Jack laughs a little as Cerys shows her excitement, "I'm from the North, of course I'm into The Jam." he says almost nonchalantly. He listened as she ran through the finer details of the gig. "Exactly. If that works for you lot, then yeah I can't wait to start writing that duet. I'll send something over to you as soon as I've figured it out."

Ben Rodini wasn't one for fanboying. At least not openly.

He'd spent the last year working for Head South, as Artistic Director... a year full of long hours, missed holidays, and too many coffees. But he loved it.

Rodini had always believed that art was a bit like a jigsaw puzzle—you have all these pieces, some jagged, some smooth, and it's your job to find how they fit together.

One year in, and the label was already doing better than anyone had predicted. It wasn't a major label, but it didn’t need to be. Voodoo Dolls, Jack Dunn, Jugendstil ... the roster had a great combination of talents and potential.

But there was one artist, that kept him up at night. A wildcard in the deck, that Rodini couldn’t stop thinking about.a kind of raw, untamed brilliance, but Rodini felt some kind of distress in this artist, as well. She needed guidance, more than the others, and that’s where Rodini came in. It wasn’t just business; it was personal. If she could pull it together, she could be something extraordinary. And it was his job to make sure she got there.

But to get her project where it needed someone who could pull out the melodies buried under her emotions.

That’s where Christopher Hudson came in. The name had come up before, in passing, when his protégé was rattling off a list of her influences. The guy was notorious, not just for his talent, but also for his leaked demos.

Rodini had recently come across an interview where Hudson was mentioned again, and something clicked. Maybe, just maybe, Hudson could be the missing piece.

So Rodini did what he did best...he started calling. A few calls to industry contacts, and eventually, he had it: Hudson’s number.

He picked up the phone, dialed, and waited.

Ben Rodini blinked, almost surprised to hear him on the other end. Somehow, he hadn’t expected Hudson to actually pick up. But now that he had, Rodini realized just how important this call was.

"Uh, yes—hello. Am I speaking to Christopher Hudson?" Rodini’s voice stumbled, just for a second. Then he steadied himself. "My name is Ben Rodini. I run Head South Records. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of us?"

There was a brief pause. Rodini felt the silence stretching, his nerves tightening. But before he could fill the gap, he pushed forward, shifting to a more confident, friendly tone.

"I really hope I’m not disturbing you," he continued. "The reason I’m calling is...I’ve got an artist on our roster, someone really talented, and I think your expertise as a songwriter could be exactly what she needs. I’d love to discuss a potential collaboration. Do you think you’d be available?"

The line went quiet again, Ben waiting for Hudson’s response.

Ben cleared his throat, feeling the weight of the conversation. "Well, there’s little to no chance you’ve heard of her yet. We signed a young artist a few months ago. Her name’s Harlow Reed. She started to get noticed on social media." He paused, as if gathering his thoughts, trying to figure out the best way to introduce her.

"Where to start?" Ben muttered, half to himself. "She’s a very talented artist… She’s got the voice, and she’s not afraid of hard work. We have a lot of hope in her. But, uh, I worry for her. Personally, I mean."

After a short pause, Ben continued.

"Harlow’s young. She’s far from us...she lives out in Brisbane. And, well, she’s one of those kids who really suffered during the COVID lockdowns. Like a lot of her generation, she’s still trying to make sense of the world."

Ben paused again, the line quiet except for the distant sound of Hudson shifting on the other end.

"For Head South," Ben continued, "she’s like a kid living on the other side of the planet, someone we worry about. We’re happy with her first demos, but I care about her psychological well-being. I think she needs some guidance. I know she’s a fan of your work—especially some of the songs that, uh, leaked online... sorry to bring that up."

He winced slightly at the mention of the leaks, but Hudson didn’t react, so he pushed forward.

"She’s working on her debut album right now. Her themes are heavy: depression, isolation, anxiety, the environment, existential stuff. Musically, you can picture her in an alternative pop landscape, with some grunge and electronic influences.

He let that image hang in the air for a moment before going on.

"We thought working with you could help her find her own path. I was thinking... would you be interested in writing a track for her?"

For a long moment, there was only silence on the other end of the line.

Edited by user 27 September 2024 04:51:38(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified