smudie

Sometimes, I like to think that a good song can be sung by anyone.

A fine example of this can be found in the Nouvelle Vague project, which saw new bossa nova life being breathed into such new wave classics as I Just Can't Get Enough and Guns of Brixton (and whose leader Marc Collin has recently turned his sights on 80s film music with Hollywood, Mon Amour).

When I'm writing lyrics, however, I often find myself writing with a particular voice, a particular personality, in mind. The thing is, you can never be sure that the song in question will appeal to the person you're writing for - or that he or she will be able to do anything with it, even if it does.

That's why some songs (such as A Dollar You Found In The Street) end up in limbo, waiting, gathering dust.

Still, like any parent, you never give up hope that your song-children will find a place in the world.

Last night, for instance, I got a text message from eliotE telling me that she and her band have finally come up with a melody for Crayon.

So, you see, it's never too late.

• A Dollar You Found In The Street
• Crayon

Hog Killin' Time: le country touch

When multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer Baptiste Hottin, the man behind Hog Killin' Time, was introduced to me as a fan of Johnny Cash, I just knew we were fated to work together.

Right now, Baptiste is putting together a collection of songs for an album that will feature a number of guest vocalists, and I'm helping out with the lyrics.

Our first collaboration, on which the vocal duties are handled by the lead singer of Manchester, is Under A Pile of Bricks. It's a song about nostalgia and the passing of time, and I'm sure Marcel Proust (and perhaps even Johnny Cash) would have loved it.

• Under A Pile Of Bricks
  

On Sunday, eliotE & the Ritournelles played a "brunch concert" to a packed-out Bellevilloise... and, much to the delight of the little lady in question, eliotE dedicated a rollicking version of "Pour Les Enfants Qui Ont Peur de l'Orage" to my five-year-old daughter, who spent most of the concert dancing away right in front of the stage.

It was certainly enough to warm the cockles of my little heart.

Eliote & the Ritournelles
l'Eclipse Café
13, avenue de Saint Ouen
75017 Paris

Friday, May 2nd from 8.30pm

We had a party at our place on Saturday - one of those up-until-three-in-the-morning, twenty-or-so-people-squeezed-in-a-room parties we like to have from time to time - and among the many highlights of the evening were the wonderful mojitos prepared by none other than OrangeColumbo... which is a good excuse to mention a new song we've written together, A Slap In The Face.

• A Slap In The Face
  

Nadj and her band are in the studio putting the finishing touches to their second album, which - as she announces (in French) on her blog - will feature "two tracks in English, Jesus Freak and Cactus, with superb lyrics written by the latest ally of our sound: Scottish lyricist Stuart Mudie".

So there you go. It's official!

• Cactus
  

As I write, eliotE is hard at work on the music to accompany my latest text Crayon.

Last week, while back in Scotland for my brother's wedding (where I and several others managed look resplendent in our kilts despite the dreich October day), I was sent a rough demo of the first of several tracks I've been working on with Nadj, a singer I met for the first time a couple of months ago whose MySpace page claims her repertoire is "marked with her rough temper and gnarly guitars" and who is by far the rockingest French musician I have ever heard.

The track in question sounds absolutely fantastic, and I can't wait for her to make it available for public comsumption. It's called Jesus Freak. I guess you could say it's a love song of sorts.

• Jesus Freak

Tuesday, 9th October, eliotE & the Ritournelles are supporting Rivkah at Le Pop In (105 rue Amelot, 75011 Paris).

I'll be there - and it will be the first time I've ever heard any of my lyrics sung live.

Electric Factory have found a new guest singer to perform on their upcoming album - Jen H. Ka.

This is exciting news for me, as I saw Jen in concert a few years ago at what I believe was one of the first gigs I attended here in Paris, and I'm a real fan of her voice.

At the moment, it's looking like Jen will be performing on at least Outer Space Boy, and potentially some other tracks as well.

I can't wait to hear the result.

• Outer Space Boy