People always say that music is a journey but what if it is the journey that inspires the music. We recently came across a project from Lewis Dagliesh that offers an answer to that question.
The singer/songwriter made the bold decision with a couple of friends to buy a car and drive from London, England down the east coast of Africa into Cape Town over a period of seven months. This was quite a leap but the draw of musical inspiration forced his hand. Having the uncertainty of where you are and where you will be tomorrow creates a kind of nervous freedom to live a life without boundaries yet relying on your own cunning and positive outlook for success.
The result of this undertaking is the full-length album From A Journal. The 12 track record is a collection of folk, singer/songwriter, and travel type songs that were inspired by this journey. All the songs were written on an old Spanish guitar that was on the trip and has the engravings of people along the route to prove it. The opener “My Bluebird Is A Storm Petrol” plays with a pretty melody on that guitar with vocals that share that outdoor campfire feel where everyone is invited to sing along and become part of the song. On “My Imaginary Love” the pace is slowed a little and a ballad vibe is felt in the lyrics without the sappiness. Various friends play various musical instruments to add to the full soundscape. Everything is stripped away on “Savannah, Abandoned” to let Lewis Dalgliesh use his unique voice and finger picking guitar style to craft a beautiful song with no fluff or filler. This is truly impressive songwriting. Go enjoy the journey for yourself at: http://www.lewisdalgliesh.com/
