It’s been a strange year for all of us but one of the strangest things for me is that I do not get to sing with my bandmates regularly. Prior to this pandemic, we were getting together at least once a week for a few hours if not more. For me singing with Rebekah and Jennie is meditative, energizing and healing, and have that taken away was painful and disorientating to say the least. I remember calling Rebekah in tears after not seeing her for more than 3 months, even though we kept up weekly online meet up, not seeing her physically was becoming intorerable. Especially Rebekah and I have been practically inseparable for close to 10 years. So it was a joyous occasion that Jennie and Rebekah surprised me with a visit on my birthday back in June and I hold that memory dear to my heart. That’s the last time I saw both of them together and we didn’t even get to sing together.
Anyway, we do what we can, I’m keeping my livestream and we still meet regularly on line. Days and months going by, and one day Rebekah and I decide to go have a girls weekend away. Can’t tell you which one of us came up with the idea, but we were very excited. It’s nice to have something to look forward to. So one weekend in November, after taking an ample precaution, Rebekah and I found ourselves in a small cottage upstate. The weather was glorious and we spend a lot of time enjoying the nature and each other’s company. We found a fantastic local orchard/pizzeria with big outdoor seating and we ate, drank, talked and laughed. I brought my guitar and cameras just in case, but I really didn’t think we were going to do anything with them. Of course Rebekah and I played music because that’s what we do. Honestly I don't remember how we ended up singing Harry Styles’s “Watermelon Sugar” but it was Watermelon Sugar that we learned that weekend. We made a video of it the morning we were going home. In between packing and nursing hangover (neither of us drink that much anymore) we rallied ourselves to make this video. We had fun. We wanted to have fun and maybe that’s why this song was perfect. It’s a bright and fun song in a slightly melancholic way - like knowing that this feeling won’t last long. Maybe that’s it - knowing that we still have ways to go before we can perform again but for now, we are happy and just be content with a moment of happiness.
I hope you enjoy.
P.S. I have to thank my childhood best friend Taeko for introducing me to Harry Styles. Without her, I wouldn’t even know who he is.