THE SUN LEE SUNBEAM (BLOG)

i know some prefer the mystery of music and to allow for multiple interpretations. i see the value in that, too. but personally, i also find it interesting to listen to a song and discover what it meant to the songwriter when they wrote it. and so begins the ‘BEAM SONG SERIES.

let’s start with song 12 off our new album BENEATH THE BURNING SKY. it’s buried towards the end only because of our attempt at album flow. it’s a slower, poppier song, and the first one with a keyboard line. it progresses as the story unfolds and uses the carefree melody to convey how serious matters that are close to the heart are often treated lightly.

OUT OF FOCUS was written in may of ’09 but was born from an ongoing frustration of many years. a lot of people in my life have been hurt by things out of their control. however, when bad things happen, we’re meant to accept and learn from them, and hopefully transition that energy into something better. unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. sometimes when things are overwhelming, you overwhelm yourself further, subconsciously distracting yourself from the issue that needs to be dealt with. soon enough, it all adds up and culminates into a situation that keeps you victimized, making it all the more difficult to untangle and rise above the problems. when you’re outside of the nucleus, it’s easier to see through the debris. but it doesn’t make it any easier to help. when your efforts to do so aren’t appreciated or wanted, all you can do is step back and hope for the best. it’s a very hopeless feeling, though, if you’re not wired to work that way.

the chords and structure of the verses are incredibly simple. in a way, they’re wishful thinking. the chorus builds to release some of the anxiety that was pent up, only to find itself back into the ah well’s of the verse.

below you can hear my home recording compared to the final product that was recorded along with the rest of the album a couple of weeks after it was written. this one happened to stay close to the home demo. and as the series develops, we’ll show how some songs take on a whole new life as they get introduced to the rest of the band.

HOME DEMO VERSION: recorded the same day it was written
(including some of my uncertain off-key notes. eeks! we’re honest over here!)

ALBUM VERSION

c+p jessica sun lee 2009

xOx
jessica