Well our 2nd Album is coming along super well. I thought I ‘d share with a little of the story of how this album came about, what inspired it & how its going.
hmmm… let me think.  Well, the songwriting and recording for this new album started 3 years ago when I was lucky enough to be living in a very groovy treehouse on an Eco-farm in Scotland.       I had been gradually losing my marbles whilst living in the city, Edinburgh, and losing my faith in human-kind and the future in general. I had been on anti-depressants, even spent a night in the loony bin. I could’nt think straight, hold a job, or pay my bills or even afford to eat decent foods. I would wake up in the morning and not want to get up. at the worst point I couldnt even face walking down the street, because I found everything, most notably the way people act, SOOO depressing. I had thought about suicide. But could never actually do it.          But then one day a friend of mine, Adam, a good & interesting chap, rang me & offered me to look after his self-built treehouse for 5 months whilst he was away travelling. Now this is no ordinary ‘treehouse’. This is a SERIOUS treehouse. With hot running water, a bath (yes, in the tree!), a wood-burning stove, full kitchen, double bed & internet. One might say a damn groovy fully functioning groovy hotel in a tree. Oh did I mention it was overlooking both the sea too?

NOW… why I am talking about a treehouse so fervently you ask? WELL… what happened to me in the months that I lived blissfully in this treehouse was very inspiring. and it inspired me to CHANGE MY LIFE.  It showed me what was wrong with my life, that the city was making me ill.  Mentally AND pysically. and more importantly it showed me that the reason I was struggling so much in the city was because the pace of life and in fact the entire cultural condioning of the city IS BACKWARDS!

What ARE you on about Bob I hear you say?… Ill give you an example… when you walk down the street, any street in any city what do you see? Do you see human beings smiling at each other, helping each other out, even acknowledging each other’s presence? NO. You dont. You see highly stressed out humans, doing their very best to COMPLETELY IGNORE EACH OTHER. People AFRAID to make eye contact with other people. WHY?… Because they are living from the wrong place. becuase deep down they KNOW they shouldnt be living like this. but they think well everyone else is living like this – so I must too. NO. Now this is where we stop and we have to WAKE UP! EVERYONE IS NOT LIVING LIKE THIS. We are just led to believe that they are.          But they are not.  WE ARE WAKING UP IN HOARDES!!!

So…We move out of the city. Say to an apartment by the sea that is actually less rent than the city. And we breathe in the good air. every day. and we eat locally-produced good food from the local independant shop. (nb NOT the super-market!) This change of scene jolts us out of the previous way we thought life was, the good air makes us think straight. Hell, we even take the initiative to find out where our local spring is (google it) so we can drink fresh spring water for free. (there are public wells ALL over the UK) By this point we notice that when we walk down the street people are actually smiling at us. “Hi, how are you?” I dont know you, but I acknowledge you as a fellow human being! is what they are saying… so you start to smile out at random people too! and it radiates. and spreads.  You get me? Now that you are out of the city, feeling better by MILES, you are able to actually think more clearly and get some hints about what you actually WANT to do with you life… and for a job.

So, you start getting involved with local stuff…and quite quickly your life starts to change, and come together. You start to become part of ‘community’…people that help each other out… people that LOOK AFTER ONE ANOTHER. Its about changing from negativity to POSITIVITY. From fear, which is the cultural conditioning of the city, to LOVE.

We humans are DESIGNED to live IN LOVE. To look out for one another. to not just think about ourselves. To SHARE. To CARE. and I know that you feel this deep down in yourself. becuase its how the creator designed EVERYBODY. We have just been conditioned to not believe it. and 2012 my friends, IS the year to move OUT OF FEAR. and into LOVE. If youre scared you’ll be a wierdo for being different to other people…Dont be. Because the whole planet is waking up! and it wants you to be part of the Love too.

So there!
That is essentially the inspiration behind my new album. The album is called ‘LOVE‘. and what ive been through in my journey out of the city, in the treehouse and onto the land where I now happily live, is whats inspired the album.                                             The 1st songs were recorded in TPot Studios, a gorgeous Old-school recording studio in a remote valley in Fyfe, Scotland, with my awesome new band & a producer Robin Wynn-Evans (The View, Dodgy, The Ruffness) at the helm. The sessions take place over the full moon, because we like the slightly mad vibe to record in. It is a potent time. Most recently I recorded my vocals to a song RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN, under the stars and full moon blazing. It was wicked.                  The newer songs are currently being recorded in a very cool reggae studio in Brixton, london, with a different producer who specialises in recording reggae. Its sounding VERY phat.

The sound is more upbeat than our 1st album, because Im in a much happier place. But also because the Massive Mellow, my band, has evolved and is becoming very globally influenced by the positive events and mass waking up we see going on.

Our 2nd Single from the new album ‘How will we Survive?’ is released on 1st Feb 2012.

We are giving it away for free in the hope that you’l dig it & spread it around your friends. It features the beautiful voice of CARRIE TREE, reknowned nu-folk singer, whom in fact is singing with me on most of the album!

Please download it. It is a gift. with your best-wishes for this epic year of 2012.

Click here for the free download… How will we survive?

One LOVE.

Bob

This whole summer we are all feeling things changing with such rapidity that it can seem soo confusing. But I see that we are truly moving into a new era. a new time for humanity. one that is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from how things are now. One that is based on TRUTH. And seeing and acting from a place of deep inner knowing. I can feel it happening and it is so SO exciting.

On that note I take the chance to tell you that we have a new SINGLE coming out very shortly… its called ‘I FEEL LOVE’. Its a super-lovely upbeat soulreggae toon. the lyrics are about what I am talking about in this blog… change. love. The choice we have.
It will be available to download from 11/11/11 from this website on the downloads page for 50p. PLEASE download it, tell EVERYONE you know about it… Embed it on your pages. Facebook it. Lets spread it far & wide around the world. I feel like this one needs to be REALLY out there. Helping. Soothing. Groooving!
Bless you.
Bob
Watch our new Single being recorded in the Studio – CLICK HERE/a>

Shall I talk about our music a little? Yes, I shall!… Im here because I cant afford to live in England in the winter. Seriously. And its cold there. So, Im here, living cheaply, my rent is 200 rupees a day ($3) and a nourishing Indian meal costs as little as 30 rupees ($1). It has actually been very cold here. But warmer than UK and no heating bills here! Sometimes I do feel like a bit of an eccentric the way I live. But fuck it. Life is for living. THere aint no black & white.

The other reason for living (temporarily) here is that I find it a very powerful place creatively. Songs & Music just seem to flow into me here. Like kinda non-stop. Its quite mad. And rather nice.

So, Ive set to collecting & assembling Pieces, gems & snippets of Songs. All for the Next Bob & the Massive Mellow Album…
I want the next album to be fully inspiring, full of energy, joy, and life force.
And some Indian influence. And some reggae.
Ive been rather synchronistically meeting some incredible musicians out here. Almost through no will of my own. Its seemed sometimes like another force has been helping me with this Album. Sending me the right musicians & songs just when I need the inspiration.
So, Ive got my mobile studio out here and have set to recording some of my songs, and then layering them with Indian sounds; Nature, kids singing/playing, rushing water, street noise, and most importantly awesome Singers, instruments, & percussion.

It is planning to be a very World Music album. Quite diverse. Very full of life force. and Spirit running deep throughout.
Im excited to be able to share this with you. As its an incredible journey… feeling guided to travel somewhere, record someone, move on and find myself drawn to record someone else. And in the Midst of that the inspiration just keeps hitting me, triggering mad little musical ideas. and mixing them in…
Its just exciting , thats all.
Sometimes I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do.
Other times its a bloody struggle.

…Right now Its feeling REEEAALLY GOOD.

Sign up to my newsletter if you’d like to hear more about the progress of the Album… at www.bobhillarymellow.com.

Or just drop me an email at roberthillary@yahoo.co.uk and Ill put you on it.

Nice one.
BLESS.

Bob

So, Yeah I live in a real-life treehouse…I would love to live here forever!
It is built in a tree on an Eco-Farm in Fyfe in Scotland. I used to live in the city (Edinburgh) but was really struggling with living as an artist/musician/sensitive person in a busy city- both financially and emotionally, so when I got the offer to come & live in a treehouse I jumped at the chance… and so here I live. Outside of society and very happy for it thankyou!
Seriously. I have everything I need here and nothing that I dont… there is a lovely big woodburner to keep me warm, a mini kitchen, a big double bed looking over the sea, a hot bath(!)in the actual tree, a toilet, a tree cat, a wi-fi connection!, a sink, and a bloody nice view. And £10 a week rent. & No council tax.
The tree goes right up through the centre of the house & out to top of the ceiling! Its very cool. Every night before I go to bed I put 4 big logs in the woodburner and toddle off to sleep to the glow and crackle of firewood burning, giving me heat through til the morning.
Then at break of dawn I wake and chop wood and crank up the fire again… if I dont it is REALLY cold so I do. Every day.
Its a little lonely existance but I am very focused here since I am far from cities and people. There are no distractions here at all, which leaves me to get on with what I do; which is Music.

I am a 21st century musician, who can’t really deal all that well with the 21st century! Seriously, I do find the pace of life these days just too damn fast… and Ive battled with this much of my adult life…but since Ive been living here (3 months now) I,ve found myself to be healthier,happier & more together than pretty much ever b4.
I really dont think that we humans are designed to be going as fast as we are right now, I really dont, and I think what we’re seeing at the mo with everyone being stressed to heck and people getting ill,divorcing etc etc is all becuase of the sheer speed of life we’re living.
There is a wildcat who lives here and sleeps in my bed, she hunts by night and pretty much sleeps all day; a nice existence. She’s got the right idea. I ve been reflecting on the fact that I, like Shiraz the cat, have been feeling the need to hibernate this winter, Ive noticed since ive moved away from the city that I do notice natures rythms more and winters rythm is definitely that of slowing down. The animals are doing it, the plants are doing it, but somehow we,re not… busy as usual running around filling every second with ‘stuff’.
In my treehouse, there is a bath yup in the tree (outside!) & in order to have a bath I have to light a little fire in a compartment under the bathtub and wait for the water to heat for about 40 mins and then, oh joy, I get in and feel like the king of the world for a little while.
It is stupendously nice. ..whilst lieing here I can hear and feel the wind blowing around me, leaves a rustlin’ and tree trunk a creakin’. When I have friends over(not that often) the first thing i get them to do is have a bath in the tree as it is such a joyous experience.

So, as I said , I am a musician, I write and perform songs about nature, life, love and anything interesting that happens to me really. My next Single, released Feb 1ST is called ‘Take it Slow‘ and is kinda about taking life slower yes … if you slow down, give yourself some time & LOVE, everything is just… well, better.

anyway lecture over sending y’all peaceful vibrations from this tree of mine
Do check out my music if you don’t already know about it, it’s all at www.bobhillarymellow.com or www.myspace.com/bobhillary
& thanks for your support buying the single etc, keep it up!

LOVE
Bob

The initial feeling of wonder and escapism of living in a treehouse has, I have to be honest with you, worn off a little … & been replaced with the day to day gruel of living basically semi-outdoors in the middle of winter. how to keep warm, how to get food, how to not let the animals here steal my food, how to stay sane etc etc.
Last week I was awoken about 2 am to LOUD! animal sounds right outside the treehouse door; I was pretty scared actually so i just lay there not daring to step outside and see what it was… and went back to sleep. Woke up in the morning… opened the door to find the ‘fridge’ (a wooden box kept outside) completely smashed to bits, food very much gone!
(that was an entire week’s food!) not sure what animal took it but definitely a strong one!
I actually have kept a knife under my pillow since then, prob wont have the balls to use it but hey, it feels rugged!

There has actually been threat from humans too would you believe it?! It would seem I’ve become an easy target up here for a few people round here, and a whole shit–storm of local politics has arisen. I dont quite have the energy to write about that right now, so will save telling about that til next week. Its actually been very full on.
Man, us humans are capable of some pretty shitty stuff eh? (me included).

anyway, take it easy for now &
go gently
will write more soon
bob