We are all having to find new ways to live and cope in the age of social distancing. There are such barriers to our natural instinct to socialise. but as Dean Owens sings: “Let’s all get together from a distance // Help each other through this, you and I.” That’s what we’re aiming to do with our series of exclusive mini-gigs. And this is a real treat. Owens is in fine form on this new song about the current crisis.
Most of us will be able to relate to lines like: “Let’s pack our bags, go travelling room to room,” as we adapt to a more limited environment. Owens is keeping busy with lots of short, impromptu ‘Facebusking’ sessions and his online gigs, ‘Live from Hummingbird Towers’. He’s also enjoying a burst of creativity and says of writing this new song: “It’s a strange old time for us troubadours. I have become The Indoor Troubadour! Doing as much as I can from my home, aka Hummingbird Towers, here in Edinburgh. I should be in Tucson right now and about to start mixing my record I’ve been making here with Joey and John from Calexico. Sadly, it’s not to be. For now anyway.
I’d been watching a wee interview online with my buddy Grant Lee Phillips where he was talking about us all coming together through music. There’s been a lot of people getting together to help each other through this strange time.
I’ve been writing a lot, and this little song came to me very quickly. I wrote it as just a wee exercise to see if I could come up with something a little bit Woody and a little bit Prine. I’m not for a minute suggesting ‘Together From a Distance’ is of that standard, but it is definitely inspired by those guys. I guess John Prine has been on all our minds recently as he’s such a great loss to us troubadours, and to the world.
At the end of the day this song is just a bit of fun and we all need as much fun as we can get in our lives at the moment. I hope people will sing along with the chorus! I think it also carries a strong message. We do need to get together and help each 0ther through this. Support our frontline workers, but do it all from a safe distance.”
Look out for more ‘Facebusking’ and Owens’ upcoming online gig :
Sat 9 May, 8.30pm (- 9.30pm) BST
Get Together From A Distance with ‘The Indoor Troubadour’ –
Dean Owens live from Hummingbird Towers
Streaming live to Channel 7a Facebook page
and http://www.facebook.com/deanowensmusic
Pay what you can (suggested donation £5)
Look out for Dean Owens’ new album, ‘The Man from Leith: The Best of Dean Owens, available direct from http://www.eelpierecords.com or http://www.deanowens.com/shop. Read our review here.
