Groovy Sympathy/ GS Remix

Groovy Sympathy
Written and Recorded 2006
GS Remix
Arranged and Recorded 2008

When I was in college, it took me an extremely long time to finish any song. Even when I thought something was finished I would go back, take it apart, and start over. These two recordings are an example of that. I'm not sure why my songwriting changed so much during this time, but I believe it had something to do with the amount of musical knowledge I was being exposed to and the changes that I was going through throughout college. I probably wrote 8-10 complete songs during my 4 years at UW-Whitewater.

The first version of the song is my original demo I created with no band in mind. It was mostly recorded in my dorm room and my first off-campus apartment. A year or so after it was written, I tried adapting it for a band I started called The King's Gentlemen. The band played two gigs, each a year apart and with almost completely different band members. "Groovy Sympathy" was performed as you hear it on the first gig (or pretty close anyways).

The second version of the song was adapted and arranged for a smaller, more rock oriented version of The King's Gentlemen. This recording was part of a 4-song EP for a recording class and features the talents of my then bass player, Dan Hennig, and drummer, Trevor Saint. Our lead guitarist was added for the second and final gig where this song was performed, but isn't on the recording.

• The first version started with piano and guitar, then grew from there. The synths you hear are from my mom and dad's old synthesizer, I think it is called a Six-Track. I was a little production happy in those days. Drums and bass came from my keyboard, though I'm not sure why I didn't record the bass myself.
• Overall, I think the verse and chorus melodies and chords work together to create a well-crafted song (for both versions.) The chords are pretty simple, but the melody kind of roams, but in the same way on the verse and chorus.
• While the first version will always have fond memories attached, the second version is one that I am more proud of. I think we really transformed the song into something that stands out a little bit more.
• At the time of the second recording, I was going through some vocal identity problems. About 6-8 months before these recordings, an ex-girlfriend was not particularly kind in her assessment of my work, in particular my voice and mispronunciation of words. It shattered my confidence. Despite breaking up and moving on, that vocal confidence wouldn't return for a few years. As a result, I worked extremely hard to sing as accurately as possible, and then hiding my voice with some new effects.
• The lyrics of this song are somewhat disjointed. I know most verses were written in a notebook much earlier than the song itself, then adapted. The chorus was originally inspired by a conversation that I'd had with the aforementioned ex-girlfriend at the start of our friendship. We were talking a little bit about faith/church. I wish I could remember the exact comment she made, but it was something about how one person questioned if what she'd been taught was right, and that of changed her entire outlook on it. I thought it was a powerful image and wanted to convey that through this song.