’t get a life if my hearts not in it”. Won’t stop dancing and floating until I get there.

[myassbrokethefall]

I was tagged like, WEEKS ago by @oykamu to post 10 songs I’ve been listening to lately. It so happens that I’ve been on a “shuffle the entire music library” kick (instead of “play the same playlist over and over again” which is what I normally do) so I’ve been enjoying some deep cuts that I haven’t heard in a while. Let’s see...

an angel stepped down / jane siberry just reliving THE ENTIRE 90s over here. like I can’t express how deeply into Jane Siberry I was at one point and YES I first heard of her when Gillian played “the gospel according to darkness” on one of her CBC dj guest radio things

does everyone stare / the police Not one of my particular Police go-tos, but it came up this morning while I was making breakfast and I was appreciating it. Stewart. 

lemon glow / beach house This song chills me right out. 

get lucky / daft punk pharrell williams nile rodgers My ultimate good-mood song. That Nile Rodgers guitar takes me right back to my Madonna heyday. 

dawn chorus / thom yorke from his new Anima album, it made me cry in the film (which is on netflix)

the void / metric I love Metric very much but I didn’t hook into this album that much when it came out, but lately I have been rediscovering it. This song is the greatest. I! Stayed up! To prove! I could keep up! With you! 

machine / regina spektor “living in your prewar apartment/soon to be your postwar apartment” = underappreciatedly ominous lyric

indra / thievery corporation I don’t know if I’ve ever INTENTIONALLY listened to this song, but it is pretty solid

video hostage / doldrums mood mood moooooooddddd

zero is also a number / nick cave and the dirty three do you guys REMEMBER THIS SHIT from the ftf album?? the HIDDEN TRACK on the cd that you had to manually rewind the cd from track 1 to get to (hence the title, I’m sure it has a real title). every once in a while this song comes up on shuffle and I appreciate it and how deeply metal it is and how #xf aesthetic. CC, you should have been a dj after all, my man. 

[fismoll7secinv]

Love your choices @miyakuli! Very diverse. My fav is let’s bang holy shit i didn’t know it and now I’m in love!!!

Aight, now mine, also tried to make it diverse (links lead to yt):

Short ver:

You Stupid Bitch by girl in red

ZITTI E BUONI by Måneskin

Zombie by The Cranberries

Long ver (url):

Fly by Ludovico Einaudi

In Hell I'll Be In Good Company by The Dead South

Siren Song by Bat For Lashes (my GM once sent this to me and said that my character had a dream with this and I was :’) Very Anxious for the next few sessions)

Mad About You by Hooverphonic

Obstacles by Syd Matters

Luxtos by Eluveitie

Lost The Game by Two Feet

‘74-’75 by The Connells

(S) Самая тёмная ночь by Снова не успел

Egil saga by Faun

Cradles by Sub Urban (I absolute love the music video)

I’m yer dad by GRLwood

Never Fade Away (SAMURAI cover) by P.T. Adamczyk & Olga Jankowska

Vodka by Korpiklaani

Tagging (ofc free to ignore) @ashenwren @domidoom @a-very-fond-farewell @hoe-smad @ahatfullofvampires @cytharat @prommethium @theyilinglaozus + whoever feels like it

I’ve been tagged...

…by @white-lupus, thank you so much and especially for tagging me in a music meme >v<) <333 

Spell Your Name in Songs

I’ll try to pick different type of songs, I hope you’ll enjoy :) 

L - Let’s Bang by Shaka Ponk (if you don’t know this band, go listen, they’re amazing!!)

O - On se connait by Youssoupha ft Ayna (the lyrics are amazing! so full of truth)

L - Letter by TRUE (love singing it and it soothes me)

A - Angel’s Carols (I melt for choirs songs//////////)

______________

Tagging (if you want to do it) : @a-small-constellation @tragicomic-a @lilly-tan @fismoll7secinv and anyone who would see this and would want to ;))

[tatathehedgehog-blog]

Tagged by @tom-failure thank you so much ♥

1: A song you like with a color in the title: Nightwish - While Your Lips are Still Red Recommendation from one of my friends and it’s very deep.

2: A song you like with a number in the title: The Connells - '74-'75 (Seventy Four - Seventy Five)  Try not to cry.

3: A song that reminds you of summertime: Orange House - Все гораздо проще It was summer and I was singing this song with funny guy.

4: A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about: OOMPH! - Sex Is Not Enough It was recommended by the most abusive man i’ve ever known. I hate him. 

5: A song that needs to be played loud: Linkin Park - Numb No comments. Just scream.

6: A song that makes you want to dance: NCT U - BOSS Just released. Perfect. Groovy.

7: A song to drive to: System of a Down - Toxicity And every their song actually. I just love them so much.

8: A song about drugs or alcohol Korpiklaani - Tequila Wow. Catchy!

9: A song that makes you happy: 유영진 X 태용 (TAEYONG) '함께 (Cure)'   It’s not about happines, it just makes me feel better when I think that my life is ruining.

10: A song that makes you sad: Thousand Foot Krutch - Be Somebody Just about life. And love. And it makes me cry more often than other songs.

Tagging: @lazybibowl and everyone who wants to join. I want to see that tag done by all of my followers and it’s your choice.

[clara-ton]

Playlist ask game: I’m sorry for the anon who asked me to do Pastel and Periwinkle but i lost their ask, i thought I had put it in my drafts but it disappeared🙈

ANYWAY here it is:

Pastel: songs that describe your past/childhood

I’m not sure I understand this one very well so I made a mix between songs that make me think of the “atmosphere” of my childhood and songs that I actually listened to a lot as a child

Tout feu tout flamme~Michel Berger

Summer 78~Yann Tiersen

The path of the wind~Joe Hisaishi

Liz on top of the world~Jean Yves Thibaudet

Goodbye Stranger~Supertramp

Easy lover~Phil Collins

It’s my life~Talk Talk

‘74-’75~The Connells

Wicked Game~Chris Isaak

Periwinkle: songs that make you calm

La contessa~Bruno Nicolai

Spiegel im Spiegel~Arvo Pärt

Bang bang~2 cellos feat. Sky Ferreira

MLK~U2

Between the bars~Elliott Smith

Main Title~Aaron Zigman

Clair de lune~Debussy

Rooting for you~London Grammar

Whenever I was stressing during my exams, those songs would always calm me down and kept me going  🌺 (also I have a bad habit of falling asleep instantly whenever I listen to one of these woops)

Thank you lovely anon 💓

[hellionwolf]

Tiki asked me to answer them all.

and I will, but I will also just post them as a big long post and tag her in it. <3 you! 

@summerdeer

1. What is you middle name?: Shantel  2. How old are you?: 22 3. When is your birthday?: August 25th 4. What is your zodiac sign?: Virgo 5. What is your favorite color?: Purple / Pink 6. What’s your lucky number?: 3/52  7. Do you have any pets?: One dog, one cat  8. Where are you from?: Sutherlin...a small town in Oregon.  9. How tall are you?: 5′6 ish  10. What shoe size are you?: 10 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own?: um.. i’m slowly getting rid of ones that don’t fit. so I’d say maybe 5 pairs. not counting flip flops  12. What was your last dream about?: I think it was a travelling one. but i’m not really sure.  13. What talents do you have?: writing?  14. Are you psychic in any way?: I think i can hunches, like bad feelings.  15. Favorite song?: too many, currently my fave is Guillotine by Jon Bellion   16. Favorite movie?: um.. Lion King  17. Who would be your ideal partner?: Um..no idea... probably some very loyal and eager to embrace life with me  18. Do you want children?: Yes!  19. Do you want a church wedding?: Nope.  20. Are you religious?: Nope.  21. Have you ever been to the hospital?: a few times.  22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?: I got pulled over two different times.  23. Have you ever met any celebrities?: Ruth Connell, so was nice but I couldn’t talk to her much.  24. Baths or showers?: Showers  25. What color socks are you wearing?: None.  26. Have you ever been famous?: I was in the paper a few times as a kid.  27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?: Nope.  28. What type of music do you like?: All kinds besides heavy metal or screamo  29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?: Nope.  30. How many pillows do you sleep with?: Two, I’d rather have a bunch more.  31. What position do you usually sleep in?: stomach, one leg straight other bent and. right arm straight and left arm under my face.  32. How big is your house?: my parent’s house is 2 bedrooms and one bath.  33. What do you typically have for breakfast?: nothing..DON’T BE MAD @epiffanyg 34. Have you ever fired a gun?: Yes.  35. Have you ever tried archery?: Yes!  36. Favorite clean word?: Shook  37. Favorite swear word?: FUCK!  38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?: 24 hrs.  39. Do you have any scars?: Yeah!  40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?: I don’t think so.  41. Are you a good liar?: Depends. I can’t lie to people I trust or people I am close to.  42. Are you a good judge of character?: I think so.  43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?: Russian, Valley Girl, British, Southern America.  44. Do you have a strong accent?: Nope. my accent is ‘the west coast’ which means no one can tell.  45. What is your favorite accent? Spanish, Russian.  46. What is your personality type?...the myer-brigg one? No idea. I should take it but it’s really long.  47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?: my $68 dollar dress that I only paid 28 bucks.  48. Can you curl your tongue?: nope.  49. Are you an innie or an outie?: INNIE BITCHES!  50. Left or right handed?: LEFTIE for the win.  51. Are you scared of spiders?: Nope.  52. Favorite food?: Soulmate Sushi Roll from my favorite place in Ashland.  53. Favorite foreign food?: Um.. sushi I guess...my dad is half mexican so his food is ‘foreign’ but home to me and i love it.  54. Are you a clean or messy person?: a mix of both, a lean toward messy.  55. Most used phrased?: I’m shook, no shit sherlock OR “bitches ain’t shit but hoes and tricks”  56. Most used word?: Shook  57. How long does it take for you to get ready?: with make up - 1 hr. without make up - 30 mintues.  58. Do you have much of an ego?: not really.  59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?: suck then get bored and bite.  60. Do you talk to yourself?: sometimes.  61. Do you sing to yourself?: more often then i talk to myself.  62. Are you a good singer?: I don’t know, ask @epiffanyg 63. Biggest Fear?: death  64. Are you a gossip?:...sometimes.  65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?: Does Wonder Woman count?  66. Do you like long or short hair?: Long.  67. Can you name all 50 states of America?: I used to know the song but not anymore.  68. Favorite school subject?: History / Science  69. Extrovert or Introvert?: Introvert  70. Have you ever been scuba diving?: Not yet  71. What makes you nervous?: the unknown, the future  72. Are you scared of the dark?: only after too many scary movies  73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?: only if it would be beneficial to them.  74. Are you ticklish?: not really.  75. Have you ever started a rumor?: nope. 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?: yeah  77. Have you ever drank underage?: Yep  78. Have you ever done drugs?: smoked marijuana once, not really my thing.   79. Who was your first real crush?: Matt W.  80. How many piercings do you have?: nose, ears  81. Can you roll your Rs?: Yep  82. How fast can you type?: I think 60 words  83. How fast can you run?: HAHAHAH I don’t run.  84. What color is your hair?: dark brown, fading purple under 85. What color is your eyes?: dark hazel 86. What are you allergic to?: some type of antibiotic 87. Do you keep a journal?: I try, I’ve had one since 2010 but i haven’t written in it all that much.  88. What do your parents do?: my dad fights wildfires, my mom is recently unemployed  89. Do you like your age?: sure. I’m only this old once.  90. What makes you angry?: people mean to those in need, disrespect  91. Do you like your own name?: it’s grown on me.  92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?:....yes.. currently Edward James and Lucy Marie are my top names.  93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?: I want a child that is a good person and stands up for what they believe in. They can be any gender.  94. What are you strengths?: my loyalty  95. What are your weaknesses?: my loyalty  96. How did you get your name?: names after one of my tias in Mexico.  97. Were your ancestors royalty?: I doubt it  98. Do you have any scars?: yeaah...wasn’t this question already asked?  99. Color of your bedspread?: white i guess.  100. Color of your room?: beige 

[susiesaul]

46 Ronin

It was when my mother said, between knitting blue and grey oddments of wool together, that had she had me when she was 18 - a very usual occurrence in the village where I grew up - I could, quite feasibly, be 46 years of age now.

46.

...And they held out the tablet smilingly. It had a smile on too. What's this? In my naivety, I took it...

Old enough to be my own mother, had I had myself at 18, in a circle of teenage pregnancy. My sons' grandmother. Old enough to be my husbands' mother, and young enough to be his fathers' wife.

...It wasn't until the trip kicked in that I stated sweating. Up until that point discussing the merits of Danni Minogue in a Soho gay bar seemed a reasonable conversation, not too taxing and hardly perspiration inspiring. Though where the navy uniform came into the equation the last but one bottle of Veuve Cliquot cancelled out all recall of why...

The drive home was thoughtful. Where would I be? What would I be like? The same person in a different time. 1997 to 2013. Listening to the same music on Absolute 90's on Radio 1 instead. REM 'Daysleeper' and '74-75' by the Connells would have more resonance. Wearing the same jeans with the same sort of jumper. Dirty blonde hair in utility ponytail. And my child born in 1991, living his life 6 years in the past.

...I left my bag on the seat and went to the door, the early evening dusk having given way to street lit light. The doorman oblivious as I slipped under his arm and shivered as the cool air hit arms drenched in sweat, covered loosely with silk sticking to skin, and hair limp to the face. The queue of prospective drinkers tailed around the corner, a myriad of colour catching fluorescent light. Faces painted and eyes narrowed. I wasn't skipping the queue, in my mind I had never left the building...

Maybe I'd be a journalist, living out my youthful ambition in a parallel dimension in time; traversing the globe with a child in tow, teaching him life in harsh reality under the guise of 'home schooling'. Or would I be here, in this town, surrounded by these people with someone else for my husband and he, someone else for his wife?

...Trying to get back into the bar was a non starting option and I attempted to explain that I had left my bag inside, stepping out for a brief spell of air, but the neurological links between my brain and my mouth had become confused. I was sure I was saying one thing, lucid and correct and yet they appeared to look at me like scum that floats on dishwater, waiting until the plug is released to leave grease upon stainless steel...

[livestrongmd]

Weight training as we age...

The fastest growing population group in the United States includes those people between age 65 and 70, with over 12 million people.  With the aging baby boomers, the population age 65 and higher is expected to continue growing rapidly. However, growth in the aged population has little to do with improved health habits.  The Center for Disease Control reports that more than one-third of older adults aged 65 and over were obese in 2007–2010 with obesity prevalence was higher among those aged 65‒74.  Studies regularly report that the aging population loses muscle, gains fat, and overall quality and quantity of life are impaired. While at the same time there are many optimistic findings in medical research to support improved quality and quantity of life as we age.  In his excitement over these developments, former President of the International Sports Science Association Frederick Hatfield wrote; "We are now entering an exciting time when medical doctors, exercise physiologists, and gerontologists are all redefining what aging is.  No longer should we expect to get sick, get heart disease, get Alzheimer's disease or any other maladies commonly associated with the passing of time...the sunset years are beginning to see  the light of a new day" The solutions to improving the sunset years lie in exercise to enhance strength and cardiovascular endurance.  Research now shows that through exercise you can add life to your years, and perhaps years to your life. Add life to your years and years to your life. Before we offer the solution, lets be clear about the problem as it is understood. Use It or Lose It As the population ages, the medical research community pours millions of dollars and hours into researching the physical effects of age.  Dr. Walter M. Bortz, in his ground-breaking research in 1982 published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded from his extensive study that disuse (the lack of use) was a key factor in the physical deterioration normally associated with aging. Bortz' analysis concluded that the "biologic changes commonly attributed to the process of aging demonstrates the close similarity of most of these to changes subsequent to a period of enforced physical inactivity."  Bortz offered a voice of encouragement for the health and fitness community: "There is no drug in current or prospective use that holds as much promise for sustained health as a lifetime program of physical exercise." Dr. Walter M. Bortz

Bortz would later write in his book We Live Too Short and Die Too Long that; "Almost everything we have been taught about aging is wrong.  We now know that a very fit body of 70 can be the same as a moderately fit body of 30." Lost Motor Function

The term motor unit is used to describe the nerves, muscle fibers, tendons and ligaments together that make up a larger group.  For example, the bicep motor unit would include not only the muscle tissue but also the tendons, ligaments, and nerves in the connecting joints, the elbow and shoulder.  Studies of aging would suggest two prominent changes; (1) fast motor units fail with age, and (2) motor nerves disengage with age. Fast Motor Units Fail.  Muscles have fast and slow motor units. Quick powerful movements require large, fast motor units while slower movements for maintaining posture use smaller, slower motor unites.  In examining older muscles, it appears that the slower motor units start to predominate, which makes powerful movements more difficult. Motor Nerves Disengage. As people age, motor nerves (the nerves that turn on muscle figers) become disconnected from individual muscle figers - they develop "loose" connections between the nerves and muscles.  Musclie physiologists estimate that by age 70 in most people, 15% of motor nerves have disengaged from their muscle figers.  Strength training can retard much of this loss. Lost Muscle Mass. As muscles are used less they shrink.   According to one study, beginning at about age 50 the average untrained person loses 1% of muscle mass per year.  By age 70, one can expect to have lost 25% of their younger muscle mass.  Lost muscle mass has many negative consequences including; (a) strength decline, (b) reduced metabolism, (c) postural deterioration, (d) weakened resistance to injury, and (e) a negative impact to physical appearance. In total, evidence from an aging population would tell us that Muscles become slower and less powerful with age.  The negative side effects are many. But medical research shows conclusively that this is not a necessary process.  It can be retarded and even reversed with strength training. Strength Training: Positive Impact

While we are growing older, and the community around us grows pale and ill, we can have hope that exercise and fitness is a component in the solutions to the adverse effects of age. Only a decade or two ago, doctors told older adults to be wary of exercise and instead to embrace their rocking chairs.  Today, experts agree that exercise improves your physical condition no matter what your age or circumstance. While we feel at times we are organizing new solutions for overall health and fitness, Dr. Alex Lief of Harvard Medical School reminds us that "regular daily physical activity has been a way of life for virtually every person who has reached the age of 100 in sound condition."

Strength training, in the form of progressive resistance using dumbbells, barbells, or machines, is essential for building muscle, maintaining muscle, or minimizing muscle loss. In addition to muscular benefits, strength training also applies stress on the skeleton, which builds stronger more dense bones which are less likely to fracture during accidents.  Strength also builds and maintains the muscles required for dynamic balance, helping reduce the incidence of accidents. Study after study demonstrates that proper exercise, in addition to making us look and feel better, actually lengthens and improves the quality of our lives. Muscle Strength Bone Density Improved Lung Capacity Reduced Risk of Injury Physical Appearance Regardless of your present age or circumstance, it's never too late to start an exercise program including strength training.  Whatever your starting point may be, you can transform your fitness at any age, along with your health, and appearance. "The steadfast application of the combination of strength training, stretching, cardiovascular work, healthy nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle is the closest we can get to the fountain of youth" Stuart McRoberts Every individual is unique.  Someone who's been exercising safely and effectively since he was a teenager may be in extraordinary condition when he is 65 years old, but it is impossible to expect he would have the same condition as at 30 years old.  Likewise, if you've kept your body in condition from an active The Program Progressive Resistance.  Strength training for the aging population should focus on low to moderate intensity with higher amounts of repetitions until you reach a good level of base strength.  Increase weights on a periodic schedule as you are able while maintaining high repetitions in good form. Cardiovascular Training, known simply as 'cardio', should be pursued to enhance the function of the lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working muscle tissues and produce energy.  Cardio could include Frequency: A full workout, with strength training and cardio, should be completed two to three times per week. Duration:  Approximately 60 minutes total, with 30 minutes of strength training and 30 minutes of cardio. Intensity: Low to moderate with heart rate training zone between 60% and 75% of maximum heart rate. For those who are just beginning, a suitable beginning may include a full body dumbbell workout with light weights so that you can perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions for each exercise. Regardless of your age, you should involve professionals in your fitness plans before beginning any exercise program.  At a minimum, you should have a physician's approval to exercise and the advice and support of a certified fitness trainer.  Once your doctor's approval is obtained, contact us for training support. Resources: Bortz, Walter M.  "Disuse and Aging," Journal of the American Medical Association.  1982;248(10):1203-1208. Center for Disease Control. "Prevalence of Obesity Among Older Adults in the United States, 2007–2010", www.cdc.gov, accessed March 6, 2018. Fahey, Thomas.  Strength and Conditioning, 3rd Edition.  International Sports Science Association, Carpinteria. 2017. Harvard Medical School, "Strength Training for All Ages," Harvard Health Publishing, health.harvard.edu, accessed March 6, 2018. Hatfield, Frederick. "Exercise and Older Adults" in Fitness: The Complete Guide, International Sports Science Association, Carpenteria. 2016. McRoberts, Stuart.  "The truth on age and exercise" in Build Muscle Lost Fat Look Great, CS Publishing, Connell. 2006: pp. 71-74. United States Census. "2010 Census Shows 65 and Older Population Growing Faster Than Total U.S. Population", www.census.gov, accessed March 6, 2018.   Read the full article

[writtenbehindthescenes-blog]

I’ve been writing blogs about everything happening behind the scenes with Robb Murphy for a couple of years now, but while writing the blogs about the band members and introducing them, it came to mind that I never really wrote a blog like that about Robb. It’s about time!

Those of you who’ve been reading my blogs already know a bit about Robb. Next to being a songwriter, creator of music and producer, he’s an outstanding pizza maker, coffee and tea lover, vegan, vinyl collector and he’s always up for silliness….a lot of silliness… Robb likes to challenge himself but, maybe more so, he likes to challenge others…yes I’ve been there ;) It’s not easy to fool him…but occasionally I manage to do it… Robb always tends to be late and I remember that during one of the tours we had to be at a radio station very early in the morning. I had reasons to believe that we would be late if I told Robb the exact time we had to leave, so I added 30 minutes spare time to that, without Robb knowing… Due to that we arrived at the radio station earlier than expected… That trick never worked again after that btw! And I have to admit…that trick was never needed again, because  we’ve managed to be on time everywhere we had to go ever since.

And…there’s that thing with reading… Robb doesn’t always read everything…of which he recently posted proof…just a few emails to read…

Sometimes I have to be creative when it comes to making sure that Robb reads what I send him…by adding silly things for example. A while ago I made a to do list and I needed to be sure that Robb would read it. I added ‘practice choreography’ to that list and when he asked me what that was about, I knew that he had read the file ;) And there’s another example of Robb not always reading everything…it sometimes leads to funny situations like this:

All joking aside…I’ve been working with Robb on the music for 4 ½ years now and it’s been a pleasure. We’ve done so much, had ups and downs, but one thing for sure…things are never boring behind the scenes. There’s always a lot of work to do but we’re always having a lot of fun! Robb, the band and me…we’re all very lucky to have the support from partners, wives, husband and family, because without that we would not be able to do this. We have a lot of plans and are working on some exciting projects, so the work continues….onto the next 4 ½ years!

Time for a Q & A with Robb now…Just like all band members Robb was sent a list of questions too… He complained, saying that I sent him 9 million questions to answer – I think math is a problem here ;) – but he answered the questions, here’s what he said:

What drives you to write? Something compels me to write, I do not know what but I need to write music. Things that influence what I write about are just everyday situations, nature, and dreams. I also like trying to put myself in other situations, imagining how it would feel.

Can you remember the first time you wrote a song? Describe it to me. One of the first songs I wrote was called, “Turtle Dove”. Lyrics were; “I’m a turtle dove, I’m a turtle dove”. Half of this song credit goes to Rick from the band.

What’s your favorite piece of music and why? So many to choose from but for now I will pick Holocene by Bon Iver. I am usually more about the lyrics of a song but the melody, arrangement and textures created are what never fails to get me. I have been listening to it for years and have not once got bored of it.

What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you while working on a song? When I was working on Stars from the Sleep Tonight album I heard a few xylophone notes during the instrumental that really worked, but were not recorded in the mix, I thought I was going mad! What actually had happened was we had guests in another room where I had left a small xylophone, one of them by chance played a few notes at that particular time.  So I had to put it in the song !

Have you had any crazy fan encounters? Not many, but the first time I was asked to sign something I just assumed the person meant one of the other acts that had played so I went to get them. #Awkward

How would you describe your music? Lyric focused, emotive, my personal therapy! The music is arranged by whatever instruments and gear I have at hand, and whoever of my musical friends want to be involved.

Best advice ever given? Don’t try to copy current musical genres, trends will change so just be true to the type of music you want to create, and maybe a future trend will sync with one of your songs.

First song ever sung? The earliest song I have memories of singing is Nelly The Elephant, The Toy Dolls version.  It was a birthday party favourite !

Secret craving? Sultanas, in anything

Favourite food? Pizza

What’s the hardest part about producing your own music? And what’s the easiest? Hardest part is not having other people’s input, meaning I am sometimes unsure if something is working. Easiest part is not having other people’s input so I can do what I want.

Is there someone you’d secretly love to work with? Not really, I am a loner. I am most comfortable writing among people I know and am close to. Songwriting for me is a very personal thing so it’s hard to switch it on if I am not relaxed. I love bringing songs to the band that are not fully finished, songs I am not even sure I like, hearing their opinions gives them a burst of new energy.

What do you like to do for fun outside of working on music? I like traveling, going for a drive, gardening.

You’ve toured the Netherlands quite a few times now, what’s your favourite thing about the Netherlands? I love the feeling of space in the country, the openness and fresh air. Also the people, always very helpful and welcoming.

Favourite Dutch word? Stroopwafel

Oddest thing that has happened while touring? It’s all weird, but one that sticks out happened when on tour in The Netherlands.  Returning home late from a gig, my turn to drive, and in front of me was a cyclist riding from side to side on the road. We laughed at this but I just assumed it was someone not realising there was a car behind them. As I slowly approached him he swerved out again to the middle of the road, cycled in a big circle and I will always remember as the car headlights shown on his face his very large grin! He was a happy Chappy without a care in the world !

Cats or dogs? Don’t mind either but cats seem to find me, so I will go with cats

Favourite gig so far? A gig at Theater ‘t Heerenlogement in Beusichem during last year’s tour. It’s a great old theatre venue, we had a lovely meal with the owners Tineke and Gerard Holst, and a full house! Oh and wine back stage ;)

3 places you’d like to play? Coachella, Burning Man, Dublin Olympia Theatre

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I would love to have a recording studio and work with other artists to record their music.  Other than that just be alive, healthy and happy!

Best software you’ve used for producing so far? I use Pro Tools for recording as it’s what I learned in university. But actually before that, though it’s not software, I used a tape dictaphone for recording ideas and I would also record sounds I like when I was out. There will be a lot of weird stuff on there!

Best hardware investment for music production? When recording sleep tonight I got a Focusrite ISA 828 pre amp, a set of 8 preamps that can be used on a bunch of things, I think I will always use it even if I get a larger variety of pre amps!

Favourite instrument? Acoustic guitar, trumpet & wurlitzer close 2nds

How many instruments do you play? A few, but variety of skill levels! Main instrument is the guitar and this feels most natural to me which is why I usually write with it. I play a bit of keys, harmonica, trumpet / trombone (badly out of practice) and the belly slaps.

Favourite  place in Northern Ireland? Anywhere near the sea! North coast is great. The Mourne Mountains too. Not in the north but a recent favourite is Kellybegs, a small fishing town near Donegal in the North West of Ireland.

What trivial knowledge may save your life one day? I know how to open a bottle of wine with a shoe

If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live and why? I like it here, but it does lack some sunshine. So I would go somewhere in Tuscany, Italy, a farmhouse just outside Florence. I would take my new wife (not that I have an old one, but recently married) and my guitar. I could also take my macbook and phone, but I can live without them really. Tuscany has a lot of things I love, mostly reliable weather, scenery, art and culture all around. Oh plus coffee, wine and pizza are pretty good there too.

Top 3 songs on your playlist? Currently on my phone they are: Bon Iver – Holocene Traveling Wilburys – Tweeter And The Monkey Man Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Man On Fire

Favourite song from high school? A few that always remind me of high school are: Crash Test Dummies – MMM MMM MMM MMM Wet Wet Wet  – Love is all around The Cranberrys – Linger The Corrs – Runaway Enigma – Return To Innocence The Connells – ’74-’75 REM – Daysleeper

Favourite thing about music? Writing and recording, the buzz when something works.

Least favourite thing about music? Promoting it, needs to be done but I feel like a broken record.

If you were a vegetable, which one would you be? A chilli pepper

One perfect day…  what would it include? Big sleep in, good food, sunshine, sea, maybe a sneaky wine

Thanks very much for this Robb!

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If you’ve missed the blogs about band members Kevin, Dave, Rick and Al, click on their names and you can read all about them!

  Robb Murphy…Q & A I’ve been writing blogs about everything happening behind the scenes with Robb Murphy for a couple of years now, but while writing the blogs about the band members and introducing them, it came to mind that I never really wrote a blog like that about Robb.