Many of us can link a certain album to pivotal moments in our lives. Whether it’s the first record you bought with your own money, the chord you first learnt to play on guitar, the song that soundtracked your first kiss, the album that got you those awkward and painful pubescent years or the one that set off light bulbs in your brain and inspired you to take a big leap of faith into the unknown – music is often the catalyst for change in our lives and can even help shape who we become.
In this Love Letter To A Record series, Music Feeds asks artists to reflect on their relationship with music and share with us stories about the effect music has had on their lives.
Paulina – James Blunt, Back To Bedlam (2004)
Dear James Blunt,
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for writing your album Back to Bedlam. I was a little late to this one, as I only started listening to it a decade after it was released, but with that being said, my child and current self are so thankful for this masterpiece, as it seriously ‘got me through it all’. I just remember downloading the album onto my little blue iPod, and listening to every song, every single day, for months and months. Even though many critics aren’t a massive fan of this album, I can assure you that I think the absolute opposite.
Just before my parents divorced, they argued a lot, and I remember every night when I went to sleep, I would close the door and just cry because I could tell something was off between them, and thus every night, I feared that they were going to split. However, what helped me sleep, what allowed me to close my eyes and somehow forget my life for a while, was your album. It brought me peace and a sense of hope through it all. I can’t explain the love I felt from your music James, the pure love you put into these songs just radiated when I listened to them.
My favourite was always ‘Goodbye My Lover’, whether that was because of my situation at the time, which related so much to the song, or simply because I felt the pain through your voice and I could relate to it. Just like the lyrics in this song say, ‘you touched my heart, you touched my soul, changed my life.’ So, thank you, James; I will never forget this album and you.
– Paulina 🙂
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Paulina is a Brisbane-based singer-songwriter who’s just returned with her suave new cut ‘Parasite’ – produced by Toby Hobart, accompanied by a stunning music video, directed by Matt Pettigrew from Slate Media (Cosmo’s Midnight, Mallrat, Spacey Jane).
“At its core it’s about being treated like a parasite by a partner. Having someone treat you so disrespectfully and disgustingly can destroy someone’s self-worth and self-love,” the artist explains.
“So, instead of continuing to be a victim of such awful treatment and the pain that comes with it, this song shows that you can in fact do yourself a huge favour and leave toxic relationships. You don’t have to and shouldn’t love someone who treats you so badly, because you are so much more than that. If anything, they’re the parasite!!”
Listen below.
