We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Patchwork Life

by Janice Whaley

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Includes CD and album cover sticker

    Includes unlimited streaming of Patchwork Life via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days
    edition of 1000 

      $7 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $7 USD  or more

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 16 Janice Whaley releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Diary of Dark Days, Dark Days (single), Stepping Out (single), Up On Me, We Need You (single)- Flexi-Vinyl or Digital, Jaden Rap!, Patchwork Life, Best Of The Smiths Project, and 8 more. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      $82.55 USD or more (35% OFF)

     

1.
Megalodon 04:51
All sounds created by Janice’s voice except for drum sticks & piano samples MEGALODON I am invisible and you can only see With your eyes But deep down, you know it’s me It is on the tip of the iceberg That’s stuck to my tongue With every passing phrase I’m here. I’m right here. The words I left unsaid Are thrashing violently now Like a megalodon in the room Please tell me you know I’m here If only I were a ghost. Brave and sure You’d feel my words on your lips The rush of an embrace The words I left unsaid Are thrashing violently now Oh the megalodon in the room Please tell me you know I’m here. I’m here. Here me now See me now Know me now You know how
2.
All sounds created by Janice’s voice BUILT MY WORLD Fearless house in the void Floats through the universe I planted trees, gardens A porch light you can see for miles. It can’t reach me here Ooh…. I built my world I left behind familiar walls And a soul with knives for words A door bricked shut, a smiling hook Fear of fresh air Ooh…. I built my world I wish you’d join me if just for a while I’m easy to fine, only house for miles The only house for miles. Come over. Come over. In this new place of mine No sunrise or sunset But even still, I sent you The address, just in case...
3.
Buried (free) 05:13
All sounds created by Janice’s voice BURIED Working hard in the afternoon Slave away and rhyme My body will feel it soon But that’s just fine by me I see the purpose I know the “why” It all comes down to this Long awaited night Watch and wait He’s getting closer now All this work… I hate and I know how to cope. Long live me I am victorious She is free now Today is glorious All my life is hinged on this night A bullet glitters on the highway But did he know, did he understand I had the last word to say? Watch and wait He’s getting closer now All this work… I hate and I know how to cope. Long live me I am victorious She is free now Today is glorious If you’re wondering why…. I did it all for her. You know why. I did it all for her. You know I I did it all for her.
4.
It's Not You 05:22
All sounds created by Janice’s voice except for electric piano & bells IT’S NOT YOU Went down to the wreckage To survey what was done Crash landing, apparent But I know it was me I tried to convey what was wrong Through my eyes But my lips were frozen From the start It’s not you, it’s not you… It’s me. It always was. Oh, what have you done? Grabbed the fruit of knowledge to Take a bite, take a bite of life I took the bait of lies instead. I said them, I said them, I lied them Chewed on these words, mouthing Lip-syncing to all other souls I tried to fit in, oh I tried to sit still But my legs stuck out so far And tripped them all by accident Well, mostly by accident. It’s not you, it’s not you… It’s me. It always was. It always was about me Not believing
5.
All sounds created by Janice’s voice TUNNEL VISION Leave me alone in my dark tunnel of vision for you Echoes of laughter ricochet off the wall and fade too soon. You watched me build the tunnel wall Never looked in at me From the other side at all I’ve got eyes for you I close my eyes when you leave me alone Tunnel vision love for you Tunnel vision love for you So narrow the tunnel that I made You had to leave me, I’m afraid. I’m afraid.
6.
All sounds created by Janice’s voice except for piano & electric piano COLLAPSE AND DISSOLVE I asked if you’re ok What did they tell you? What did they say? Weak knees on shaking ground Trade places with me I’ll drive you home Don’t think, don’t breathe, don’t let it in There’s plenty of time once you get home Don’t speak, just speed, you gotta floor it now Five more minutes to race the tears home then… Collapse and dissolve Frozen at the shoulder Cars rush by and Headlights blind. It can’t be, it can’t be It can’t be happening I’ve got to put my blinker on Gotta get us home. Through sharp pain and Blurry eyes. I focus on the road. Turn left, we’re almost home And then we step out into a Brave, new world. A world he’ll never know. Don’t think, don’t breathe, don’t let it in There’s plenty of time once you get home Don’t speak, just speed, you gotta floor it now Five more minutes to race the tears home then… Collapse and dissolve
7.
Integratron 04:58
**All instrument sounds (organs, strings, background voices) were created by Janice's voice except for drum machine and bass line. Additional low voice by Josh Cadwising.** INTEGRATRON You set up the pinwheels And prayed for gale forces As heat from his anger Still lingers and courses I sat in my armchair Eyes shut to the dust storms As earthquakes and bombs Share acceptance as part of the norm You sang us a song Of right and of wrong Of this goes there That should be Always fearful When others sing discordant song 'Cause you know You don't know how to sing along You don't know how to sing along Integratron Integratron Integratron Integratron and on and on Climb to the top of Big Rock Wait for news while they're Gazing at stars (they've got none on thars) The aperture spins Slowly round and round As positive ions Build up, reclaim this chance as found Integratron Integratron Integratron Integratron and on and on Vibrations of my voice Bounce off the walls and funnel Down through my core Inform blood and bone of what's in store Integratron Integratron Integratron Integratron and on and on Knocked my tears loose From a twenty-year stall
8.
All sounds created by Janice’s voice SUGAR AND FIRE ANTS We reached the top of a steep hill Up to a rickety old house And asked to see the Blind Seer The only one who can help us now She said, “open your hand, love. You must take it all.” One dose of sugar and fire ants To set the wrongs right Just a hand full Of sugar and fire ants Makes the medicine go down I did as she said I put my hand to my mouth Swallowed all, washed it down with some moonshine As strong as sunshine Oh, it’s like I’m drinking fire And everything went numb Save for one burning question How long does it take to work? Just a hand full Of sugar and fire ants Makes the medicine go down I hope this works
9.
All sounds created by Janice’s voice ACCORDING TO A LIAR According to a liar All his life was grand He told me of a wire He walked across on his hands Maybe it’s true Maybe I see I’m not like you My life’s not free According to a mother All her dreams complete Inside there was another Part of her asleep Maybe it’s true Maybe I see I’m not like you My life’s not free According to a lover Never thoughts of you But smiles can never cover Desire burning through Maybe it’s true Maybe I see I’m not like you My life’s not free Oh, so long... Good bye, dreamer So long... Good bye, dreamer Think it over Before it’s all over. So long Good bye
10.
Haunt Me 05:07
All sounds created by Janice’s voice HAUNT ME Walking through the city My mouth full of fog Heart full of anvils Oh where have you gone? I need to know Boarding L Taraval Passing by your street I clicked my heels three times Oh, but nothing’s changed Where have you gone? Haunt me please, any time Haunt me please, any time you want I’ll be right here I asked Portola’s Dancing Man (He’s working on his moves) He says that he hasn’t seen you for a while (And he would know) Checked the cave at low tide Skimmed Sutro’s pools Lemon for my tea, the rest for my eye Like old times Haunt me please Haunt me please, any time Haunt me please, any time you want I’ll be right here Oh I want to hear I want to see Books fly off the self And heaters turn on by themselves Haunt me Once in a while please Haunt me Every so often
11.
The Unusuals 04:07
All sounds created by Janice’s voice THE UNUSUALS Gather ‘round now, friends of old You’re safe in the arms of Battered Souls We understand. No need to explain How to maneuver a derailed train. We are The Unusuals Not usual Misusuable Unuseable Candy-coated shell A magician without his spell A man who swallows knives for fun It’s so easy to dismiss What we have done We are The Unusuals Not usual Misusuable Unuseable And we can’t feel a thing Sorrow without its sting Our laughter is wearing thin But we are proud to wear our painted grin Lights down, enjoy the show They’ll watch for an hour And then they’ll go But keep juggling wolves and playing with fire For nothing will come from the uninspired We are The Unusuals! Not usual! Misusuable! Unuseable!
12.
All sounds were made by my voice and edited in ProTools. No instruments were played on this song.

about

After doing 71 covers on The Smiths Project last year, I was ready to work on original music. These songs were created in a similar recording style to The Smiths Project, with layers of vocals making up all instrumentation including drum beats, strings, synths, choirs, etc. but this time, with the addition of piano samples on a few songs and, in one case, a drum machine and bells. That's it. These layered-vocal tracks take months to piece together and edit into arrangements. The album represents a solid year of singing and editing.


Album Title
I called the album Patchwork Life because of the many distinct elements of my life that have come together to make up who I am- and make the music what it is. Growing up, I had a quilt on my bed that my grandmother made from my mother's old 70s clothes. Each square was so completely different, bold, and colorful. Nothing matched, yet the over all effect was cohesive and deeply personal. The quilt mirrors my musical attempt to honor the many aspects and extreme differences of my life- real vs.online, acoustic voice vs. digital editing, motherhood vs. music dreams, sleep vs. finishing an album... to take all these elements and use what ever is around me to create something new.

Artwork
The artwork represents what I see when working on music every day: waveforms. Since my music is made up of acoustic voices stitched together digitally, I spoke each song title into ProTools, took snapshots of the waveforms and then embroidered them onto fabric using ProTools track colors as my palette The album art consists of an embroidered physical representation of my voice for each of the 11 original song titles as well as the album cover.



Thank you for supporting the music that I have worked all year to create! XO Janice

credits

released May 22, 2012

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Janice Whaley Joshua Tree, California

NEW ALBUM The Diary of Dark Days
was released in 2022 to Patrons. Public release March 14, 2023.

www.patreon.com/JaniceWhaley
Awarded San Francisco Guardian's 'Best of the Bay 2011' & SF Weekly's 'Best of San Francisco 2011,' Janice Whaley covered every song by The Smiths in 2010, using only voice in 30-50 layers and 1300 hours.
Insta: janicewhaley
Twitter/@JaniceWhaley
... more

contact / help

Contact Janice Whaley

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

Janice Whaley recommends:

If you like Janice Whaley, you may also like: