Whilst visiting England during the spring of 2014, the idea for a song came to me. I was compelled to record it immediately, so I did a rough version on my laptop. I was listening back to it on headphones when my then 11-year-old daughter Joy came in and asked to listen, of course I said yes. She started humming a melody and then asked if she could write some lyrics. In less than an hour she had written and recorded scratch vocals for the song. That was the start of “we can”.
On our return to the US, Joy came into our studio and we recorded the vocals properly. Derek and I talked about producing the song and writing better music for it. We were recently going through rough ideas for songs that Derek and I have started and shelved, we opened the session and both thought it might be worth having another go at it. Derek re-wrote and produced the music. Joy now almost 16, said we could release it, as long as I let people know that she recorded it when she was 11, she also added that she wants to record some of her new songs soon. 
Nigel of tunnelmental.

We Can by tunnelmental (featuring Joy) will be released May 1st 2019.

As a child in school I was angry, I had a fire in my belly, I wanted to change the world. Now, I am no longer angry. One funny thing I do remember from school was being told “don’t get ideas above your station” by a careers official from the education board. I was a bull and that was my red flag.

One of my biggest disappointments in life is this; the willingness of so many people to accept mediocrity. You can call it different names like austerity, second best, sub standard, good enough; they are still versions of the “same bloke with a different hat on” telling you that you do not deserve better. Believe me, you do deserve better. Many people cannot fight the system because they are beaten down so far that they capitulate. Many are blinded by their anger and frustration, I know because I was for a long time.

I write about my struggles in my lyrics and sometimes they get misinterpreted. I am okay with choosing my own battles, I am perfectly okay with the difficult decisions and I fully accept my own reality. I love writing, making music and art. I offer no apologies.

I will not accept mediocrity on any level.