The Debut 2016 Strange Currencies #rockustic EP From Strange Currencies
Strange Currencies EP : Strange Currencies — Strange Currencies
The Debut 2016 Strange Currencies #rockustic EP From Strange Currencies
via Strange Currencies EP : Strange Currencies — Strange Currencies
Vivid Weekends Starve The Sky
A compilation and journey through some of my rarities and demos and ideas. A selection. Recorded long before grey hairs started to sprout. While mastering my craft. The first room I rented after leaving home – I was 19. Aloof and angry. I’d converted to a music room with a small bed in the corner.Recording with drum pads on my kit. I worked a lot with flangers, string keyboard arrangements, instrumentals. I played with sweet haunting melodies and lyrics of intense turmoil, release, storytelling, endings, new beginnings. Grimm also features on a few tracks performing guitar solos. There were a lot of death themes going on around that time in my life. I’d had major face surgery (September Brings was written about it) I obsessed with morbid explorations, cadavers. Indulged with alcohol and substance abuse. Sometimes freeing the mind invites Demons. Or just opens locked doors. Painting and musically recreating ones vivid dreams & nightmares at weekends …It was a productive but dark decade. Then I really fell in love.
Candy Pink CL1T EP
Do not listen to this in front of children or the easily or even reasonably offended. You have been warned! This a few of what we deemed as ‘Piss Take’ Songs. Recorded in between the others. People have always given me great writing inspiration. Through their characters, stories or actions. Enjoy!
~Claudine
Pandora’s Box 20th Anniversary Edition
It is really cool revisiting my old recordings. Brings back a lot of good old memories. I hope Grimm is proud of my works after this one. His spirit hangs out regularly. In September 2003 he tragically died. Breaking my world. His death is written about in my book Claudsville Blogs and Biog Of A Bog Woppit Grimm co-produced this album.
It was Mastered and copied by Pete Smith. The trick to getting any vocal or acoustic guitar takes. Was to attempt to hit record between his many rescue dogs barking. I think their barks add to the album. You will hear a lovely bark at the start of ‘Shadows In Your Eyes.’ I really got into playing my Fender bass better on this album. Albeit Keyboard drums. We made good use of his ART guitar effects , Hamer and Kramer Electric guitars. Memories huh. I’m struggling a bit with the exact date of release. But needless to say I was a hell of a lot younger. We’d record a song every weekend. Sometimes 2 per weekend. Very productive times.
The album began with ‘Sonic World’ this song exists in various versions.
2016 acoustic version of The Dream Of Zen
For my limited vocal abilities. Grimm really worked on my performances, and song structures during the recording of this in his home Studio in Eastwood, Nottingham. This album reflects where I was at during the mid to late 90’s. Suzanne Vega, Tori Amos, REM, Ruby Blue and Fleetwood Mac were massive influences. So was getting wasted.
Subject matter? Homelessness, craving, lust, obsession, encounters, conspiracies, drugs, weird shit, booze, sexual encounters with a man with one leg, stalking, boyfriends, women, motorbikes, Pete Smith (ex biker boyfriend), freedom on the road and that infamous ‘Popudom Song’ with some little drummer boy artistic licence!
So here it is with its pops, clicks, dogs barking, bum notes. Pandora’s Box with ‘No Rules, Just Ruins’ and Mirrors Of Man (Live)
Enjoy some Claudine West nostalgia.
https://bogwoppit.bandcamp.com/album/pandoras-box-20th-anniversary-edition
Strange Currencies Beginnings
Travelling full throttle into exciting times.
PP Johnson and I are working on and writing songs. We will be demoing while recruiting the final line up. New projects keep the fulfillment and variety. One gets ask what this band’s sound gonna be? Well under the umbrella of Rock. But not like the last bands I’ve been in. The freedom and ability to be creative, experiment, indulge is a fine thing.
As the new Strange Currencies official website and social media evolves. We will put up videos, blogs etc.
We are working on Unusual Haunts:
Compare once the band version is done.
and the instrumental
Vocals ripsaw into the essence of vibrations. With the stunning raw vocals and passion of PP Johnson. Blues/Rock/Funk drumming of Claudine West (Multi-Instrumentalist extraordinaire) Songwriting talents that produce things from the dark, the light and in between. Strange Currencies are the band that you always wanted to be in.. Sweetness follows..
Strange Currencies official website
https://strangecu.wordpress.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/strangecu/
Twitter https://twitter.com/strangecu
@strangecu
~ Claudine
Subway Circus Band Statement 15.04.2016
Band Statement. Subway Circus are no more. Last night Paul Delacey (guitarist) and Dave Pacey (Bass) Quit. All gigs have been cancelled. Sadly there will be no album. But there is Snooker on Sunday.
PP Johnson (Vocalist) and Claudine West (Drums) will now be pursuing their side project as their main band ‘Strange Currencies.’ Managed by Angela Barker.
Strange Currencies
Official Site
Strange Currencies | Band
https://strangecu.wordpress.com/
https://m.facebook.com/strangecu/
Twitter
@strangecu
We wish x members good luck in their future endeavours.
The End
This website was created, run and updated by Claudine. It’s been interesting…..
Pilgrim Promo Number #2 NewsFlash
Under the heading Original Rock Band with Psychedelic Funk & 70’s Soul. Nottingham Unsigned band Subway Circus are about to go back into studio to record part 2 of their 2016 debut album ‘Pilgrim Commuter‘
Excited? Hell Yes!
Rather good live too! 
http://www.subwaycircus.com/gigs/
Links
https://soundcloud.com/ubwayircus
Twitter @subwaycircus https://twitter.com/subwaycircus
Making Zaga Momma’s On Banjo
Sunday. The day for creating, cooking, fcuking and doing this. It’s been around or about 7 years since I should have written and recorded an ‘official song’ .. The relationship, love kind. Must be the Spirulina I’m taking waking my cockles up! For Ange my wife, lover, best friend. Here you go..Ange inspires daily and always has.
It began like this:
Lyrics:
She’s got a teapot bladder
Seeing Jacobs ladder
The love I have
Is the warmth of hand
Glowing shadow bugs
With this years bladder rugs
The love I have
Is the tough demands
Shaky norks boobie
Big zaga mommas
Beautiful blue eyes
Groovy summers
Ange is popular socially
Does a bap dance during holy molys
The love I have
Is the light I am
Kind and loving and good with the oven
She like cheese muffin and a sweet tap bum bum whooping
The love I have
Is the love I am
She’s a Tarot reader and gifted beaver
Not to mention a bloody stubborn bleeder
The love I have
Got me off the bad
Ange is the woman that I love love love most
The kindest soul and my past life tug boat
The love I have
Is all I asked
Then with Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Piano and some vocals plopped on I made this.
ZAGA MOMMA’s (ANGE’S SONGS)
I’d also done some of this. Lots of bad words!
I do love my Fender Stratocaster: Working on an as yet untitled song.
An old one about the suicide of a friend.
Now it’s winner winner chicken dinner time!
~ Claudine
Songwriting
Composition
/kɒmpəˈzɪʃ(ə)n/
Bear with….To construct and deconstruct an idea is one of the most rewarding things a songwriter and musician does. The aftermath is a performance of said idea. The recording and capture.
There are many ‘jukebox’ bands and artists that simply cover others good work, some do it well. Some are cringeworthy. I’m sure there are lots of talented musicians that are visual iTunes mini players. Its super duper some make a fair living off performing week in week out. Nice! Hobbies are fun aren’t they? Familiarity favours applause. When attending a recent event. Comments were made that did not favour original bands. A moan at the lack of ‘covers.’ (3 words for you Sunshine. 1. Hung 2. Drawn. 3. Quartered) I love watching bands. Being in this one (Subway Circus) we do a reworked version of Mad World. We have our guilty indulgences too.
Subway Circus YouTube maybe a rocked up ‘Jolene’ will emerge one day. We did tinker with ‘Rain.’
Having seen The Cult live recently (29th March, Rock City, Nottingham). I think I’ll leave it at that.
Copying is flattery.
They were supported by the band Broken Hands. Lovely bunch of lads. We purchased their new album ‘Turbulance.’ Its on rotation in the car.
Playing to an empty room with disinterested folk is job satisfaction in a basket ;-0 Seen as a rehearsal performance out of the rehearsal room- Minus the vulgarity, Rainbow Bungle, George and Zippy impressions (making me cough up my ovaries) banter and frolics. Have you seen Bungles Twanger?
So what is the secret of writing songs? Meeting your maker, inspiration, booze,drugs, booze, meditation, luck, structure, key changes, talent, creativity, satanic rituals, sacrifice, alien autopsies, tips from higher powers?
What make a hit? Catchiness, riffs, hooks, hocus pocus, promotion, investment, formula, attractiveness, image.
Sometimes the least favourite song one makes becomes the most popular. They you are stuck with performing it forever more. When even the thought of ever listening to it again in this lifetime makes the black plague seem an easy way out.
Of course you can also get signed (apparently is possible if you tick the criteria they desire yes!) Or use puppets! Sell out, change your sounds, get writers in, sing out of key, try to act hard, hang out with the big bad boys and be opinionated, get moulded, produced, marketed then probably dropped. Never play in your hometown where you were once humble and playing to nobody. But you know what? Puppets have good times!
You can sit or stand there with a guitar, a piano, a thought, a lyric, a loop, a rhythm. As a band we jam. It begins with simply that. Paul on guitar will introduce a riff, or ‘Speed’ our Bassist with come up with a bassline. Drums follow by myself, or begin. PP sings ideas. We have written a song from a vocal. I like to document the process. I’ll be able to take a wonderful trip down memory lane after. I’m unable to show the jam of ‘Razorface’ we made last night..Sorry. We will of course showcase when done.
Songs are sounds, notes, chords, tones, melodies, rhythms. Songs are beauty. Songs are orgasm, Zen, Eden, The Celestine Prophecy, exorcism. They birth Demons. This is how they roll.
How do we do it? We have begun writing our 2nd album…It may be Unusual..It may be Haunting… We are soon to be going into studio for the 2nd session to finish our debut album. Yes 2 sessions = album. Later in 2016 we will record our 2nd EP. ‘The Law.’
We have been playing our instruments for a number of years and practice weekly. Invested. If you invest time and effort you tend to get competent. If you are lucky enough to be gifted. There is your Brucie Bonus! We record live with guide vocal. With some vocal overdubs. Its in the bag. quick, raw easy. Indulgence in lots of instruments is kept for the home studio and solo work. That solo work births songs and ideas. Watch this very space.
From live recordings
To home studio
Go with your flow… be free, in order to do that. Relax and open yourself. Channel the vibes. Like meditation set your intent. Pressure and writer’s block are a curse of the creative. Be inspired by the good and the bad, be inspired by boredom, politics, the news. Pick a chord, hum a melody write a thought, a poem, improvise begin the begin. Make something beautiful for you. Record your favourite song, turn yourself on. Intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-chorus-end. Go crazy change the time signature and key half way through. I found sitting on the toilet scribbling lyrics on bog roll useful. Nowadays the advancement in technology means I can type it or dictate to my phone.
I’m a big improviser. I really do just go with the flow. I experiment with looping a rhythm, playing my acoustic until I like a chord structure. Vocals. I’ve been free flow lyric writing lately. (Writing as a go to listening the track) Whereas years ago I used to mainly write the lyrics first. Write stories, be the protagonist, write the things you can’t speak. Everyone has heard 1000 songs about love lost. Add a twist. Give it a serial killer, write about your crazy surreal dreams. Write about the bitter snooker hall bulldog chewing a wasp, who has caused parking inconvenience. Let the ghost in the machine take hold of your soul and spout out words that pop into your head and come from your hands. Even if they are not in the dictionary! Read stuff, get inspired. Learn a few words. Use the rhyming dictionary.
I scribble A-Z and rhyme to each letter. Even if it makes me dribble. Let it out. Do you think I know what this is about? and I wrote it….;-0
‘Tokyo at Mohive, Chrono las over
Highway a night drive
Imploding supernova
Molasses in the spring with Olaf
Birds of paradise in the garden
Nephilim in darkness
Corroded movers
They shake new world orders
Roll it under, Make it thunder
Break the man in two
Machina took it out on toucan
The words and menopause
The losers in the blue room
Empty wards have active soul wanderers’
Piano, keyboards, synth strings, bass, banjo, mandolin. Hooks, meat grinders, grate a courgette add …Sitar….. http://www.claudinewestmusic.com
In a Band? Just jam ideas, work on them. Play nicely, communicate, compromise. From a seed spawns a song. Dictatorships make for unhappy puppies. If your dictator is a genius? make your choice: Stick with, earn big then have an almighty fall out and make a solo record. Or leave on principle, struggle but be creatively happy. Or just look for the right people. That may mean lots of fails and a few winners. Fate deals its hand too incase you didn’t mind.
~ Claudine
Earth Tree Healing 