Acoustic blues. Recorded in 2005. I was trying to record something else, can't remember what, and the missus was going out. She had cyclist Lance Armstong's book, or was talking about it. Sounded like a great title for a song as well as his book…
Rock instrumental. Recorded Christmas 2008.
I'd struggled with a DAW. I'd stopped recording. And then my lovely wife got me a Boss MBR for Christmas. I thought this little thing the size of a fag-packet would be a nice "scratch-pad" songwriting…
A cover of Larry Wallis's fine ditty (it's always been one of my favourite Dr Feelgood songs).
This was my second recording with my Boss MBR, recorded early 2009. It confirmed for me that I was a "standalone recorder" kind of guy, and there was…
Pop-rock song. Recorded 2009.
I wrote this several years earlier and rehearsed it with the last band I was in.
The recording was my first "serious" project on my Boss MBR, I was stunned that you could do something like this on a little silver…
Acoustic tale of revenge. Recorded 2010 on a Boss BR1600CD.
*****
**The Knife - A A J Russe**
A dark and star-less night
Probably driving rain
That's what they think became of me
A foolish walk along the cliff when he was drunk…
Haha! My mum wrote this in 2011: Andrew, welcome to Alonetone.
Oh love your sound.
Man, you’re really good.
A little gruesome lyrically, but brilliantly well performed.
:) I concur.
A cover of Justin Currie's Sleep Instead of Teardrops. Recorded 2010.
It has always been one of my favourite Del Amitri songs. I was strumming away at it one day and my missus said I should record it...
A cover of Justin Currie's Sleep Instead of Teardrops. Recorded 2010.
It has always been one of my favourite Del Amitri songs. I was strumming away at it one day and my missus said I should record it...
A cover of Justin Currie's Sleep Instead of Teardrops. Recorded 2010.
It has always been one of my favourite Del Amitri songs. I was strumming away at it one day and my missus said I should record it...
Recorded Oct 2010.
It was meant to be a full band pop-rock song. But I started overdubbing on the original exploratory demo I'd done to work out the arrangement (with no click track). I kept coming back to it intending to start afresh... but…
Acoustic tale recorded Christmas 2010.
I wrote it years ago. Even tried rehearsing it with the band I was in at the time. But I couldn't play it properly. It took several weeks of practicing DADGAD (never really used it in anger before) until…
A tale of keeping your head above the water, or not...
Recorded Jan-Feb 2011.
I wrote it many years ago, never thought I'd ever do anything with it.
I intended to record this with just an acoustic and my new EDB (electric upright bass…
New one from me. It's ended up as a bit of a "crying into yer beer at Bob's Country Bunker" sort of song lol...
I've been sat on these lyrics in some form or another for absolutely years. I first wrote them one very dark night a few years after…
First new one from me in a long time.
Kind of a love song, I guess.
Recorded in my new "studio" (3rd bedroom in the new house). Almost up and running now... shine and don't stop wondering!
****
**Shine - A A J Russe**
On my way…
Not enough is made of your talent for musical arrangement as it's taken for granted in the shadow of your vox. You have such a huge talent, Russe. More please.
A new original from me. Another one-voice, one-guitar, "live" performance in my broom-cupboard. This time it's the good ole tin guitar.
I wrote this one in 2002 during the "dark years" lol. I've ummed and aahed over the years on whether to…
One of the many things I love about your voice is that you can turn from low key rev to buttock-grabbing throttle in a split second. That's pretty fantastic.
So I was locked in the broom-cupboard, checking out some old songs that need recording.
I'd just picked one and then suddenly this thing came out of nowehere. It started with one of those guitarist doodles that other musicians love so much…
Well, here we go then...
****
**Cobwebs - A A J Russe**
Yeah you know what it is that I want
Oh you knew, didn't you, before I did?
How many times did you wonder whether I would dare?
Oh never mind...
Take off your underwear
Over…
Here we go.
This one started out one morning several weeks ago when the sun was still shining...
If it's as wet and dark as it is here, just close your eyes, I'm sure you can imagine it if you try hard enough...
Lollies, chips, and beer…
This song has been sat on the marvellous mechanical mouse organ in the broom-cupboard for well over a year.
A few weeks ago I got a bit of a scare - the mouse organ nearly broke down (in the middle of sorting out Delta Dawn). While I was fixing…
This song has been sat on the marvellous mechanical mouse organ in the broom-cupboard for well over a year.
A few weeks ago I got a bit of a scare - the mouse organ nearly broke down (in the middle of sorting out Delta Dawn). While I was fixing…
Finally, at last... I've got something finished...
Been working on this for a few weeks.
A bit of a rocker... (and an aging lecherous one at that)
I got it as close as I could and then mixed it loud... I've over-cooked it slightly - but…
IN MY ROOM
In my room there's no day and there's no night
In my room, just an incandescent light
...hanging from a wire.
In my room there's no hot and there's no cold
In my room,I'm not young. I'm not old
...hanging from a wire…
Some blues/boogie fun.
Ain’t no fun
It's a well known fact
When you’re with the wrong woman
And caught in the act
Sworn to secrecy
We even made a pact
But didn’t matter
We were caught in the act
Been watched and followed
Traced…
Song 5 for the RPM Challenge. Building tunes around an incessant bass line is oddly appealing to me. This is a bit of a dystopian song of sorts. Thanks to anyone who listens!
Take me to the river
and hold me under water
Bow down beside…
Nice one. Yeah, I've been thinking (listening to stuff elsewhere) about writing to basslines. Most of the time I write with an acoustic guitar, singing it as I play it - no recording equipment is used/harmed. But something else happens if the bass is laid down first. And, as a writer, I also find it strangely appealing. Cool track... I'm ready for the next one!
Song 2 for the RPM Challenge. Wrote this at the piano and then had fun trying all sorts of spontaneous vocal harmonies. Switching time signatures for the chorus made for some challenging recording!
Song 3 of RPM 2022. For the many tortured artists I've met with a bit of a dance spin to it. Most of my songs are unintentional and unplanned....they just happen. Thanks to anyone who's listening!! :)
Song 4 of my 2022 RPM challenge. A simple popish tune to add to the mix.
I never told you
what I wanted
no, it don’t feel right
the things you say
the things you do
well they hold me hold me
I never asked you
for anything
I…
The coffee table gang helped me round out this one that I shared earlier. I love this version with Mark Lofgren and Greg Connor's wonderful talents on the backup vocals and guitars. I like how my ukulele blended in on this version.
Sometimes…
A song I wrote over the last few days. Did a one-take-wonder on the recording, so it's pretty simple. Hope you like it!
Sometimes You Don't
Verse 1
Sometimes in the early morning hours
As the sun lights up the sky
I look back and think…
The Minnesota Association of Songwriters issued a writing challenge this January to "borrow" conceptually from a writer that has influenced our writing to create a new original work of our own. Once you hear this, I think you'll get the idea…
Sunshine fill my soul
Let the blues be the first to go
Sunshine can’t complain
If life shows us a little rain
Chorus
Sunshine through the window
At first morning’s light
All the stars fade away
When sunshine gets so bright
When sunshine…
Like it. I just read Colleen's comment and realised that I was bopping my head along with the tempo too! Loved that "oh yeah" at the end of the bridge.
Song I wrote last year about struggling with identity...
lyrics below lol
it's hard for me to be myself when i don't know who i am
feel like i'm just an empty shelf filled with empty photographs
and i might be all alright if i don't think…
Woooo! Another powerful one from you (I think I've missed a few). Your stuff always seems to speak to something in what I've got going on... I've had a lot going on last few months... this speaks into that in a kind of surprising unexpected way. Many thanks.
Another song for the 2021 National Solo Album Month.
What do we think of this cat? I have an urge to get proggy right now and generally that requires a level of talent that I don't posses. I'm not putting myself down when I say that, it's…
Oh yeah, I'm with JMT, I really like this. I haven't been doing much, if any, listening on here for ages... popped in for a moment, saw his comment and hit play. Really glad I did
Bringing back a song from 2011 with a new twist. The song now has drums, bass, and an orchestral backend. This is hopefully part of a larger collection of me reworking older songs with orchestration.
Many thanks to Brian of A Beautiful Scene…
Comments on Andrew Russe's stuff
Authentic and shamelessly cool.
Cool jam!
Super fine cover.
E-P-I-C, A-N-T-H-E-M-I-C.
Haha! My mum wrote this in 2011: Andrew, welcome to Alonetone. Oh love your sound. Man, you’re really good. A little gruesome lyrically, but brilliantly well performed. :) I concur.
Ooh no - I can't claim credit for this one. Justin Currie of Del Amitri wrote it. The original is absolutely GORGEOUS :-) (even makes me cry)
World class song-writing.
That melody is rip-your-heart-out gorgeous. Tear-jerking evil man.
BANGS IT HARD AGAINST THE WALL. Dude.
My first middle name, thanks.
Enjoyed!
Just spectacular song-writing (oh, and performance, SHOCKER!!).
Not enough is made of your talent for musical arrangement as it's taken for granted in the shadow of your vox. You have such a huge talent, Russe. More please.
One of the many things I love about your voice is that you can turn from low key rev to buttock-grabbing throttle in a split second. That's pretty fantastic.
Beautiful vocal - beautiful.
OK. I'm up for it.
Sauce.
"And when you wonder..." gets me every time.
There's magic in your words...
This is absolutely brilliant, Andy.
Comments made by Andrew Russe
Oh WOW... how did I miss this?
This is the stuff. Fabulous sound and suitably bite-sized for the modern "work from home" attention span! :)
Nice one.
WOW forgotten how much I loved this track
Nice one. Yeah, I've been thinking (listening to stuff elsewhere) about writing to basslines. Most of the time I write with an acoustic guitar, singing it as I play it - no recording equipment is used/harmed. But something else happens if the bass is laid down first. And, as a writer, I also find it strangely appealing. Cool track... I'm ready for the next one!
Oh yeah. This is a nice one. Love the lyrics.
Yep, that's heartfelt. Love the feel of the lead in the instrumental. Some fine harp as well.
Oh crumbs... loving your stuff. Faved and followed... I'll be back to listen to more.
And this... wow. Loving your vocal delivery. Very cool song too.
I saw your name going by and thought "I've not heard them, are have I?". Woo... like this.
Wow. And this version. Love those guitars.
And this is a bit gorgeous too. LOVE that chorus.
OH MY, this is gorgeous
Like it. I just read Colleen's comment and realised that I was bopping my head along with the tempo too! Loved that "oh yeah" at the end of the bridge.
Woooo! Another powerful one from you (I think I've missed a few). Your stuff always seems to speak to something in what I've got going on... I've had a lot going on last few months... this speaks into that in a kind of surprising unexpected way. Many thanks.
Oooh yeah. Saw the notification for this yesterday, that's why I popped in, to check it out. This is a mighty fine "just a little ditty"
Oh yeah, I'm with JMT, I really like this. I haven't been doing much, if any, listening on here for ages... popped in for a moment, saw his comment and hit play. Really glad I did
Yeah, like it.
Strangely hypnotic with the repeating note and then the tinkles and wotnot. Works really well for me.
Wooo... Digging this one.