Art Ward - Musician - Songwriter

Music

I returned to songwriting and recording after many years involved in photography, what you hear here are my rough diamonds, stepping stones to more refined productions when I can afford it. I am not genre specific and love diving into all types of music, whatever takes my interest. You can follow my journey and get notified of new compositions on my YouTube Channel -Click Here Subscribe and Share on YouTube would be much appreciated, If you would like to record or cover my music please get in touch, all work is copyright to Art Ward.

'Jenny with the Flowers'

Art Ward @ 2025

In a similar genre to the last song with an acoustic guitar foundation, this was interesting and different in its creation, I worked out the song structure and lyrics on an acoustic recorded the acoustic on the DAW, then sang the verse and chorus which was uploaded directly to the Ai model which then enhanced it, for the first time I can detect myself in this vocal track and comfortably live with it The song is a homage to all the times I have waited for someone to arrive or to come home. Footage is a mixture of my own stills to video, graphic design to video and text to video. Again all put together in Davinci Resolve 19.

'Here on the High Road'

Art Ward @ 2024

Another song which started out on the acoustic guitar, recorded and mixed in Studio One Pro 7, uploaded and developed through the alchemy of Ai, lyrics wonderfully transformed into a female vocal.....wonderful technology. The video was put together in Davinci Resolve 19 featuring stills and drone footage I took near where I live. Additional footage was created with 'text to video' and 'stills to video'. A big thank you to: Christian Bodhi for the' falling leaves' and to Adage for the 'butterfly' footage both can be found on pixabay.com under their names.

'Sam Mary Ann'

Art Ward @ 2024

A song inspired by childhood memories and adult reflection. If you want to know the background to the song and the events that inspired it check out my blog page (Miss McCaw) from the menu above as I explain it all there. Again a simple acoustic guitar and lyrics started this, recorded in Studio One Pro 7, the mix then uploaded and using the alchemy of Ai transformed my lyrics into another vocal style, I did some more aesthetic tinkering and dressing, then remastered it. Visuals were put together in Davinci Resolve 19 and are a combination of my own original photographs transformed through 'image to video' prompting along with 'text to video' prompting. I am thinking of taking singing lesson to build confidence in my own voice.....its fine when I am singing and making up the songs but when I hear my vocal recorded.....I hate it.

'Die for the Scream''

A fun song dedicated to all the fashion divas anf prima donna's out there, especially those that can carry it off to perfection. I have worked with many creatives over the years but it was in fashion work that I first encountered the elusive diva, despite the difficulties they can present, they always left me with a smile for their absolute believe in themselves. I changed the original title from 'Chanel up your Gucci' as it would have probably struck down by YouTube, Facebook and Instagram but 'Die for the Scream' covers the sentiments of the song.

'Tír na nÓg'

Art Ward @ 2024

I love the ocean and the folklore of the shore, so this is a nod to this and the wonderful legend of Tír na nÓg, the song began on an Autumn evening as the last rays of sunset illuminated leaves falling from trees in my back garden. Song recorded in Studio One Pro 7, then into Suno where the lyrics were transformed through alchemy into a vocal I can listen to objectively. Video is a combination of my own original photographs transformed through 'image to video' and 'text to video' prompting. All the video had its starting point as still images apart from the reel of me playing the acoustic guitar at the start, done without time-code while listening to the song from the room behind me.

'The Heather Road'

A song inspired by memories of my grandmother, acoustic guitar, bass and drums recorded in Studio One, then upload into Suno Ai where the fiddle/violin was created and my lyrics transformed into another vocal. Video is once again a combination of old family photos, my still photography and then 'text to video' and 'image to video' generation.

'May You Always'

Art Ward @ 2024

A song that came from a few words in my head while playing the acoustic guitar, uploaded to Suno Ai where the genre style was formed including the violin, lyrics were transformed into another male vocal and finally remastered. Video is made up of my own collection of stills and generated art put together in Divinci Resolve.

'Moments'

Recorded in Studio One, the synth and sequencer come from Analog Labs collection of retro pads, uploaded mix into Suno for the lyrics to be transformed into a vocal, some alchemy and experimenting there to get to the end result, then remastered and dropped into Divinci Resolve for the visuals. These were a combination of my own photographic stills and AI generated stills used for 'image to video' with some 'text to video' prompts. I forgot a credit on my video to Peter Nguyen whose still shot of the plane in a pink sunset, it was used for the 'still to video' sequence.

'Hand of Time'

Art Ward @ 2024

Bass, drums, keyboards and guitar recorded in Studio One 7 Pro, then into Suno AI for translation of my lyrics into the vocal, some playing with the alchemy and a remaster. Visuals are a combination of stills, text to video and image to video, edited in Divinci Resolve, I use several prompt generators for the visual.

'Torch and the Light'

Recorded in Studio One, then into the alchemist's sonic temple for AI transformation of my lyrics into a female vocal and a few sonic tweaks. This technique and technology although still in its infancy and with numerous flaws, has revolutionized my songwriting. As I am primarily a song creator not a performer, this process lets me hear the songs from a completely new perspectives where my voice is no longer present nor a hindrance, as in the past, where songs were left due to sketchy singing by myself. technique although in its in

'Portballintrae Retro Souffle'

Art Ward @ 2024

A dive into the past, created on the Arturia keyboard with Analog Labs library of retro synths then mixed in Studio One. To finish off I used Suno which did a fine job of translating my lyrics into a vocal track. Retro also in the fact that I lived in Portballintrae for a couple of years overlooking the wee bay......the images are a selection I took of the area apart from one of myself surfing the wee bay. My apologies to all the culinary divas and divos out there for the inappropriate spelling and use of Soufflé, could not get the aigu accent to work in the video editing.

'Farewell Summer'

Homage to the Swallow

This song was written at the end of summer, twenty-two, when these wonderful aerial acrobats were gathering on my roof outside the dorma window and the wires nearby. I finally got it down on the DAW in twenty-three with an acoustic guitar and my own vocal. This year I worked with the AI alchemist and replaced my vocal with the one your hearing which I think works well. I want to thank the following people for their wonderful footage and stills of one of my favorite wee birds. Video: Guy Lasserand on Pixabay (Guyjass), Larisa on Pixabay (Laris968) Stills: Kev on Pixabay (Theotherkev), Odd Rune Falch on (Pexels) and Peter Nguyen for the still of the plane which I used for the video generation.

'Say'

Lyrics: Art Ward @ 2024

A newer song form before the summer, this one started out in Studio One with an Arturia Analog Lab 4 sequence and synth, bass and drums with EZ bass/drums, guitar and lyrics, all mixed in Studio One then uploaded into Suno Ai where it was worked and developed to the final outcome. Video is once again a combination of my own still photos used for ‘image to video’ generation with other ‘text to video’ generations.

'The Mermaid'

This song is based on the story of the mermaid who lured a young man away in the cave under Dunluce Castle. I first heard this story around an open fire during the early 60s. The song came to life on an acoustic guitar along with the lyrics circa 1995 ©. While resurrecting these old cassette demos and lyrics, I thought this one would work, I employed the alchemy of Suno Ai in the development and production to this stage, I like what it did considering this was a very poor acoustic track to begin with. The video features some of my own still images turned into video through an Ai process known as 'image to video', other footage is 'text to video'. How technology has changed .....and I love it. For the technically minded, this was an acoustic mix on a cassette tape which I converted to digital, then stripped out my dreadful vocal. I uploaded the backing and lyrics to Suno Ai and worked on it from there, steering the overall finish towards a more cinematic feel. It is just amazing hearing the vocals created to my lyrics.....if only I could sing.

'Supermarket Alien'

Art Ward/Suno AI - 2024

Lyrics: Art Ward @ 2024

My first 'text to image' then 'image to video' music video, thought a parody would be perfect. The drum and bass backing was done on my DAW, then the alchemy of AI was applied.

'Tonight'

Art Ward/Suno AI - 2024

Lyrics: Art Ward @1998

Taken from an old book of scribbles and writings from around 1998. Sometimes when you read old thoughts you get a new perspective on them and this was one of those moments. I thought it might make a nice wee tune.

'Winds of Change'

Art Ward/Suno AI - 2024

Lyrics: Art Ward @1992

A song written back in 1992 and left as an acoustic demo. Through the alchemy of AI, I was able to structure it out and give it a country cajun feel.

'Lacada Moon'

Art Ward /Suno AI - 2024

Another song which was abandoned in 2019 without finishing but now, using the alchemy of AI, completed it with a female vocal, amazing technology and believe me, it sounds so much better than my vocal. :-) This technology although still lacking the sonic quality of my DAW, can really facilitate song creation, effortlessly following structural guides including key and tempo changes, as well as instrument type, an excellent tool for music creators.

This song comes from a time when I used to walk the headland between Port Moon and the Causeway Stones at all hours taking photographs, full moon walks, midsummer mornings at 3:30am and the odd all night pitch when the light never leaves the horizon. The video is all AI with some of my own photos as well as some used for 'image to video' prompts.

'Angels of the Heart'

Art Ward /Suno AI - 2024

My first serious experiment using AI in a songwriting context. This was based on an old song and lyrics abandoned in 2019, kept the full lyric sheet then set the song structure in Suno with guide parameters. Took quite a lot of re-runs but came out in the end. This is very low grade quality but shows the potential, now working on resurrecting another old song. Based on an old

'Nothing Will Be The Same'

After a lull in musical activity this wee idea evolved and made it to the light of day.

Keyboard: Arturia /Analog Lab. Guitars: Epiphone Prophecy SG, Yamaha SLG 200S and 95 Takamine Santa Fe.

'Country Boy' (Redefined)

Another wee song that struggled through the undergrowth to find the light of day.

'The Shore'

Another wee song from the shore with video footage, an embryo for future development.e

'Singing to the Stars'

This wee song has been lying around for eighteen months but finally wanted to fly

'Shelter of the Heart'

Another wee offering along this journey

'Flowers of 1969' (Requiem)

Inspired by memories of halcyon days and dedicated to a departed free spirit

'Ballycastle Rouge'

'Hungry for the Road'

'Cry of Innocence'

' Spanish Green'

' Last Flight'

This one is based on a harrowing true story I read about a sixteen-year-old who became homeless and then spent eighteen months on the street. They were introduced to and became addicted to a concoction of drugs mixed with Fentanyl, and tragically, they died of an overdose before they reached the age of eighteen. Any government or society that allows this to happen is truly devoid of morality and humanity. At the same time, they allocate hundreds of billions for war and destruction in foreign lands. Evil people rule the world.

'I'll See You There'

This one started out on the acoustic guitar and morphed into its present form. Wish I could get faster at producing these but I guess the more I do the easier it will become. A lot of work involved for such a short experience from drum programming, bass, guitars, singing and then the mixing and video production. Very satisfying though when you can sit back and hear them and from that see other things that can be done with the song.

'I'll be Waitling'

Another wee song dressed up in its visual finery. The way I created it was interesting the bass, back keys and drums were laid down to work with the vocal which is a real singer (not AI). Having laid the vocal with the backing, Hadi (Daniel) came over and put the piano down, listened to the song once and did two takes, different each time, so I mixed the two into the finished recording.

'Window Pane'

This is another acoustic guitar song from twenty odd years ago which was left unfinished, it has been taken out, dusted down and re-recorded with new lyrics and some visuals. The string arrangement is by Daniel Ward.

Recorded at the backend of last year, this was a rework of an old acoustic idea that was recorded twenty years ago and brought back into the future. The essence is about the cycle of everything and to keep on trucking, I think. I like how it turned out. The original chorus had two more lines which I may add if I re-record it. It went.... 'Sail on restless stranger, fly your ocean while you can, from your far distant exile, dream of Ireland when you can'

Created at the back end of last year and now finally having a video to accompany it. Most of the visual footage is Ai generated by myself apart from the bass playing, snare drum and half a dozen original photographs I included in the visual mix. The song is a reflection on the speed of AI development as well as a nod to our own slavery to digital technology and the diminishing grasp of reality in terms of truth, lulling us into a false sense of security.

A tune I created towards the end of last year, it took a while to get the footage together for the video. There is a large rock, out of frame, to the left, when I was a kid, my uncle told me it was called 'Katie's Rock' so I thought the wee bay might as well be Katie's Garden as she would have seen it most days. 'Dunnaglea' is a wee strip of land which you walk across on the way from the harbour to the 'Elephant Rock '.

A semi-reminiscence song that connects to a halcyon time of youth when I lived in a house next to Bonamargie Friary at Ballycastle. The unrealized ‘free spirit’ of those days has never left, it has always been here when the ripples of life’s distractions settle. Then and now, in terms of freedom of spirit, are the same. Or as my Da might have said...'It’s all in your head'.

Another song from a while back, a reminder to myself. The ruins at the start of the video was my first real home. It was an old cottage which is marked on the 1832/46 OS map, when I arrived on the scene it was in a ruinous state and being used by cows as a shelter. I rented it and with a couple of friends we renovated it into a one roomed living space, no electricity, no running water and no toilet but fields of wonderful memories and a sky full of inspiration.

Another one from Covid self isolation....... I have taken several road trips in the US including Florida to the Canadian boarder, the Appalachian Trail and parts of the Mid-West. So this is a kind of written dream and hopeful reality before I hang up the wanderlust boots.

'Mr. Zuckerberg' - piano by Daniel (Hadi) Ward

Illustrations and Video by several artists listed in the credits

This came about after listening to a US Senate hearing with Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) regarding user privacy and the use of personal information for profit. Senator Kennedy made a reply to Zuckerberg which I thought hit the nail on the nail and I give him the credit for inspiring this. Also the first real attempt at mixing on a new DAW setup.

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