"Wishing You Were Here"

I wrote this song when I was down on the Hawkesbury River.

When I was younger, I lost someone very close to me through quite painful circumstances. It took me 15 years to finally ask my mum what had happened and how it happened. Until that point, I had never really spoken about it.

3 years later, I wrote "Wishing You Were Here".

I was born and spent my younger years in Townsville, which I have so many fond memories of. We were always by the water, fishing, swimming and playing etc...

When I was on the Hawkesbury, I had all these fond feelings and memories come up again. Though this time it wasn't painful or bad, it was more a feeling of acceptance and letting go - in a positive way being able to move on once and for all.

"Beautiful Day"

"Beautiful Day" came out when I had a girlfriend move back to Cairns with her boyfriend, who at the time was heavily involved in drugs. It not only saddened me how he was affecting his own life, but also how he was affecting hers. He was a good hearted man with a heavy problem and she had become a different person and was miserable because of it.

"Beautiful Day" is about life sometimes being really, really tough. You have to keep going no matter how much it hurts; there will always be another Beautiful Day even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. J

"Heart Don't Ache"

I wrote this song while I was driving from Noosa. Oddly enough, I tend to write quite a lot of my songs whilst driving. I also judge most albums on there "cruising" ability. Simply "heart don't ache" is about feeling good about life. No more heart aches of any kind (past love, money, or life's general ups and downs). It's a song about the freedom you feel when you're in love with people and with life itself, living one day at a time. J

"Boxing Ring"

I wrote this song about the boys out there who have been in a scuffle or two (including my husband!) and who enjoy a night out. There have been a few times I have found myself watching (in horror) or jumping in trying to stop fights at gigs! I have to ask was it my singing that drove them to blue or the booze? J

"Busking for Love No2."

Yes, there is a No 1. Busking for Love. Number one was about singing to gain someone's love; number 2 is about having to constantly encourage someone to show love.

"Reinvent the wheel"

"Reinvent the wheel" was written by the gifted Lee Fielding, a true songwriting talent. He has a style all of his own and his lyrics are colorfully crafted. I was so happy when Lee said I could use this song on the album it felt like the missing piece I was after.

"Need You Here"

I wrote "Need You Here" many, many moons ago as an affirmation that I would find someone who I would play this scene out with. Thankfully, it worked and I met my true love.... after all, love is all that really matters.

"Songbird"

I experienced one of the lowest points in my life and the lowest point of my career when I was trapped in a recoding/publishing agreement. I was locked in for five years and for five years the person I was tied to did nothing for me or my career. At the end, he said "it was just an experiment". God I wish he experimented with his career and not mine!

I was crushed. I had put everything into my "dream break" and every ounce of faith. By the end there was nothing left of me. I had no money, no career, and no desire to sing. Something dark had crawled inside my chest and wouldn't move. I was bitter and so broken. Worse - my faith in people, life, and the universal way of things was broken. I had lost my love of music. Music had fed my soul for so long and in my darkest moments had always kept me company. Now in one of my darkest moments I had no desire to sing or speak about music or listen to music. What could be worse than my connection with the Universe/ Spirit/ God (whatever you want to call it) being destroyed?

The Dali Lama on his recent tour to Australia was asked how you forgive someone who has done terrible things. In response, he said to separate the action from the person. He himself loathes what the Chinese are doing to his country, however, the Chinese people themselves he likes.  A wise man.J

Time passed....I forgave and I took responsibility.

I gave thanks that what had happened has led me to this point in my life. I can even remember some of the times we had that we got along.

We had the first lot of rain since god knows when while recording this so I decided to add the rain to the track as it summed up my mood beautifully. The rain was so soothing and gentle.