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Hey!

So, the last track on Cover Stories is something Steve and I recorded especially for the CD. This will not be available in digital format like the others. We wanted to do something really special to thank all of you for your support! Here’s a little about the song and why I chose it…

This is the final track on one of my favourite albums, Both Of Us by Clifford T. Ward. I cannot be thankful enough to this man for how much he has inspired my songwriting. He is a very underrated composer, who had he not been consumed by such a tragic illness, I have no doubt would still be putting exquisite music into the word. I love his phrasing, and I have often torn apart his songs to try and work out what it is that is happening at particular moment that makes me gasp! A particular chord change; a specific note over a chord… I think he is terrific. His lyrics are so engaging and very simple in their messages – he writes very conversationally – beautifully sung phrases that we would say to one another in everyday life. He presses these words into the perfect melody to create something enchanting. This is very apparent in another song from the album called Watchin’ The TV News, where he speaks about how he likes nothing better than to sit with his “tea on tray…watchin’ the TV news”. Both Of Us defines a very profound period of my life, where many challenges were faced and many tears were shed. I listened to the album repeatedly for hours on end and in doing so, at such a time, developed an extremely poignant connection with these songs. The Best Is Yet To Come is easily one of my favourite songs of all time. To me it is absolutely perfect, in its every word and note. My favourite part is when the chords sink into this deep and resonant place, beneath the lyric, “And if you leave me now, like you say you might… Oh please don’t leave me now, cause I know if you do, none of this will come true” – So wonderful. We all have songs in our collections that are hard to listen to sometimes. Music defines moments in our lives that we maybe don’t want to sit and talk about; that perhaps no one else really understands – However, when a song comes along and strikes every little piece of that feeling – IT ‘understands’. And that’s all there is to it. From then on, whenever you hear that song, you’re back there – feeling exactly the same pain, or joy that you did when you first heard it. The Best Is Yet To Come does that for me. It was very emotional to record the vocal and quite difficult to listen back to the final mix when Steve sent it over. I really hope you enjoy this one. It’s something I never thought I’d have to the courage to do. And I highly recommend, if you haven’t already, buy Both Of Us. You won’t be disappointed! Make sure you have a listen to Still Not Free and Change Of Heart. Two more little gems!P.S. I have to say, I’ve rather enjoyed reading some of your guesses as to what this song could be! Very well done to the few of you who guessed right!! 🙂