Finally Free!

Buffer16 November 2011 | Project type: Records, Songs

A new song that I wrote with the wonderful singer-songwriter Andrea Hamilton has been released today.

Finally Free is a perky playful song that came out of a germ of a riff idea I had a while ago (which eventually became the intro to the song). Once we got into the songwriting process, it quickly blossomed in all kinds of fun directions. The rhythm and riff of the intro dictated the flow of the rest of the song, and Andrea came up with a wonderfully sunny lyric concept to complement the oom-pah groove. The final mix of this song is full of quirky orchestral ear candy played by clarinet, bassoon, pizzicato cello, oboe, flute, harp, glockenspiel, and timpani, as well as an upright piano and accordion and some vocal layering. During the production process, I recalled the Disney movie Enchanted (one of my favorite Disney movies, with a stellar score and songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz) and that Central Park scene where “That’s How You Know” takes place. I’m “enchanted” by multiple melodies — in addition to the main vocal, there’s a dozen or so related melodic/rhythmic themes that go weaving in and out of the song at various times, both instrumentally and vocally.

I highly recommend checking out Andrea’s other work, including her most recent album, Slow Miracle. She has a wonderful flavor of hopeful pop across her albums.