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Post by barbt on Jun 28, 2015 18:41:53 GMT -5
At some point. The last year has been very difficult and I've not been in a mood to write.
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Post by barbt on Jan 1, 2017 23:34:12 GMT -5
Keith left the next day for his gigs in Philly and then to fly home for Christmas. When he got back, no one saw much of him because he was up early at the studio, working on the second album, and often didn’t get back until late. When they did see him, he was serious and seemed to be unhappy with how things were going, but it was several weeks until anyone could pin him down long enough to talk to him.
Rose finally managed to catch him coming back from the studio, guitar in hand, face looking like a thundercloud. She invited him on board, but he started to decline, saying he wasn’t going to be good company, but she insisted. Once he was on the boat, she gave him a mug of tea and sat down next to him.
“Now talk,” she ordered. “Tell me why you look like you want to smash something. You’ve been miserable for weeks.”
He sighed, staring down into his tea cup. “Things aren’t goin’ well with the album,” he admitted.
“I’d figured that much out already,” Rose said. “Having trouble coming up with songs?”
Keith laughed bitterly. “No,” he said. “I’ve come up with plenty. Problem is, the studio hates them.”
“Why?” Rose asked, astonished. His label had been thrilled that, instead of one or two original songs on his debut album, he’d managed to come up with 6, so half the album was original music when they’d expected it to be mostly covers.
Keith laughed again. “Not similar enough to what I wrote last time. They keep tellin’ me that I need ta settle into a style, at least until I get really noticed, that people will be expectin’ similar music to what was on the last album.”
Rose looked at him in disbelief. “Have they ever MET you?” she asked. “You’ve never stuck with one style, not even when you’re covering something. How can they expect that you’re going to write something along the same formula all the time?”
“I just don’t know, Mother Rose,” he said. “And the one thing that is the same about a lot of them is something they’re complainin’ about as well. They’re sayin’ I write too much about bein’ on the road.”
“They’re idiots, then,” Rose said decisively. “Or they want you to be something you aren’t.”
“I’m startin’ ta think that’s true,” he said. “I KNOW my fans are gonna like the new stuff, but they won’t believe me. And the only kinda help they give me, besides the recording space, is tellin’ me how I need ta change this or that.” He stopped for a minute, then said, “I never told you this before – ya know the tour I did to promote the album, last spring?”
“Yes,” Rose said.
“They never did a thing to help me with that – not plannin’, not equipment, nothin’. I bought Mary and fitted her out with all the equipment and everything, planned all the gigs, did the drivin’ and hotel arrangements, and everythin’. All the money came out of my own pocket. Well, except for what my Street Team gave me.”
Keith’s Street Team was a volunteer band of fans who supported his work, and Rose knew they’d given him several thousand dollars of money they’d raised to help pay for gas and such – Keith had been so touched by it that he’d almost been in tears when he called her after getting it. Mary was the van Keith had used for the tour, and she’d been pretty sure Keith had had to purchase her on his own. But to find out that he’d had to buy all his equipment and plan and everything on his own was a shock. “But why?” she asked, incredulous. “Why wouldn’t they support the tour?”
Keith shrugged. “I wouldn’t do it the way they wanted,” he said. “I wanted to play in pubs and such, where my fans expect to find me and where we’re all comfortable, and they acted like it was beneath their dignity to deal with little venues like that. They wanted me to do bigger places, and I didn’t want to – not until I feel like I’m ready. If I ever do.”
“Oh, Keith,” Rose sighed. She’d been ecstatic when Keith had gotten signed – everyone who knew him had – because the label he’d signed to had a reputation for bringing new artists out and making successes of them. Still, she saw Keith’s side of it, too – he had his own ways, and his own plan, and had been expecting the label to help him do what he wanted. Now it seemed that they weren’t going to help him unless he let them mold him into something he wasn’t. “They took you on thinking they could mold you, didn’t they?”
“I guess so,” he said tiredly. “Sure seems like what they’re tryin’ ta do, anyway.”
“Oh, love,” Rose said. “You’re not moldable, anybody who knows you knows that. Oh, you’ll learn anything they have to teach you, but they aren’t going to change you into anything you don’t want to be.”
He nodded. “And I just don’t know what to do about it. I won’t – I CAN’T – change who I am to suit them, but I can’t figure out how ta get them to see it my way.”
Rose thought for a few moments. “What about another tour, to try out music on your fans?” she suggested. Doesn’t have to be huge, but try to get some scattered around the country and see what the reaction is? The maybe you can use that to influence the label.”
“That’s a thought,” he admitted slowly. “I’ve been so tied up in knots about it that I haven’t been able to think of anything. About the only time I can relax is when I’m with Kelsey…”
Rose pounced on that. “Oh, and who’s Kelsey?” she asked with a wide grin. She’d been wondering lately if Keith had found someone special, thinking that maybe the reason he wasn’t getting home until late was because he’d been out with someone.
“A friend,” he said quickly. “Just a friend, right now. A good one, but nothin’ else – yet. I met her before the last CT tour when we were both helpin’ a friend move. She’s just…peaceful ta be around, ya know? A quiet place.”
Rose nodded. She could see how that would be very attractive to Keith, who never really stopped or rested anywhere for long. If he’d found a person who could give him that, it would be perfect.
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Post by celticfan on Jan 6, 2017 10:27:49 GMT -5
Grest chapter glad to see a new on you are a great writer
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Post by HburgEagle44 on Nov 5, 2017 21:18:37 GMT -5
I got on here tonight, feeling nostalgic, and saw that this story was updated.... wow that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. ♡♡♡♡
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Post by celticbear on Nov 6, 2017 22:20:08 GMT -5
I know it's been awhile since I've been here. But lately I am feeling nostalgic. Been reading old favorites. Glad you are continuing this story. I hated the fact that Verve tried to change Keith. So happy he is doing his career his way with Kelsey right by his side. Update when you can,
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Post by celticfan on Dec 2, 2018 9:12:41 GMT -5
will this story go on fanfiction.net like your other three have I hope so I love the story
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Post by celticfan on Jun 10, 2021 5:53:58 GMT -5
can you please put this story on your fanfcton.net site
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