KAGAWONG—Local singer-songwriter Jamie Ward has released his second, self-released album titled ‘Cloudhead.’
“The album represents a complete day in the life, starting with ‘Get Up’ and ending with ‘End of the Day/Now That It’s Over’,” said Mr. Ward. “It is a tribute to the dreamers, the ‘Cloudheads’ of the world,” stated Mr. Ward.
The 12 track album, “is the second album that I have self-released where I wrote, performed and recorded all the songs,” said Mr. Ward. He pointed out there was only one other performer on the album, who played saxophone on a couple of the songs.
“All the sounds were arranged and performed at my studio in Kagawong,” said Mr. Ward.
This follow-up to 2015s ‘I Am The Sun’ shows Mr. Ward’s ability to push even further into a mixed bag of 1960s inspired pop gems. It is a more complex album in it’s songwriting and arrangements, tipping it’s hat to Brian Wilson’s modular recording style employed on ‘Pet Sounds’ and the orchestral arrangements by George Martin on The Beatles middle period records, plus Phil Spector’s layered ‘Wall of Sound’ technique. Elements of other 1960s music makers including The Byrds, The Left Banke, The Rolling Stones, Harry Nillson and others are also honoured in this collection of original songs.
Mr. Ward explained, “‘Cloudhead’ was written as a concept album, a commentary on the disillusionment of a consumer driven existence based on the artist’s personal experience of transition between western society’s force-fed expectations to self-realization.”
One of the songs from the album called ‘Love is the Answer’ is going to be featured in a movie being made for The Master Shift charity organization, a global initiative towards promoting meditation and vibrational energy.
“Director Michael Stern, based out of New York, directs films for this charity organization, an organization that Julian Lennon is heavily involved in with as well,” Mr. Ward told the Recorder. “I didn’t know much about the organization until I went on their Facebook page and found they have a following of 2.5 million people, including five people on Manitoulin Island. This is a large organization that promotes global meditation, spiritual meditation and a focus on mental health.”
“My music had been presented to Mr. Stern on a website and he thought this song would be perfect for this movie project,” said Mr. Ward. He pointed out movies on The Master Shift are around 25 minutes long, “with someone narrating and walking the viewer through exercises that are designed to help a person relax and gather their thoughts.”
Mr. Ward said his new album, “was a winter project. I started in the fall of 2015 and the album was wrapped up in March.”
The album ‘Cloudhead’ can be found at Main Street Café in Kagawong or online at https://jamie-ward.bandcamp.com for purchase.
