Standing Steady, my fourth full-length original album, was released in February of 2025. Along with the album, I released a chapbook that includes the poems that inspired the album, the lyrics of each song, and a little bit about the inspiration behind the writing process. Sprinkled among the pages are illustrations by artist Angela Boyle, and the cover art, the same as the album cover, is a wood-block print of an owl created by Anita K. Boyle. 

Multiple experiences inspired me to create this album and adjoining chapbook. A dare from a stranger, a collaboration for a songwriting book club (Bushwick Bookclub Seattle), but the main influence seems to be from much further back in my history. Growing up surrounded by creative, inspiring, supportive family members. A couple of which are featured in this project.

In the next few posts, I will share the inspiration behind the songs on the album. Have a listen or grab your copy!

Can You Hear Me?

Something about the feeling of gazing up at the night sky, filled with questions, drew me to this piece. I was inspired to write it in an open tuning on my guitar. The open tuning captures a sense of openness, hope, eternal questioning, and just a hint of despair. My harmonic choices were made to enhance, guide, and allow.

It wasn't until after I had completed the song, when I performed the song for the first time at an event where Anita recited the poem beforehand, that I realized I had overlooked a part of the poem. I had taken the words directly from Anita’s writing but missed a page turn! When I revisited the poem to consider a rewrite, I recognized that adding the missed section would shift the message significantly. Both versions leave things a bit open-ended, but where the song lyrics stops leaves out the question at the end of the poem, “If you can hear me, what will you say?” I decided to keep it as it is; the two pieces, while connected, convey different meanings.

The song ends with the lyric “meanwhile I continue…”. Leaving a question of - what, how long, an image of a continual searching. 

The end of the poem continues with: 

my search for other means of understanding

the strange landscape of language–

the oceanic pitch and swell,

the mountainous amplitude, 

and especially the quakes

and eddies of silence.

If you can hear me, what

will you say? 

Anita K Boyle ©2020 Can You Hear Me? Moon Path Press