Chirpy – Nowhere Land

In my research on Dublin singer/songwriter Chirpy, I found a photograph on her Instagram feed that perfectly encapsulates the song “Nowhere Land”. She’s sitting on a herring bone patterned wooden floor in a large empty room. A broad swath of light from tall glass panelled doors illuminates her cross legged form but leaves her face in shadow.

From the high plaster ceiling hangs an ornate chandelier. It’s a beautiful room. Empty and yet full of potential. One of the attached hashtags is #workspace and another is #recordingmusic. It’s a space to create something magnificent.

The photo is slightly crooked giving this peaceful place a sense of slight sense of unease. The first ripple of a coming surge. The first line of “Nowhere Land” is “A leap of faith is all they ever asked for”. This room is the jumping off point. Inspiration comes seemingly from the void and the process of creating something new requires the elimination of anything distracting or superfluous. I have personal experience with stripping my life of all unnecessary distractions. I spent a year in a tiny hotel room while writing one project. Ideas need space to form and the photo speaks to Chirpy’s dedication in the creative process.

“Nowhere Land” is carefully constructed and builds in increments. It begins with vocals and acoustic guitar then layers simple instrumentation. Hand claps and tambourine provide the majority of the rhythm while the drums are set back in the mix so not to overpower her delicate vocals. She sings, ”From nothing I came to be” and that is true of all of us. “Nowhere Land” is a musing on what lies behind our past. The infinite point of origin where all artists search for a glimmer of light. The catalyst’s quiet voice beneath the static of our lives. Chirpy understands its importance and fortunately for us, she is listening.

Follow Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube