What Would You Do If You Weren't Afraid?

HELLO! Capitalized for excitement because this week I released a new single! Afraid is the first thing I’ve put out in a while and it’s one of many, many songs I’ve created over the past couple of years with the incredible producer Freemonk. If you read my blogs I know what a few of you might be thinking; “Hang on I thought she said she was a writer now? Why would she release a single under her own name if she’s not an artist?” Well, as you asked, let me explain …

At the beginning of this year I started working on a new project. I’d had enough of leaving my fate in other people’s hands; always waiting for someone else to decide when, or if something I’d written would ever get heard. This of course is all part of the game we play in music. But how do you break the cycle? And as a writer, how could I take back control for myself from my position behind the scenes? I’ve written so many songs that mean so much to me, and sure they can’t all be released into the world, but what if none of them do? What if no one ever gets to hear what I have to say because I’m waiting for the green light from someone else?

There’s a few things you might have learned about me if you’ve read some of the posts I’ve written this year. Firstly, to my detriment, I’m the most impatient person EVER. Secondly, if something isn’t working the way I want it to, I don’t quit, I find a new way. And finally, I’m not afraid to take a chance on myself. The combination of those things is what led me here at the beginning of this year. I decided to stop being afraid to try something new, and do it anyway. It was time to jump.

Afraid is just a little taster of things to come, the first of many tracks being released by me in the New Year, which are all written by me. Are they all sung by me? No. Some, like Afraid, are. Others feature some of my favourite vocalists instead. If an artist can release their own work that’s not been written or produced by them, and a producer can release their own work that’s not sung or written by them, why the heck can’t I release work under my name, where the common denominator is in fact … me?

I want to be the one calling the shots, releasing the songs, deciding when and what. So that’s exactly what I’m doing. It's time for the writer to become the artist.

When I say this hasn’t been as easy task to achieve I can’t even begin to explain what an understatement that is. And truth be told there’s still some work to be done before the whole project makes it out into the world. I’m learning the hard way why maybe this hasn’t been done before. But I’m doing it anyway!

Maybe it won’t work out. Maybe it won’t change the future of the way I release music. But ... maybe it will. Not only that, but maybe I’ll change the way other writers release music too. Maybe I’ll change the game completely. One thing’s for sure, I’m not afraid to try it and find out.

So that’s what I’m doing and what’s to come. I can’t tell you how GOOD it feels to put something out into the world that means so much to you after you’ve kept it shut away for so long! I’m so excited to release an entire #CDWrites E.P in the New Year. For now, you can download Afraid feat Freemonk from iTunes and stream it on Spotify or Soundcloud.