Torch Song "How the Song Came to be" - Featuring Lola Hennicke & Jo Hiestand

Torch Song
How the song came to be

ob Chamberlin, my music theory professor at Webster University, came up to me one day last spring (2011) and said he was looking for a songwriter. He explained that he had a friend, Jo Hiestand, who would soon be releasing her new mystery novel about a torch singer. Jo wanted a CD to accompany the new book so that readers could feel more connected to the story and the characters. I was quite intrigued. The only problem was that I did not know what a ‘torch’ song was. So I did some research on the reliable Wikipedia and found some confusing answers. It listed ‘torch’ singers as artists such as Celine Dion and Carrie Underwood to Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald. These women all seemed very different to me. So I finally got to meet with Jo and talk about her vision for the song. She wanted it to be a jazzy/bluesy song of lament for a lost love. Lucky for me, that was already my area of specialty. Most of the music I write is in a bluesy style and usually about love.

Jo gave me the lyrics she wanted to use, and we set the date for the finished product. As soon as I got in the car and started driving away from her home, inspiration was already hitting me. I got out my cell phone to record the little melody I had in my head for the opening lines. When I got back to my house, I got right on the piano and started figuring out what chords I wanted underneath. The melody and harmony for the verse just flowed out. But then I ran into a problem. Jo said that she wanted a refrain for the song. Refrains are always the hardest part of a song for me. She did not have words written yet for a refrain, so I had to be clever on my own. I went through a lot of different ideas for the refrain and finally decided on one. I thought it kind of pulled the song together. I made a quick recording and nervously sent it to Jo. To my relief, she really liked it!

The next step was to make the actual recording. I got my friend Mark Wallace to play the upright bass and my boyfriend, Bryan Toben, to play the drums. We had a few rehearsals and then went down to Shock City Studios to lay down the track with Luke Arens, an audio production major from Webster University. The process was quick and a lot of fun. We finished the song in about three takes. I was very pleased with the way it turned out.

I think that ‘Never Leave My Side’ is one of the best songs that I have written. It was nice to write the music for someone else’s words. I often struggle with writing lyrics myself. I am very grateful that Bob Chamberlin decided to come and talk to me that spring day last year.

- Lola Hennicke, January 2012