Abubilla Music

What Would Martyn Say? Breathe!

Written by Jimmy

Our fourth album, entitled ‘What Would Martyn Say?’  will be released in June 2011.   We have a few songs moving into mixing, but a lot in the hopper.  We wanted to give you a little taster by releasing a rough mix of Breathe, performed by Andy and Rob.  Enjoy.Here’s the song.
Breathe by AbubillaMusic

As you’re listening, here’s  4 things you must might want to know:

1. Where the hell did you get that Album Title? Well, you need to know Martyn.  He’s lived a full life so far, but as they say, ‘it ain’t the years it’s the miles.’  Martyn has travelled a lot of miles.   To Mars and back.    During our last Spanish Jam in November, we had a wonderful Friday creating King Henry’s Tears.    On Saturday night, we sat around the round table for dinner (Martyn had made BBQ)  and Martyn began a very, very long story.  At it’s heart was he and the family had gotten to Gatwick at 4AM for a 7AM flight.  After an hour waiting for BA to open, they checked in bags.  Martyn’s bag was too heavy and they were going to be charged £100 extra charge.  Martyn’s wife put up a fight, not knowing that Martyn’s bag was filled with about £31.27 of condiments for BBQ sauce – all from Sainsbury.  Martyn lied to his dear wife saying it was his guitar amp and pod, sending her on a rigorous defence of artists everywhere and their right to travel.   Only later did she notice he hadn’t brought his guitar with his amp and he had to go into another long story about that.    Anyway, this story went on and on and on in Martyn style.  Greg actually wet himself and had to leave the room to change.  Others were crying.   Martyn’s story telling style is short on verbs and long on puzzled looks.  But it is effective.  At each point, someone in the band would ask ‘And now, what would Martyn say? ‘    The phrase has stuck… and it seemed like the right album title.
2. When/how did Breathe happen? Last day.  Space Monkey’s were being punished with a villa wide, villa high clean up.  Martyn was busy stealing condiments and supervising Space Monkey’s.   Andy,  Rob and Jimmy in studio.  Jimmy had written lyrics early in the morning and Andy started writing the music.    We were about an hour away from having to close studio and catch flight.   Andy and Rob performed it together off a single mic.  5 takes and we got magic.
3. Background to Lyrics: Pretty simple.   Had 3 separate ideas floating about.   First,  Jimmy was probably influenced from having seen Crazy Heart was simple the song of a drifter, with forgotten ‘lovers stealing shiny dimes every time they’re near.’  Second idea was to give the person a distant past of a lost love, where things were better; the loss somehow explains the current situation.  Third idea was the notion of needing to write and sing a song just to keep it together:  ‘a word, a chord, a note or two, helping me to breathe.’   Like the phrase also ‘this ain’t no love song, no baby woe is me.  This ain’t no blood song, about my broken destiny.’
4. Background to Music: As usual, for Andy, he has no idea where the tune or the chords came from, but they seem to fit very well. After the tune was written, Rob added a bass line which has an almost swinging swagger, while retaining its edge.  Jimmy thinks the beginning sounds a bit like CSN&Y Wooden Ships.  Which is good.

Jimmy and Andy