Wales-based songwriters, Aderyn, and amateur theatre group have collaborated to produce ‘Yearning when i sleep’, a pair of covers of each other’s songs, in order to raise funds and awareness for Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service and Calan DVS.
Yearning when i sleep is titled after the two songs that make up the release. The first track hears Aderyn covering ‘when i sleep’ from amateur theatre group’s 2022 release ep1. Despite the track still capturing much of the original’s more sombre atmosphere, Aderyn’s own insuppressible brand of infectious indie-pop shines through her cover of ‘when i sleep’ as the cover crescendos toward its end, brimming with her personality which has seen her earn the affections of many for her bittersweet compositions over the last few years.
Track two is amateur theatre group’s haunting and lo-fi version of ‘Yearning‘, a brokenhearted love song released by Aderyn as a single on Valentine’s Day last year. It is somewhat of a departure from the original; muted and ethereal while pulsing at a slower tempo, offering an alternative reflection on the track’s title.
Every penny received from the Bandcamp-only release, out now, will be split evenly between the two charities who do vital but underappreciated work helping those affected by domestic violence across the areas in which the two artists grew up.
Triskel Award-winning singer-songwriter Aderyn (Lisa Martin) spent her youth in Powys, an area covered by Calan DVS who are among the biggest domestic abuse charities in Wales. Their service focuses on helping those in crisis, providing five refuges with immediate and long-term support, while also supplying community education in order to break the still significant taboo surrounding domestic violence. (Their website can be found at www.calandvs.org.uk.)
Aderyn aka Lisa says: “”Raising money for domestic violence charities is something Andrew and I are both passionate about, so we decided to collaborate. Andrew came to me with the idea of covering one another’s songs, and I was excited by the prospect of finding ways to bring the Aderyn sound to his music, and vice versa. Andrew is such a talented songwriter, that it was a pleasure to be able to put my spin on his lyrics for this project.”It’s a cause I’ve had a lot of experience with/of, and so wanted to use the one thing I really can – music – to help some local charities who are working desperately to help people in similar situations from those same communities.”
Andrew James Murphy, who releases music under the moniker amateur theatre group, currently lives in Powys having grown up in Shropshire, where Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service offers a similar combination of safe accommodation and outreach for people of any gender and any age who might be suffering due to domestic abuse. (Their website can be found at www.shropsdas.org.uk.)
Andrew said, “Lisa’s sister is my partner, so that’s how we met, and we both love each other’s music so she was, obviously, first choice for a cover swap. The only major issue was recording a version of Yearning that didn’t seem like a cheap imitation or just generally not as good as the Aderyn one! I’m not sure I’d anticipated how difficult that would be when I first had the idea.
The aim of the release is to raise funds, but also awareness that these dedicated local charities exist and can offer tremendous, sometimes life-saving support if people only know where to seek help and are empowered to do so.
Yearning when i sleep will was released on Bandcamp on Tuesday 14 February 2023 and is available now.
Tracklisting:
- when i sleep
- Yearning
Track 1- written by Andrew James Murphy; arranged and performed by Aderyn.
Track 2- written by Lisa Martin; arranged and performed by amateur theatre group.
Tracks 1 and 2 mixed and mastered by Iain Berryman.
