The world as we know it has changed and singer Patrick Ames has no problem bringing his emotionally unequivocal observations to the forefront at a time when music is a healing agent we desperately need.
On his EP Liveness, Ames is the quintessential artist of live performance with unique and fervent musicality reminiscent of bluegrass, R&B and folk music of culturally rich cities such as, the Bay, San Diego, CA and Austin, TX.
Clearly not obsessed with the masquerade of highly orchestrated and auto-tuned music that crowds the radio waves today, Ames serves to accomplish one mission on this album and it is to make the listener feel.
The gamut of songs on Liveness falls in the category of the “best love songs to play on beautiful spring nights in wine country” with tracks, such as the Argentinian influenced “I Want You (Bossa Nova)”, wedding reception pick “Just Before I Said I Do (Wedding Song)”, and the nostalgic “Slow Dancing”.
Listeners can hear the soul and depth of Ames creative genius on his songcry “Bang Bang Bang”. On this single, he has no time to sugarcoat the facts. Life is tough, but it’s even tougher with guns on the streets. Ames comes off rebellious, but polite, and unwilling to accept the status quo while he refuses to sit quietly waiting for someone to create change.
“‘Bang Bang Bang’ is the gun going off,” said Ames. “The track bends to gospel as we it preaches for peace and an end to this violence.”
Watch the Lyric Video for “Bang Bang Bang”
He croons, “The homeless people have homeless dreams that can’t be woken by this society.” Ames references the great Gil Scott-Heron as he closes the song with the poet’s quote “The revolution will not be televised”.
On “Want To Believe”, the San Francisco Bay songwriter uses the white space to talk about poverty, silicon valley and the taboo topic of advanced technology. The song incites many thoughts that lead to a rabbit’s hole of questions on the demise of society as we know it.
Watch the Lyric Video for “Want to Believe”
Ames continues to draw outside the lines with the track “Suspicions”. The slow to medium paced strokes of an acoustic guitar and Ames soul searching singing is parallel to the creations of the likes of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. It’s a sound bath of meditative calm.
Writing songs since he was 14-years-old, Ames grew up influenced by music.
“My mother sang opera and also in the church choir I’m a choir brat,” he said. “My very older brothers listened to 1960s hits and bands, and my father to Pop radio. We were close to Detroit, so it was Motown, Motown, Motown, or Puccini. And for some reason I knew who the songwriters were, like Holland, Dozer, Holland. Then Glen Campbell broke through and I remember adoring him. He had a TV show. He had a guitar and he wrote songs!”
Also a book publisher, Ames bravely took his music career to SF Bay legend level when he decided to pick up his guitar and write songs again in his 60’s after a prosperous career in book publishing.
“I tell stories, so lyrics and music come hand in hand,” he continued. “It usually starts with a musical riff and then I match that riff with some kind of striking lyric. So I have a musical riff and a lyrical riff. Then, as a story, I let those two fly together and piece the story together.”
The 6-track EP Liveness is a test and testimony with dual messages that preach love on one hand and then revolution on another. Liveness is the soundtrack of today’s world.
Thanks Betty. Happy to participate in your shows, peace