So as one would expect with paternity leave, I’ve been doing the family thing on acid. Quite by surprise I got a bit of time to play the ukulele (it was magical time) and even managed to get a couple of songs recorded! So here is my kitchen ukulele session of Volcano by Damien Rice.
Mondays can be hard, but playing Ukulele in the kitchen at the end of them can be fun. It was welcome relief tonight. Played around a few ‘new’ songs tonight. And also revisited a favourite.
Starlings by Elbow is massively important to me. I was still big into ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ when the bear was born, and will never forget listening to it whilst rocking her to sleep in the hospital. It has seen become an album I associate with her. It gives me goosebumps even now thinking about that moment.
For about 18 months before stories were on the agenda, I used to sing her to sleep at night. I’d always start with starlings. It used to be magic at calming her, it certainly calms me and I love singing it.
This is one of the first times I tried to destroy with my piss poor ukulele playing
As part of this festival of a weekend I embarked upon another kitchen ukulele sesh amidst the general fuck-uppery of the whole jaunt I did record another Tom Mcrae tune. A few weeks back I posted my version of Bloodless by Tom Mcrae. I’ve taken another track from his debut album, this time 2nd Law.
Hope you enjoy my cover of it, but I recommend you check out the original recording. Any thoughts, drop me a shout on dan@danpatmore.com,
cheers
Dan x
In what has otherwise been a fairly torrid week, I found a few minutes for some kitchen ukulele love. It was for another Bon Iver moment, the other song of theirs I currently attack on my uke.
I’m a little disappointed with this as I was hoping to give you something a little more raucous, but my poor musicianship can’t keep the rhythm if I go for it too hard vocally, so this is a few takes in where I just wanted to get something recorded. I am intending on doing this again a bit more raw once I am a bit better versed in it.
Either way it’s a fantastic song, and now my version goes off to battle with the countless other covers of it on youtube. When I saw Bon Iver in October I was taken a back by how raw and rocky they took it.
If you can’t see this go to youtube to check it out
The weekend has arrived, thank goodness. Kicked it off with a bit of shouting in the kitchen, and quite impressively it doesn’t involve elbow, fleet foxes or bon iver! This is only the 2nd time I have played this song on my uke.
The song is ballad of me and my friends by Frank Turner. I quite annoyingly have a wrong word in there (left our soul rather than sold our soul) and admittedly the playing is a little scrappy, but I thought I’d go with it anyway. I’m keen just to record and share rather than get hung up on perfection. My playing isn’t perfect but I’m just trying to have fun, so I’m just rolling with it. Long may the Kitchen Ukulele Sessions continue!
if you can’t see the iframe above, check out my version of ballad of me and my friends on youtube.
Peace
Dan x
Another of this weeks kitchen ukulele recordings. And it’s another elbow one. Having already posted versions of lippy kids and not a job I bring you another track off of cast of thousands. This time it’s switching off.
I seem to have jumbled around a few words in the chorus, which just goes to show how rough and ready these kitchen recordings are, but it’s not perfection I am after.
Another of the kitchen ukulele sessions a ramshackle one take recording of He Doesn’t Know Why by Fleet Foxes. My rendition is a bit rough around the edges and not quite as tuneful as it could be, but I enjoy playing it. Hopefully you won’t be too offended listening! If you are, I’d suggest my ukulele cover of flume by Bon Iver
I love the band Elbow. Alot. Alot of my ukulele time is spent playing Elbow tunes, so it’s no surprise that I may rack up a few of their tunes in my kitchen ukulele sessions. The first ukulele video I put up was an Elbow one, see my ukulele cover of lippy kids
This is Not a Job, from the album Cast of Thousands. I always say it’s my least favourite album, but some of my favourite songs are on it. This is one of them.
I have also uploaded a ukulele cover of switching off by elbow
Another kitchen recording on the ukulele. This time it’s Bloodless by Tom McRae. It’s from his eponymous debut album. Only recently started playing it on the uke, hopefully you’ll excuse the coughing!
Why not check out my cover of he doesn’t know why by Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver’s Flume
Bon Iver have become one of the most important bands in my musical life. I was lucky enough to see them live in October and without sounding too pretentious they raised the bar on live music in my world.
Since I picked up my ukulele I have been playing flume alot, it’s simple and alot of fun to sing. The acoustics in my new kitchen really help too.
In the spirit of just getting on with it and generating some content. I have been recording a few quick takes of some songs the last couple of days, my ‘kitchen ukulele sessions‘ if you will. The quality isn’t the best out there and the performances are a bit ragged, but I don’t see that it much matters.
There are more floating around on my youtube channel, which I will share with you, but for now, I thought I’d start you off with this.
