At the beginning of lockdown I was totally lost, the team I was working with fell apart and all my plans for the future literally disappeared. I’d lost friends and loved ones in a pursuit of a career that was killing me. I didn’t know who I was as a person let alone as an artist. I didn’t know what music I wanted to make or direction to take in life. All I knew was prior to Covid the music I was making and the person I was becoming wasn’t me. My whole world sort of fell apart and I hit genuine rock bottom.
I wanted to quit music, the industry wasn’t interested in me and social media just exhausted me.
This album, collection of songs, whatever you wanna call it was literally my way back from a really bad place. The second song on the album Roll back was the catalyst/turning point for me. I remember writing the lyrics and it was like this inner part of my soul was trying to talk to me. I worked on it for weeks, I remember lying in the garden on a blanket with my dogs listening and listening, then going back in to my bedroom studio and working some more. For the first time I wasn’t writing wondering if people will people like it or not, I was just writing for me. Roll back led to another song and then another and before I knew it I had 10 songs in place. I’d never made an album before and had literally no clue what i was doing, I barely knew how to record music. But I worked and worked. Each song teaching me something new.
I called the album Chasing Elysium because it summed up what I was going through and my ultimate realisation perfectly. We as people spend our whole lives looking to the future, we work tirelessly in the pursuit of our goals and dreams hoping that when we get there, all our problems will be resolved. We’ll finally be in the heaven that we dreamed of and chased for so long. The truth I found is that we’re already in heaven, we’re already exactly where we are suppose to be. We just have to look around and see the beauty of right now. If we don’t find happiness in who we are right now, no amount of success is going to change that.
Success just brings more problems and more goals we’d be constantly trying to chase our idea of heaven without ever truly getting there.
As I said I never wrote this album to release it, I wrote it for me and me alone. The thing i realised over the years of listening to it is that if it it resonates with even one person then that’s a great thing.
I have so much planned for next year with new music releases but I feel I can’t move on without letting you guys into a little bit more of who I am and what got me through the hardest time in my life. I know there are countless people out there right now who have probably been on a similar journey or who are going through it right now. I just want you to know that it gets better and you can find inner peace, for me it was just a case of letting go of what may or may not be and to learn to love yourself for everything you’ve achieved in getting to where you are right know. Wherever that is on the journey.
LYRICS
LYRICS
-
I’m sitting out on the water
And you’re lying next to me
I feel the days drift away honey
For once I can be
And there’s no getting older
For there’s no need to dream
I feel alive in the danger
It takes the fear away from me
I feel the waves lift my gaze honey
For once I can see
That there’s no getting older
For there’s no need to dream
You’re in love with the man
That I know I can be
You build me up past the fallen
The seeds of my memories
And I fight to get older
I was born to be free
Come on love be my lover
Rescue me
Rescue me
And I fight to get older
I was born to be free
Come on love be my lover
Rescue me
Rescue me
And I fight to get older
I was born to be free
Come love be my lover
Rescue me
Rescue me
-
It’s alright
It’s okay
It’s you I love and that will never change
Just give me time to clear my head
Sometimes fire just needs a little air
You build me up
I fall again
Not as far as the past tense
I love you so easily
It’s not over I told you we’ll be just fine
It’s strange but the pain is all in my mind
Don’t make my mistake when I push you away
Just be who you are I will see you again
I don’t wanna go
So help me stay
It’s just another one
Another hate me day
They say love is just a game
Well I don’t want to play again
It’s you I trust
Is that so strange
All the others make no sense
You build me up
I fall again
Not as far as the past tense
I love you so easily
It’s not over I told you we’ll be just fine
It’s strange but the pain is all in my mind
Don’t make my mistake when I push you away
Just be who you are I will see you again
I don’t wanna go
So help me stay
It’s just another one
Another hate me day
And I want love
Like I need love
And I wanna change
I want love
Like I need love
And I wanna stay
I want love
Like I need love
And I wanna change
I don’t wanna go
So help me stay
It’s just another one
Another hate me day
-
Your fire burns at both ends
You’re either side of the tunnel
I can’t define the moments
It all went wrong
You hold on to everything
Leave time to unfold
If I could crawl
But deep down
I’m out
If I could talk
Would you hear my voice again
When you believe in something you give all you can give
When you hold on to nothing the sunlight disappears
All I ever wanted was to prove you right
You hold on to everything
Leave time to unfold
If I could crawl
Deep down
I’m out
If I could talk
Would you hear my voice again
So treat me like a child
Send me away defeated holding on
Your silence is more than words could ever say
I didn’t lose my way
Some things have to change
Some things stay the same
If I could crawl
Deep down
I’m out
If I could talk
Would you hear my voice
Again
-
I will wait for you
When the days are long
And the nights won’t come
‘til creation feeds your soul
Some might say
That I will wait for you
Until you’re strong
And elation makes you one
Some might say
Some might say
I will fall down
Healings in the ground
Take a fall and see
Failing’s everything
So wait
I’ll keep pretending
Like everything’s going okay
You’re too late
My life is for living
And heaven feels better this way
I will wait for you
When the days are long
And the nights won’t come
‘til creation feeds your soul
Some might say
That I will wait for you
Until you’re strong
And elation makes you one
Some might say
Some might say
So wait
I’ll keep pretending
Like everything’s going okay
You’re too late
My life is for living
And heaven feels better this way
So wait
I’ll keep pretending
Like everything’s going okay
You’re too late
My life is for living
And heaven feels better this way
So come on let me fly
And you’ll find out how I really feel
I don’t need
So I left you
You don’t see you
Yeah you burnt me
Yet I loved you
So come on let love lie
And you’ll finally see how it feels
You don’t need
When you love you
You don’t see me
So you burnt me
When I loved you
-
If you told me someday never comes
I’d still keep running just for fun
Close my eyes and start again
Pick up the pace and make amends
Hold my hands up to the sky
Screaming I’m not scared to try
This is what I gotta do
Never stop till I breakthrough
Till I Breakthrough
Is this all you prayed for?
Is there more to come?
Is it truth you crave for?
Then you better run
If you told me god lives in your mind
Who’s the king who rules you’re life
Are we the pawns, live to survive
Waiting for God to arrive
Then hold you’re hands up to the sky
Screaming I’m not scared to die
This is what I love to do
Never stop till I breakthrough
Never stop till I breakthrough
Is this all you prayed for?
Is there more to come?
Is it truth you came for?
Then you better run
-
I just wanna roll back
The city for the night
Take me to the Water
Feed my soul with fire
Stare up at the halos
I’m the begging for the light
When we’re falling free fall
let go of space and time
Heaven is a construct
thats written in you’re mind
I don’t wanna make it
By giving up my life
Relax and let the world slow
take a breath and reload
Ready for the next go
Now’s the time to free your soul
I Woke my mind from the fast life
leaving for last time
Breaking the walls
Then watching them fall
Chasing money didn’t feel right
spent it all in one night
Till i couldn’t see sight
And I’d seen it all
but I wanted more
I just wanna roll back
The city for the night
Take me to the Water
Feed my soul with fire
Stare up at the halos
I’m the begging for the light
When we’re falling free fall
let go of space and time
Heaven is a construct
thats written in you’re mind
I don’t wanna make it
By giving up my life
Relax and let the world slow
Take a breath and reload
Ready for the next go
Now’s the time to free your soul
Better worlds are on the brightside
Every moment needs time
Then we’re making peace right
And we’d have it all
Don’t give in before night comes
Every roads the right one
every songs a sad song
Till we sing as one
Together as one
I just wanna roll back
The city for the night
Take me to the Water
Feed my soul with fire
Stare up at the halos
I’m the begging for the light
When we’re falling free fall
let go of space and time
Heaven is a construct
thats written in you’re mind
I don’t wanna make it
By giving up my life
Relax and let the world slow
take a breath and reload
Ready for the next go
Now’s the time to free your soul
I just wanna roll back
The city for the night
Take me to the Water
Feed my soul with fire
Stare up at the halos
I’m the begging for the light
When we’re falling free fall
let go of space and time
Heaven is a construct
thats written in you’re mind
I don’t wanna make it
By giving up my life
Relax and let the world slow
take a breath and reload
Ready for the next go
Now’s the time to free your soul
Free your soul
Now’s the time to free your soul
O Free your soul
-
We’re already in heaven
A garden of eden
We’re living in paradise
There is no now or never
Forever earth is living
Circle back as a butterfly
Don’t let the land lie
Till the seas rise
And the trees hide from mankind
All the clean Skies are online
And offline is all life
Ah-oooo
See the wonder staring at the ground
We dance upon now
There’s a heaven in most things
A better place
I see it all around
Yeah if oceans don’t impress you then just stare at the mountains
We are surrounded by everything we could dream
Just need to simplify
And take a second to breath
Under the moonlight
We see the jealousy of a thousand stars
That will never see what we see
We’re only human
Fighting yesterdays presence in our time
Tomorrow doesn’t belong
To us our gift is freedom
And what we leave behind
Ah-oooo
See the wonder staring at the ground
We dance upon now
There’s a heaven in most things
A better place
I see it all around
Yeah if oceans don’t impress you then just stare at the mountains
We are surrounded by everything we could dream
Just need to simplify
And take a second to breath
Under the moonlight
We see the jealousy of a thousand stars
That will never see what we see
We are surrounded by everything we could dream
Just need to simplify
And take a second to breath
Under the moonlight
We see the jealousy of a thousand stars
That will never see what we see
-
How can I leave you if you’re the one I understand
I’m what you made me now let me be that better man
I wanna dance with you
You drive me crazy
Like the ware wolf and the moon
Don’t call me lazy baby
When I’m running after you
O I wanna dance with you
I wanna dance with you
Maybe we try again
Or maybe just forget it
Take it from the top or do we skip straight to the credits
I don’t wanna fight
I just wanna dance with you
Baby you should live your life in whatever shoes
I’m tired of this game that you refuse to lose
I don’t wanna fight
I just wanna dance with you
I wanna dance with you
You find a way everyday to the hole in my heart
You shook it up just enough to remember the time
That I danced with you
I’m getting ready to be getting over you
But every time I try and leave
I hear that fucking/Funky tune
Woo I wanna dance with you
I wanna dance with you
Maybe we try again
Or maybe just forget it
Take it from the top or do we skip straight to the credits
I don’t wanna fight
I just wanna dance with you
Baby you should live your life in whatever shoes
I’m tired of this game that you refuse to lose
I don’t wanna fight
I just wanna dance with you
I wanna dance with you
Tap your feet the love never leaves you
And dance to this melody
Tap your feet the love never leaves you
And dance to this melody
Tap your feet the love never leaves you
And dance to this melody
Tap your feet the love never leaves you
dance to this melody
Tap your feet the love never leaves you
dance to this melody
Tap your feet the love never leaves you
dance to this melody
You find a way everyday to the hole in my heart
You shook it up just enough to remember the time
That I danced with you
I’m getting ready to be getting over you
But every time I try and leave
I hear that fucking/Funky tune
Woo I wanna dance with you
I wanna dance with you
-
Truth as my alibi
Don’t blame it on me
Let me see through your eyes
Feel my heartbeat
Turn up your farenheight
Do you feel the heat?
I’ll love you a thousand times
And beg your treats
Mountains Climb in my mind
Don’t let them free
Lets work out on overtime
The pace and the beat
True Love is by Design
What you gunna make of me
What you gunna make of me
True Love is by Design
What you gunna make of me
Truth as my alibi
Don’t blame it on me
Let me see through your eyes
Feel my heartbeat
Turn up your farenheight
Can you feel the heat?
True Love is by Design
Don’t blame it on me
-
Lately I’ve Been a fool
Taking us nowhere
But nowhere’s still better with you
Odds are we’re still going lose
But bet on me one day
That someday I’ll come through
for you
Everytime
You tell me
That I love you
I Keep on running
For you
Make Me a believer in fate
if time is a healer then heal me before it’s too late
Something has got to give
Its me but I know this
with you i am happy to live
Everytime
You tell me that I love you
I Keep on running
For you
Everytime
You tell me that I love you
I Keep on running
For you
-
Oooo
We’re slipping through cracks
Stop lying to eachother
When the truth attacks
Get high then recover
Never to look back
But we’ll soon be back
And I won’t do that
No I won’t do that
We’re slipping through cracks
Stop lying to eachother
When the truth attacks
Get high then recover
Never to look back
But we’ll soon be back
And I won’t do that
No I won’t do that
Can anybody help me
Have you been here before?
They Say that Love don’t Come easy
Gospel Truth
Holding on to yesterday
I want you
All the things I should have said
Take my hand
Baby we could live again
They Say that Loves don’t Come easy
Leave this place
They could never understand
But i’m too late
You are with another man
And I won’t wait
But I will never love again
Can anybody help me
Have you been here before?
Can anybody hear me
As I call out for more?
Is Freedom
My Fate
live for the lust
I’m not coming back again
Reason
too late
Theres just no trust
I’m not coming back again
Praying for redemption
Heaven knows I tried
Moving on with healing
Spread my wings and fly
Can anybody help me
Have you been here before
Can anybody hear me
I’m Calling out for more
Can anybody help me
I’m Calling out for more
-
I, I don’t wanna lose you
I don’t wanna feel what it means to be without you tonight
You, o father love I beseech you
Let go off my past and let me see the light
O the stars
O the stars they are shaking
Yeah I place you on my tongue
And we ride right through the night
When you feel like holding on
Free you’re mind
Because we’ve only just begun
When the colours start to run
Up the walls
We should have only taken one
So feel the room with love
Don’t keep holding on
O there’s a big black hole hanging up in the sky
Don’t feel so alone you’re not alone
We’re never lonely
I’m thinking back did I have a good life
Yeah I free’d my soul from it all
Just you like told me
I, I testify the worlds alright
The worlds alright
When you feel like holding on
Free you’re mind
Because we’ve only just begun
When the colours start to run
Up the walls
We should have only taken one
So feel the room with love
Don’t keep holding on
When you feel like holding on
Free you’re mind
Because we’ve only just begun
When the colours start to run
Up the walls
We should have only taken one
So feel the room with love
Don’t keep holding on
O there’s a big black hole hanging up in the sky
Don’t feel so alone you’re not alone
We’re never lonely
I’m thinking back did I have a good life
Yeah I free’d my soul from it all
Just you like told me
I, I testify the worlds alright
The worlds alright
-
I heard that you found a life Without me And I swear, that I saw you standing there Just you and me As we used be In love again In love again
So I dance by myself To our song all night long In love again
I comb my hair and the clothes I wear in the mirror, it's all for you
When I see your chair, Your still sitting there So I close my eyes You always said I was dreamer I can feel your hand Gently holding my hand I can taste your kiss Your lips on mine
I sense your here Right by my side Loving you is all I do Every minute of the day
Every man has a crime But you leaving me was all of mine O There where times that It didn't work But then you'd hold me like used too in love again In love again
You can raise up
or you lay me down But I will be that one That you will never doubt
And I will walk for you Face that mighty hand I will fight your war, O I will be that man
You can raise up
or you lay me down But I will be that one That you will never doubt
And I will walk for you Face that mighty hand I will fight your war, O I will be that man
in love again In love again
in love again
-
Two hearts meet
Then I’m found
Forever love would set me free
When you speak
Without a sound
Every truth cut through to me
A bird in flight
Just slowly
You write the words so I can read
Now I learned to walk again
To savour every moment every feeling every breath
You never looked away
Now I know that I can be the man you make me every day
now I walk again
Theres nothing left to say
Only you can see the best off me
Take me to the place I need
Help me make the change
I see the good life
There for me
All I gotta do
Stay honest
To what I really make
Of it
And open my eyes to life to
I’ve been here for some time
The strain is in my eyes
They’re coloured in life
Ive walked the streets of my mind
To find a place I could hide
If only for the night
I set off to find all the answers
settled with weekend romances
You think theres always time
Now I learned to walk again
To savour every moment every feeling every breath
You never looked away
Now I know that I can be the man you make me every day
now I walk again
Theres nothing left to say
Only you can see the best off me
Take me to the place I need
Help me make the change
I see the good life
There for me
All I gotta do
Stay honest
To what I really make
Of it
And open my eyes to life
You opened up my eyes to life
There’s nothing left to say
Only you can see the best off me
Take me to the place I need
Help me make the change
I see the good life
There for me
All I gotta do
Stay honest
To what I really make
Of it
And open my eyes to life
Playing live is when I feel most ‘me’. That and the need to move away from chasing perfection, overproducing and ending up with a great song that quite frankly I couldn’t reproduce on stage all kick-started a different journey and I started writing again from a different place.
The first attempt at this EP was a ride - 4 mates, all amazing musical talents holed up in a studio in the Essex countryside banging out 4 songs over 2 days. Full drums, electric guitars..the lot. Having them do their magic and letting rip on my music opened up a whole new experience of sound for me and it felt so good jamming with a band after years of quiet isolation in my home studio. Post production “Some Might Say” was done and in the bag - it has a sort of Ben Howard epic-ness a delicateness ending in an intense ear fuck.. the others, not quite right. I’d started falling down that ‘unreproducible live’ rabbit hole again - I loved what we did but how the hell can you afford dope musicians unless you’re selling out 500cap venues?
So, acoustic it would be.. working with Jake (the one-take wonder) Priestley in my home studio, a couple of jack leads and a condenser mic we took 3 other songs and found their mojo. Finally, I have something that feels like me, stripped back but with loads of places to go, my voice front and centre. Each one with their own story so personal to me… I’ve remembered why I love music.
TOUR DATES
