G.T. THOMAS

ABOUT "COLOURS" BY G.T. THOMAS 

IN 2012, I WROTE THE SONG "COLOURS" IN RESPONSE TO THE ALBUM "SUNKEN CONDOS" BY DONALD FAGEN.

WHO'S THAT? HE'S MY MUSICAL HERO (SEE: STEELY DAN). AND WHEN THAT RECORD CAME OUT, IT FELT LIKE THE BEST THING HE'D MADE SINCE HIS MOST ACCLAIMED SOLO ALBUM, "THE NIGHTFLY" (1981). I HAD AN INTENSE URGE TO GET INTO THIS GUY'S HEAD, AND KNEW IT WAS TIME TO FINALLY IMPLEMENT A CERTAIN PROJECT I'D BEEN PUTTING OFF: MY "DF READING LIST." 

WHAT'S THE "DF READING LIST"? WHY, IT'S A LIST COMPRISED OF AUTHORS AND TITLES I'VE HEARD FAGEN REFERENCE IN VARIOUS INTERVIEWS OVER THE YEARS, OF COURSE! I'VE BEEN ADDING TO IT SINCE 2006. UP TILL RECENTLY, HOWEVER, I'D MADE VERY LITTLE PROGRESS READING THROUGH THE MATERIAL BECAUSE I HAVE SYNAESTHESIA, SO READING CAN BE QUITE A TECHNICOLOUR, WAVY, AND BELABOURED PROCESS FOR ME. 

WHAT'S SYNAESTHESIA? THIS IS A NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION THAT RESULTS IN THE MERGING OF SENSES THAT AREN'T NORMALLY CONNECTED. FOR ME, LETTERS AND NUMBERS HAVE COLOURS AND DEPTHS TO THEM, AND MY MIND GATHERS UP THOSE 2 TYPES OF INFO PRIOR TO PROCESSING WORDS AS A WHOLE. THIS MEANS I'M A VERY SLOW READER AND STRUGGLE TREMENDOUSLY TO GET THROUGH AND COMPREHEND LONG PASSAGES. 

I WROTE "COLOURS" TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE JUNGLE OF BEING A SYNAESTHETE – RE-READING THE SAME SENTENCE 20 TIMES OVER, BEFORE ULTIMATELY FEELING QUEASY, SHUTTING THE COVER, AND PUMPING UP YOUR FAVOURITE JAMS TO ESCAPE, INSTEAD.

ORIGINALLY, I HAD A JAZZY TRIO OF PIANO, BASS, AND DRUMS IN MIND FOR THIS SONG. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME I WROTE IT, I DIDN'T PERFORM WITH AN ENSEMBLE LIKE THAT, SO I NEVER PLAYED IT LIVE. 

WHEN I BEGAN MY WORK AS A ONE-WOMAN-BAND IN 2019 –ADDING DRUM MACHINE AND SYNTH TO THE MIX– IT BECAME POSSIBLE TO CAPTURE MORE DETAILS OF THE SONG IN MY LIVE SETTING, AND IT QUICKLY BEGAN TO PROVE ITSELF TO BE A CROWD FAVOURITE. 

IN OCTOBER OF 2020, THE TIMING ULTIMATELY FELT RIGHT TO RELEASE A RECORDING OF THE SONG FROM THE APPROACH OF MY ONE-WOMAN- BAND RIG BECAUSE: 

1)  IT GIVES MORE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH MY LIVE SOUND, DESPITE THE DECREASE IN LIVE GIGS THIS YEAR; 

2)  AND EVEN MORE EXCITINGLY... SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN, I'M THRILLED TO SAY I'VE MADE A SERIOUS DENT IN THE READING LIST, AND ENERGY IS SIGNIFICANTLY FLOWING IN THIS AREA OF MY LIFE! 

PERSISTENCE AND A WILLINGNESS TO SURRENDER TO GOING WHERE THE LOVE AND OBSESSION ARE HAS BEEN LIGHTING MY PATH, AND THIS TRACK IS JUST 1 RESULT OF THAT. "COLOURS" IS A BYPRODUCT OF A LONG ARTISTIC AND PERSONAL JOURNEY THAT BEGAN WITH ME FOLLOWING MY INSTINCT ALL THOSE YEARS AGO TO START COMPILING MY WEIRD LITTLE READING LIST, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW HOW HARD IT WOULD BE TO GET THROUGH IT. 

I TRULY HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED BEING LURED INTO THE SHADE AND HUE OF THIS SONG. 

"COLOURS" WAS WRITTEN, PERFORMED, AND PRODUCED BY G.T. THOMAS. 

MIXED BY IWAN VAN WIJK

MASTERED BY ANNA FRICK (AIRSHOW MASTERING)

SPECIAL THANKS TO B. DUBBE, J. CHAGA, AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER C. STURTON.