Recorded in one take! A demo that lived to see the light of day! An affirmation to Serve !!!
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Prod. Waine + Wes Singerman
Written + recorded by Forrest Mortifee
Cover art by Andy La
Mixed by Waine
Mastered by Will Borza
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Living in Los Angeles (which I was at the time of this song’s creation, May 2019), I was swimming in a culture that implied clout was the highest achievement of any entertainment industry professional. I realized that mindset was toxic to my integrity as an artist, and have since moved home to the beautiful backwater known as Vancouver, Canada.
With the song’s release (Oct. 20th, 2023), I conducted a food drive for Covenant House Vancouver, an organization committed to supporting unhoused and at-risk youth. As a broader community we donated over 150 food items to the shelter. I’ve also applied to be a volunteer youth mentor, so I’ll hopefully get to support and encourage an LGBTQ+ youth over the course of 2024!
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Lyrics:
VERSE 1
Service!
Arrogance
A parent just
Aint born for this
Our selflessness is normal
Our selflessness is normal
My selflessness is normal
Service!
A brain to mold
A soul to glow
A hand to stroke
A seed to grow
I’ve grown to know
That this is normal
This is normal for me to want in my life
Service!
PRE-CHORUS
I get stuck in the clouds
Thinking I might never come down
Give me all of your clout. Great.
So why aren’t I full?
CHORUS
Service, you saved my soul, service
Service, don’t ever go, service
VERSE 2
Apparently
I’m meant to see
A centerpiece
Inside of me
They wanna breathe
I try to breathe
When they’re not breathing
But I haven’t been able to do it yet…so, uh...
PRE-CHORUS
I get stuck in the clouds
Thinking I might never come down
Give me all of your clout. Great.
So why aren’t I full?
CHORUS
Service, you saved my soul
Service, don’t ever go
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Should I keep releasing this album? Should I only put out music that I'd want to create in the future? Should I spend time, money, energy releasing songs I don't love performing as much as others? Is anyone out there really listening?
Some songs hit, others don't. Some playlisting is more effective than others. Some songs hit their prime years after release. Some songs open doors you never would have expected they'd open.
I live in the unknown. I trust the process. I honour my gifts by sharing them.
xx
Forrest
Yesterday (11/21/23) I had the honour of leading the Starter Packs cohort through my favourite Shadow Work practice 🥲 I offered the following prompts; we spent around 5 minutes on each:
1. "How does your ideal self embody and express their creativity?" 2. "What does your Inner Critic say to you, that’s been holding you back from embodying this now?" (Could be shaming you, blaming you, being mean; repeating things your family, teachers, friends, strangers have said in the past) 3. “Inner Critic, how do you actually feel?” (What are the emotions that this character is feeling behind their meanness? Often for me it’s scared of abandonment, sad, lonely etc.) 4. "You don’t have to change for me to Love you." (Wrap allll these voices in LOVE; they have been doing the best they've known how to do, to protect you from a scary world.)
This visual is a screen shot of the HaikuBot's delightful interpretation ~💖~ overlaid w a photo of my first time Channeling Light Language (from the InterGalactic Spirit of Water 🌊) on stage later that night. It was one of my favourite times performing...I felt so myself 😌
...and I was not abandoned by my community after showing up in this way! In fact, I was celebrated. People kept saying "congratulations" afterwards...and that they felt peaceful while I sang. Bringing peace and love and Light to this now moment and here place...is like my favourite thinggggg guyssssss !
forrestmortifee
Service 💞
You don't have to change for me to Love you.
1. "How does your ideal self embody and express their creativity?"
2. "What does your Inner Critic say to you, that’s been holding you back from embodying this now?" (Could be shaming you, blaming you, being mean; repeating things your family, teachers, friends, strangers have said in the past)
3. “Inner Critic, how do you actually feel?” (What are the emotions that this character is feeling behind their meanness? Often for me it’s scared of abandonment, sad, lonely etc.)
4. "You don’t have to change for me to Love you." (Wrap allll these voices in LOVE; they have been doing the best they've known how to do, to protect you from a scary world.)
This visual is a screen shot of the HaikuBot's delightful interpretation ~💖~ overlaid w a photo of my first time Channeling Light Language (from the InterGalactic Spirit of Water 🌊) on stage later that night. It was one of my favourite times performing...I felt so myself 😌
...and I was not abandoned by my community after showing up in this way! In fact, I was celebrated. People kept saying "congratulations" afterwards...and that they felt peaceful while I sang. Bringing peace and love and Light to this now moment and here place...is like my favourite thinggggg guyssssss !
Sea The Signs ✧ L!ve w Madeleine Elkins
🌊
Sea The Signs written and performed by moi, Forrest Mortifee
Original song Produced by TEFO
Guitar by Madeleine Elkins
Filmed by Remi Jean
Audio Recorded my Matt Gage
Audio Mixed by moi, Forrest Mortifee
At Workshop Film Studio: Songwriter's Circle (Locals Lounge Vancouver)
on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations