Artist Bio
Influences: Led Zepp, Santana, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Leonard Coen, Neil Young, Adele, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Elvis & all rock & roll, 1960s music in general, BB King & all blues, Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Irish Trad, Gary Allen, Black Keys etc - and much more, very varied
(2019 message - I am late starting FAWM this year as my Dad passed away at the end of December and I have been in England arranging his funeral and clearing his house. I am only just back home in Ireland with a little time to do FAWM. So I have 14 songs in 4 days... hmmm)
March 1 2019 UPDATE: well I wrote 11 lyrics in 3 days. Was sick on day 4, the last day of FAWM. Of those 11, 8 so far have collabs. I addded 3 placeholders for when I get my ass in gear lol
Hello, I'm Amanda and I write lyrics, compose a bit and shoot arrows.
I'm lucky enough to be at it full-time. I love to write and to create. I write songs mainly for film & tv use, although I also have lyrics on artist's albums too. Sometimes I write melody, if I have a strong idea in my head, but I have no way of playing it well as yet. I end up writing it on sheet music !
So naturally I also love collaborating with like minded composers and musicians. For me, co-writing with someone you are in tune with, is the icing on the chocolate fudge cake.
I'm also a long time member of GYAWS, Get Your Ass Writing Songs. It's a facebook based private group of folks who support each other to write weekly or so 😀 the themes are chosen by democratic poll 😀 If you are interested in joining, please just ask me anything and I'll help you on your way 😀
I try to thank folks who leave comments on my songs, by listening to their songs and leaving a comment in return, rather than leaving a ty on their soundboard 😀
2019 Collab Commitments:
@stevenwesleyguiles
@kraftec
@moonraccoon
(let me know if you want to be added to this list of folks who would like lyrics written especially for them <3)
All lyrics here on FAWM are first drafts - I often edit endlessly.
I play the bodhran (Irish drum), and I also play the whistle and recorder a bit (haven't played them much in years). I play basic keyboard, am now learning to play guitar, and have a full drum set - not sure how long it's going to take !
I live on the west coast of Ireland, was born in Somerset, England, love cats, chickens and donkeys 😉
2019 update
Until around the middle of February I am living in Somerset clearing out my Dad's house 😞 After that I will be back in Ireland.
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Technical bit 😞
Collaborations:
The next bit sounds harsher than it is - it's mainly just to ensure that we discuss the collaboration before we start, and that we are on the same playing field.
Please ask me first if you would like to use my lyrics, just in case someone else has already asked and has started working with them.
If you wish to collaborate with a view to the finished song being used outside of FAWM, please check with me before we start 😀 I often have co-writers outside of FAWM, and may wish to use my FAWM lyrics with them. However, I am still happy for FAWM only collabs to also use them 😀
If you wish to change my lyrics, please check with me first to ensure I'm happy with the changes. I am usually open to discussion, as that is how collaboration works !
If you wish to use our co-write (any song that uses my lyrics) off FAWM, then we will need a 'co-writer's agreement' signed by both of us.
The above isn't meant to sound difficult, it's just a matter of sorting what we are doing before we start - communication !
Please note: For FAWM, all work belongs separately to its originator, author, creator, unless otherwise agreed between the co-writers.
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Songs (14)
| #1 | On The Edge Of Life @stevenwesleyguiles |
18 Feb 24 |
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| #2 |  Expectations  @berni1954
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17 Feb 25 |
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| #3 | Wriggle Them Fingers @metalfoot |
13 Feb 25 |
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| #4 | Blue Thoughts @siebass
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11 Feb 26 |
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| #5 | The Space Between My Eyes @moonraccoon |
5 Feb 26 |
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| #6 | Lets Make Some Noise @factorytale |
3 Feb 26 |
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| #7 | One Last Time @dragondreams |
6 Feb 27 |
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| #8 | Grungy Poodles (Not Cute Like Dudley Moore) |
5 Feb 27 |
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| #9 | let´s make some noise @factorytale |
7 Feb 27 |
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| #10 | A Woman Free @helenseviltwin
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14 Feb 27 |
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| #11 | Shedding The Blues @easyshed
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9 Feb 27 |
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| #12 | Stay With Me Tonight @timfatchen
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7 Feb 28 |
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| #13 | Long Time Falling @stevenwesleyguiles |
1 Feb 28 |
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| #14 | Placeholder #3 |
1 Feb 28 |
Soundboard
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@darcistrutt Mar 13
I gave my “Dreaming of Spring” a demo today.
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@metalfoot Mar 10
I don't know if my voice has developed... I've just learned how to record it better? 😀
Thanks for the kind words on the wonderful song that Hummingbear wrote. -
@majordanby Mar 7
Freedom is at your door
But all we seem to do is work
It doesn’t have to be this hard
Everyday we
.... sorry. The last bit -
@majordanby Mar 7
Hi there these are the full set of words I sent. Steven used what was needed to great effect.
This is not an invitation
This is not a call
Revolution at your door
Struggling to find the next words
All that glitters is not gold
Tin foil for the soul
Slipping through conversations
Who could ask for more
Sometimes it’s hard to say what you want
Sometimes it’s easier to turn your back and run
But you are always welcome in my arms
In my arms
There is more than meets the eye
We are only human
Imitations all around
Close your eyes and don’t look down
This is not where you belong
So be gone
Catch me falling through the trees
This is an emergency
Telephones that never ring
And sirens always bring trouble
Fireworks don’t follow me
I am not the friend you need
So I won’t apologies
I am not the one to blame
Sometimes it’s hard to say what you want
Sometimes it’s easier to fall in love
But you are always welcome in my arms
In my arms
Freedom -
@mikeskliar Mar 5
Thanks for the listen and comment in “ red Hook“. And sure, if you want to write lyrics for it, I’d be honored !
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@sapient Mar 4
A pedalaholic?
Yes. Without a doubt 😃 -
@jwhanberry Mar 4
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@timfatchen Mar 4
Got that! Ab minor! and I'm off to bed for now!
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@timfatchen Mar 4
...I was thinking "what? I haven't even looked in at all?" then I realised I'd been at sea and you'd had sad family times. So I'll get to do some lsitening after all.
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@pcob1993 Mar 4
Yo girl, email you tomorrow.. just in from work .. ugh... xo
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@dragondreams Mar 3
"Lucky for some"... was track 13... 😉
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@dragondreams Mar 3
😁
The courier I was waiting for was the one that collected and delivered the Nighthawk... 😉 -
@dragondreams Mar 3
Wow!
Thank you for spending SO much time with my twiddlings today. I'm genuinely pleased you enjoyed what you heard, because I value your opinion extremely highly.
To answer a couple of the questions you posed... the injections have definitely made a huge difference. It took a couple of weeks, but I think the positive effects can be heard through the chronology of my tune postings.
I'm veering away from the pyrotechnics and focusing a lot more on the layering and production, but still get the urge to release the beast every now and then.
I've put the synth controller on to my number one guitar, the Schecter Omen VI, and that has led to some more adventurous excursions. I also spent a lot of time tweaking the sensitivity settings to make it more responsive, which is how the whole vibraphone thing came about in the @castledragondreams cleanup jam.
And yes, the laird gives you freedom to use any of the music in any way, shape or form you desire, whether that be housework, chair yoga, or as bed tracks for songs. 😀 xx -
@mmmmarcus Mar 3
Wow thank you so much for the comment on Learning To Live. It's been my own favorite from this FAWM (with very honest lyrics too). Humbled by your words! Thank you.
And regarding the power metal song, haha yeah I guess strumming fast isn't an issue. But keeping a steady rhythm takes skill 😆 -
@dragondreams Mar 2
Synth guitar. 😉
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@weakness Mar 1
Thanks a ton for your feedback and the recommendation on that mixing group! I really appreciate it and I'll check out joining that for sure. Can't wait to listen through everything you made this Feb early this coming week when I finally have a min 😂!
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@dragondreams Mar 1
Well done! 😊😎
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@keithcuts Feb 27
Hi Amanda , I’m usually not much of a collaborator but perhaps we could try.
I would need a
1. Not super depressing song
2. Not a needs to be a female singing song (those collabs always sound off when sung by a male ,, at least to my ears)
3. Not the dog song (I looked just now) or easy shed as I’m shedded out! Lol
Any way if you have something or want to whip something up let me know!
Ps I have some time 9-11pm est. today. That is two hours from right now -
@fearlessflight2014 Feb 27
It’s hard to make promises on the road but I will do my best! 😀
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@fearlessflight2014 Feb 27
I would love to help re. Collab but I’m on the road now. So unless you can write something acapella that I can sing in the car on the way to Canberra...? 😀
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@fearlessflight2014 Feb 27
11 already! THAT is a breathtaking recovery!!
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@dragondreams Feb 27
Files are in FB Messenger... 😉
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@factorytale Feb 27
Yeah cool, a new genre! It was so much fun, thanks!
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@dragondreams Feb 27
It won't be with you until maybe around 10 or 11pm tonight. Is that okay?
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@dragondreams Feb 27
Collab please!
I'll do two versions. I'll send you one with my vox, one with just the bed track. You then have the choice of which way to go with it. 😀 -
@factorytale Feb 27
I've done it and will post it soon. Oh my god I had fun, but it was difficult, and okay if you want someone else to do it as well 😁 I'm really not a metalgirl, but I tried to go in that direction
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@factorytale Feb 27
You're working fast 😁 go girl!!
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@factorytale Feb 27
I would like to try on my guitar. Would be funny to try that for a change 🙂 if you're not satisfied with the result, someone else can try as well.
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@dragondreams Feb 27
May I do a spoken word, surreal bed-track version of "One Last Time" please? I can work on it tonight. x
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@berni1954 Feb 26
Amanda! I just posted the latest version of "Expectations".
If I had more time, I'd have added a bit more lead guitar in the breaks between lines as well as perhaps an acoustic instrument to counter the electric guitars. -
@berni1954 Feb 26
Hi Amanda. I'm working on it. Had a translation come in this morning and my first priority has to be earning my keep. How I wish I could do that from my songwriting.
PS Funny how your Avatar is an anagram of my daughter's name JANA -
@raygungirls Feb 26
If you've got something you think will fit with "untitled #8" let me know!
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@kraftec Feb 26
Also my acoustic instrumental link should be fixed now 😀
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@w1n Feb 26
Hi Amanda feel free to try writing lyrics on No Room For Us. Would love to see what you can come up with.
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@donna Feb 26
Good to see you, Amanda. 😉 I hope you're doing well despite diverse events. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn't written a thing for nearly a year (other than an occasional revision) owing to diverse life-crap happening, but thank goodness the Muse finally stopped sulking and came out of her corner.
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@musicsongwriter Feb 26
Hi Amanda, thank you for your lovely comment on Discipline. I had fun imagining it all. I don't have a dog but I like watching dogs. They are so expressive and intuitive!
Nadia -
@kraftec Feb 26
No the song isnt taken 😀 Go ahead and send it to them and we can work on it.
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@berni1954 Feb 26
So you're near Gort! What a small world. My wife has been there a couple of years in a row, because a school there does a student exchange with the school at which Carmen teaches.
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@moonraccoon Feb 25
Lyrically, I've been careening wildly between depressive, absurdist, and cutesy lyrics. Musically exploring folk-pop and dissonance, sometimes at the same time. Ghost stories (like our song last year), murder ballads, and gleeful romps are equally compelling to me.
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@cynthiawolff Feb 25
Hiya...sorry I missed the skirmish because, well yeah...
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@jamesstaubes Feb 25
Great! I emailed your gmail and we can chat there. I don't think I've heard your stuff with Steven but he's amazing. I've even met him in real life at the FAWM over party.
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@berni1954 Feb 25
Amanda, I have just made my email public so you can write to me if you don't wish to make yours public. Drop me an email ASAP and I will reply to it with a draft of the song and with a couple of suggested minor changes to the lyrics so it will fit my tune. If you are OK with the changes, I will proceed tomorrow to give it the full treatment I can hear in my head, which is a kind of rock-soul ballad a la Joe Cocker or Robert Palmer.
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@jamesstaubes Feb 25
Yes! Did you see my other note? I've already got a beat started for what I'm aiming to be a Zeppelin type of song, more like the Kashmir, Song Remains The Same era. I'm hearing some lyrics that focus on the more mystical elements like Plant wrote in the later Zep era. You down for that?
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@khowie Feb 25
Hello! I was wondering about you this February. 😊😘
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@rustyp Feb 25
Thank you Amanda! 😀
That is high praise when you say you wish you'd written it. 😀
I think this one may just be worth a rework and rerecord. 😀 It was, after all, one hours work. 😀 -
@moonraccoon Feb 25
It's great to see you here. I'd love to collab on something, if there's time.
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@tootoobee Feb 24
Good luck Amanda! Go for it!
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@metalfoot Feb 24
Let me know if you want a collab!
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@castledragondreams Feb 24
The Open Mic Night song is here:
https://fawm.org/songs/97329/ 😉 -
@metalfoot Feb 22
Hey! Just wanted to let you know that I have dearly missed you in FAWM this year and I'm hoping life is treating you well.
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@larryw Feb 3
Hi Enjoy Somerset, I'm in Italy right now! Be great to see some of your lyrics
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@deonnek Feb 2
Looking forward to hearing your music! Cheers to a productive FAWM.
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@hummingbear Feb 1
Sounds like you have your hands full; I hope you will have a little time for fun and distraction here at FAWM.
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@jwhanberry Feb 1
Hey Amanda. Sounds like you're busy. Hope you can make it to a few skirmishes. Have a great FAWM as time allows.
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@songwritingzen Jan 28
Hi Amanda, hope all is well and you're ready to go 😀
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@kraftec Jan 28
Hope we can collab if you're around 😀
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@jacobeverettwallace Jan 25
Hey Amanda! Hope you're back around this year. Happy Fawming!
