“a song about being poor in wealth but rich in love” – With Sun
With Sun is the recording name of singer-songwriter Alice Hale. It’s a very apt name as there is a warmth that radiates from her music. She manages to find the beauty in life’s small things as much as in its big concepts, and new her single ‘Shoebox’ does exactly that. It was inspired by the disconnect of her friends talking about their houses and gardens, planning building work and holidays, while Alice and her partner were debating whether they could afford a coffee that day. The way out of this “comparison hole” came from a childhood memory of repurposing a Clark’s shoebox as a doll’s bed, while shoebox is also used as a description of a small home.
“My daughter was a baby and didn’t have a lot of toys. We’d moved to a small flat just before she was born and were still in the process of making it a home. We didn’t have a lot of furniture or stuff. For a while the toys we did have were kept in a shoebox. It reminded me of when I was young, and I repurposed a green Clarks shoe box as a bed for my dolls. They had a yellow cloth duster as a blanket, and it kept me entertained for hours.
It made me realise what I had and what I didn’t need. She was perfectly happy playing with what she had, and it made me realise how content we were as a family. I think we become more imaginative when we have less, as long as our basic needs are met: love, shelter, food. Not everyone has those and I’m very fortunate that I do.”
As with all of With Sun’s songs Alice’s voice holds your attention throughout. It has an unforced strength reminiscent of Judee Sill or Vashti Bunyan and it makes you want to lean in closer as if listening more intently to the words of a close friend. The song is also wonderfully enhanced by the inclusion of a full band. As well as Alice on vocals and guitar it features Noel Chambers on keyboards, Julian Ecclestone on bass, and Calie Hough on drums as well as the one-woman string section Josie Lloyd-Wilson (making her own beautiful music under the name Sephine Llo) who also produced the track. ‘Shoebox’ is another tiny, but perfect, vignette from With Sun, a study on life and how to make it a little more palatable.
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LYRICS:
I live in a shoebox flat
It ain’t much but I’m alright with that
I’ve got all of my riches
Inside these four walls
No material things
But in you I see all of it
I know that we struggle sometimes
But I’d like to take you out tonight
we’ll go into town
And dress nice and fancy
The world is our oyster
I might even dance with you
Baby this is home
And it’s my biggest dream
You’re everything I have
And we have everything I need
Less is more
But without you I’m poor
When I was a very young girl
I made shoebox beds for all my dolls
I carried them round
And showed all my friends
Kept them cozy and warm
And I gave them all names
Now I have my own little girl
She keeps toys in a shoebox as well
She doesn’t complain
And she never gets bored
it won’t last forever
But it’s so adorable
Baby this is home
And it’s my biggest dream
You’re everything I have
And we have everything I need
Less is more
But without you I’m poor
Humble and proud but is what we have really enough?
I try not to notice, but everyone’s got more than us
My love, is more just greed?
Baby this is home
And it’s my biggest dream
You’re everything I have
And we have everything I need
Less is more
But without you I’m poor
Review by Paul F Cook
You can also read my reviews of With Sun’s previous singles ‘Holding’ and ‘Thirteen Weeks’ (a poignant and moving song about dealing with the grief and loss of miscarriage).
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