Ingrid, again - Kait's Mixtape

'The Chain'
Ingrid Michaelson 

It was inevitable that I'd end up repeating artists. Choosing just one of Ingrid's songs was difficult enough in the first place and at the time I'd already done this drawing. I actually finished this piece late last year - as the very observant will notice when they spot the year next to my initials.

Like I said in my previous entry about Ingrid Michaelson, her lyrics have had a profound impact on my life. But something else I appreciate is how my understanding of a song can totally shift based on personal experience.

I would have to say 'The Chain' is not only one of my favourite Ingrid Michaelson songs - it's one of my all-time favourite songs that ever was. Since I first discovered it I believe it's not been on my OCD list for a period of about three months. Otherwise it's a permanent resident to the list of songs I could happily play three times or more in a row.

It has cellos. It has a canon - like the circular singing canon, not the Tchaikovsky 1812 sort of cannon, which is also awesome. The lyrics are poetic and heartfelt and her voice is lovely.

And then I lived it and my love of the song shifted to that of finding the words of a kindred spirit. It was a bit like the admiration a person can have for a piece of art they've seen in a book and then the complete emotional intensity of the moment they see the original hanging in a museum.

I love how my appreciation for a song can change over time. It often happens in reverse - where I'm happy to say my taste in music has improved significantly - but there's something so satisfying about hearing a song totally differently simply because of the way your life has changed.