It’s been a little while since we updated you all, but we haven’t been idle.

Photo by Salt Odelund – http://www.saltodelund.org

We are pleased to say that we have written the bulk of the songs that will make up our debut album, which we are at present calling “The Storm”.  We will be recording these songs in the next few months as time allows, and we hope to have the record with you by the end of the year, all going well.

I don’t want to give away too much, but we’ve been going in a somewhat different direction, without changing the Tenonsaw sound too much.  All these songs have been written on just two instruments, acoustic guitar and piano, most often started in something like the pose in the photograph above, and then worked up to a finished arrangement by the two of us playing them together.  The record is named for one of the first songs we wrote together in this way, that confirmed to us we were on the right track.  This song has become emblematic to us, and it and the title “The Storm” unite and evoke the themes of natural power, turmoil, light and darkness, destruction, mortality, hope and rebirth that tie all the songs together.

These songs are  written to be performed live just the same way we practice them at home, two instruments and one or two voices, with no extras (no drum machines, backing tracks or programming), so the focus is squarely on the song.  As we record them we will no doubt add more layers of sound to heighten the impact of the songs, but the core will remain our acoustic instruments and Salt’s voice, and occasionally my voice as well.

Subjects covered include (some titles are working titles and may change)….

The natural world and our interaction with it:
– The Drowned Forest / The Ocean Calls –

Salt’s operation and recovery:
– Better Hands / Hematoma –

Murder ballads:
– The Chapel / Avenging Angels –

What might be termed “Relationship songs”:
– Vow / The Seal –

Character sketches:
– Christine / Into The Light –

Songs about Life, The Universe, and Everything Else:
– The Storm / Slow Decay –

….and lots more besides.

Looking forward to letting you all hear these songs soon!

Tom.