Indie singer/songwriter Maryen Cairns surprises fans today with a new video to accompany her latest single release “Kids from the ‘Burbs.”
This is a poignant, acoustic song written by Cairns and the video is available to view now on YouTube:
“ ‘Kids from the ‘Burbs’ is the true story of hanging out with my two best friends – who were in love – over the winter in Sydney when I was 15, and then the disintegration of their relationship due to the descent into addiction of one of them. It’s also about my own quest in life for more and the helpless futility of looking back at the past wondering what happened to old friends, friends who were in terrible trouble when last seen.”
“I wrote the song over 10 years later. I was living alone for the first time in my life and writing songs with my first cup of coffee in the morning… so I had the space to totally dive back into the past and remember how I felt at 15, and in this song I am back there with my friends, living in the moment. By telling the story, though, it’s obvious I’m older, I’m looking back at events and seeing them from a new perspective. I want people to remember that perspective changes, and also that we have a survival instinct that it is good to let kick in. As it is, “I left home, joined a band, caught a plane to a distant land, looking for another door”… and still, today, I don’t know what happened to my old friends, I only know what happened in my own life.”
—
We were kids from the ‘burbs hanging out in the streets
Didn’t know what we were looking for
Everything out of reach, no one had a future
Didn’t wanna think about the past
My friend Michael with the shaggy hair fell in love with my friend Liz And they were crazy and they were right
At fifteen this is how we lived
We hung out, we were out of it, we were bored, we got stoned Had no money so we broke the law
Steal a car, hitch a ride, confident but no pride
Don’t think I even wanted more
My friend Michael with the laughing smile fell in love with my friend Liz And they were crazy, street tough stick thin
At fifteen this is how we lived
This is how we lived, this is how we lived at fifteen
This is how we lived, this is how we lived at fifteen
Liz was my best friend, she was there for me and she understood the way I was Too messed up in the head to take boyfriends to bed
Couldn’t leave the past alone
I went back to school, Liz and Mike still hung out
He became unreliable
Lovely Liz she was cool, eyes of stone, she’s no fool
She worked out what was going on
My friend Michael with the bedroom eyes making love to my friend Liz So caught up in going down, harder habits was his new buzz.
And this is how we lived, this is how we lived at fifteen
This is how we lived, this is how we lived at fifteen, at fifteen.
—
“Kids from the ‘Burbs” was produced by renowned music producer Chris Kimsey, and recorded at Echotown Studios in Dorset, England.
From moments of folksy guitar to captivating swing, Maryen does it all with raw, heartfelt lyrics and an honest vocal delivery. The accompanying video is equally intimate, with Maryen opting to shoot up close and personal in her own home, sitting on the sofa of her living room and singing directly to the camera.
Usually opting for larger budget ideas, this time Maryen felt that real authenticity could only be captured with a more intimate setting. And in choosing intimacy over something grander, there is a definite sense of connection with the audience, allowing the listener to experience the song in its truest form.
With seven solo albums behind her, and mentorship from the legendary Chris Kimsey, Cairns is well on her way to making a mark with her music. 9 songs from her recent one woman tour have been cherry picked for her upcoming album “One Woman Band: Live at Echotown Studios, Vol. I”
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