The Ruby Tears On the Making Of “LEARN TO FLY”
What was the creative process like for this particular "LEARN TO FLY?"
It was written during some enforced downtime for the band after I was diagnosed with prostate cancer (thankfully I have since come through treatment and am now pretty much back to full fitness). Without realising it my lyrics were born from a minor bout of existential angst. As with many of our songs, Jeff had come up with a great musical framework which inspired me to create the vocal parts. With this track we were working remotely in our separate home studios - this meant the creative process was a very personal one.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "LEARN TO FLY?"
When I first heard Jeff’s musical idea for the song, I loved it but must admit I sat on it for a while, waiting for inspiration to hit. For me, the memorable moment in recording my parts was finding a chorus part that worked. The tune and lyrics suddenly came together and the song really took off.
What impact do you hope "LEARN TO FLY" will have on your audience?
I hope people listening will find something positive in it. I was certainly battling some personal stuff at the time when I wrote the lyrics but I’d like to think there is a broader message about dealing with the shit that life throws your way.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
We first came up with the basis of this song in April 2021 and although it was never actually shelved, we couldn't come up with something that fitted as musically it was a shift from what we normally do. Sometimes - like with this one - personal experience sparks an idea for a song. Other times it will be a lyric or a melody that hits out of the blue. Quite often I’ll suddenly have a song title pop into my head and then I’ll try to work that into a new song. Occasionally a song seems to almost write itself - other times, it can take ages before inspiration arrives.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as a band?
Like any relationship, the key thing is to trust each other and respect individual strengths. As long as we retain the confidence that we can create music we are proud of, the band has a great chance of staying on the right track.