I'm excited to announce the release of a new song, Becoming Visible, which is now live in the music section of this website and on all streaming platforms, including Spotify here:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5SVTrRCsDKrLlh2XIF9Cxt?si=xkjdpNYAQHqQMRdqBuOgzg
Becoming Visible is a creative experiment by Amy Laybourn and I. The song’s title comes from an anthology of twelve Seattle poets, including Amy (whose poem, The Turnaround, inspired the title). I curated the collection in 2023 and published it in February of 2024 with the help of Common Meter Press. For the release party at the Rabbitbox Theatre, in Seattle's Pike Place Market, Amy and I crafted this tune with the intention of commemorating the publication and bringing the evening of poetry readings to a musical conclusion.
During the songwriting session, Amy had the unique idea of taking lines from various poems and fitting them like melodic puzzle pieces into the song’s chrodal framework. This approach worked surprisingly well as, with the exception of a few lines, all lyrics came directly from the book.
Poets whose words are woven into the tune include Owl Scarey, Lucas Van Linden, Oscar Mejia, Nick Zettell, Erin Roth, Hailey Magee, Henry Wong, Alex Rasmussen, and Gemma Maliszewski.
The song is about stepping out of the darkness of fear and doubt, and using one’s unique experience—no matter how painful—to propel you toward a bright new future.
Recorded and mixed at Vertigo Studios in Seattle, WA, by Brad Kaminski.
Mastered by Blake Bickel of Dynamic Sound Service in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Drums: Coleman Ayers
Bass: Dune Butler
Keys: Charles Wicklander
Electric Guitar: Dylan Welsh
Harmony Vocals: Fae Wiedenhoeft
Photo: Jon Robinson