Story Behind the Song: No Limits
I haven’t been this excited about a song in a long time. I feel like most of the time when I release new tunes, but this song in particular will be the biggest departure from anything I’ve done before. I tend to only write ballads (which is pretty easy to do when piano is your main instrument) but a huge part of me loves cheesy pop music that forces you to dance or at least bob your head to the beat. With this track, we tried to combine my love of 90’s Pop and R&B with a contemporary alternative hip-hop vibe and I can’t wait for people to hear it!
For those who don’t know about the process of releasing a song or album, there is a pretty standard method involved that requires the following: mixing and mastering, album art, distribution, release timeline, and promotion. Usually, at least in my case, I start with what I want the end result to be and work backwards. However, being a big picture dreamer, my desired end result and reality often have to fight against one another before they reach an acceptable landing spot together.
For example, in my head, I had a vision of the cover art consisting of some version of me standing on a glass floor high above the city with amazing views and neon lights everywhere. Given I had about a week to pull it off, I settled for using the amazing lookout points around Seattle to get the same feeling of being high above the city lights. My husband Jake and I headed downtown one random weeknight and decided to do some test shots to see which area/setting we liked the best. I hadn’t intended on any of these shots being very useable but that’s the beauty of art and creativity - you never know when a little magic and destiny will take over and put your original vision to shame.
The street we were on has always been a favorite of mine.
I used to run it all the time. A string of Parisian looking streetlights border this one descending street that overlooks the water and comes to an end at one of Seattle’s most famous views, Kerry Park. The sun was setting, the street lamps automatically came on, and the combination made for some pretty cool looking shots.
It wasn’t until we were editing the pictures that Jake realized the very streetlight I had chosen to lean against was one he had not only seen before but had significant sentimental value. He lost a good friend in high school to cancer and the number 12, (his friend’s sports number) has served as a reminder to those who loved Jeff and a way to honor him and his memory. Years earlier, the bold ’12’ that marked that street lamp caught Jake’s eye. He snapped a picture and sent it to Chris, Jeff’s brother and Jake’s best friend for decades.
We had already liked the direction the editing was going with this specific picture and once we realized the significance of where we randomly decided to shoot, it seemed like more than a coincidence. I knew at that moment I had to use that image as the cover art. Especially since the song was inspired by how Jake and I dream together, it made us feel like Jeff was there with us rooting us along our journey.
They say that art imitates life and it’s moments like this where that couldn’t be more true.
That’s what I love about creating…
Have a vision and a plan, yes, but when you don’t fight where you’re being lead, there are these beautiful moments along the way that could be missed otherwise. This life is short. Dream big and let the journey lead you to wherever you’re meant to be!
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Thanks for reading!
Much love,
-SG