I didnt mean to record an EP this past summer, much less release it in the fall, but alas, 'tis what I did.
An Accidental EP is an odd collection of songs recorded accidentally last July. A fancy demo, if you will.
Accidental: happening by chance; unintentionally or unexpectedly.
As it turns out, Accidental also means this:
Accidental: (in music) a sign denoting a momentary departure from the key signature by raising or lowering a note. (sharps & flats)
I didn't know accidental was a music term, what with my limited musical prowess, until after I pressed the CD. So the naming of the EP was truly... an accident. HAHA
How this whole accidental journey got started was this :
Concrete Tables & Honest Conversation.
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Concrete Camellia
Lumen Print 2013 |
Concrete Tables and Honest Conversation is my attempt at capturing a dream I recently had. Sitting in a church courtyard, somewhere out west as the sun went down, talking music, art, photography with a friend I hadn't seen in years. It felt so real, so true. It's rare that I write about something as abstract as a dream.
Wait, that's not true. My ditty "Pretty Little Rat" is based on dreams I was having about rats. But I Digress - back to the Concrete Tables.
This dream, though, was different. The vibe of the dream was the essence. The vibe was what was so real, so .. concrete. It made me wonder what life would be like if we all just walked around having honest conversations with ourselves, with others. World Peace/Global Harmony anyone? A seemingly simple solution to ...anything, me thinks. Anyway, I did something I had never done before - after spending a weekend holed up in my apartment writing and re-writing the verses, I brought the song with its 5 verses and 3 lil chords to the uber talented
Gardenia Moon,
whose piano, coupled with her background vocals, magically merged the dreamstate with the real world, capturing exactly the sentiment I so strongly felt in that dream. That sentiment of truth is something I strive for in real life. Well. Strive for or long for. One of those.
What does this have to do with other songs on the EP about White Bread and Miller High Lifes? A lot. Kinda.
We actually recorded Concrete on two separate days. We have many versions of it, some more polished than others. I ultimately went with what I think was Take 2 on Day 2. It was a little rougher, an element that I liked, mixing in the concrete truth with the dreamyness of Gardenias vocals and piano.
On Day Two we also recorded
Zen Lizards, another recent song, about my many encounters with Lizards and how Buddhist-like they seem. Another song wishing for peace. Through lizards.. Gardenia contributed piano as well and we consider the tune to be "spunky". Just like all dem chill lizards.
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Zen Lizard
2013 |
In between tunes with the Moon, I recorded a few ditties on my own. Wasn't sure why, just to see how they sound, or maybe use for an upcoming (who knows when) "box set" of Nattie's Witty Ditties & Story Tunes. One of those tunes is called
My Big Head.
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Accidental Omnipotent Selfie
2013
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My Big Head was a literal inspiration. In 2011, I was sitting in the hair/makeup chair getting fitted for a wig for a photo double role. The hairdressers were none too happy that my head was too big for the wig, the actress' head was smaller. As they were griping about the size of my head behind my back, I was writing this song in my head. And the irony was not lost.
This song, though, is largely a social commentary - it would be nice to live in a world where size does matter, the size of our hearts, our intellect, our mental capacity to think, care, and love. Not our dress size.
Searching for a Tall Boy (The Miller High Life Song)
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Handtinted Tall Boy
2009 |
Okay, well, this one's just a ditty. In nearly every song I write I can tell you the deeper meaning behind it. But not this one. Its just funny wordplay.
Searching for a Tall Boy tells the tale of my quest for a Miller High Life Tall Boy one hot summer night. And it discloses my desire to be the Miller High Life girl sitting in the moon.
And that brings us to...
White Bread.
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White Bread with Crumbs
2013 |
Like
Searching for a Tall Boy,
White Bread is seemingly just a ditty. Or is it? (Yes. It is.) haha. Its a tale of of shock, disappointment, and ultimately, acceptance - about bread. hahahaha. But I closed the EP out with this ditty because it seemed to match Zen Lizards - choosing whether or not to solve or accept a problem. Okay, so in this song its kind of forced acceptance that I'm not happy about but hey - thats Life! And its funny, so there. We gotta live it, might as well laugh and love it. :)
This EP may have been 'an accident', but the constant quest for a concrete table and an honest conversation is intentional. To that effect - Thanks to all who helped me make this accidental journey a deliberate EP -
Gardenia Moon, Monica Byrne, Chris Loomis, and of course Tom Stern at
Blue Velvet Studios in New Orleans, whom I recommend to Everyone. :)
I'd also like to send a shout out and thanks to some peeps who accidentally played an integral part in this deliberation:
A conversation I had with one of my favorite songwriters, my amazingly talented uncle,
Paul Sanchez, about the release of his first solo CD prompted the notion in my head "I could do this" and I soon got to work on releasing the EP.
A misunderstood conversation with another fave songwriter, my friend
Richard Bates, led to the title being called an "An Accidental EP" instead of "An Eclectic EP"
And many conversations on the nuts and bolts of self-producing with yes, another favorite songwriter,
Ruby Ross, kept me on track with the production of this EP.
Apparently I hang out with a lot of songwriters. Check 'em out.
The EP is available on my Bandcamp site as a digital download, or you can order the real-live EP and I'll ship it out to you.
www.nattieconcepts.bandcamp.com
Its also available online or in store at Louisiana Music Factory
And of course, will be available at any of my gigs, provided I remember to bring them.
Tonight 12/19/2013 I will be at the Neutralground Coffeeshouse 8-9pm
Hope you enjoy! And thats the honest truth :)
- Natasha
Fun Fact: A live recording of Zen Lizards also appears on Buffas Bar & Restaurant's new CD "Live from the Back Room" also available at Louisiana Music Factory. 
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