Black Cherry

Thinking of you and one of your favorite songs, today, little sweetheart. It's "Black Cherry" by Goldfrapp. I always thought I knew all the words but I had one verse slightly wrong when I looked it up today. Here's the lyrics. Love you forever.

How can it be?
I can taste you now
How can I see
When you're everything

All my world in one grain of sand
And I've blown it
All my world in one grain of sand
And you own it

Black cherry
Black cherry
Stone

Black cherry
Black cherry
Stone

Hearing you say it
I could die
Trembling star
Just reminds me

All my world in one grain of sand
And I've blown it
All my world in one grain of sand
And you own it

Black cherry
Black cherry
Stone

Black cherry
Black cherry
Stone

Excite me, ignite me
Oh and you know,
I miss you, I kiss you
Oh and you know

Black cherry
Black cherry
Stone

Black cherry
Black cherry
Stone

Excite me, ignite me
Oh and you know,
I miss you, I kiss you
Oh and you know

Supporting WFMU

Little sweetheart, non-commercial, community and public radio have all been particular advocates of our music over the last decade from London’s Resonance to California’s KFJC to The Netherlands Radio Hoogeveen to France’s CAMP. They’re all quite different stations in their own right but all have in common that they are listener-supported and do not take corporate or even governmental funding. Individual listener contributions, often quite modest ones, are what keep them on the air. 

One of our greatest champions, little sweetheart, has been WFMU, who are currently in the midst of their annual fundraising “Marathon”. Most public radio stations give away prizes or “premiums” as gifts during the fundraising and, fervent listener-supporters ourselves, we’ve been honored this year to be included in all that. 

Two shows on WFMU have made our upcoming 11th album, In The Hours Left Until Dawn, a pledge prize (one of them a Grand Prize) as part of their efforts. It’s honor to help support WFMU and very kind of them, too, in letting more people know about our work - which is of, for and about YOU! 

Listen, little sweetheart, you’re on the radio!!
 

March Eight

I’ve been girding for this day for a week or more, little sweetheart, and just trying to take it as easy as possible. It’s impossible to believe that it’s been 12 years, it’s also impossible to believe it ever happened. I feel as if I can still reach out and touch our life together, that it’s only just out of my grasp, as are you. I also know that you’re closer than I can imagine. It’s gets harder, not easier over time, somehow. I still feel so fragile around these days, maybe all days. And I know I need to be very quiet and calm today. Sleep, lay down in the middle of the afternoon, if that’s what I’m called to. How I miss and love you, little sweetheart. Forever. In my prayers, in my heart. We’ll be together again, I know….
 

The Night Before

It’s the anniversary of our last wonderful night together, little sweetheart. We had pizza (!) and fell asleep entwined waking up that way so sweetly, too, the next morning. And it was a lovely, wonderful day until it became the Worst Thing Ever. I was already planning to take things very easy tomorrow, hyper aware of this dark anniversary but I was sitting here on the sofa and the moon was so full and bright, it drew me to the window and your attention. How well I know you are forever and always, but even if I begin to gird myself, sure that I will fall into despair and grief, you come for me, just as you did from the first, saving me with your incandescent love. Thank you, my little sweetheart. I see you. I love you. Forever.
 

London Radio

Little sweetheart, we’ve been getting some really nice airplay over the last couple of years in the UK, especially via a London station that our friend Kris turned you and I on to - Resonance-FM. Remember listening to it in the kitchen at their flat in North London? 

Kris always thought our stuff would be good on some of their programming and a few years ago we reached out to them, around the time of Dream Together, I think. Four or five shows at the station have now become friends of ours, little sweetheart. Two shows with the word “sonic” in their titles - Sonic Imperfections (mostly experimental music) and Sonic Tapestries (mostly ambient music) are among them. Also, The Sound Projector - which is a show curated by the editor of the music zine of the same name and the storied experimental music group, Soviet France, who have a weekly show on Saturday night called “A Duck in a Tree”. 

All have previewed and/or premiered tracks from the upcoming album this month, little sweetheart, and another favorite, Fog Cast, devoted half the program to their own preview tonight. 

Listen, little sweetheart - you’re on the radio!
 

Lent

Today is the first day of Lent, little sweetheart. As I’ve said before, I really didn’t know much about these days of religious observance until after your tragic passing - when I truly needed both to examine my own beliefs and to find some sense of ritual in contemplation, meditation and prayer. Also, your passing was in those very months of Lent and Eastertide. Because the pandemic made in-person worship all but impossible, I don’t really have a church just now, but the days themselves can provide guidance. As do you, always. Please be near me, little sweetheart, and help me be as good as you want me to be. Help me find you. With all my love forever…

Each Song A Prayer

Sometimes after we finish an album, little sweetheart, I don’t pick up a guitar for weeks but tonight I did. Instead of the very specific concentration on overdubs, which was where I was at - writing, playing and recording guitar and other parts for the new songs - I just powered up and played whatever came to mind, not necessarily any of the songs from the new album. 

I think I’ve said this before, little sweetheart, that playing and singing the songs I write for, especially when I revisit one or two that I haven’t played in a while, is a very intense and emotional experience, very much like prayer. I cried and cried as I played some of them tonight, little sweetheart. And that is as it should be. 

How very much I love and long for you. With all my heart.