I was finishing up the last song that needed to be recorded on my album.
It all felt so insane.
"Are you sure you still want to go through with all this?" Thurston asked.
My dad looked at me "You don't have to leave all this behind"
"I'm not leaving anything behind; I'm just stepping away for a bit"
Thurston cleared his throat "We've got one last song"
"Now that I'm not ready for" I chuckled, going to the studio "Are you sure we don't have any other songs to record?"
"Considering I'm the one mixing them, yeah; I can confidently say this is the last one"
The last one.
I shook my head and got ready in the booth.
Having my dad here meant so much to me. I knew there was a good chance I'd get emotional after all this was done, and having him here to help was so needed.
"Ready?" Thurston asked.
"No, but yes at the same time"
They both looked amused by my answer.
(Play video)
Does nothing for me, does nothing for you
Treatin' somebody wrong, there's nowhere to be
And a broken heart is enough for two
You ain't so smart making me so blue
Does nothing for right, does nothing for wrong
I ain't sleeping at night, I'm just hiding alone
And a ripped out soul is potatoes in a bowl
In a fucked up world that makes you feel so cold
Troubles come, shadows stray
But in the end, it's got nothin' on me
Bricks and mortar break the chains
Cause in the end, it's got nothin' on me
I used to be so sad, I felt so alone
I couldn't leave my head
I was sore to the bone
Now I see the light, it's gonna be alright
If the train don't come, we'll make it just fine
Troubles come, shadows stray
But in the end, it's got nothin' on me
Bricks and mortar break the chains
Cause in the end, it's got nothin' on me
It's got nothin' on me
It's got nothin' on me
Troubles come, shadows stray
But in the end, it's got nothin' on me
Bricks and mortar break the chains
Cause in the end, it's got nothin' on me
It's got nothin' on me
It's got nothin' on me
Troubles come, cause in the end, it's got nothin' on me
Got nothin' on me
That song meant so much more after being through everything. It took one hell of a time, but I was going to get through this.
"Gracie, I want a few more takes of that, but damn" Thurston said.
I looked over at my dad, seeing Liam and Niall standing there with him.
He was supposed to be recording his own music.
I walked out to him "What are you doing here?"
"You didn't actually think I'd miss the beginning of the end of your album, did you?" he asked.
I smiled and kissed him "What did you think?"
"I think that you have poured so much into this; anyone who didn't see you residency performances is about to see just how much you have in you"
"You're sweet"
My dad nodded "I can agree with Liam; Gracie, that song was beautiful"
"Thank you, dad"
Niall smiled at me "You somehow got even more talented"
As Niall spoke, I noticed that he had a strange look on his face.
"You alright?" I asked.
He gave a small nod "Yeah, I'm alright" he cleared his throat "It's just amazing to see you in there giving that song everything""
Liam wrapped his arms around me "I am so proud of you"
"I'm going to head back to the studio" Niall said, leaving before anyone could say anything.
I looked back at Liam "Do you know what's wrong with him?"
He shook his head "No, he's been acting a bit odd the last few weeks; whatever it is, he just doesn't want to talk about it" he sighed "We're waiting for him to come to us, you know"
I nodded.
Liam smiled and kissed my forehead "I am going to let you finish this up; I'll be in the studio for a bit more"
"I'll probably be here overnight"
"Do you want me to have Declan bring Darren by so you can see him"
I smiled "Darren is exactly what I need after a whole night of watching Thurston mix this whole thing together"
My dad looked at Thurston "You're going to get the album done tonight"
He nodded "Yeah, we spent a bit more time on a few other songs, so we are cutting this deadline a little close"
"We can do it though" I smiled.
---
It was four in the morning.
Thurston and I were still going over the tracks, listening for everything.
"Have you ever thought of producing?" he asked.
I smiled "Yeah, I'd love to eventually, but my break from music doesn't exactly mean I can replace it with something else music related"
"You should try; you've got a great ear for things. Some of the best things on this album came from you realizing it needed a bit more"
"Such as?"
"Like focusing on the breaks in your voice for Heart Turns Black; letting your vocals echo a bit in Say Goodbye" he smiled "Then there's my personal favorite"
"What?"
"The backing vocals on Nothin' On Me; it's almost like a choir behind you"
I smiled "I'm just glad you liked that idea"
"You made it a bit difficult since you wanted it done before you did your own vocals" he chuckled.
I sat back in my seat "Do you think people will like this album?"
"It's different from your earlier work, but I think it might be one of the best albums to come out this year"
"I just want to leave something great behind" I sighed "Taking a break from music after an album that people hate wouldn't feel too good"
"You've got to trust your instincts. People were questioning your choice about the residency, but look how many people loved it; I think I saw only two bad reviews"
I nodded "The music for this album just felt like such a turning point for me" I paused "It all started with Thank You For Breaking My Heart. There was something about that song and it opened up my world to all these other songs"
"Is that why you ended every performance from your residency with it?"
"Yes; it started with that song, so I made sure to end every performance with it. It was also my strongest song vocally; every time I belt that last part" I shook my head "It's also one of the few songs that I prefer singing live"
He nodded "I can agree. Hearing it live is a whole other thing" he smiled "It's like you're getting to hear it for the first time" he stood "I'm going to go get another coffee refill; want one?"
"Yes, please"
I watched him leave, while I sat back, thinking about how everything with this album just came together so perfectly.
This was the album that I'd be remembered for.