The state of my prized red Yamaha steel String Acoustic is totally a reflection of what my state of mind has been like lately. I put brand new strings on it just over a year ago, put it back in it's case and basically never played it again. I just... lost all inspiration to play. While the encouragement I was getting to play was coming from a good place I was feeling pressured... and sore, and full of guilt. I am feeling so inspired for some reason. Which is awesome. And I definitely have the artists featured in this post to thank!
Honestly, I just didn't want to.
Lately, I have felt the joy seeping out of my music and even my performances and that is tragic. So, Where do I go from here?
I think I'll start at the very beginning, cause it's a very good place to start😉😉😉 I've always been really good at hearing a song o the radio or on a random mix on YouTube and been like, hey, I love that song! And then just worked out the chords, even if they were in a different key and I moved the cappo around, I'd figure out what would suit my voice and just play it. Before I had the cappo, I had to pass a lot of songs up because I couldn't change the key.
For those of you that don't know me, Hi, I am Claire Mobey (Lol - I probably should have led with this) and was a bit of a child prodigy for singing and songwriting, having written my first full song at the age of 13 Meant 2B - An Original song by Claire Mobey
I exploded onto the school music scene, landing leading roles in school plays (The Wicked Witch of the West which I won an award for) and eisteddfods.
Even after moving to high school I was featured I several "senior student" concerts (including a huge one at City Hall where I got to sing "Sweet Dreams by Annie Lennox"
At the beginning of grade 9, I recorded a phenomenal ambient house Track Embalm - Bad Loop Feat. Claire Mobey (Original 2000) 
with a friend of mine from Finland but we honestly had no idea what we were doing with marketing and the person who was supposed to be promoting us, turned out to be a sleezebag and we just... lost traction. Pity, because it's a phenomenal song and was so on point for it's time.
And then after that, it all fell apart and for various reasons: heartbreak, abandonment, loneliness, not knowing where I was living... just so much instability.
That was followed by two abusive relationships with man-children who were intimidated by my voice and wouldn't allow me to sing. I put away my song file at 15 and stopped singing and writing for 20 years. Barring some drunken karaoke nights and braais at friends houses, I just never sang. And it ate away at my soul.
I really only realized how much I missed it when I met @zakludick , wo has been my biggest cheerleader, and @jasperdick and I started performing together. It started ut with me breaking the ice (which was terrifying) by posting videos on YouTube using my laptop speakers, no microphone and a whole lot of presitc, washing pegs and string to keep my phone in place. I remember during one of the videos, my phone fell on my toe and fractured it!
PunkRocker (acappella cover) feat Claire Mobey
So many of my friends were so happy to see me singing again, especially @jasperdick . Our 1st collaboration, before we formed MobeyDick was
A Song of Hope - Official release
Which turned out to be a massive success, even landing us on local radio!
Jasper and I formed MobeyDick in 2021 and we've had some pretty damn rocking experiences. https://youtu.be/RvITk3BEH-M
We've performed all over Cape Town and have really made a name for ourselves, and for that I am both incredibly grateful and proud, but I have been building up to a nervous breakdown since I lost my dad, my sister, my uncle, my job and was diagnosed with non-surgically viable knee deformity on both sides... all within one month.
The stress of it all has been physically affecting me for some time, but last month, I just fell apart completely. The last MobeyDck show, I cried the whole way through the performance. It's not supposed to feel like that. I felt like the magic was gone....
But, I can get it back!!!
I have decided to stay away from public performances for now, and go back to doing what I enjoy, which is covering the sings that I want to sing and perhaps getting the juices flowing enough so I can write more quality originals. I am starting with artists who really hit the spot and inspire me! There are so many, but for now, I am going to focus on these 7 songs:
- Miley Cyrus: "Used to be Young" https://youtu.be/IZ3XMOdOdKM?si=CV6-uvSgYdGZWJMZ 2.Miley Cyrus: "Flowers" https://youtu.be/G7KNmW9a75Y?si=FMNxdSlc9Vo8qIS-
- Avril Lavigne Feat. Yungblud: "I'm a Mess" https://youtu.be/0zmpuehm3UA?si=qc85R5URg8Zzlh7v 4.Avril Lavigne feat Yungblud https://youtu.be/PsPRqXCMcno?si=2oBcE4aXPPB9MFkQ
- Yungblud: Zombie https://youtu.be/Yv97b2oPk3w?si=AUmFUN1skrQ4aaC3
- Adele: Easy on Me https://youtu.be/U3ASj1L6_sY?si=xjTR9oCJjPb_RuZQ
- Bad Moon rising - Campfire song in the series "Wednesday" , part two originally by Credence Clearwater Revival. https://youtu.be/dMuo6pOsA-Y?si=lGr1nnA4UfEmpy8r
I am so inspired by Avril Lavigne who is rocking it at 41. She's just a year older than me and doesn't look like she's aged a day, but check out this fun video of her and Yungblud - Ozzy's protégé who I am totally obsessed with) as he cuts her hair in a bathroom stall! https://youtube.com/shorts/aRZ49KEW8lA?si=D6YOQfj1hcjr3wLA
I also absolutely adore the new EP with Aerosmith. Apparently, Yungblud and Aerosmith totally bonded at the official Ozzy tribute and decided then and there to record together. This song was written in just 45 minutes! Totally a match made in rock heaven! https://youtu.be/74mV9qwlCgg?si=vFxoynFCw44XP-7_ He has also covered Ozzy's infamous song: "Changes" also with Aerosmith at the Ozzy Osborne Tribute show. https://youtu.be/0lhDLwW-v1g?si=f5458JLLnpvVKBEi He is definitely a rock star to follow! A stage presence like Freddie and moves like Jagger :p Yungblood & Aerosmith: My Only Angel