Ten fun facts about the songs on Parrot Stories, GO:
1) A Thousand Hours, No Sacrifice and Hearts were all written in the same week during December 2008, a month when I had no internet access and was subsequently far more productive. I wrote Don’t Look Back a few weeks afterward, as well as three other songs that didn’t make it on the album. (Bonus facts – Holding On and No More were written around the same time in summer 2008, and Impossible Dreams was the last song for the album, written in summer 2009 several months after the rest of the tracks were finished).
2) The line I’m proudest of on the album is “If you ever need me, I’m only a vodka away from you” from No More.
3) My least favourite line is the description of “perfect glossy hair” in Hearts. Imagine being asked to describe someone’s hair in two words and saying: ‘perfect. And glossy!’ – What a tosser.
4) Holding On took its production style from a song by Roses Kings Castles called ‘Horses‘ – in the studio I played the song for Tom and said ‘we need to make it sound like this’.
5) Candy Floss was written under a tree one night with Mhairi in an attempt to write a cute song similar to ‘Birds‘ by Kate Nash.
6) Impossible Dreams was inspired by the rhythm of a Slipknot song called ‘Circle‘.
7) Some of my lyrics sound really creepy. Most of the ones on the new album do, including lines like “Now I know how to make you mine … I won’t let you go” (from You Can’t Trust Me), and “lay down and close your eyes – all things have to die” (from Not Just Yet) but the creepiest one on Parrot Stories is ”She was gonna go, but I said ‘no, I don’t think so’ ” from Candy Floss xD
8) How We Were nearly didn’t make it on the CD. On the night before the final day of recording, I decided to take one of the planned tracks (titled Standing In One Piece, a uke song) off the album and replace it with this one. (It was a good decision.)
9) In the CD booklet for Parrot Stories, Lex is described as doing ‘lighting’ because our engineer in the studio had a lamp shaped like a duck, and Lex looks a bit like a duck (a recurring joke to the joy of all but Lex).
10) The font on the cover of the CD – and the logo of my name on this website – is a completely original font, because it’s the handwriting of Alan (co-owner of DFTBA Records).
ALSO: A worrying amount of people in my last blog post said “wait … you sell physical CDs of Parrot Stories?” – yep, see how on my blog on the right hand side there’s a link that says ‘buy on CD’, and you notice how on every music video I upload there’s a link that says ‘buy on CD’? RAWWR. THIS IS NOT MY FAULT.
Yes, I sell physicals. xD And the physicals have a HIDDEN TRACK (well, sort of) so you’re totally missing out. If the link on the right of this page isn’t enough for you – maybe you’re seeing this through an RSS reader – here’s the link again. Bonus last fact: the last time I checked, I’d sold 599 copies of my album, so you could be the six hundredth! :D
x
{ 28 comments }
Wait, what – you sell PHYSICAL copies of Parrot Stories? WHY did you not make this more blatantly apparent by telling us we can 'buy on CD' every time you link to your album, or something?!
'Triviawr'. <33
gonna buy your CD – the physical one aha.
hoping you will do a vlog thing on doctor who. i cried. hm.
:) X
I have a physical copy of both parrot stories and chameleon circuit! haha. THIS IS THE DROWNING HORSE SONG, IT FEATURES A DROWNING HORSE. ^__^
“She was gonna go, but I said 'no, I don’t think so' ” LOL I never realised how creepy that was until you pointed it out. I guess It really depends on how you say it :p
I did wonder about that Lex on lighting thing. I really can't see the duck resemblance though.
Good luck with the music video on Saturday. I hope a lot of fan girls turn up or that could be quite embarrassing :p
So…you've sold 600 copies of the album, each at $12. If DFTBA take 10% of the profits, that's $10.80 for you per album sold. You've made approximately $6480 from this album, which is around £4000.
Not bad!
Should be more, though. You deserve it!
I really enjoyed the fun facts, Alex. Especially since I came into the process late. Honestly, though, of all the CD's I own, yours is my favorite. DFTBA.
I love Triviawr =D
I did wonder about Lex doing the lighting lol.
I would highly recommend your album for everyone who is unsure whether to buy the physical CD or not. If not for the bonus track or the sexy booklet/cd/case then for the Nermie Card inside. I cannot explain how excited I was when I opened it and got one of them!! #72 =D
<333
I have a physical copy, I had to or I wouldn't have got the booklet.
I'm still trying to persuade my parents to let me come on Saturday, you'll have to promise to actually turn up, because my mother is convinced you won't and I'll have sat on the bus for 3 and a half hours for nothing.
Oh and I just wanted to add that
Along with: 'If you ever need me, I’m only a vodka away from you'- No More
My other favorite lyrics of yours are:
'who needs simplicity in this candid game of hearts,
We’ll just keep dancing ’till we tear ourselves apart' – Hearts
'You’ll never see that I’m the one who never left you
When you needed me to cry to ‘cos your heart got broke again
So I’ll play until the strings on my guitar give out,
And I’ll be aching from the pain of trying to pretend'- Holding On
'Breathing in every word you say
And all of the promises you make' – What You Do
'Memories are remedies to stop me wanting you too much
Memory’s my ecstasy to keep me craving you enough'- No Sacrifice
'When it gets to midnight, will you take my freezing hands and dance?' -Don't Look Back
Well tbh I love all of the lyrics in don't look back <3
Remember he has to pay for the cost of the CD's and cases, as well as the recording studio etc.
i'm gonna put this here… cause i was watching your “calling all fangirls” video and it made me laugh cause i had an image of nobody turning up and your just standing there checking your watch. Awww Alex :-) you have plenty of fangirls, or i had an image of all these old grannies chasing after you hahaha it made me chuckled. I can't wait to see that video! what was nerimowned all about :S that is very strange, i'm so gonna go around saying that….you should have a section on your website where people can leave you comments that are not relevant to the blogs that means you don't have to read the ones from people who don't have anything interesting to say like me :-). :-) :-):-) <3
Emily xxx
Ahhhhh why did david tennant have to leave doctor who :-( *Cries*
I got #71 :)
And DFTBA take more than 10% of the profits =p And Tom gets a share of it cos he produced it.
Nice facts! :)
about #2. I always heard “vodka” but I just assumed I'd been hearing it wrong and it really were “phone call” lol :P
These facts also remind me of a question I've been meaning to ask you. But you can't take this wrong, I really love Parrot Stories! (it's the most played in my iTunes so… yeah… it might or might not have been the only thing I listened to in september, october and november… :) )
There's just this one line that always bugs me, and it's from Hearts; “But I don't think you'd be impressed, cos even if he's more available, he won't have my honesty”.
ok, you're allowed to think she won't be impressed, and the “even if he's more available” doesn't really bug me, cause maybe he is more available. But “he won't have my honesty” seriously? because it doesn't seem like you're talking about anyone in particular, just “someone out there in the world like you, who has such a way with words that I couldn't resist him” so it seems like you're saying that no one that fits that description could possibly be as honest or more honest than you… it just comes across a little self centred… (in my opinion…) :) …
yeah, and I just remembered one more thing that bugs me just the tiniest bit :P
“'Do you like candy floss?'
I said 'yeah, it's alright'” – Candy Floss
It just seems like such an irrational response to that question! ;)
I do love Parrot Stories though! :D and can't wait for your next album! :)
It's totally self-centered. Romance ignores all matters of logic; if you're into someone and think you'll fit perfectly with that person, it's natural to say “fine, you might find someone easier to be with than me, but they won't be me, so you won't want them as much”. I stand by it =p
And I don't understand the problem with Candy Floss at all. I do just think candy floss is alright. I could just as easily have said 'yeah, it's okay' or 'yeah, I like it'.
I sort of want Alan to put up his handwriting as a font I can install and use because I think it's lovely.
I remember right back when I first started sketching you told me Mazz was going to do the writing because her font is all loopy (I think). But actually the sketchy capitals make it more, I'm not sure, boyish?
ok, not sure I feel any better about that line. But good to know that you stand by it and that you're not so self-centred that you don't even realise that that line is self-centred. If that makes sense. :)
Also, I was kinda kidding about Candy Floss ;) it's just that, in my mind, candy floss isn't “alright” it's AWESOME!
I don't know, maybe that's just because I live in Iceland, where we don't have anywhere that you can get candy floss… I get it maybe once every 2 years (when there's a funfair or sumthing in town, and I go to it…) … maybe if you live somewhere where you can get it all the time it isn't as awesome… anyways, I've never heard anyone describe candy floss as “alright” :P
I agree “If you ever need me, I’m only a vodka away from you” is a brilliant line.
i feel like i am the cause of this blog >.>
I don't find candy floss creepy at all. But I always have crackers on hand when its playing (is that joke too subtle?)
What about sicily? Is that song just filler? something you threw together to make the CD longer? well i like it. so no story then???!? lol
that line from no more, the one you like. I am always like “WTF is that supposed to mean” when i listen to the song. (the reason i like to look at the lyrics, in case i cant understand the words in the song or if i want to look at the song as a big picture or see what the artist is trying to say in the song)
How many of these songs are written about the same girl?
Oh heck i wanna pick your brain. I am going to shut up now. haha BYEE!!!!
I do have to say that you stole my favorite line of yours :p but other than that line I have to say “Here comes another night of trying to forget what I won’t remember” is one of my favorites. I may or may not be addicted to No More… oh well.
I get yelled at for tweeting your lines XD Well I hope that this CD continues it's success and that the next will do much much much better. Because not only do you deserve it, your music is worth listening to. This is one of those albums that I demand my friends and relatives buy… its very touching and highly amazing.. (does that make sense? idek!)
Was Impossible Dreams about your most recent breakup?
“If you ever need me, I’m only a vodka away from you” – I've always loved that line too, but it's always made me wonder what exactly you meant by it? It's another 'I'll always be your leo' situation >_<
I love the hidden track ;D
And also!! I think your album is worth than 599 copies, so maybe for your next album you could do an awesome promotion by calling upon your nermies to print off posters and put them around their towns. Considering the subscriber amount you have, it should be pretty good!
I would do that! That would be awesome.
I love the vodka line in No More!!!! I also enjoy the creepy line “She was gonna go, but I said ‘no, I don’t think so’” It's great, :). How We Were almost didn't make it!!! I love that song!! :) Good thing you saved it. :D <3
Lovely blog. Wait – HIDDEN TRACK? [has bought the entire album on iTunes] oh, dear. Wait, what do you mean sort of? I'm so confused… Alex…..!! hahaha.
omg candy floss does sound a bit like birds! that is my favourite kate nash song everr! and candyfloss is fucking amazing!
lol the hidden track on parrot stories made me laugh so much!
i have nerimowned as my message tone!!
Comments on this entry are closed.