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Not The One – Behind The Scenes

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Behind the scenes of filming the music video ‘Not The One’ – This shoot had it all: extreme weather, getting stuck in the sand, sunstroke, booty shaking and shopping trolleys!

Watch the behind the scenes video where we describe filming of this video and show some of the funniest scenes, including some awesome booty shaking!

Not the One is a song about breaking up, about letting go of someone you love, that you have realized is not right for you.

You still love them, so it’s painful to leave, but you know it’s the right thing to do.

The Music video was written and directed by Jaye, and is an artistic way of expressing how the couple keep trying to get out of the rut, and trying to move forward, but they never actually go anywhere, just cover the same old ground again and again, until someone finally decides to walk away.

On the day of filming we were up at 3am and filming started really early, but nevertheless the wind came up SO early and sand was flying everywhere, props were flying everywhere, and I didn’t even realize how badly I was being sunburned because the wind made me feel like nothing was happening.

Most of the shots that Jaye had planned out were not possible because of the howling wind and sand, you literally could not even keep your eyes properly open because sand would come flying in.

Our friends Omar and Sharlene played the leads in this story, and while neither of them had acted in a video before, they were both amazing and so great to work with, even with all the challenges we faced, they were such good sports.

The dance scenes are my favorites!

We got our car stuck in the sand almost immediately, and since I was ‘production assistant’ on the day, I had to run in and out of the sandpit every five minutes, fetching new props and then the wind would send them flying and I would go for a sprint.

Jaye had to film the entire video on his go pro camera, with sweater wound around his head, so we couldn’t get the close up shots we had hoped for, but it still came together just fine.

Total Control – Acoustic Sessions

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Total Control is a song about how futile it is to chase power just so that you can feel in control. You may achieve temporary power over others but ultimately all you’ll have is an empty life.

Total Control is what you’ve got
but you’ve got nothing at all
I’ve seen into 
This lonely life
That you’ve got going for you…

Society often suggests that success and power will lead to happiness, but it usually leads to people having too much power over others and abusing them.

From the beginning with this song I’ve felt it sounds a bit like a hymn. Especially the parts from ‘these hands, these hands they are not tied…’ and then ‘in these rules, these rules you will not find….’

Gospel influences are not so new to me, and I do love that kind of music as well. I first started singing publicly in a gospel group called ‘Manifesto’ when I was 13. We sang the most awesomely beautiful songs, with multi-part harmonies.

I learned to sing as a child from singing with my mother in harmony – songs like ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Oh Holy Night’.

So I hope you enjoy the song!

Our Minimalist Wedding

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When Jaye and I got married in 2007 we had a minimalist wedding. At the time we weren’t really aware of the ideas of the minimalist movement, it just seemed to make sense for us to do it that way.

At first, to get everyone off our backs, we said that we just wanted to have a very simple wedding, and that we would do it all ‘properly’ at a later stage, sometime when we could more easily afford to do so.

I had just finished studying (in fact my graduation took place the day after we got married, it was quite a big couple of days) and we were about to leave the country to go and teach English in Taiwan, so it didn’t seem like the right time to have a big expensive wedding.

Nevertheless I still felt a bit of a weight of expectation on me, as if having a wedding for all our friends and family would be something expected of me, at some point at least, so I put everyone off by saying that I would surely do it ‘in a year or two’. This minimalist wedding was just ‘for now’.

With everyone thus mollified, my brother who was in the UK at the time with no cash to spare for plane tickets home, was told that he really didn’t need to worry about trying to come, and we booked the date.

At 9am on a freezing June morning we arrived at the Home Affairs office in Paarl outside Cape Town to get married.

Only our immediate family members and partners were in attendance and absolutely no planning had taken place, by anyone.

My mother and sisters had traveled up to Cape Town for the occasion and the night before we had had a ‘hen’s night’ and a ‘bachelor party’ of sorts, as in, I went out to dinner with all the women of the family and Jaye went out to dinner with all the men.

I was wearing my wedding dress of choice, a black mini dress worn with platform heels and a huge white coat. Jaye was wearing jeans and a jacket, his hair gelled up and his sideburns curving down to his chin.

As we arrived at the wedding office, my sisters rushed in and thrust a bouquet of flowers into my hands.

We then went into the room for our 9:30am wedding ceremony.

We all giggled as we saw the large L O V E sign on the wall. As we waited to start we all joked around and laughed and our personal paparazzi took photos (everyone had a camera, and everyone took lots of happy snaps).

As we began, the man marrying us instructed us to look at each other and not at him as we said our vows.

Here we are taking instructions and saying our vows.

 

We giggled all through especially since the man kept calling Jaye ‘Mr Lentil’ instead of Mr Lentin.

Much hilarity ensued too when I couldn’t get the ring over Jaye’s rather large knuckle.

When the man asked us to say our personal vows to add to the standard ones we looked at each other in wide eyed shock. We hadn’t prepared anything and thought we were just doing standard vows! Jaye rose to the occasion brilliantly with an impromptu speech but all I managed was an ‘I love you too!’ My sisters giggled away in the background.

Minimalist Wedding Rings

Our rings were stainless steel. We had them engraved a few days before saying:’ Nicky and Jaye forever 14 June 2007 (my first name is actually Nicky.  Alison – my second name – is more my ‘stage’ name).

The decision to go for stainless steel rings was made because we went to a jeweler and had a look at the white gold and platinum variety (I’ve never been a fan of yellow gold) and I was struck by the fact that they looked exactly the same as the stainless steel variety, I mean what is the difference, really. Yet they cost the frikken earth.

I have never been a jewelry person, I mean I LOVE costume jewelry, but I’ve never been even vaguely attracted to expensive jewelry. So since it was never my thing I really didn’t see a good reason to change just because I was getting married.

Jaye has never been much of a one for expensive jewelry either, so he was happy with the choice.

We signed the wedding register and got fingerprinted and it was all official, we were married!

So, it was now 10am and we were married. Now what?

Minimalist Wedding Reception

We decided to find somewhere to have lunch.

One small problem: we hadn’t booked anywhere and didn’t know the area well at all.

‘No worries, we’ll surely find somewhere’ we said, and set off in convoy stopping at the first place we saw.

This place just happened to have a beautiful private room with a huge fireplace with fire already burning brightly in the corner, and a lovely garden outside for photographs. The menu also had loads of delicious vegan options and the service was superb.

We did impromptu speeches and toasts and had a brilliant time.

We then stepped out into the gardens for some photographs. My sister’s partner who is a photographer took the photos, and when we asked him to get in one of the pictures, he set the camera on a timer and threw himself into the careful arrangement of people, causing it all to come tumbling down.

Minimalist Wedding Car

I noticed my sisters and their partners disappearing at odd times during the meal, but they weren’t gone for long and I didn’t think anything of it.

As we walked down the stairs of the restaurant, everyone blew bubbles at us from tiny champagne bottles (my sisters had brought the bubbles along) and as we reached the bottom of the stairs we saw the car.

And suddenly I knew what the disappearances from the table were all about.

It was decorated with ‘Just Married’ and hearts and kisses in lipstick all over the body, along with streamers and cans tied to the bumper.

Wedding Bouquet

I threw the bouquet, and with only two unmarried sisters available to catch it and no garter, we decided to include the unmarried men too.

Below: Gerald has a laugh with his bouquet (he married my sister last year!)

After a couple more photos with the decorated car, we hopped in and took off for an overnight stay in a gorgeous Camps Bay hotel.

The next day I graduated and two days later we left for Taiwan and then Thailand where we had an amazing honeymoon.

Our wedding day is now one of our favorite memories. It could not have been more perfect or romantic. It was a dream wedding.

It felt and looked as if it had all been planned that way, yet it was totally spontaneous and absolutely no prior planning went into it besides booking the date with the home affairs office.

We had no sleepless nights, zero stress whatsoever and it cost us next to nothing.

And, to top it all off, we had the most magical wedding day. So utterly perfect (I missed my brother of course, and Jaye missed his younger brother and sister who didn’t come, but they were all there in spirit, and as far as I’m concerned the only people who have to be at your wedding is you and the person you’re marrying) that we realized immediately that we would never have to do it the conventional way in order to ‘measure up.’

A conventional wedding could never have matched up to our magical minimalist wedding.

We might get married again, just for the pure enjoyment of it, but I seriously doubt we would ever do it the ‘usual’ way. I wouldn’t mind renewing my vows on an island beach somewhere, maybe in a white bikini 🙂

Your Minimalist Wedding

So if a big white wedding sounds to you like a lot of work, and if you’re one of those people (like me) who did NOT grow up dreaming of their beautiful white wedding, then consider breaking with convention and having a minimalist wedding instead, and rather spend the money on something that really does mean something to you.

This is your life and your wedding day. Make sure you get what you want.

So many people allow their weddings to be all about everyone else, and bend over backwards to throw a great party that they’re then too overwhelmed to even properly enjoy.

If a minimalist wedding appeals to you, then go for it.

It was one of the best decisions we have ever made.

Not The One (Official Music Video)

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Not The One is a song about breaking up.

It’s about having the courage to walk away from a relationship that just isn’t right for you.

When you know it’s wrong but you can’t seem to move forward, when you’re stuck in destructive patterns and trying to make things work, but just feel like you’re going around in circles and getting NOWHERE.

And finally having the courage to say: Enough.

I deserve better. You deserve better. We both deserve better.

It’s about being in different places emotionally, and letting each other go.

It’s always going to be painful. When you love someone that is wrong for you, letting them go isn’t a piece of cake.

But along with the pain – there’s relief. And that’s how you know it was the right thing to do.

Wanna see the ‘Behind The Scenes’ of filming this music video? Click here.

Below: Original Lyric Sheet for ‘Not The One’

Little Sunshine – Acoustic Sessions

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Little Sunshine is a song about picking yourself up and moving forward. It’s about being able to see a tiny sliver of hope and then just diving for it as if your life depends on it.

This song is where Jaye and I first became a musical team. The first time I sang it, we’d been together for about a year already…and I knew he played guitar and had some songs, and he knew I sang and had some songs, but we’d only tip toed around the idea of playing together.

In all honesty, I was waiting for him to make the first move! If he wanted me to sing, he just had to ask! Hahaha, so it took a while!

But when we sat down together and tried out this song I knew we’d make a great team in this as well. As soon as I sang the first line, I just knew it worked!

So here it is.

Emily’s In Trouble – Behind The Scenes

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We had such fun shooting the music video for Emily’s In Trouble (Love’s A Cure). We shot a lot of footage that didn’t make it to the final edit, but that just made me laugh out loud to watch. So we put together a little ‘behind the scenes’ video to show you some of those scenes.

 

 

It was funny, I felt as if I had already seen this video, before it was even made. Like I saw it in a dream or something!

Jaye was the genius behind this video. He scripted it, decided on location, filmed it, edited it and basically made it all happen.

From the beginning I knew my friend Paulina needed to play the part of Emily. She just ‘was’ Emily to me. Every other part was flexible, but she had to be Emily. I had no idea if she could act, she didn’t even really know herself, but was willing to give it a good go. And she was great on screen!

 

Dwynn, who has often played guitar with us on live shows played a couple of really funny parts too, as seen below:

 

The whole video just makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile too. That’s what we were going for!

And for a bit of other background info – Paulina (who plays Emily) and Andrew (who plays her soulmate) are actually married in real life.

Emily’s In Trouble – Love’s A Cure (Official Music Video)

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Below is the official music video for Emily’s In Trouble (Love’s A Cure) the title track from our album Love’s A Cure.

I hope it makes you smile!

This song was written while we were living in Taiwan, working as English teachers by day and playing gigs by night. It was a fun time for us.

The inspiration behind this song is to just take a leap of faith, you might get hurt, you might even get hurt a lot – life hurts, love anyway!

Love uplifts us, it makes us better people, it helps us grow.

There are people in the world (lots of them) who will love and appreciate you EXACTLY the way you are, for who you are. And if you allow yourself to be yourself, you will draw those people to you.

 

For some behind the scenes of filming this video – check out: Emily’s In Trouble – Behind The Scenes.

If you like the song – sign up to our mailing list, you’ll get a free MP3 download of Emily’s In Trouble, plus another great track.

Below: Our original lyrics sheet for this song 🙂

Pool Shark – Acoustic Cover

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‘Pool Shark’ by Sublime is such a great song and so sad.

Jaye and I have been playing it for years. We decided to do a video of our acoustic cover version of the song.

So here it is.

 

Love’s A Cure – Lyrics

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Emily’s In Trouble (Love’s A Cure)

Emily’s in trouble again
There’s too much in this world to mend
Sometimes it seems so selfish to want love
But you’ve gotta get it while you can
So she sings
She sings

I think I’m falling for you (I think I’m falling for you)
I think I’m falling for you (I think I’m falling for you)
I think I’m falling for you
I think I’m, I think I’m….

I think that I’m gonna try
I think that I’m gonna try
But I know
It takes a heart to cry
And even though
I need love like anyone

She’s got her love on trial
She says
A single difference seems so futile
But her heart knows indifference isn’t fatal
Love’s a cure
Love’s a cure
Love’s a cure
Love’s a cure
So she sings

I think I’m falling for you (I think I’m falling for you)
I think I’m falling for you (I think I’m falling for you)
I think I’m falling for you
I think I’m, I think I’m…

I think that I’m gonna try
I think that I’m gonna try
But I know
It takes a heart to cry
And even though
I need love like anyone

We change so slow it’s like we stay the same
But we, we do the dance we ring the bell we play the game
And while I’m
I’m spinning I’ll be running I’ll be ringing at your door

I think I’m falling for you (I think I’m falling for you)
I think I’m falling for you (I think I’m falling for you)
I think I’m falling for you
I think I’m, I think I’m….

I think that I’m gonna try
I think that I’m gonna try
But I know
It takes a heart to cry
And even though
I need love like anyone

I think that I’m gonna try
I think that I’m gonna try
But I know
It takes a heart to cry
And even though
I need love like anyone

Anyone

Not The One

I am the broken key
Inside the lock of your destiny
I seem to keep closing the door
Each time that I let you fall

So I’ll keep scrubbing at the stains upon my spotted soul
I’ve left it soaking in your trust to feel a little whole
Oh how emptiness sings through me
Like a lullaby
Each time I put a coin into the jukebox
Just to hear you cry
Just to hear you cry
Just to hear you cry
And baby I can’t shake you
Cos maybe I’m just not the one for you

Just like a hired gun
You’ve got me on the run
So I’ll play it like James Dean
Young and cool as I ditch your scene

So you keep licking at the wounds upon your broken soul
And keep it safe inside your walls until you feel whole
Oh how emptiness sings through you
Like a lullaby
Each time I let you down and when I said goodbye
And baby I can’t shake you
Cos maybe I’m just not the one for you

In the night as candles burn
A breaking heart begins to learn
For my words you do not yearn
As betrayal takes its bitter turn

So I’ll keep scrubbing at the stains upon my spotted soul
I’ve left it soaking in your trust to feel a little whole
Oh how emptiness sings through me
Like a lullaby
Each time I put a coin into the jukebox
Just to hear you cry
Just to hear you cry
Just to hear you cry
And baby I can’t shake you
Cos maybe I’m just not the one for you
Maybe I’m just not the one for you
My baby I’m just not the one for you

Lose Once

Well I’ve been walking in these wandering hills
Passing days with all kinds of pills
Now it don’t matter if my wish comes true
Cos I can’t get my thrills on if I can’t have you

So jump once, jump twice,
Don’t think you owe me cos you’re feeling nice
I don’t think that I can be this way forever x2

Since you made off with my happy state
Now I’ve really had to contemplate
Now even though I’ve got someone new
I just can’t get my freak on if I can’t have you

So leave once, leave twice
Don’t think you love me cos you’re feeling nice
I don’t think that I can be this way forever x 2

I’ve been drowning in the bottom of a glass
Stranded at the bottom of a mountain pass
But I know in every kind of way
That I won’t sleep again until I’ve made you pay

So scream once, scream twice
Don’t think it’s over cos you’re feeling nice
I don’t think that I can be this way forever x2

So lose once, lose twice,
It’s not over till I roll the dice
I don’t think that I can be this way forever x2

Restless

She’s sitting in the midst of a morning fog
Waiting for a phone to ring
And he’s lying in someone else’s arms
As the dog brings the paper in
Well there’s a boy behind the counter
Wishing he was someone else
But he died with that dream long ago
And a young girl cries in her mother’s arms
She’s got a secret she can’t let go

Chorus: These are the lives of the sad and the restless
The lives of the torn and true
And each time this world spins around
You can hear a million hearts break in
Two

As an old man sits in the evening sun
Thinking of a lifetime spent
There’s a baby rapping on a young mother’s back
As she wonders how she’s gonna make rent
As a young boy plays on the streets of a city
That teaches men not to cry
An old man’s tears stain these same city streets
As he watches young lovers pass by

Chorus

Well I’ve learned to say my prayers at night
I’ve learned to hold my tears back tight
I’ll only speak when speakings right
and never when it’s wrong
I’ll take my stand when it’s right to fight
I don’t want no trouble tonight
They say everything will be all right
But not for everyone

Chorus

She’s staring out into nothing again
Waiting for something to come
And there’s nothing that I can do
This time

Running From Empty

I guess I should have seen it coming
Happened often enough before
I suppose I should have started running
But it was too late already
Round and round I’m going
Always back to the same place
Lost in a maze I can’t
See through the haze

Now the emptiness is back
It’s got its grip on me
And I’m running
Struggling to get free

Chorus: There’s always something better
Waiting just around the corner
Only I’m running backwards
I’m running on empty x2
I’m running from empty

I guess I should have seen it coming
Happened often enough before
I suppose I should have started running
But it was too late already

I guess I should have seen it coming
But I’d lost my way
I knew I should have started running
But I’m on empty

Now the emptiness is back
It’s got its grip on me
And I’m running
Struggling to get free

Chorus

Jenny

That woman she don’t ride the northern train
She’s not one for living life in vain
She has walked a thousand lands in bloom
She sails across the seas in her balloon

Chorus: They call her Jenny and she rides the Jamboree
She don’t kill she just lives on leafy greens
And if you want to taunt her
She’ll come back to haunt you
She’s running through the corners of our dreams

That Jenny she don’t follow the man in blue
She’s not one for the common view
She likes the sea and all the earthlings too
She rides the breeze and blows kisses to the moon

Chorus

And the world she knows as she dances on her toes
Don’t you miss Jenny?
I know I miss Jenny
Don’t you love Jenny and the flowers in her hair

That girl she walks beneath the golden rays
She teaches us to feel in different ways
She sings beneath the summer skies of blue
She speaks of life and bathes in mountain dew

Chorus

Trip Me Up

Trip me up
Trick my heart
Toss me like a stranger’s cigarette

I know better
but I trust easy
And running ain’t so easy when you can’t walk

Slow down honey
See what you’ve done
Listen to a woman when she talks
She’ll sing for you but her soul is never yours

Shut me out
Build your walls
Caress me like a crowded barricade

I know you now
Tired and old
A rusty tune that everybody’s played

Trip me up
Trick my heart
Taking as you watch a woman fall
She’ll sing for you but her soul is never yours

La la la la…..

Trip me up
Trick my heart
Toss me like a stranger’s cigarette

Trip me up
Trick my heart
Taking as you watch a woman fall

She’ll sing for you but her soul is never yours
She’ll sing for you but her soul is never yours

Stone Walls

Stone walls
Are building up between us
I hear your voice
Screaming as we fall from grace

And I don’t know how to talk to you anymore
It seems that our love is out the door
But even when you’re living in the grey
You’ve gotta believe there’s a way to make love stay

It’s coming around
It’s coming around
it’s coming around and I want more

I hear you outside my door
Is it peace tonight or war?
I long for something else
Is it wrong to wish for more?
Can this be all?
Can this be all? Wish I could be sure….

And I don’t know how to talk to you anymore
It seems that our love is out the door
but even when you’re living in the grey
You gotta believe there’s a way to make love stay

It’s coming around
It’s coming around
It’s coming around
But I want more x 2

Stone Walls
Are building up between us
I hear your voice
Screaming as we fall from grace

And I don’t know how to talk to you anymore
I don’t know how to talk to you anymore

Hard Road

I’m weighing up ghosts
On global scales
I’m looking for love
But all I get are junk males
I like tarzans in tights
I’m not your typical Jane
The more concrete the jungle
The harder the rain

And it’s a hard road
Baby when you’re chasing ghosts
You’re holding on
These city streets they know how to break you
When everyone is waiting for the one
There’re too many faces standing in your sun

It seems like nobody listens
All they hear are the mimes
We are all painted faces
With criminal minds

Our fears they go with us
Like badges on our sleeves
And the more they abuse us
The more we’ll never leave

And it’s a hard road
Baby when you’re chasing ghosts
You’re holding on
These city streets they know how to break you
When everyone is waiting for the one
There’re too many faces standing in your sun

Our fears they go with us
Like badges on our sleeves
And the more they abuse us
The more love we need

And it’s a hard road
Baby when you’re chasing ghosts
You’re holding on
These city streets they know how to break you
When everyone is waiting for the one
There’re too many faces standing in my sun

Into The War

Into the war we go
We will run, we will run
And into the fire we throw
All our love, all our love

People talk drifters walk
Children scream dreamers dream

I get lonely
I get lonely

Even when we don’t know
We will run, we will run
And into the flames we go
No more fun, no more fun

People talk drifters walk
Children scream dreamers dream

I get lonely
I get lonely
I get lonely

When all is said and done
We will fall, we will fall
And into the dark we’ll run
Into the war

People lie children die
Dreamers cry birdless skies
Hide behind alibis
Night’s get dark
Fall apart

I get lonely
I get lonely
I get lonely

Lemons In My Pockets

I’ve got a head full of dreams
Nothing but cotton wool between the ears
It seems
Wake up to the real world
You say
Gotta get some decent pay

Chorus: I guess I’m just a big dreamer
Champagne and caviar
But I’ve got lemons in my pockets
And I’m just a big dreamer

Don’t want more overtime
Got some living to do in my prime
Longing, hoping, wanting, wishing
It can all go away
And only the good things can stay

Chorus

I want to be free
Let out a little craziness maybe
One day you’ll see my speciality
Gotta break loose of all the confines of my soul

Chorus

Giving It All Away

I’m giving it all away x2

Sorrow for happiness
Pain for laughter
Violence for forgiveness
Fear for love
Anger recrimination
Pain and grievous bodily harm
I’m forsaking your justice
For the other side of ruin

I’m giving it all away x4

I’m sick of disbelief
So sick of distrust
By your brutal love I’m battered
Bruised and betrayed
Beaten by your trust
Tortured by your conviction
I’m forsaking your justice
For the other side of ruin

I’m giving it all away…

What have you got to say (Not much)
What have I got to lose (My love)
Find another way of taking the abuse

What have you got to say (Not much)
What have I got to lose (My love)
Find another way of cutting cutting loose