The Rush

Chapter 7

I got up and got dressed in some workout gear and pulled my hair back in a ponytail. I looked at myself in the mirror and psyched myself up. I was making the right choice. I had a good head on my shoulders, I have an amazing support system, and I am fucking good at songwriting and performing. If anyone could do it, it would be me. Uncle Andrew would protect me legally, Aunt Mel would manage my image, and Mamma would help me create something truly spectacular.

I grabbed my phone and made my way downstairs. I plugged my phone into the kitchen charger and went back to the table where Mamma and Dad were sitting. They were both quiet as I sat down waiting for me to speak first. They weren't going to rush me. I was thankful that I had such cool parents. They let me make the important decisions that involved me even when I was little. If it was a decision they had to make for me, they still consulted me. No matter what, they would respect my decision. "I talked with Aunt Red and the band, and we've decided we're going to go for it. We want to pursue a career in music and we think we could be successful doing it."

Mamma and Dad shared a look. "Is this the band speaking or you speaking?" Mamma asked.

"Both. I've always wanted to do this, but deep down I was scared that if I was successful that all my success would be tied to you or Disaster's Calling. I wanted people to love the music I make because it's genuinely good, not because of who I'm related to. This whole situation, all the attention we're getting online, it's because of me and my band. No one has realized that I'm your daughter or related to Disaster's Calling. This is because I made friends with a lonely girl at the bar who just happened to be Lenora Ashely. I also accidentally insulted her music to her face, but she seems to be over that detail."

Dad reached over and squeezed my hand. "We're proud of you Monkey. You are talented because you put in the work and it shows. No matter what, remember that. You just have a few more connections than the normal person."

"Thanks Dad. Talking to Aunt Red really helped. I also want to meet with your boss's boss on Monday. I want to be prepared so I think it would be smart if we recorded a quick demo of a song that I wrote so they see that I'm not just stage presence, that I can write some kick-ass music."

Mamma's eyebrows raised as her lips turned up in a proud smile, "That's my smart cookie. You call the band over and we can lay something down this afternoon before Mel and Andrew get here. Then they can be here to discuss strategies for our meeting."

"Perfect. I'll text them." I got up and texted them all to come over asap. Luckily messages were chiming in within seconds that they were on their way.

Mamma and I went down to the studio and began getting it all set up. She went to turn on all her recording equipment while I quickly made sure the instruments were tuned. Once I was done, I went to the bookshelf in the music room. It was full of binders of songs that Mamma and I have written over the years. I grabbed my binder I had filled with my favourite songs and went to sit on the floor. I started flipping through the plastic sheets jammed packed with every piece of sheet music needed for a particular song. It was something Mamma taught me to do when I first started writing music so I could keep everything organized.

Flipping through the pages of all my favourite songs made me realize I had no idea what kind of song I wanted to record. I was meeting with a label. Did I need to impress them with the quality of song I write? What about image? Do I have to worry about image? What about the difficulty of the vocals or other instruments? Should we be showing off? Or do we play it safe with a crowd favourite? Fuck I don't know.

"I can practically hear your stress from the booth," Mamma said as she sat next to me. "Talk me through what's going on in your head right now."

"How do I pick what song to play? Do I worry about the band's image or my songwriting ability or our musical ability? Should I play it safe or show off? There are so many fucking variables to consider."

Mamma sat there for a second to think before she answered. "Well, consider what the label knows going into this meeting. They saw the videos and they saw that you have stage presence and they saw that you and your band are talented musicians. They also know that you are my daughter and have connections with Disaster's Calling. You said you wanted to be separate from us so you need to find a song that you've written that shows you to be unique."

"You remember that is your catalogue, right?" I gestured to the bookshelf in front of us, "How the hell am I supposed to differentiate myself from you when you've literally written everything?"

"Take out the things I've written for or with other people in mind. They aren't my style. You know my style is much more clean, classic rock sound. You like the louder punk music but you're different from your Aunt Red. You are much better at adding distortion to your voice. You're much more rebellious and you're better on the piano and you know it. Show those things off. Also, not to brag, but you are getting to record a demo with one of the best in the business. I know how to make sure when they listen to your music that they aren't thinking about anyone but you."

I looked over at Mamma with so much appreciation. I pulled her in for an awkward sitting hug. "Thanks Mamma. I needed that. Today's kinda been a whirlwind."

"I know Monkey. We'll carve out some time for the two of us this week? It's been a while since the two of did something."

"I'd like that."

"Alright, I'm going to go talk to your dad about dinner. You pick out some songs and once the band is here we'll decide what to record."

"Perfect."

She got up with a groan about old knees and went upstairs. I went back to the beginning of my binder and picked out songs that I felt were unique to me. I was a queer rebellious woman with a string of failed relationships, some control issues, and a desire to leave the world a better place. I was secure in my identity; I just didn't know how to portray that in one single song. I wasn't even sure if that would be a good song. I always thought of songs as being a snapshot of emotion. It was a way to bring people into your highest highs and lowest lows. It was how people connected over shared experiences. My songs were pieces of my soul. Maybe that was why it was so hard to narrow my decisions down to one single song. How can one song really let people understand me when it was only one single piece of me?

*****

Author's note:

Okay a little short and sweet chpter for you. More excitement is coming soon!