When I listen to the tracks from Adele’s new album, I remember writing songs with such abandon & emotion. . . I am completely delivered to that place of raw emotion and expression from my early twenties. No censors. . . Just the emotion, the melody and the drive to write with no regard to consequences of what the songs may reveal. . . There is something so powerful about those years as an artist. There’s nobody out there to tell you where you’ll be in a year or twenty and you are discovering yourself and your infinite potential as a human, a lover, an artist, a student of life. . . What a magical time of life. So angst filled and yet, so pure in emotion and expression.

I just stumbled upon a batch of songs that were recorded live between

Deceit. . . hand written back in the day. . .

2001 and 2004 with me and Reese Perkins on lead guitar. . . I uploaded 4 that stood out to me to my Patronism Site. No, they don’t sound anything like Adele’s big, baddass production, but there’s something raw that resonates with the early 20’s person in us when we hear them. . .

One is a B-side that never made an album called “Deceit.” It’s a total exercise in alliteration and angst. “Your Latest Host” a heartbreaker of a ballad I wrote in 1997 about discovering that someone you love is a human parasite. Listening to it today, I was really caught off guard by what a courageous writer I was back then. . . Must’ve been my liberal arts education hard at work. . . The other song is one that was released on “RED” but this version of “Something New” is really raw in its loveliness. “Middle Ground” is so honest. I am transported back to that feeling (maybe because old habits die hard and I’m still so fickle!).

Listening to these tunes brought me back to the person I was when I was writing them. It’s a really surreal experience remembering the people, places and situations that inspired these tunes. . . These were the days when my tunes were literary (though rarely literal) and autobiographical. . . no real toying with fiction in them as I have done in the past few years of writing. . . Interesting reflections, for sure.

I wonder sometimes if it’s possible as an older, more experienced artist to reclaim that energy, or if the songs one writes are made more authentic by their life experiences or lack thereof. When you’re young and struggling throug the first crushing heartbreak you may brush up against mortality for the first time in that heartbreak. . .

Me & Hannah Vincent at our first live recording. . .

I’m not sure that can be reclaimed or repackaged after growing a thicker skin through years of added life experience. . . Am I jaded or am I just being honest about the time and place for authentic songwriting. . .

Perhaps it is worth an experiment. . . Thoughts?

If you’re interested in hearing the tracks and becoming a patron (easy, opt-in, you-set-the-value) visit my patronism page. www.patronism.com/wendycolonna