Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
💿 Get Vol. IV: Independency on CD 👉 plaidonflannelshop.com/products/independency
Nolan Randall playing the guitar solo of “Always Go Deep” by Plaid On Flannel from the 2018 album Vol. IV: Independency.
Words and music by Nolan Randall
I'm going through the ocean in the sky
To look around for what I'm yearning
All the while I'm trying to get by
Someone's out there longing to reply
She's hiding in the land of wonder
Just like me, she's dying to get high
What I know on where to go
I wanna go home
Where I need to be
Won't you comfort me
Whatever brought me here will surely clear the fear
I said, I wanna go home
It's something that I want to try and find
Though I might have to toll my losses
Anything to give me peace of mind
Hoping that the stars will be aligned
To find a woman I'll relate to
So that we can treat each other kind
What I know on where to go
I wanna go home
Where I need to be
Won't you comfort me
See what I can see
Time to set me free
Whatever brought me here will surely clear the fear
I said I wanna go home
What I know on where to go
I wanna go home
Where I need to be
Won't you comfort me
See what I can see
And time to set me free
Whatever brought me here will surely clear the fear
I said, I wanna go home
I gotta go home
I gotta go home
I said, I gotta go home
© Copyright 2018 Plaid On Flannel
*Song Description By Noles*
By the time I started recording "Always Go Deep" in the late spring of 2017, I had just previously recorded 37 songs in 32 months both by myself and with the Plaid On Flannel band. Not including the Live At The Roundhouse live album. I was on a run that was similar to 2012-2013 where I recorded 44 songs in just 20 months as Plaid On Flannel and with High Waters Band in Peterborough.
On March 24, 2017, I wrote the music for what would become "Always Go Deep". The first thing I came up with was the verse melody in my head. I was humming that melody all day before I picked up the guitar. It turned out that it worked with a simple chord progression. The song is in the key of A, which has always been right in my wheelhouse for my vocal range. I've used the key of A more than any other keys in songs from the Plaidalog. That key leaves a lot of possibilities for guitar riffs, and this one takes advantage of the simplicity in the song. The "Always Go Deep" intro guitar riff was partially inspired by the fast and exciting section of "Red Barchetta" by Rush. Which is not a simple song, but lots of riffs in rock history have used the same notes in different ways.
"Always Go Deep" has mostly 3 chords with an extra chord in the pre-choruses. I wrote the melodies for the song when I wrote the chord progressions. I intentionally added less notes that were longer in the choruses. Long notes in choruses is a popular music trick that's been used for many decades. I wrote the lyrics for "Always Go Deep" on April 22, 2017 with the original title "Personal Pursuit". After dismissing that title, I changed it to "Always Go Deep" because the song uses the A, G, and D chords in that order. I went through a bunch of titles that used that acronym, and "Always Go Deep" was the one I picked. Probably because football is my favourite sport. Like a few of my other songs, the song title is absent from the lyrics. When I finished writing "Always Go Deep", I knew it was one of the fluffiest songs I had ever written and I figured it would be a pop rock kind of album track. I've recorded a few other sappy songs in the Plaidalog, and I find the ladies usually appreciate them more. Considering POF's fan base is 20% women.
I started recording "Always Go Deep" on May 21, 2017. Like a few other songs from Independency, this one uses a synth lead. After the first chorus and at the end of the song, there is a synth effect called "Soft Saw Lead". It's playing new melodies for the main chord progression that aren't used in the vocal parts. The synth effect in "Always Go Deep" drew inspiration from "Somebody's Out There" by Triumph. In fact, the whole song was inspired by the Triumph hit. 80s hard pop rock. Or the art of the power ballad. But of course, my style is more blues-based.
I used a good amount of vocal harmonies on "Always Go Deep". Every chorus has 3-4 part harmonies. With longer notes in the choruses, it leaves more room for harmony. There's also single harmonies in the 2nd verse and multiples in later pre-choruses. The guitar solo in "Always Go Deep" might be the shining moment of the song. With a simple chord progression, there's more of a playing field when it comes to the guitar solo. I did not shy away on this one. I finally finished recording "Always Go Deep" on August 7, 2017. It's a song that I've performed live on acoustic, but I've never even jammed it with a band.
#IndieRock #AlternativeRock #PopRock
💿 Get Vol. IV: Independency on CD 👉 plaidonflannelshop.com/products/independency
Nolan Randall playing the guitar solo of “Always Go Deep” by Plaid On Flannel from the 2018 album Vol. IV: Independency.
Words and music by Nolan Randall
I'm going through the ocean in the sky
To look around for what I'm yearning
All the while I'm trying to get by
Someone's out there longing to reply
She's hiding in the land of wonder
Just like me, she's dying to get high
What I know on where to go
I wanna go home
Where I need to be
Won't you comfort me
Whatever brought me here will surely clear the fear
I said, I wanna go home
It's something that I want to try and find
Though I might have to toll my losses
Anything to give me peace of mind
Hoping that the stars will be aligned
To find a woman I'll relate to
So that we can treat each other kind
What I know on where to go
I wanna go home
Where I need to be
Won't you comfort me
See what I can see
Time to set me free
Whatever brought me here will surely clear the fear
I said I wanna go home
What I know on where to go
I wanna go home
Where I need to be
Won't you comfort me
See what I can see
And time to set me free
Whatever brought me here will surely clear the fear
I said, I wanna go home
I gotta go home
I gotta go home
I said, I gotta go home
© Copyright 2018 Plaid On Flannel
*Song Description By Noles*
By the time I started recording "Always Go Deep" in the late spring of 2017, I had just previously recorded 37 songs in 32 months both by myself and with the Plaid On Flannel band. Not including the Live At The Roundhouse live album. I was on a run that was similar to 2012-2013 where I recorded 44 songs in just 20 months as Plaid On Flannel and with High Waters Band in Peterborough.
On March 24, 2017, I wrote the music for what would become "Always Go Deep". The first thing I came up with was the verse melody in my head. I was humming that melody all day before I picked up the guitar. It turned out that it worked with a simple chord progression. The song is in the key of A, which has always been right in my wheelhouse for my vocal range. I've used the key of A more than any other keys in songs from the Plaidalog. That key leaves a lot of possibilities for guitar riffs, and this one takes advantage of the simplicity in the song. The "Always Go Deep" intro guitar riff was partially inspired by the fast and exciting section of "Red Barchetta" by Rush. Which is not a simple song, but lots of riffs in rock history have used the same notes in different ways.
"Always Go Deep" has mostly 3 chords with an extra chord in the pre-choruses. I wrote the melodies for the song when I wrote the chord progressions. I intentionally added less notes that were longer in the choruses. Long notes in choruses is a popular music trick that's been used for many decades. I wrote the lyrics for "Always Go Deep" on April 22, 2017 with the original title "Personal Pursuit". After dismissing that title, I changed it to "Always Go Deep" because the song uses the A, G, and D chords in that order. I went through a bunch of titles that used that acronym, and "Always Go Deep" was the one I picked. Probably because football is my favourite sport. Like a few of my other songs, the song title is absent from the lyrics. When I finished writing "Always Go Deep", I knew it was one of the fluffiest songs I had ever written and I figured it would be a pop rock kind of album track. I've recorded a few other sappy songs in the Plaidalog, and I find the ladies usually appreciate them more. Considering POF's fan base is 20% women.
I started recording "Always Go Deep" on May 21, 2017. Like a few other songs from Independency, this one uses a synth lead. After the first chorus and at the end of the song, there is a synth effect called "Soft Saw Lead". It's playing new melodies for the main chord progression that aren't used in the vocal parts. The synth effect in "Always Go Deep" drew inspiration from "Somebody's Out There" by Triumph. In fact, the whole song was inspired by the Triumph hit. 80s hard pop rock. Or the art of the power ballad. But of course, my style is more blues-based.
I used a good amount of vocal harmonies on "Always Go Deep". Every chorus has 3-4 part harmonies. With longer notes in the choruses, it leaves more room for harmony. There's also single harmonies in the 2nd verse and multiples in later pre-choruses. The guitar solo in "Always Go Deep" might be the shining moment of the song. With a simple chord progression, there's more of a playing field when it comes to the guitar solo. I did not shy away on this one. I finally finished recording "Always Go Deep" on August 7, 2017. It's a song that I've performed live on acoustic, but I've never even jammed it with a band.
#IndieRock #AlternativeRock #PopRock







![Be Careful (Middle Section) - Plaid On Flannel
💿 Get Get On! [EP] on CD 👉 https://plaidonflannelshop.com/products/get-on
Nolan Randall playing the guitar riff and solo of “Be Careful” by Plaid On Flannel the 2017 EP Get On!
Personnel includes:
Nolan Randall (Vocals/Guitars)
Jen Doyon (Keyboards/Vocals)
Les Cassling (Bass)
Minas Hatzigiannatzoglou (Drums/Percussion)
Produced by Ruben Huizenga
Words and music by Nolan Randall
On the television tonight
Gotta put up a great big fight
Flying high in the airwaves
From my evening prayer phrase
To something that doesnt seem right
The telephone is off the hook
Look at the people the blind man shook
If there was more of an angle
Maybe we could all handle
What seems to be halfway crooks
Next time be more careful
Before you go into it the wrong way
An invitation to something and its better than nothing
No matter what the clients say
Think Im gonna be in a flick
Can they make it all sound so slick?
Is there more to the quandary?
Cleaning my dirty laundry
Are they trying to play a trick?
Theres nothing like a sense of hope
Moving along in my jumping rope
Its okay with me, thats why I gotta believe
Thats why I wash my hands with soap
Next time be more careful
Before you jump into it the wrong way
An invitation to something and its better than nothing
No matter what the people say
Next time be more careful
Before you go into it the wrong way
An invitation for something
And its better than nothing
What the hell am I gonna play?
Next time be more careful
Before you jump into it the wrong way
An invitation to something and its better than nothing
No matter, no matter, no matter what they say
Next time be, next time be, next time be careful
Next time be, next time be, next time be careful
Next time be, next time be, next time be careful
Next time be, next time be, next time be careful
© Copyright 2017 Plaid On Flannel
*Song Description By Noles*
I wrote the music for Be Careful on February 14, 2013 while I was producing Plaid On Flannels sophomore album Mission Of Mercy. At that point, I had finished recording 12 of 20 songs for the album. And I knew I needed more rockers to include on the record. The lyrics for Be Careful were written on March 20, 2013. The hook Next time, be more careful was inspired by a line from the 1980 golf comedy film Caddyshack. In the referenced scene, Ted Knights character Judge Smails throws his golf putter in frustration after missing a put on the 18th green and almost kills a lady on a patio. While the ladys husband is irate towards Smails about the situation, he falsely claims it was an accident and it slipped. Then his caddy Danny Noonan played by Michael OKeefe takes full responsibility for not putting stickum on the worn grip of his putter. Even though Smails knowingly threw his putter towards the clubhouse, he then says to his caddy, Next time, be more careful!
I started recording the Mission Of Mercy version of Be Careful on March 18, 2013 and finished the song on March 27, 2013. The entire Mission Of Mercy album was released on May 20, 2013. After I moved to Toronto from Peterborough in September of 2013, the Plaid On Flannel band began on February 15, 2014 as a 3-piece group. Be Careful was part of the first batch of my original songs that we played. It became the closing song in our live sets to encourage the audience to be careful on their way home. In other words, Dont drink and drive.
Keyboardist Jen Doyon joined the band the next year on February 22, 2015, and Be Careful continued to be a go-to song in our set lists as a 4-piece group. Its perhaps the most straight forward rock and roll song we played. Heres a live version of us performing Be Careful at the Opera House in Toronto on May 14, 2016... https://youtu.be/RS87x2Acsc4
While Be Careful was not included on our Rising Above EP in 2016, we saved it for the Get On! EP, which we began recording on February 4, 2017. That version of Be Careful is rather similar to the Mission Of Mercy rendition of the song that was recorded 4 years earlier. Its in the same key of C, and the only thing that really changed were the chord progression patterns during some of the guitar solo parts. The guitar solos for Be Careful were always improvised and thats what I did on the Get On! EP version in the studio. The arpeggiated guitar riff was inspired by the riff from No More Mr. Nice Guy by Alice Cooper. Although it moves differently, just about the same chord sequences are used. The rhythm section of Les Cassling on bass and Minas Hatzigiannatzoglou on drums really delivered on this tune. Jen Doyons backup vocals also add a great flavour to the song. Be Careful is a tune Ive pretty much retired, but it will live on as its featured on 2 different Plaid On Flannel records.
#RockAndRoll #BluesRock #RootsRock Be Careful (Middle Section) - Plaid On Flannel](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uMRRvE7EXpw/mqdefault.jpg)
![All The Way To Reno (Youre Gonna Be A Star) [R.E.M. Cover] - Nolan Randall Of Plaid On Flannel
🎤 https://www.plaidonflannel.com
🎸 https://www.plaidonflannelshop.com
An acoustic cover of All The Way To Reno (Youre Gonna Be A Star) by R.E.M. from their 2001 album Reveal for Warner Brothers Records.
Words and music by Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills
Humming all the way to Reno
Youve dusted the non believers
And challenged the laws of chance
Now, sweet
Youre so sugar sweet
You may as well have had kick me
Fastened on your sleeve
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
Wing is written on your feet
Your Achilles heel is a tendency to dream
But youve known that from the beginning
You didnt have to go so far
You didnt have to go
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
You know who you are
You know who you are
You know who you are
Humming all the way to Reno
Youve written your own directions
And whistled the rules of change
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
You know what you are
Youre gonna be a star
Humming all the way to Reno
All the way to Reno
All the way to Reno
Youre gonna be a star
Youre gonna be a star
Youre gonna be a star
Youre gonna be a star
*Song Facts*
All The Way To Reno (Youre Gonna Be A Star) is a song by American rock band R.E.M. It was released on July 23, 2001 as the second single from the bands twelfth studio album Reveal (2001). The single did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, but it did reach number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, number 31 in Italy, and number 34 in Ireland.
The B-side live performances were recorded at the South Africa Freedom Day concert in Trafalgar Square, London. Which was held in honour of South African President Nelson Mandela. The event marked the seventh anniversary of democracy in South Africa.
According to Peter Bucks sleevenotes to In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003, the R.E.M. compilation on which this song also appears, the song describes someone who believes they can get famous if they go to Reno, Nevada. The working title of the song was Jimmy Webb on Mars. Which according to Bucks notes, was a sick tribute to a songwriter who we all admire.
In 2023, Mike Mills named the song the best the band had released since Bill Berry left: [Its] as good as anything we did after Bill left the band. All the parts work. Peter [Buck]s composition is fantastic. The bass line is cool. The production is really, really good. Its encapsulated in that song. [Its] a little sad but its also a little optimistic, like the best of Michael [Stipe]s writing. It encompasses joy and tragedy. That song grabbed everything we were looking for.
The songs video was shot at Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School in the Prospect Park area of Brooklyn, New York. It was directed by Michael Moore and filmed by four students from the host school and other local schools: Chris, 17; Steve, 17; Andy, 18; Charlotte, 13; Roger, 18; and Juan, 17. In the video, Peter Buck and Mike Mills can be seen entering the career guidance office with their respective instruments in hand, only to leave armed with nothing more than a dustpan and brush. R.E.M.s manager Bertis Downs makes an appearance as the schools announcer, only to have his microphone commandeered by Michael Stipe.
Reveal is the twelfth studio album by American rock band R.E.M. It was released on May 14, 2001, through Warner Bros. Records and was the second of three albums by the band to be produced with Pat McCarthy. It was also R.E.M.s second album as a three-piece, following the departure of drummer Bill Berry. Reveal includes contributions from the bands touring members Joey Waronker, Scott McCaughey and Ken Stringfellow. R.E.M. recorded the album in various locations, including in Dublin, Miami, Vancouver, and their hometown of Athens, Georgia. The album saw R.E.M. continue to experiment with electronic music as they had on their previous album Up (1998), utilizing keyboards and drum machines, while also retaining elements of their earlier sound.
Reveal was a critical and commercial success. The album reached the top 10 in the US while topping the charts in the UK and throughout mainland Europe. Three singles were released—Imitation of Life, All the Way to Reno (Youre Gonna Be a Star), and Ill Take the Rain—with the former reaching the top 10 throughout Europe. Reviews were positive, with many highlighting the albums melodic nature and combination of R.E.M.s classic sound with electronic elements. The band did not tour in support of the album, with its promotion instead consisting mainly of television appearances, music videos, and a number of free concerts within major cities.
#REM #AllTheWayToReno #AlternativeRock All The Way To Reno (Youre Gonna Be A Star) [R.E.M. Cover] - Nolan Randall Of Plaid On Flannel](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uWgtb0yieqw/mqdefault.jpg)

![Something On Your Mind (Guitar Outro) - Plaid On Flannel
💿 Get Get On! [EP] on CD 👉 https://plaidonflannelshop.com/products/get-on
Nolan Randall playing the guitar outro of “Something On Your Mind” by Plaid On Flannel from the 2017 EP Get On!
Personnel includes:
Nolan Randall (Vocals/Guitars)
Jen Doyon (Keyboards/Vocals)
Les Cassling (Bass)
Minas Hatzigiannatzoglou (Drums/Percussion)
Produced by Ruben Huizenga
Mastered by Michael Kossov
Words and music by Nolan Randall
Climbing over the mountain top, in the name of mankind
Wondering will it ever stop, your patience is confined
Keep it going all through the night
It’s what you have to do
Burn the fire when you ignite
To let you follow through
Wandering in the desert where we left it all behind
It is not the way it once was designed
Riding low and aiming high
For the places you might find
And it feels like there is something on your mind
Never thought we would find our way,
What we have is a life
Never thought about yesterday,
We were sharp as a knife
Falling into another stride, we kept the train alive
I admit I enjoyed the ride, you helped me to survive, yeah
Wandering in the jungle,
Think of all we have combined
It is not like me to be so unkind
Riding low and aiming high
For the places you might find
And it feels like there is something on your mind
Livin’ it up, livin’ it up, livin it up, livin it up
Livin’ it up, livin’ it up, livin it up, livin it up
Think of everything that we saw,
The people that we met
Felt that I was above the law, no time to feel regret
Maybe someday we’ll understand,
We haven’t got the time
The world is at your own command
It’s on a dotted line, yeah
Wandering in the desert where we left it all behind
It is not like me to be so unkind
Riding low and aiming high
For the places you might find
And it feels like there is something on your mind
And it feels like there is something on your mind
And it feels like there is something on your mind
Your mind, your mind
And it feels like there is something on your mind
© Copyright 2017 Plaid On Flannel
*Song Description By Noles*
It is widely discussed that artists create their best work when they are at their lowest points of despair. Theres something about melancholy that brings art to life and communicates in the purest, most authentic ways. In the beginning of 2014, I was saddened by my lifes situation. My girlfriend of 5 years cheated on me in 2013, and it took us 6 months to actually break up. The last time I ever saw her was on December 27, 2013. The next week on January 5, 2014 (her birthday), I wrote the music for Something On Your Mind. With a guitar riff that uses a heavy dose of hammer ons and pull offs. I wrote the lyrics to the song on January 11, 2014.
After I wrote Something On Your Mind, I felt like it was the best song I had ever written. The lyrics are directly about my ex-girlfriend. It wasnt the first song that she inspired the lyrics to, and it wasnt the last either. But Something On Your Mind was the true memoir of our 5-year relationship. I was in school for music at the time, and I wanted to record the song as soon as possible. The Plaid On Flannel band started on February 15, 2014. By March of 2014, I was given an assignment in my music production class to record an original song. It was my opportunity to record Something On Your Mind, and it was the first song I produced with vocals on Logic Pro X. While I recorded it for school, I also released it as a Plaid On Flannel single on April 7, 2014.
Not long after, I brought Something On Your Mind to the POF band, and we performed it often. It became a song filled with improvisation during the middle and end parts of the tune. Heres an example of how we would do that live... https://youtu.be/d90hZhObF08 Every time we played it, it was different. When we were assembling songs for our Get On! EP in late 2016, I proposed that we record a new studio version of Something On Your Mind. Although the song was up to 10 minutes long when we played it, we agreed to have a condensed rendition similar to the 2014 version I recorded.
Keyboardist Jen Doyon used a keyboard effect on Something On Your Mind that almost sounds like an accordion. Bassist Les Cassling played very well on this song and his melodic bass at the very end of the tune was perhaps his finest moment on any of the songs we recorded. The verse chord progression on Something On Your Mind is similar to the chord progression of Jane Says by Janes Addiction. Its even in the same key of A. The pre-chorus instrumental section was inspired by Tales From The Forest Gnomes by Wolfmother. There also might be some kind of Oasis influence in there as Noel Gallagher is one of my favourite songwriters. Something On Your Mind is a song I plan to keep playing for a long time. It truly is one of my very best tunes.
#IndieRock #BluesRock #GuitarSolo Something On Your Mind (Guitar Outro) - Plaid On Flannel](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ulBFQwQ0BQg/mqdefault.jpg)