Masquerade's Songwriting and Music Production Diary

As an electropunk and post punk artist, I don't shy away from social consciousness in my songwriting or in my blogging about my creative process.  For example, one of my posts explores How To Make Music & Touring More Just For Women & Disabled People. This comes from my lived experiences as a woman who happens to be disabled, as well as a musician. I also love doing extensive research into topics I deeply care about. My blog is a place where I ramble to my heart's content and have fun nerding out about music. With that being said, I'm not trying to push my particular world view, values, and opinions onto my listeners. While I do hope my music and perspective resonates, I'm okay if it doesn't and I always appreciate the time people spend with my songs.  It's disingenuous and practically impossible to be creating any form of punk music without tackling politics. So when I'm writing a song about socially conscious themes, I like sticking to those that ...

The first-person action platformer Mirror's Edge released in 2008. My local video game store had a giant poster of the main character, Faith, with her iconic tattoo design emblazoned in red, covering the storefront. I immediately went inside, asked for this game, and bought it on the spot without knowing anything else about it. I recently released my pumped-up single Runaway , and I think it sounds like something Faith would listen to on a run! To this day, Mirror's Edge gives me a feeling of freedom whenever I play it. The rush of running through levels, using parkour to overcome obstacles, and the thrill of chasing the next spot to take a leap of faith from is what makes this game so fun. Through it all, Faith has her Runner's Vision, which is an option that allows players to see key pathways and colours vividly in red. Even more than its fluid movement, Mirror's Edge is known for it's visually striking levels.   The towering blue and white of the glass and steel ...

You know, sometimes you just want to make something great. Something from the heart. Real. Alone In Paradise is my surprise single inspired by the surreal DIY feature film Lost Angeles! “Two young women meet on an unusual phone call. Their lives take an unexpected twist when they enter a shared dream where they are visited by the ghosts of Hollywood past and present.”  Lost Angeles is written and directed by Jesse Dvorak. He is the acclaimed writer, musician ( BLOOD NEBRASKA ), and filmmaker behind the creative collective ARTandVOID, which envisions art and writing as “a healing ritual” and provides “a refuge for the spiritual artists, midnight poets, and romantic rebels.” Offering insights about his creative process for the film made me appreciate it even more! Soon after watching Lost Angeles, I was compelled to write Alone In Paradise. Through hazy synths and dreamy guitars, I really tried to capture the essence of Marina's and Elise's journey as soulmates drawn together b...

It's never too late to turn a corner! Runaway is energetic and uplifting, urging you to chase all your hopes and dreams, to bravely run through that open door for a brighter future.  From the initial idea that popped into my head on a treadmill at the gym, to coming up with a guitar riff that responded well with a melody that I then re-recorded confident vocals for, here's how this song raced to the finish line. Green Means Go When I think about a vibrant colour that represents goodness and a zest for life, green immediately comes to mind.  This is why I chose it for Runaway. Of course, as soon as I did, I started noticing it everywhere.  Clothes. Apples.  Exit signs.  Traffic lights.  With green picked as Runaway's defining colour, I also wanted an image that symbolized possibility and hope. A simple photo of an open door was perfect.  These elements fell into place the day after I got the idea for Runaway. I was on the treadmill at the gym, dreading ...

  You know, sometimes you just want to make something great. Something from the heart. Real. It's been such a long time since I've connected with a movie so profoundly. Lost Angeles is a lovely, beautiful exploration of deep human connection, how soulmates are destined to find each other, and how making art saves the soul.  My heart needed to see this. My spirits soared. I smiled so hard while watching and teared up a few times. I was awestruck by the imagery, invested in the endearing characters, and swept away by the struggle of being an artist, as well as the celebration of artistry. Everything connects, in the end. Watching Lost Angeles happened because the other night, I was just doom scrolling after dinner.  I had entirely different plans, of course. I was eager to continue working on music and lyrics. I had already set an acoustic guitar on the stand right beside my desk, and taken out one of my lyric journals, pen tucked along the spine between the pages. I was re...