Loudboy “Together”

It was the evening of March 16th, the day the lockdown began really. I had been speaking with my good friend Sterling Campbell and he had inspired me to try and sit down and write some music. Explaining that music would be a very important thing in the days that lie ahead for a lot of people. So, inspired by the phone call I sat down and started playing this very simple guitar line on my electric guitar. I hit record on my computer and literally cried my way through what would later become the song called “Together”. 

I put the music aside for a few weeks as I just didn’t have the emotional fortitude to finish it. I would literally get emotional just at the thought as I knew this was going to be a song about the dreaded virus. But how to capture that in a song? The feeling of the music was drawing me into the terrible aspect of being alone in the end. Of what our sisters and brothers were experiencing, leaving this world alone with no friends or family and I couldn’t bear the thought of it so I had to make it about the psychic connection we all have somehow. I thought of all of our courageous frontline workers and medical staff. But how was I possibly going to keep it together emotionally in order to put all that into a song!? However when I finally sat down to finish it, it basically wrote itself. 

I then sent the song to my good friend Ken Rich (bass player and owner of Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn) and he took my home recording and got it into fine shape. Ken and I have been working on a lot of music these days so much more to come on that…

I then asked several friends and musical colleagues to work on the song. Some could and some couldn’t. In the end it’s all good and thank you to everyone. I let things happen as naturally as they can in these times… 

The recording band (all done remotely, of course) is:

Johnny Loudboy Andrews: vocals, guitars

Kate Pierson: vocals

Anne DeWolf: vocals, violins, cello, trombone

Ken Rich: bass, produced, mixed and mastered the song as well!

Andrew Sherman: keyboards

Antonio Graci: drums, vocals

Jake Lummus: assistant engineer

A very special thank you to everyone involved in the recording of the song. I love all of you very much and you’re all amazingly beautiful and super talented musicians and human beings.

The video was directed by my dear and beautiful friend Chiara Natalini. We’ve collaborated on the last 2 Loudboy videos and I couldn’t imagine working with anyone but you Chiara! I love you and I thank you from the top and bottom of my heart.

Thank you to my family, friends and bandmates who took part in the video. I love you so much and miss you all even more!

I’m so grateful to all of you who answered the call for the last minute invite to be in the video and to those who couldn’t, absolutely no worries at all. To those of you who I should’ve asked and forgot, my sincere apologies that my head is thick like a rock.

The original plan was to first release the song on Spotify and ITunes, Amazon etc. but since the virus is affecting online streaming services abilities to upload new music and delaying the process weeks I decided to post the video first instead. I will let everyone know when the song is available for download and streaming. Hopefully in the next few weeks. 

In the meantime, enjoy the video and remember, we’re all in this together!

Together

I see all these faces

Who are with us now

What will come I just can’t say

What was then has passed us

What is now will pass

With our blood, through thick and thin

No, you’re not alone I’ll never let you let you be alone

You know I swear I’ll never let you go alone

Together we are one and I will keep you in my heart 

And I swear I’ll never let you go alone

We’re all in this together 

We’re all one

Was it meant to happen

Well, what can I say

It’s our karma anyway

But to all our heros

On our medical staff

And our workers, elders and ill

No, you’re not alone I’ll never let you let you be alone

You know I swear I’ll never let you go alone

Together we are one and I will keep you in my heart 

And I swear I’ll never let you go alone

We’re all in this together 

We’re all one

We’re all in this together

Lift it up

We’re all in this together

Please stay home

Music and lyrics John T. Andrews ASCAP 

Rabbit & Turtle Records 2020