It’s new music o’clock. My band has just released a poignant new single, The Lion of Lucerne.
While I’m typically focussed on the aural arts, I’ve been blown away by sculptures a couple of notable times. The first was the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, and the second was the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument) in Lucerne.
The monument depicts a dying lion – a striking image of nobility and sorrow. It commemorates the Swiss Guards killed defending the French King during the French Revolution. It led me to write a song exploring societal allegiances, and the lines upon which they fall.
The evocative opening verse borrows descriptors from author Mark Twain’s account of his own encounter with the statue in 1878, as described in A Tramp Abroad. As impressed as I was by the sculpture, I hope the lyrics make it clear I’m not aligning myself with the conservative politics of those who financed it. I wrote this song over a decade ago, but some of the lyrics are eerily relevant to the current political landscape.
What began as a simple lilting ukulele waltz was fleshed out by my wonderful bandmates into a haunting arrangement. Drums, bass and violin were tracked at Hopping Mouse Studios, with all subsequent production by yours truly.
So go listen, save, like, share, buy, download, playlist, follow, subscribe, contemplate etc.