From the Blog

It's time for another go on the Clearbox jukebox of life, and this week's soundtrack belongs to Amy.

Amy is comfortably one of the most well-read, interested and interesting people we've ever met and we expected this one to be the epitome of eclectic. What didn't expect, however, is a mention of the swimming pool in Dungannon. Life comes at you fast.

Take the mic, Miss Robinson...

The song I wish I’d written

There are so many songs I could put for this answer - I just think songwriters are incredible (notable mentions: Stevie Nicks, Justin Vernon). For the purposes of this blog, however, I’ll say Bear’s Den - Crow. Mostly because it was inspired by my favourite book and I wish that I was talented enough to translate one literary work into another form.

The first song I remember hearing

My Dad used to sing me folk songs as I fell asleep - does this count? Otherwise, I have very distinct memories of listening to Tragedy by Steps during swimming lessons in Dungannon Pool with the first great love of my life - my swimming instructor, Lee.

The first album I owned

Westlife’s Turnaround. I think it might have been the special edition version too. The cover art of said album featured on my birthday cake in primary three. Our gigantic CD player-cum-radio-cum-cassette player gobbled the disc up a few years later and I was distraught. This album was soon followed by the purchase of Gareth Gates’s Go Your Own Way.

The first gig I went to

A The Script gig when I was in second or third year of junior high. I don’t listen to The Script at all anymore, but they were great at the time. I hope they’re doing well.

The song that reminds me of home

The Staves - Mexico. Not for any sentimental reason, it just makes me feel cosy and safe.

The song I can no longer listen to

You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are by Keaton Henson. It’s not that I don’t love it anymore, it’s just that it’s so utterly depressing that I tend not to. Big love to Keaton Henson, always.

The song that changed my life

Poor Man’s Son - Noah Gundersen. Discovering this song marked a real turning point in my music taste. I have a deep, deep love of folksy family bands with really nice, layered harmonies and I think this song kick-started that. The album this is taken from is probably my favourite album of all time.

The song I want played at my funeral

The Passion arrangement of In Christ Alone. It’s on every Christian’s list, but there’s a good reason for that.

The song I listen to before going to work

You’ll usually find me listening to something like God of My Fathers from Andrew Peterson’s Counting Stars album.

The song I do at karaoke

I’m not really the karaoke kind (I take myself far too seriously for karaoke)…but if I was, the answer is easily Whitney Houston’s I Want to Dance With Somebody.

The song I discovered during lockdown

Can this one be an album?

I recently discovered that Daveed Diggs (the original Lafayette/Jefferson in Hamilton) is in an experimental hip hop group called clipping.. If the theatre director Antonin Artaud did hip hop, I imagine it would sound kind of like this…