' Last Flight' 

 Art Ward © 2022

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' 

 Art Ward  © 2023

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' 

 Art & Daniel Ward © - 2023

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' 

 ©  Art & Daniel Ward © - 2023

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.

'Sail On' ©  Art 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'

'AI Dreams'  © Art Ward

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.

'Dun na Glea'  (Katie's Garden)    © Art Ward 2022 

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 '.

'Bonamargie Reprise'   © Art Ward 2020 

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'.

'Road Back to Lagavara' - (Memo to Myself  © Art Ward 2020

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.

'Every Step You Take'    © Art Ward 2021 

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.