Radical Face - The Ship In Port (Acoustic) @RadicalFace

Radical Face This took longer to make than expected. I am still learning how to operate a camera myself and it was my first time personally working with a key light. So there was a good bit of reshooting along the way while I figured it all out. But I also learned about editing with proxies, which is a game changer!

So when I was working on the original version of "The Ship In Port", Nico's "These Days" was a big reference. I have loved that song since I heard it in high school, and I wanted to capture some of that mood. So when I sat down to work on a video treatment for this, Wes Anderson instantly sprang to mind. His use of These Days in "The Royal Tenenbaums" is forever paired for me (as well as "Needle In The Hay"), so I decided on flat backgrounds and a Futura font as a direct nod to him.

Josh and I just shot a bunch of surfaces around the house for backgrounds (rugs, towels, carpets, astroturf, doormats, walls, etc), and used as many flat surfaces as we could. I've been enjoying this constant rethinking of the house, and this was a fun one to make.

Tutorial for this song coming soon. Then on to the next one. I hope everyone is well.

Lyrics:

Some say our dreams are a distant road
Down which our hearts would like to go
But I have always stayed in place
Under that old illusion that it's safe

You said, "The ship in port is the safer one,
but it's not the reason it was made."
So forgive me if I wander off
And forgive me more if I just stay

Sing another song for the lost ones
'Cause we're the ones who need it the most
Every time you run it'll cost ya
But that doesn't stop us running

If a coward dies a thousand times
Then there's a graveyard in my head
'Cause it took me years to say the words
That you did not even need said

Sing another song for the lost ones
'Cause we're the ones that need it the most
Nothing that you fear is forgotten
It follows you around like ...

Then everything danced to a stranger tune
We found our song and we found our truth
Now that we know, it's that we always knew
Farewell to the chains we were born into

Then we danced among the ashes of our lives and laughed it off
And then we burned our tiny worlds and found the ocean
Just beyond those paper walls

updated 4 years ago

Radical Face - The Ship In Port (Acoustic)

Radical Face 2020-05-12 | This took longer to make than expected. I am still learning how to operate a camera myself and it was my first time personally working with a key light. So there was a good bit of reshooting along the way while I figured it all out. But I also learned about editing with proxies, which is a game changer!

So when I was working on the original version of "The Ship In Port", Nico's "These Days" was a big reference. I have loved that song since I heard it in high school, and I wanted to capture some of that mood. So when I sat down to work on a video treatment for this, Wes Anderson instantly sprang to mind. His use of These Days in "The Royal Tenenbaums" is forever paired for me (as well as "Needle In The Hay"), so I decided on flat backgrounds and a Futura font as a direct nod to him.

Josh and I just shot a bunch of surfaces around the house for backgrounds (rugs, towels, carpets, astroturf, doormats, walls, etc), and used as many flat surfaces as we could. I've been enjoying this constant rethinking of the house, and this was a fun one to make.

Tutorial for this song coming soon. Then on to the next one. I hope everyone is well.

Lyrics:

Some say our dreams are a distant road
Down which our hearts would like to go
But I have always stayed in place
Under that old illusion that it's safe

You said, "The ship in port is the safer one,
but it's not the reason it was made."
So forgive me if I wander off
And forgive me more if I just stay

Sing another song for the lost ones
'Cause we're the ones who need it the most
Every time you run it'll cost ya
But that doesn't stop us running

If a coward dies a thousand times
Then there's a graveyard in my head
'Cause it took me years to say the words
That you did not even need said

Sing another song for the lost ones
'Cause we're the ones that need it the most
Nothing that you fear is forgotten
It follows you around like ...

Then everything danced to a stranger tune
We found our song and we found our truth
Now that we know, it's that we always knew
Farewell to the chains we were born into

Then we danced among the ashes of our lives and laughed it off
And then we burned our tiny worlds and found the ocean
Just beyond those paper walls

Radical Face - One Last Dream

Radical Face 2021-06-24 | So this one was has a bit of story behind it.

Last Friday I got contacted out of the blue by the creator of the show "The Blacklist." There was a very important final scene in the the season finale, and there was suddenly an issue with the music that was slated to go along with it. I was asked if I could come up with something for the scene over the weekend, as it was due to air on Wednesday. But it was a long cue -- about 5 minutes. We had never spoken before that moment, but they've featured me on the show multiple times and it's been a really big reason that people have heard of me at all. So of course I was happy to at least try.

I got a cut of the scene, some notes about the tone and the mood, and then the work started. Writing to cues is a bit different than writing songs, because the tempo and mood have to fit something that already exists. It's about amplifying a mood instead of generating it from scratch. So just sorting the structure can take a lot of time. I could also tell right from the start that I'd need strings on this, so I asked Josh, my partner, to help me come up with some cello parts. He's really great at playing emotively, so we got all that sorted in a couple hours. The rest was a blur. But it's fun to just move sometimes and go entirely with gut responses. There wasn't time to second guess anything. And luckily it was all moods and tones that are well within my wheelhouse.

To jump to the end, the piece worked out well and was accepted. And since it will have already aired before I put out my next newsletter, I am uploading it early.

Oh, and if you would like to hear more of Josh's string work, he records lots of classical music, and also has compositions of his own. Check out his new channel at: youtube.com/JoshLee415

For the art, I just grabbed one of the images from my "Rain" series I did earlier this year that felt like it paired pretty well. It's something I painted on Procreate, on my iPad.

Radical Face - Dreamless Sleep

Radical Face 2021-06-01 | So this is another single for my newsletter (www.hiddenhollow.online).

I wanted to write a song for the small window of time between awake and sleep. I don't know how universal this is, but for me it's got a floating warmth to it that I really love. Almost feels like melting, but in a good way. Lyrically? This could be about anything from taking a nap to dying. Your call on that one.

For the art, I originally had a very different image and color pallet in mind. This was just a kind of free-form doodle that I was gonna use as the test. But for some reason I liked the look of bright, neon colors and just kept going with it. It makes for an odd pairing, but I liked something about the two together, so I kept it.

Lyrics:

Lay you down
There's nothing to be scared of
All your fears are in the breeze
Pay no mind
All is taken care of
It's all a dreamless sleep

Behind those heavy eyes
The warm sort of dark fills your mind
Free from the cold grip of time
The worries all melt

Close your eyes
All is taken care of
All your thoughts are in the wind
Go to sleep
There's naught for you to dream of
Just wind beneath your feet

Behind those heavy eyes
A warm sort of dark fills your mind
Free form the cold grip of time
The worries just melt
And nothing is felt
Your body could burst
And none of it would hurt
A return to the earth

Radical Face - Under The Same Sun

Radical Face 2021-02-02 | This is the final song for this first "Hidden Hollow" EP. For those of you that don't know what that means, "Hidden Hollow" is the name of my monthly newsletter, where I include all these one-off recordings that I've been making, as well as share lots of book, art and media recommendations. You can sign up for the newsletter here, if that sounds interesting to you: www.hiddehollow.online

And to be totally clear, none of these tracks are related to my new album. That is a much larger project, which will begin this year. I'll make a video explaining it all, because I never do anything simple and the record has spiraled into a 30 song multi-media project. Ha.

As for this track, this one is a throwback of sorts. It's a riff on another song of mine (guess which?). The chord/picking pattern was originally something for the Family Tree project, but I never used it. The chords popped up out of the blue last month, so I just rolled with them, started tracking, and this is where I wound up. This whole "Hidden Hollow" series has been about not overthinking anything very much and finishing songs quickly. To be honest, I prefer overthinking -- I love details -- but I have appreciated the change of pace.

Side note: I plan to do a short "Missing Film" EP for the space between this EP and my next record, so the next batch of songs will likely be instrumentals that anyone can use.

Lyrics:

Stopped time, the time has stopped
And all the earth stands still
All our plans are just feathers in the breeze
I fall asleep in the backseat of your old car
Outside the gods fall to their knees

When I said I'd live a life that was a different one
I meant a different one
Not always picking up the pieces of a former one
I thought I'd find a different world under a different sun
But there's no different sun
Yeah, there is only one
So now I sit in silence as it warms my skin
And I don't need to plan
Or even know where we are
Because it's all the same sun

I'm looking out the window at a different road
Is it a different road?
If I always take it with me and don't let it go?
I need to let it go
Until I let it go it makes every road I travel down the same

This might all feel like we're stumbling in the dark
But it's all under the same sun

Radical Face - The River With No Name

Radical Face 2020-11-03 | The short description of this track: It's a song about moving.

We will be moving again next year, and this will be the ninth time for me. Moving used to feel overwhelming. It was something I dreaded. So when we moved to where we are living now, and I set up a studio in the garage, I was convinced I was going to stay in place for a while. But a pandemic wasn’t a part of the plan. Like any major life event, it shifted priorities and outlook a huge amount. So we are back to the drawing board.

But I noticed it wasn’t bothering me this time. I’ve gotten good at it. And I can have fun doing all the research for potential places to live and mentally trying them on. Since this is something I’ve been doing in my spare time, and I have been using these newsletter songs as an excuse to make “slice of life” moments into music, it felt like as good a topic as any.

Musically, the major influences were some old Bossa Nova compilations, French pop music from the 60s, and the theme from “The Reading Rainbow.” Odd combination, but these have been in rotation for me while drawing lately. I’ve been enjoying letting things influence me with no intention of being clever or particularly mindful about it. There’s something fun about being very unfiltered and spontaneous. I think these are the only songs I’ve ever made where I have had no rewrites involved. It’s been a great counterpoint to working on such an elaborate record.

As with the other Hidden Hollow singles, the video is just a time-lapse of me painting the cover on Procreate.

LYRICS:

Maybe this time we will get right
Every step’s just a step until the one where you stop
They say the third time’s a charm
Yeah, well, how about the ninth?

Or maybe look at this a different way
You only know where you’ve been
Not where you’re going to be
If you learn as you go, you gotta go just to learn

So take a step into the river with no name
And you’ll be carried off into a horizon that you’ve never known
Don’t close your eyes, it’ll all be okay
Come dry yourself beside the fire
Made of all those former worries that you’ve carried inside you
There’s no need for names
Just let them burn and warm yourself by the flames

We thought this time would be a different case
That we know where we are and we know what we want
It only lasted two years
But, hey, that’s better than one

So back to throwing ideas at the wall
My throwing arm is getting good
Yeah, I could do it all day
And you know I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun

Let’s take a step into the river with no name
And we’ll be carried off into a horizon that we’ve never known
Don’t close your eyes, it’ll all be okay
Come dry yourself beside the fire
Made of all those former worries that you’ve carried inside you
There’s no need for names
Just let them burn, we’ll warm ourselves with the flames

Radical Face - More Clay Than Stone (Still On Our Way)

Radical Face 2020-10-06 | I read a lot about the mind. Call it a hobby. I wrote this song specifically after reading about memories and how we rewrite them every time we revisit them. They're not as reliable as we often believe, and that's where the title “More Clay Than Stone” came from. The rest of the lyrics spread from there and, to my own surprise, they took an optimistic turn. I started thinking that if they're going to change anyway, why not make them something a little better?

But the parenthetical half of the song title, (Still On Our Way), came about in a funny way. I was working out the vocal melody and the ending of each section sounded super familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. And then it clicked – it's something I've already written. “We're On Our Way” had the same melody in it. Well, since I can't get in trouble for copying myself, I decided to keep it. And since that was a song about moving from a bad spot to something better, it paired well with this song's subject matter. Maybe that's just a melody I drum up when I'm being more positive? Might be something to that. But yeah, I made an accidental sequel.

I have also been really into humming lately. Not sure what that's about.

For the artwork, I was just curious about painting an eyeball. I've never painted one before and it made sense with the song's subject, so I figured I'd give it a go. And like the others in this Hidden Hollow series (that's the name of my monthly newsletter), it was done in Procreate.

Lyrics:

I was out for a walk
Somewhere that I can't be found
Like a forest, but one that's only in my mind
Built of memories only you and I have shared

I have come to accept
My past is more clay than stone
And I can shape it into nicer forms
Ones where you and I were better than we were

All I see is that empty land
And the long-gone street full of long-gone plans
But I turn my head up and I watch the changing sky
And I leave the ground then and I finally understand why
I couldn't see it
That the street was not a street
It's just a circle meant to keep you where you are

I'm back in my spot
The one where I can't be found
Wrapped in stories
The ones where we were good
And our dreams were more than ways to pass the time

Radical Face - Sunlight

Radical Face 2020-09-03 | I've been working on portrait painting in my spare time for the past few months, and I like listening to calm music when I paint. Lately, it has mostly been lofi hiphop playlists and movie soundtracks. I was having an off day recently and decided I would make a song to distract myself. I gave myself 24 hours to complete it, which is a trick I use if I don't want to overthink things. The music I've been listening to while painting was an obvious influence.

For the video, I played the instrumental of the track on loop and painted a portrait. Rather than worry about the subject matter matching the lyrics, I wanted to see if I could get the mood across in the facial expression. I got it pretty close, I think.

And all of these singles are a part of my monthly mailing list where I share all kinds of art and music. It's called "The Hidden Hollow", so sign up if any of that sounds interesting. Here's the link: http://eepurl.com/hb4lwf

Lyrics:

In a search for the words I filled page after page
Still not sure what to say

The knot in my chest is not in my chest
It's just a trick of the brain

Could you share a little piece of your sunlight?
Or carry me off in the cold night?
I don't really care where I land
Could you teach me how to walk in the moonlight?
Or show me how to bury these old knives?
I'd like to get them out of my hands

So I'm back at the start to try my new hand
This all looks the same

But now I'm further along; I'm not at the start
Another trick of the brain

Could you share a little piece of your sunlight?
Or carry me off in the cold night?
I don't really care where I land
Could you teach me how to walk in the moonlight?
Or show me how to bury these old knives?
I'd like to get them out of my hands

Radical Face - The Missing Road

Radical Face 2020-08-04 | This song is an actual single, meaning it is not related to anything else. I have started a monthly mailer called "Hidden Hollow" (https://hiddenhollow.online/), and I am challenging myself to include original, non-album songs in every issue. This will give me a chance to release music freely while I'm finishing my new album, which is fun. Sometimes a one-and-done is really nice.

This particular track began while experimenting with an open-tuning (DADGAF# ... for all you guitarists). I wrote the chords and melodies over the course of a day, but the words came out a few weeks later, after a read of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". Reading it again got me thinking about some of the "almosts" in my life -- roads I nearly went down but in the end chose another -- but not in a negative way. More in a curious one, I'd say. I wrote the lyrics in one sitting later that day, and sang them immediately after.

For the cover image, I decided I would paint the first picture that caught my eye on a google image search on Procreate, then I used the time-lapse of it for the video.

Lyrics:

Time
Ticking in the back of my mind
‘Cause I know what I’ll find
If I sit in place
So I walk
Never really sure where I’m going
But it’s better than knowing
What everyday will be

I am who I am
And I know what I know
But I don’t know my way
I just go where I go

But I never could forget your face
It finds me in my sleep
And I’d like to tell you about those dreams
But talk is always cheap
So I go where I go

That road is gone
Now it just lives in this song

I’ve seen all I’ve seen
But I sometimes wonder
If you still think of me

I never meant to fade away
It’s just the way I’m made
I hope if you ever hear my name
That it doesn’t bring you pain

And just know that I know
Yeah, just know that I know
That those days were gold
And a heart always holds
Onto missing roads

Radical Face - Ship In Port (Tutorial)

Radical Face 2020-05-20 | Alright. Finally got this all edited. The plus side of this new tutorial format is that it is much quicker to film, but I make up for it in the editing. So it goes.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.

Link to the reference recording: youtube.com/watch?v=A5AiC_pucQY

Radical Face - Doorways (Guitar Tutorial)

Radical Face 2020-05-03 | This is a tutorial for the acoustic version of Doorways. I will be doing this for all of these home acoustic videos I'm making. Let me know how this new format works for you, and if there are other songs you'd like me to teach. Hopefully it's more helpful than my "20 minutes of rambling" earlier tutorials.

Relevant Links

Original Video: youtube.com/watch?v=doONWDqSlIk

I made a single image of the chords for download, if that's an easier reference for you. It's on my website here: radicalface.com/tutorials

Time stamps to skip over explanations

1:38 - Part 1 (First Half)
2:50 - Part 1 (Second Half)

4:29 - Part 2 (Simple Chords)
6:50 - Part 2 (With Hammering)

8:46 - Part 3

Radical Face - Doorways (Acoustic)

Radical Face 2020-04-20 | Here's the second in this stay home series. The original "Doorways" was written for three pianos and strings, so getting it down to guitar and viol that Josh and I could play live required a bit of a rewrite. It's a pretty similar process for building new versions of songs for tour, but some are trickier than others to pair down. This one was stubborn and took a few drafts to figure out.

I also figured since making things entirely at home is our reality, I might as well get a good camera. I've always made all my records at home, so no real changes there, but I usually hire people to do video work with me, as they would have both the equipment and the knowledge. Well, since we're all staying in place, it's time I acquired those. I've spent the past week learning how to shoot a lot better, both video and photo, and it's been fun! I'm gonna punch up more detailed thoughts for my website after this. And I have my first 4k video now, which is pretty neat.

And lastly, I am also using these acoustic videos as a challenge to get back into drawing. I drew all the time growing up, originally wanting to be an illustrator. I later shelved that for writing, thinking I'd be a novelist. Music was the third thing I really made a go at, only starting to take it seriously in my early twenties. I still really enjoy the other art forms, but often can't find the time for them. But nowadays, I've got nothing but time. So I'm getting back into them and remembering why I enjoyed them so much.

But with all of that going on, and me fumbling through a lot of things at once, this took a lot longer than expected. I will be quicker for the next one.

Lyrics:

When I was just a boy, still owl-eyed
I liked to drink the rain, to taste the sky
I tried to count the stars while in my bed
To keep the thoughts of monsters from my head
And I believed the stars were wishes
I believed the world was good
I believed things hid in the dark
And that all would turn out just how it should
I believed in all your stories
I believed you'd never lie
I believed if I could climb the trees behind the house,
I'd touch the sky

And I believed the skies were doorways home

Radical Face - Small Hands (Acoustic/Live)

Radical Face 2020-04-03 | So we're all stuck at home and need things to do. I have a few new projects in mind. For this first one here, I am filming acoustic versions of songs and building a little set somewhere in my house for each one. If there is a song in my catalog (Electric President included!) that you'd like me to make a small acoustic version of, feel free to comment down below, or send me a note through my website.

And I started with this song, Small Hands, because it's one people often ask me to play on tour, but I never have. There are some songs I've written during really bad times, or about very personal subjects, and I don't include those on set lists. Because you don't play the song just once, or even a couple times. Between teaching songs to the live band and the amount of shows that follow, I might play the song 50 to 60 times. And there are things I've written that I simply don't want to think about that much. This song is one of them. So to make up for that, I decided to just record it here.

I will also be doing more tutorials on how to play things, as well as updating the "How to record at home" series. So if any of this sounds interesting or helpful in all of the strangeness we are currently experiencing, just let me know what you'd like to see/hear next. Otherwise, I hope everyone is healthy and well, physically and mentally.

Lyrics:

Well, the world might cut you down again
But you know the way back home
And your best might not be good enough
But just know you're not alone
And if you slip and lose your way again
Well, know that you will be all right
You still gotta try

If you need come build your home in me
And you know I won't complain
And I can't fix what was done to you
But I'll shield you from the rain
And if the walls they build become too high
Then step up on my back and climb
'Cause I never mind
No matter the day or time
I never mind

And all the anchors that they hid inside your chest
We will unravel all of the chains
And toss the remnants all down the drain
And though my hands are much too small to hold you up
I will be there to pick up the pieces
And keep you housed while you mend them up

Well, if you wind up in the dark again
Just turn and call my name
And if the fire in your chest goes out
Well, I'll hold you all the same
And if you need to take this out on me
Well, you know I won't complain

Radical Face - Reveries

Radical Face 2020-01-21 | Whenever I am working on a new record, I always write songs that I like, but don't work for the larger concept. Something about the mood, the lyrics, or the production make them an odd fit. In the past, I would stop working on those songs once I recognized this, or I'd finish them up and they'd just sit on a hard drive somewhere. I've decided while working on "Into The Woods" to release them as singles along the way instead.

"Reveries" is the first of these. There are already others.

And as for the track itself, it covers a similar theme, I guess. It's about people that don't quite fit together anymore, but there's no anger or resentment in it. It's a drifting apart, not a breakup. And while you still care about each other in your ways, it's time to move on, and neither party owes the other anything.

Lyrics:

Light spills in through the window
And I watch the dust as drifts through the sunbeams
All while you stand cold in the kitchen
And all you've been wanting collects in the space behind your eyes
But I still wonder where my teeth went
I used to fear nothing
But now I just contemplate ...
The light spills in through the window
And you watch the clouds in the distance
And know we're out of time

You don't owe me
You don't me a thing
I have always been lost; It's a comfortable place
I don't owe you
I don't owe you a thing
You were always just something that I could never save

Time stops and all my old nightmares are standing before me
I wonder how they ever did their jobs
And I lay on the carpet and sift through my reveries
Try on the ones that still bite
Sometimes I wonder where you are now
And if you ever found some happiness,
Or just another way to kill the time
But I knew when this started that
I was never permanent
I was just another stop along the line

You don't owe me
You don't me a thing
I have always been lost; It's a comfortable place
I don't owe you
I don't owe you a thing
You were always just something that I could never save

Radical Face - Home (You Feel Like)

Radical Face 2019-10-25 | A B-Side from "Ghost", recorded in 2006.

It's been sitting on a hard drive for 13 years, and was never entirely finished, but I figured I might as well upload it.

Radical Face - Asleep On A Train (Piano)

Radical Face 2019-10-18 | Piano version for "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Radical Face - The Strangest Things (Music Box)

Radical Face 2019-10-18 | A music box version for "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Radical Face - Sleepwalking (Acoustic)

Radical Face 2019-10-18 | Acoustic version for "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Radical Face - Haunted (Instrumental)

Radical Face 2019-10-18 | An instrumental version for "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Radical Face - Let The River In (Instrumental)

Radical Face 2019-10-18 | Instrumental version for "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Radical Face - Wrapped In Piano Strings (Live)

Radical Face 2019-10-17 | Live version from "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Josh Lee: Viola Da Gamba

Jeremiah Johnson: Piano

Clay Doran: Bass

Griffin Kisner: Drums

Ben Cooper: Other Stuff

Radical Face - Glory (Live)

Radical Face 2019-10-16 | Live version for the "Ghost: Anniversary Edition"

Griffin Kisner - Drums

Ben Cooper - Other Stuff

Radical Face - Winter Is Coming (Live)

Radical Face 2019-10-16 | The live version from "Ghost: Anniversary Edition".

Josh Lee: Viola Da Gamba

Jeremiah Johnson: Piano

Clay Doran: Bass

Griffin Kisner: Drums

Ben Cooper: Other Stuff

Radical Face - Asleep On A Train (Strings)

Radical Face 2019-10-15 | String version for "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Performed by: Josh Lee

Radical Face - Along The Road (Live)

Radical Face 2019-10-15 | A recording of the live version for the "Ghost: Anniversary Edition".

Viola Da Gamba: Josh Lee

Electric Guitar: Jeremiah Johnson

Drums: Griffin Kisner

Other Stuff: Ben Cooper

Radical Face - Homesick (Piano)

Radical Face 2019-09-27 | Piano version of "Homesick" from "Ghost: Anniversary Edition."

Strings by Josh Lee.

Radical Face - Welcome Home, Son (Orchestral)

Radical Face 2019-09-06 | Orchestration by Josh Lee.

From the "Ghost: Anniversary Edition", available fall of 2019.

Radical Face - Doubt (Alternate Reality Version)

Radical Face 2019-05-24 | While recording this EP, I made two versions of every song as a kind of experiment. The first versions were more produced, and these second versions were more acoustic. Or another way to think of it -- the first style was just making a record, and this second style is how I arrange for live shows. I'd never recorded the two methods side-by-side before, and I always see EPs and short form releases as a place to experiment and try different ideas on, so that's where the "Alternate Reality Versions" of these tracks stemmed from.

Lyrics:

Staring into the sun
always looking for an answer
when I know there isn't one
I get-get-get what I can
'cause now I know
that those heartfelt words
were all empty vessels

I don't know if this all will end
I don't know who to call my friends
I don't know how to choose my sins
I don't know how much more I can bend
I don't know if these plans will take
I don't know if it's all just a waste
I don't know if our heart's will break
I just know that we're here
and that's enough for today

drifting through another day
can't connect to what's around me
laugh or cry, it's all the same
I gotta sleep when I can
but I have learned
that nothing lasts
not even problems

I don't know if this all will end
I don't know who to call my friends
I don't know how to choose my sins
I don't know how much more I can bend
I don't know if these plans will take
I don't know if it's all just a waste
I don't know if our heart's will break
I just know that we're here
and that's enough for today

Radical Face - Guilt (Alternate Reality Version)

Radical Face 2019-05-24 | While recording this EP, I made two versions of every song as a kind of experiment. The first versions were more produced, and these second versions were more acoustic. Or another way to think of it -- the first style was just making a record, and this second style is how I arrange for live shows. I'd never recorded the two methods side-by-side before, and I always see EPs and short form releases as a place to experiment and try different ideas on, so that's where the "Alternate Reality Versions" of these tracks stemmed from.

Lyrics:

I thought I'd walked a thousand miles
But it was all inside my head
My feet were almost where I started off
And I couldn't tell you why I'd bled
And I'm not surprised by what was said
but it still hit me all the same
just 'cause you see the storm
it doesn't mean you're ready for the rain

And I was dancing with my ghosts
'Cause I could never let them go
Oh, no, well I've got to
They're no longer here
And no one is watching
Sometimes your guilt just wears a face
And I would whistle in the dark
'Cause I felt safe while all alone
Well, it's time that I let all the dead be the dead
There's no honor in suffering
No reward 'cause you've bled
The rest can sort itself out

It's hard to say when things have run their course
while in the fog and still afraid
And once you see what lies behind a mask
that mask will never look the same
And once the pattern shows itself
You can't pretend that nothing's changed
It's hard to fake it when you see the steps
before they're even made

And I was dancing with my ghosts
'Cause I could never let them go, go, go
But I've got to
They're no longer here
And no one is watching
Sometimes your guilt just wears a face
And I would whistle in the dark
'Cause I felt safe while all alone
Well, it's time that I let all the dead be the dead
There's no honor in suffering
No reward 'cause you've bled
The rest can sort itself out

Radical Face - Better Days (Alternate Reality Version)

Radical Face - Hard Of Hearing (Alternate Reality Version)

Radical Face 2019-05-24 | While recording this EP, I made two versions of every song as a kind of experiment. The first versions were more produced, and these second versions were more acoustic. Or another way to think of it -- the first style was just making a record, and this second style is how I arrange for live shows. I'd never recorded the two methods side-by-side before, and I always see EPs and short form releases as a place to experiment and try different ideas on, so that's where the "Alternate Reality Versions" of these tracks stemmed from.

Lyrics:

Another evening spent in the corners of my brain
where I wander off into the dark
And I close my eyes and hope the wolves won't follow me
but hope's hard of hearing, so I'm waiting for the teeth

I had to learn that the helping hand can be the same that holds the knife
And no, I'm not well, but I'm alright
You gotta learn how to take your hits when your hands are always tied
And no, I'm not well, but I'm alright

I memorize the ceiling with a fire at my feet
while I give myself advice that I can't keep
I no longer ask myself what any of this means
I just want my mind to quit so I can finally fall asleep
Yeah, I'm just waiting for my mind to quit
So I can finally fall asleep

I kept falling for the broken wing because I couldn't pick the fight
But don't believe them when they tell you that the bird won't bite
I can't tell you if it got this way or if it started as a lie
And no, I'm not well, but I'm alright

I kept falling for the broken wing because I couldn't pick the fight
But don't believe them when they tell you that the bird won't …
I had to learn that the helping hand can be the same that holds the knife
And no, I'm not well, but I'm alright

Radical Face - Personal Giants (Alternate Reality Version)

Radical Face - Dead Ends (Alternate Reality Version)

Radical Face 2019-05-23 | While recording this EP, I made two versions of every song as a kind of experiment. The first versions were more produced, and these second versions were more acoustic. Or another way to think of it -- the first style was just making a record, and this second style is how I arrange for live shows. I'd never recorded the two methods side-by-side before, and I always see EPs and short form releases as a place to experiment and try different ideas on, so that's where the "Alternate Reality Versions" of these tracks stemmed from.

Lyrics:

Hello, hope, it's been a while
I thought I was damned to watch life through my hands
Now I'm not in the place I thought I'd be
Makes looking back a whole lot simpler

I thought that I could be the difference
I thought I could outsmart all the pain
But like life advice that's scrawled across a bathroom stall
It wasted everyone's time

So now I'm saying goodbye
And I'm learning to fend for myself
Now, we started playing with fire
Believing that it would just keep us warm
Well, there's no need to run
When you're traveling down the wrong road
No, yeah … There's no need to run
When you're traveling down the wrong road

Can't see the forest for the trees
Heard it plenty of times, but now I know what it means
If you hold too tight you're bound to lose
The very things you've decided are precious

Now I've learned I'm not so special
No need to carry all that weight
You don't have to ask if you're allowed to fall apart
So now I just say:

There ain't no fixing this, but I like that you tried
Sometimes the hardest part is being right
There ain't no helping me, but I like that you lied
Sometimes it's worth the burn marks to feel the light

And I don't wanna know why
I just want to know how to move on now
The past is buried in time
And the future's an anxious invention
Oh, and you never arrive
Unless you accept your dead ends
Yeah, you will never arrive
Unless you make peace with your dead ends

Radical Face Q&A

Radical Face 2019-05-03 | Radical Face -

Itunes: http://flyt.it/radicalface
Amazon: http://flyt.it/radicalfaceamzn
My personal webstore: http://radicalface.shop.musictoday.com

Spotify: http://spoti.fi/1lUr177
Free Songs: http://noisetrade.com/radicalface
Tour: http://bandsintown.com/radicalface

Radical Face Live Stream

Radical Face 2019-05-03 | ...

Radical Face - Personal Giants

Radical Face 2019-04-26 | Track 3 from the "Therapy" EP.

Lyrics:

When I was lost
you stood there silent
and kept the light on inside me
and when I broke down
and all the world turned to gray
you told me time would be gentle

And nobody knows your name
Yeah, nobody knows your name
To me you're a mountain
Or some shining lighthouse that guided my way
But nobody knows your name

You held me up
When I was drowning
And wrapped me in your spare blankets
And you held my head
While I lay broken
And told me I would sleep soundly
And that life goes on

And nobody knows your name
Yeah, nobody knows your name
To me you're a giant
Or some distant lighthouse that guided my way
But nobody knows …

Now that I'm gone
And standing on my own two feet
I still remember you fondly

Radical Face - Guilt

Radical Face 2019-04-26 | Track 4 from the "Therapy" EP.

Side note: the chords for this song were originally written for the "Severus and Stone" bloodline, but I never finished it or added any words. But I still liked the mood, so I used them here.

Lyrics:

I thought I'd walked a thousand miles
But it was all inside my head
My feet were almost where I started off
And I couldn't tell you why I'd bled
And I'm not surprised by what was said
but it still hit me all the same
just 'cause you see the storm
it doesn't mean you're ready for the rain

And I was dancing with my ghosts
'Cause I could never let them go
Oh, no, well I've got to
They're no longer here
And no one is watching
Sometimes your guilt just wears a face
And I would whistle in the dark
'Cause I felt safe while all alone
Well, it's time that I let all the dead be the dead
There's no honor in suffering
No reward 'cause you've bled
The rest can sort itself out

It's hard to say when things have run their course
while in the fog and still afraid
And once you see what lies behind a mask
that mask will never look the same
And once the pattern shows itself
You can't pretend that nothing's changed
It's hard to fake it when you see the steps
before they're even made

And I was dancing with my ghosts
'Cause I could never let them go, go, go
But I've got to
They're no longer here
And no one is watching
Sometimes your guilt just wears a face
And I would whistle in the dark
'Cause I felt safe while all alone
Well, it's time that I let all the dead be the dead
There's no honor in suffering
No reward 'cause you've bled
The rest can sort itself out

Radical Face - Dead Ends

Radical Face 2019-04-25 | Track 6 from the "Therapy" EP.

Lyrics:

Hello, hope, it's been a while
I thought I was damned to watch life through my hands
Now I'm not in the place I thought I'd be
Makes looking back a whole lot simpler

I thought that I could be the difference
I thought I could outsmart all the pain
But like life advice that's scrawled across a bathroom stall
It wasted everyone's time

So now I'm saying goodbye
And I'm learning to fend for myself
Now, we started playing with fire
Believing that it would just keep us warm
Well, there's no need to run
When you're traveling down the wrong road
No, yeah … There's no need to run
When you're traveling down the wrong road

Can't see the forest for the trees
Heard it plenty of times, but now I know what it means
If you hold too tight you're bound to lose
The very things you've decided are precious

Now I've learned I'm not so special
No need to carry all that weight
You don't have to ask if you're allowed to fall apart
So now I just say:

There ain't no fixing this, but I like that you tried
Sometimes the hardest part is being right
There ain't no helping me, but I like that you lied
Sometimes it's worth the burn marks to feel the light

And I don't wanna know why
I just want to know how to move on now
The past is buried in time
And the future's an anxious invention
Oh, and you never arrive
Unless you accept your dead ends
Yeah, you will never arrive
Unless you make peace with your dead ends

Radical Face - Better Days

Radical Face 2019-04-25 | Track 5 from the Therapy EP.

Lyrics:

I know right now it feels like hell
And nothing's going all that well
When it's always raining in your head
And it's hard to see beyond your bed
Just remind yourself:

It's probably gonna take some time
But there are better days to find
Yeah, it's probably gonna take some time
But there are better days to find

When you're always drifting out to sea
Because the ground won't stay beneath your feet
And your head is pouring gasoline
On the person you prefer to be
Try to remind yourself:

That it's probably gonna take some time
But there are better days to find
Yeah, it's probably gonna take some time
But there are better days to find

Radical Face - Doubt

Radical Face 2019-03-28 | This video was a pain to make. I wanted to do everything in camera, only using software to cross-fading the clips. So no post was added -- not even basics like color-correction. I learned the hard way that sitting that still for 30 to 45 minutes at a time is way more difficult than it sounds. But I find it pretty funny that the most physically demanding video I've ever made involved not moving.

Thanks again to Jeremiah and Roy in the shooting of this. It was a long week.

From the "Therapy" EP

Directed and Edited By: Ben Cooper (www.radicalface.com)

Filmed By: Roy Berry (www.royalbertberry.com)

Lighting By: Roy Berry and Jeremiah Johnson

Make-Up By: Katie Parisi

Production Management: Jeremiah Johnson

Radical Face - Hard Of Hearing

Radical Face 2019-02-21 | Written, Directed and Edited by - Ben Cooper (www.radicalface.com)

Film and Lighting by - Roy Berry (www.royalbertberry.com)

Project Management / Make-up and Costumes by - Katie Parisi

Project Assistance by - Josh Lee and Jeremiah Johnson

Extras: Katie Parisi, Jeremiah Johnson, Clay Doran, Amber Halford, Sam Trainer, Matt Delatorre, Blythe Scott, Josh Lee, and Britany Golden.

How To Request Music For Your Videos

Radical Face 2018-11-26 | I have gotten enough emails about this that it felt simpler to make a video explaining things. So here is a quick break down about music rights, and some tips on how to request songs for your projects.

Radical Face - Horizon Lines (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

noisetrade.com/radicalface

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - We All Fall Down (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - The Lost Garden (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - Hunted (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - Waltzing In The Ashes (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - Leaving The Ground (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - Tension (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - Hearsay (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.

Radical Face - Home Movies (Missing Film)

Radical Face 2018-11-16 | "Missing Film" is a selection of instrumental music I've written and recorded over the past two years. These tracks range from film and TV commissions that didn't pan out, to one-off experiments that have no home. Instead of letting these just sit idly on harddrives, I thought I would make these tracks available to film makers to use, royalty-free, in any of their personal work. So as long as it's non-commercial, you can use any of these tracks for your work and do not need my explicit permission.

The entire album is a free download, and Noisetrade has been kind enough to host for me. So if you want to download for your projects, or you'd just like to listen, here's the link:

https://noisetrade.com/radicalface/mi...

And if you're happy with your result, feel free to share what you make with me by sending an email through my website. I'd love to see what people do with this.

This is also the first volume in a series, so I will be putting out a "Missing Film: Volume 2" sometime in the future.