The Album & The Final Days a Scouser

This post will cover the last months of my time in Liverpool – which I have now left due to the expiry of my visa. 

Over the last year and a half I have been quietly working on an album. The writing process spanned from February-September 2016 and the recording, mixing and mastering was from November to April. 

The process ran right up to within a few weeks of my departure from Liverpool, so between both the preparation of the album itself, and a live launch with a 7 piece band there wasn’t much time to think about leaving. This is the fruits of our labour. 

On the 20th of April the album was released and the launch was held at my work, Studio 2 on Parr street. The event was a smash hit, with 4 amazing support bands and well over 100 engaged and enthusiastic people in the audience – who wouldn’t let us leave once we finished, demanding several encores of the last song. 

Jessie and Tan had come up from London for the gig, which was on a Thursday so they stayed at the house for the whole weekend. This meant that the celebrations ended up being extended over several days, with lots of giggles, meals and films taken in. 

     
Since then I have been very busy trying to promote the album, doing interviews, arranging feature spots and then trying to hunt down this coverage. I am super pleased with the result and the feedback and support has been overwhelming. 

This brings me to the end of my time in Liverpool. Before the release I had already moved out of my room and up to the attic. My room was taken by one of my closest friends, Alex Fenlon, so I was pleased to get a chance to live with her for 10 days or so. 

I carried on as usual for the rest of the time between then and the 30th, when I would depart. Working in the bar and hanging in the house, while slowly reducing my worldly possessions down to one bag-packs worth. 

Yesterday was my final day in Liverpool. Stef had already departed the day before for his American adventure so there was already a hole in the team. We had breakfast for 10 in the kitchen which I had dubbed “Brunch and Cry”. While there were no tears yet, I could certainly feel the weight of what was about to happen. 

I said goodbye to Silvia, who to avoid any emotional distress had planned both an Italy trip for the team in a few months and a huskie visit to New Zealand for New Years 2019/2020. 
As the afternoon went, more and more people disappeared. I finally packed up my bag, this was for the first time in a long while that I was looking at an empty room and a full pack. 

I had been invited to go see a band called Future Islands with my dear friend Sarah Coffey and her wonderful pals, which was a nice diversion. 

Prior to that I had stopped into Studio 2 to say goodbye to the team that has meant so much to me in the time I have been there. They gave me a lovely card and gifted me a brand spanking new pair of Doc Martin Airwaves, after Alex Fenlon had witnessed me trying to patch up my well worn pair with super glue a few nights earlier. Sweet sweet unintentional pity – I thought they’d be fine.   

After the gig I returned home to shower, change and pack the rest of my bag. I went downstairs one last time to the kitchen (where it all began) and drank Buck’s Fizz with Sonia and Sarah until such a time that I had to go into the city. The room was full of gleeful sadness, and I could feel the emotion starting to well up. 

1 am rolled around and Sonia was kind enough to drive me and Sarah down into the city so that I could pop into Jenny’s bar to see Alex Fenlon one last time. I was greeted with a whiskey on the house by the lovely team while Alex finished her service and bounced on over to have a final 10 minutes with me. We giggled and cried and hugged it out until it was time for me to walk to the bus. 

Sarah saw me off at the bus station with a flood of tears. I got on the bus, and as soon as it pull away I found myself once again in tears as I leave a city and people that I love dearly. Even as a write this I am unable to hold back the tears. They would follow me to the airport and on the plane until I fell asleep. 

Words cannot describe how hard it has been saying goodbye to Liverpool. I have made some of the best friends of my life there and to have to leave under circumstances where I cannot return as I wish only makes it harder. It is going to take a while for me to become comfortable with the idea of being on the road again, knowing that I can’t just go back to huskie house and giggle with my friends and go to my bed. 

Here’s to you, Liverpool. I will miss you forever.