In recent years I have been reflecting more on what makes a really great singer songwriter. I grew up in the 1970s and remember an era of what I consider to be classic albums including Tom Waits “Closing Time” and “Small Change” Joni Mitchell’s “Hejira” and “Hissing of Summer Lawns” and John Hiatt’s “Bring the Family”. Each of these artists have been able to write and perform songs that have stood the test of time and sound as great as they today as they did back then. In the 1980s I started to listen to Nick Cave and Ani Difranco, both of whom have consistently created provocative and creative material. Both artists also are superb live artists who know how to entertain an audience.
The main instruments in The Small Change Diaries are ukuleles, which is in my experience highly unusual for a group. My view is that really good songs that stand the test of time both entertain and stimulate new ways of thinking. The three of us are currently working on new material for a 2015 release and there are quite a few songs to choose from. The combination of two ukuleles and a guitar make for a really interesting sound.
Jessica has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of songs having taught groups and 1 – 1 clients for many years. Rob studied at The Leeds College of Music, so the combination of the three of us is working pretty well and we have a really diverse and rich assortment of material. In the next few months we’ll be deciding which tracks will be selected for the first album, due for release in 2015. In the meantime please check in here and on our FB page for the band.
Nick
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