Before FAWM 2013 began, I was already trying to make up a "bucket list" - of musical genres, instruments to try, etc. - in case I ran out of inspiration at some point. One concept I had on the list, was to try something like a "calypso" or "hula"-type song, or at least my somewhat-stereotypical impression of one, with my guitalele (and, you'll be glad to hear, no silly cod-Caribbean or Hawaiian accent, or at least not much of one!).
So, when the first FAWM song challenge of this year (write about a city/town) landed, I just "knew" where to write about for song no. 2: one of my favourite places in the whole world... the delightful seaside town of St Ives (
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Ives,_Cornwall), in Cornwall in the far south-west of the UK. I just love the place - it's part-picture-postcard small seaside town (with an almost continental European vibe about it), part-bohemian/hippy artists' haunt - and it's quite unlike anywhere else in England that I know of. I hope the song conveys something of how I feel when I go there (and, for that matter, when I can't!).
BTW: I know in the first verse of the demo, I sang "VW split-screen camper van", but I think I prefer "vintage" instead of "VW" - the former scans a bit more comfortably, and if I don't mention the trade-name of a company, maybe the BBC will play it one day ;-)
Techie/demo notes: recorded entirely in Multitrack DAW on an iPod Touch, via the TASCAM iU2 audio/MIDI interface with an Oktava MK219 condenser mike (aside from the bass guitar - via a Behringer BDI21 bass pre-amp). I think the guitaleles came out quite pleasant-sounding here... the lot was mixed in Logic Pro on a Mac.