Discover Mr. Thompson
Sunshine Coast Single
Mr. Thompson - Waste Away
Mr. Thompson Presents
"Waste Away"
Released: 01/08/2020
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Mr. Thompson is a Sunshine Coast band from Coolum Beach. Their new release “Waste Away” is now available in most places online. Here is the low down on how this song came about.
Mr. Thompson –
‘Waste away’ is a conversation piece regarding the treatment of those seeking asylum, and the exorbitant time they spend in limbo in detention centres, refugee camps or even in our country. It tries to relate the similarities we all have in that we just want to live our lives peacefully, give the best opportunities we can to our families, and contribute to the community around us.
Where were you when this song came about? What were you up to?
My wife’s parents have hosted an asylum seeker for the last 7 years. There is a man there who has been away from his wife and 2 kids the entire time, and it isn’t safe for him to go back to his home country unless something dramatically changes there. His story, and others I have met through him have always had me wanting to write a song about it, I was just waiting for the right music to match the feeling. I finally found a chord progression and playing style that became the verse and the lyrics cane very easily from that point, our lead guitarist wrote the chorus the first time I presented the idea, and lyrics were probably finished within 2 days. So maybe 7 years in the making, but got momentum in 2019.
What is your favourite line or lyric & why?
‘Though ‘I’ll give you something warm’
It’s the most hopeful line in the song. Despite the vitriol that is all to common today I will always have faith in the goodness of the human race to find empathy for others.
What is the intention with this song?
To create a conversation. A lot of people I know who are against asylum seekers, or as they call them ‘illegal immigrants’ are generally great people, who are generous and would give the shirt of their back for someone else. In regards to asylum seekers there is a detachment so it is easy for them to disregard the issue and swallow the lines fed to them by the far right. However in my experience when they are faced with the human side of the issue, and the individual stories they empathise quite quickly… and that is where social progress is made.
Any Shout-outs?
Waste away was recorded at Airlock Studios, mixed and produced by Steve Kempnich.
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