We had the privilege of doing The Premium Blend Radio Show on the 14th of April 2022, it was an absolute blast, we got to play 5 of our songs and talk at length about ourselves, while host Stuart Clack-Lewis expertly drove the show along with a bit of help from the lovely Pebbled.
Nick and I (Andy) are often more at home making music, well, at home, but it was great to take our sound out to the people. We will get out on the live music scene more in the near future, there really is nothing like it for musicians.
Stuart and Pebbles running the show
Nick and I (Andy) waffled on about ourselves and our music making process, and we played 5 live acoustic renditions of tracks from our back catalogue and two from our most recent album.
Stuart Clack-Lewis does a sterling job bringing fresh new indie music to the ears of the masses, and he has an eclectic list of awesome musical live guests lined up, and he podcasts the whole thing so you can listen when you want. What a great free musical deal it is, endorsed by Cosmic Bos for sure.
We also did an interview for Marc Schuster which was a lot of fun too, find that here
'Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See' came out as a single at the same time as 'Vaccine', but it took us a little while to put the video together, but we got it done, and proudly present to you right here.
Cosmic Bos presents 'Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See'
Music by Nick and Andy Jackson
Lyrics by Andy Jackson and Google Translate
So we had this song, where it is half in French and half in English, and it's pretty silly, but also educational in some sense, and as fans of the Euro experiment (please don't Boo!) and in particular the melting pot of ideas and life approaches that it welcomed, we wanted to make a video that honoured the fine culture and history of France, and more accurately, the unfair way that British people judge the French.
We approached a good friend, Dean, and asked him to translate the lyrics into sign language, which he did amazingly. So now what we have is a Eurotrash inspired music video with a 'find the baby' game, a language lesson and a sign language lesson, all rolled up into one musical joint.
How many Theo's could you find?
Answers on a postcard to Paris please
Thanks for all the support, please share our podcast with everyone you ever meet, it helps it really does. Do it for Theo, more people need to see this wonderful French baby stereotype we have forced to dance in our silly video.
YouTube playlist of all the wonderful Improv Squared Music Video's we've made this year.
Welcome to the blog that accompanies Cosmic Bos Improv Squared : Petite Champignon de Lumiere
The podcast with the most improvisation for your money, in their newest experiment, Cosmic Bos serve up an Inception level of improv, where it is mathematically stacked, layered up with extra instrumentation, and then presented in it's final song form for your very ears. It is improvisation, squared, hence its name.
For our first full helping of Improv Squared, we serve up 11 musical courses, ranging from the worldly starter, to the meaty main course, to the sweet desserts and back round again, in a strained metaphor that is bigger then the bowl it is trying to fill.
Here is the full tracklist:
Champignon, Lumiere (ft. Joe Philogene & the Cosmic Bos Family Choir)
Faded Memories (Lyrics by Dayne Howcroft)
Astral Underwear
Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See
Vaccine (ft. Chris Mace)
Back is Back (ft. Chris Mace)
Badder Decisions (ft. Joe Philogene)
Magic Fun Guy (ft. Donny Stax)
Ensemble Story
Talking Frog (ft. Joe Philogene & Ram Dass)
Forever Bruised (Lyrics by Dayne Howcroft)
This has been an absolute joy to work on, and the future for improv squaring looks very bright, with several artists already waiting in the wings to be part of the next Improv Squared album. Very excited to get moving on the next phase of this experiment, whilst we continue our 'Making of an Album' series of podcasts (and well, making an actual normal album). If you have a few spare pennies could you do us a favour and go buy the album on bandcamp? it would mean the world to us.
On band camp you can buy the album from this link here.
We have been working away on video content for Improv Squared for a while now, with the first single we put out 'Faded Memories' being a simple one shot of Nick and I (Andy) playing the first round of the improvisation (Guitars and Vocal), we subsequently added Bass and Synths and another cheeky Electric Guitar to the mix in improv rounds 2 and 3. The lyrics were written by Dayne Howcroft, with the rough chord structure having been constructed before starting. A pretty loose Improv Squared, but it's a banger.
'Ensemble Story' was the second first single (we released them all as double A sides) and that was purely just Nick and I (Andy still, haven't changed writer mid sentence) doing 3 rounds of improv. We had seen Elbow perform a few weeks prior, and this song certainly feels a bit Elbowish. The lyric is from my Book of Songs (B.o.S) and was melodically improvised on the spot.
'Astral Underwear' was the third song released with a video, which is similar to Ensemble Story, except this time with some crazy overlays more like the improvisation videos with Joe Philogene. This track was the first Improv Squared song we ever made (although it was followed on the same evening by Ensemble Story).
'Forever Bruised' was the fourth song, and another lyric by Dayne Howcroft. This song was kept acoustic and raw, to reflect the depth of the lyrics, and the video is another one shot of just Nick and Andy (that's me, just in case you were unsure who was writing this blog).
'Vaccine' was the fifth song, and this one required some extra special video treatment. We have had Green Screen facemasks sitting around ready for a music video for a couple of years now, when facemasks became the fashion to have, we figured it only made sense to get green screen versions. So we did, but didn't really know what to do with them, until now, and the song 'Vaccine', which features Chris Mace coming on an improv squared adventure with us, and the Cosmic Bos Family Choir appearing in the trippy video.
There is further video action to come from this record, with 'Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See' coming next weekend (with a Eurotrash inspired video I think you will like) and plans in place for a truly epic dance video for 'Back is Back'. So stick around, subscribe to our shenanigans where you can, and stay as amazing as you clearly are.So from Baby Theo and Uncle Andy, from the set of 'Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See', we say some things in French and probably eat some cheese.
Have a wonderful day
We love ya
Cosmic Bos
P.S - Here is the Youtube link if that is how you like your podcast
And here are all the video's that go along with Improv Squared
With the full album coming out very soon (1st April in fact), Cosmic Bos would like to turn your attention towards our latest single 'Vaccine'.
It is advised that you listen to the song at least twice to make sure you are fully Vaccinated, but for complete coverage it is advised you listen at least once a day.
This song has been released alongside a companion A side, 'Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See' which will be getting the video treatment too, we just haven't finished it yet (it has been filmed, just needs editing)
The music for Vaccine was made by doing layered improvisation, with our special guest Chris Mace joining the Bos bro's, meaning only two rounds were needed (although we may have done three rounds, I scares remember). The music was then matched up with a previously written poem by Andy Jackson called 'Vaccine'.
Here is the original full poem
VACCINE by Andy Jackson
The world is a scary and dangerous place
But based on the numbers, the human race
Is doing just peachy and spreading out quickly
You can tell coz the host body’s getting quite sickly
Could it be true, just like the flu
We are the virus, the variants too
Earth did some healing when we stared at the ceiling,
Imagine if earth gets the vaccine for you
Sure we are clever and built for adaption
But Gia’s been having an allergic reaction
She’s depleted and requires serious attention
It’s unmediated, A Greta intervention
We are the virus, earth is the host
She’s having a stroke, can you smell burning toast?
We’ve got to act fast, we risk getting the ghost
If toxic shock sets in we’ve an hour at most
Harmonious living tween host and microbes
The employees are wearing the emperor’s clothes
Earthquake, tsunamis, volcanos and fires
Are vaccines for us, the deadliest virus
Heart disease, cancer, common colds and flu
Are all types of vaccine, if the virus is you
So bigger picture, it isn’t all gloom
Let’s change our behaviour, there’s still wiggle room
Old ways of thinking should remain in the tomb
Stop staring at Lara with a hundred times zoom
We are just moments on a timeline of plenty
We enter with nothing and pretend we aren’t empty
But once we’re fulfilled any more is just greedy
The overspill should be providing the needy
And anything we take we give in return
Earth owe us nothing, we need to learn
Ignorance is letting half of the world burn
Self fulfilling vaccine as the tables turn
...
Few more words there then in the song, but there was no way to fit the whole poem in so it got a little butchered to fit the music.
Coming of the 1st April is the full album Cosmic Bos Improv Squared: Petite Champignon de Lumiere
11 tracks, all in some way crafted using our new music making technique, Improv Squared. Including the singled 'Faded Memories', 'Ensemble Story', 'Astral Underwear', 'Forever Bruised', 'Vaccine' and 'Sir, France is 'cross the Sea, See'.
As previously mentioned, there is another video to come for this album, and then potentially another one after that for the song 'Back is Back'. More on that to follow.
The album will also be getting a bandcamp release to hopefully get us some much needed revenue.
Thanks for being awesome
Please leave us a comment, or share this with your friends
Peace and infinite love
Cosmic Bos
P.S - Here's the YouTube version for anyone who prefers their music videos served up in that particular fashion, or if the podcast one above doesn't work.
Welcome to episode 2 of our Making of an Album series, this time (as you already know from having read the title of this blog) we tackle song writing, in particular, traditional song writing techniques.
Subscribe to our podcast on your preferred podcast platform Direct Podcast Page
Album artwork by Dayne Howcroft
Nick and Andy (Cosmic Bos) collectively have several hundred songs to their names, and here they breakdown the fundamentals of songwriting, examining structure and form, before writing a song in front of your very ears.
Visited several times throughout the episode, Nick and Andy sat over two sessions and wrote a song from start to finish. Here we try to show you the creative process in its raw state.
Nick and Andy also talk about the history of songwriting, as well as their own personal histories of songwriting, including several examples from their songbooks.
The first proper song you hear in this episode is Astral Underwear, a song that Cosmic Bos created using their new musical construction method, Improv Squared (More on this in the next episode).
In the middle of the episode you are treated to two songs from Andy and Nicks songbooks.
Love Defined is by Andy Jackson and is about his wife
Spontaneous Plan is by Nick Jackson and is about his wife
Both songs are available on Cosmic Bos From the Songbook (2020), and right here in youtube form too
Email cosmicbos@gmail.com with your favourite wife
The episode concludes with our other double A side single 'Forever Bruised', which is acoustically written music by Andy and Nick over a haunting poem by Dayne Howcroft.
This was a rollercoaster ride to make, and we loved it, hopefully there is something useful and insightful about our ramblings about writing songs, and we also hope that we have demystified the process a bit, and shown how really anyone could write songs if it was what they wanted to do.
If you want to get involved in our musical shenanigans drop us an email at cosmicbos@gmail.com
We also really appreciate feedback, and would love to hear your own songwriting stories, comment on this post or better yet, comment on the youtube video version of this episode so we can all share the musical love.
Andy and Nick created this song using improvisation layering, the beat, bass and synth were played in first round, then vocals and more synth, then backing vocals. Filming each round, the video was made by boxing up the performance and overlaying some stock footage.
The lyric was prewritten by Andy in the Book of Songs (or BoS as we call it) and it reads a little something like this...
ASTRAL UNDERWEAR
Artwork by Dayne Howcroft
Sitting still, at a desk, with a tie flopped on my chest Counting seconds, lunchtime beacons, need the valuable rest It’s hard on the knees, with legs lazy as these Every movement, needs improvement, I won’t pass the test
But who cares? The outside world is cruel and unfair They stare But no-one can see my astral underwear I’m here And simultaneously everywhere I’m this And everything else in between
Sit around, from sat to seated, shower, bed, repeat repeated Counting days, rest is coming, long time been defeated It’s hard on the head, cycling, work, home, bed These energy levels are vastly depleted Oh these energy levels are vastly depleted
But who cares? The social world is cruel and unfair Don’t share Your invincible astral underwear You’re here Whilst simultaneously everywhere Your you And everything you ever want to do
While in astral clothing Banish self loathing Become anything you desire
Guarantee it will suit you From flower to cashew Be seagull, be water, be fire
Be anything you can desire Be anything you can desire
...
Please like, share and subscribe
And if you would like to feature in an upcoming Improv Squared song, email us at cosmicbos@gmail.com for details.
Astral Underwear is paired with another song 'Forever Bruised' which is available on Spotify, Amazon etc. and will get it's own video treatment next weekend. It is quite the polar opposite as far as songs go, with a raw acoustic sound and powerful lyrics by Dayne Howcroft.
Thanks for being awesome, we love ya
YouTube version for ya
Peace and infinite love
Cosmic Bos
P.S - Coming 1st March is the next instalment in our Making of an Album series, check it out.
