Naraick

Hi
Thank you to everyone that has contacted me recently especially to those who wanted to download tracks from the Induction album, which for technical reasons is no available for download. As it is nearly Christmas I have decided to make most of the Induction tracks available as a free download for the next few weeks as a kind of Christmas present for anyone who wants to download them. They can be found on my Soundcloud accout @ (expired link) and will be available until early January.
Hoping you all have a wonderful Christmas/ New Year
Love
Naraick xx

Slowly starting to get back into songwriting mode and I had an idea today, I don't know how successful it would be, but how do you like the idea of collaborating with me in writing a song?
I have the idea of a song title Burning Bridges and if you fancy sending me a couple of lines I will see if I can write a song based around the lines I get sent and if it works I will put the finished song online.
If you're interested in having a go, please send me your contributions in the next month and I will try to have a demo done early next year.

Thanks in advance and keep listening

Naraick

Well in the down side, I have had a phone and laptop free week. Not by choice, as on Monday they both crashed and had to go away for repair, hopefully I should have them up and running next week.
On the up side, I have now finished the IV album. I was sorting through some old recordings and came across a song I originally wrote for the "view" album but then decided it didn't really fit so put it away and forgot about it. On listening I decided that with a few tweaks and some remixing it would be perfect for the IV album. The I had a flash of inspiration and finished writing the "For Queen and Country" track. So I spent a whole week mixing and mastering the tracks and getting the artwork together and submitted. IV was officially released on 1st August but as it take s a couple of weeks or so to get it into the download stores it should be available anytime from next week (fingers crossed.
I think my laptop probably decided it was time for an impromtu holiday after that.
Just when I thought I would have a nice break from song writing now that the pressure is off, there are song ideas flowing now. If they are still there when I get my laptop back I shall play with them and see what happens and maybe release an EP early next year.
Enjoy the holiday period
Naraick

There are some advantages as well as the many disadvantages to being an unsigned artist. The main one is that the songs produced are the way the writing artist feel they should be, rather than a manager/producer/studio putting in or taking out bits that they either like or don't. What you hear may not be as well produced or polished as it would have been had it come from a major label, but it is from the heart.
I know my main weakness is production, and since my last album I have begged or borrowed some better software that may help and am trying to mix and master using better techniques and programs, but at the moment the result is unproven. One of the major disadvantages an unsigned artist has is lack of time, as many of us have the usual mundane jobs that we need to pay the bills, and this, along with family expectations, limits the amount of time that we can spend doing what we love. It would be wonderful to spend 12 hours a day in a studio environment, but the reality is that sometimes we are lucky to grab a couple of hours in a month.
But at least people get to hear a song as it was written rather than how a big production team feels it should be played around with before it is released.
Stay cool
Naraick

Holiday time!!!
Just got back from a summer break, so what should a singer / songwriter do on holiday? The answer is Karaoke. I feel that it is my responsibility when on the Costa Del Sol in Spain to bring some Naraick style culture to the bars generally full of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tom Jones, Neil Diamond wannabees. Not that there is anything wrong with the music of these singers, its just that I feel that a little bit of brit pop and indie music should be added to the mix.
It is not important that the average age in the bars is often around 75 years, it is surprising how well a little Imagine Dragons, Oasis, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Bastille, Tom Odell etc is received. Though often I am approached with the question "Who sang that last song you sang...." at least it breaks the ice with the locals.
Anyway in between having to earn money and finish an album at least I can back with a few song ideas to work on so watch this space.

Stay cool
Naraick

There are days when songs just happen, then there are the DRY days, weeks sometimes months when nothing comes to mind. So the moral of the story is, always carry some means to take down lyrics when they occur.... At the moment I am stuck on one song for the album, the song is called "For Queen and Country", I have the music and some idea of the melody but the lyrics just will not flow... so I need to look for inspiration. This comes from other songs, the news, random things that someone says... almost anything but you can guarantee at the most in-opportune moment. So I need my phone, or tablet or computer or even pen and notebook to hand to make a record of them when they do. Not every song works for an album, and not every piece of music makes a finished song so please fell free to have a listen to some of the tracks on my Soundcloud account ((expired link)) which includes a few demo tracks from the upcoming IV album
Thanks to those of you that have taken the time and trouble to contact me, I'm sorry that I don't always have the time to make individual replys.
Best Wishes Naraick

Thank you for listening to (and hopefully enjoying) my music. You are the reason musicians spend the time doing what we do and creating new music. I am currently working on tracks for a new album IV of which Intravenous (on the sample list) is one of around a dozen new tracks, so if you like that, expect more of the same later this year.
Best wishes
Naraick