But Now Those Walls Collapse Inside Me

An Aviary Reintroduction

Dear friends,

Months have passed since I wrote you (not tweeted, not Facebooked, but actually wrote you) last, and I apologize. It seems that my interaction, be it online or otherwise, with the outside world tends to thrive at certain times and, in most cases, become so inactive that it seems that I may have finally hung up my keyboard and disappeared into the vast wilderness we forebodingly call “the real world.” I can guarantee you that I’ll never disappear for good (unless I finally decide to embrace the life of a mountain-dwelling sherpa and spend the rest of my life leading headstrong hikers up the steep slopes of Mount Annapurna) but I’m convinced that my on-again/off-again presence on the interweb is much like the migration cycles of, say, the North American goldfinch!  Just as said goldfinch flies south for the winter to seek more luxurious, jacuzzi-filled birdhouses, my communication skills (and charm in general) tend to dip south into a state of almost complete hibernation. In this state, though, conveniently enough, I tend to make music with the ambition of a ruby-throated hummingbird in search of a mate at the onset of spring.

With that said (and with a lack of bird-related metaphor), I’d like to plainly announce that I am working on a new record. I may have mentioned this to you in passing or you may have had dreams about me performing a new rag-time tune for you on a piano made of cheese (you know who you are), but in any case, because of my long-winded absence in your internet life I felt it necessary to just tell you. With italics. Because italics show that I mean business.

So, like a red-bellied woodpecker hammering away at the side of my great uncle’s condo, I’ll be working tirelessly on this batch of new songs over the next few months in preparation for what I can only hope is a mid- to late-2011 release. These songs are different, folks. They’re louder and quieter at the same time and they’re more complex but simple in their complexity, but they still maintain all the core values that I’ve built Sailship with over the past few years. You’ll see what I mean, and I can’t wait until you do.

Anyway, until next time, my friends, and in the words of the northern fulmar shearwater, “gahgahgahgah ehh ehh ehh gahgahgahgah!”

Your friend,

Mark

I’d Rather Write a Song Than a Business Plan

To the people that have been following the progression of my career over the past year or so, it’s probably no surprise to you when I say that the promotional game is not one at which I consider myself particularly adept.  I’ve met some amazing people over the past few months with so many kind words to say and so many positive emotions and touching stories to share that I am truly honored to be a part of their lives, living vicariously through my music, and always will be, even if it turns out to be just for this brief moment in the grand scheme of their lives.  With those people in mind, I worry sometimes that my lack of promotional prowess is interpreted as disregard; that just because I’m not out there on the front-lines promoting my music to death, that that reflects poorly on my enthusiasm toward being a musician.  I can assure you (and it took me a while to notice this for myself) that this is not the case.

It’s become standard procedure of the independent music scene to expect just as much promotional skill as musical talent from an artist, and I’m definitely not the first to be disturbed by the growing industrialization of the music scene and the rapidly expanding idea of music being seen as a commodity.

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Whatever We Dream Of

I just logged into Twitter to find something magical.  This is from a girl named Miri:

Miri writes:

“Oh, I’ve been planning to draw and post this for a while already, and now I don’t even find the right words.  I’ve spent so many thoughts on everything while drawing it, but now I kinda forgot everything.

This is a picture (or is it called fanart?) for the song “The Giant Leaps” by Sailship aka MarkSwickley, which means a lot to me. I’m sorry for the crappy anatomy, I wish I could have put more effort in it. Ahhrgh, those hands and legs and arms and shoes, I’m sorry.

Hm, I first heard the song when I found Sailship by browsering around myspace, and I heard it over the two or three days when I had a hard time again.  I liked the melody, it was so relaxing.  On the last day I really felt bad, and for a reason, I decided to look up the lyrics of the song that I was hearing all the time, and when I saw them I started to cry.  (I hope I don’t sound too sentimental now haha. )  The lyrics were so wounderful and fitted perfectly to how I felt. : >

I’m kinda exited and my heart is beating (boom boom booom), I’d like to show this pic to Mark via twitter. If he would even respond I’d die of honor.xD Today was a hard day, but always when I come home and listen to my music it helps a lot. ♥  I want to keep on doing whatever I dream of.”

It floors me to think that what I do actually makes a difference in some people’s lives. I can’t find the words to accurately express what I feel whenever I find something like this, but it’s nothing short of an honor to know that doing what I love inspires other people to do what they love. Miri, thank you so much, and keep dreaming and drawing and bringing new beautiful things into this world. Your talent is immense, and I think we all need to take time after a hard day to do whatever we dream of.

Mark

♀

I’m sitting alone in my room reading Barbara Kingsolver, my very favorite author, thinking to myself how amazing this woman is and how effectively she controls the English language, and I randomly took note of the fact that every single person in my life who I consider a “hero” of mine (whether I know them or not) is a woman.  I don’t know what this means, nor do I know why exactly I felt the need to tell you, but to women everywhere, you keep the world intact.  I feel we would be so utterly lost without you.

Glowing

You are young and you are full of light.  Over the years, I’ve seen that light shine through you and drip to the floor from your fingertips, amassing glowing ponds around our feet.  In that room, we stood in the light of your grace, and with time, the doors around us seemed to open themselves.  The world outside, restless and churning and unknown, waited.  Branches beat and scraped against the walls and windows, and I knew that it had once again come time to leave.

We now know that I won’t always be there for you, but just know that these words and these thoughts will be forever in that room, glowing and resonating beside you in my place. Even though I’m not there, after everything, I promise I will try to be.

Candy

It’s a feeling that can’t be denied.  You need candy and you need candy now, but do you even HAVE candy!?  When’s the last time you bought candy and it actually traveled with you for more than a few minutes before being devoured into that salivating candy compactor of a mouth you have?  Most of the time you’ll grocery shop for your assorted gadgets and toiletries and grocery needs, so while standing in the checkout line you’ll see the glamorous and colorful array of logos and shiny wrappers and say to yourself “what the heck?” But more often than not, your “what the heck” moment rarely lasts past the parking lot, for its sweet, chocolatey ambrosia is unwrapped and thrust into your mouth so fast it barely has time to melt to your fingers.

Alas, it takes a devoted and self-disciplined candy-eater to house candy within the confines of your kitchen cabinets, letting it age like a fine wine so it can one day be enjoyed at that perfect, unadulterated and satisfying moment.  That is not you, though.  You are impulsive and greedy, and that perfect moment just happens to be now as you lie on your bed writing a tumblr post.  Oh, what agony.

Marquis de Sade once wrote, “For mortal men there is but one hell, and that is the folly and wickedness and spite of his fellows.”

Marquis de Sade never wanted a Twix bar after midnight.

Isles & Glaciers

When a musician hears something that they like, the automatic instinct is laugher.  Currently laughing maniacally to the Isles & Glaciers EP, “The Hearts of Lonely People.”  If you haven’t heard this band, you need to right now.  These are life-changing sounds.  I can’t remember the last time I was “blown away” by music.  Oh my God.

http://www.myspace.com/islesandglaciers

The Making Of!

The packaging of The Giant Leaps was…

self-drawn,

self-photographed,

self-printed,

self-organized,

self-cut,

self-sewn,

self-painted,

self-packaged,

and self-loved. :)

And oh yeah!  There’s some self-made music on it too!  :D

Want one!?  CLICK HERE Y’ALL!!!

Love, Mark