ALBUM Cover Story  "Very Unique Existence"

Last October I went with a group of my friends to Ballina on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to relax and listen to some live local music, the band "Very Unique Existence" were back in town after touring and planning to unwind with an unplugged session at the Shaw Bay Hotel in East Ballina. I got there and a good mate of mine, Ono and his 2yr old son Johan were down at the water’s edge enjoying the sun, sand and birds, taking some time out before the gig was scheduled to start. After a while the bands planned start time didn’t happen, everyone started to wonder and asking questions “are the band playing?” We waited around and listened to the support group and eventually a friend Nadine, informed us  that the lead singer Rich Latimer’s younger brother, Taylor, had been involved in a serious car crash in the early hours of that morning and that Rich had  flown directly to Sydney, to be with him in Intensive care.

All the fears and all the concerns for Rich’s brother and his well-being created an out pouring of goodwill and good wishes, prayers and hopes. Against all odds and medical science with an admitted Glasgow Comma Scale of 3 (being below brain dead) he is now at home dealing with slight behavioural issues but on the whole an incredible full recovery. Rich mentions that the biggest issue for Taylor after the crash is some frontal lobe damage, that makes his already incredibly perceptive wit and humour even more pronounced to the point where he can pick the irony and dry hard truth in any situation and tell it exactly as it is, even when it’s not “appropriate” his favourite saying is “but it’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Taylor's Song

Rich was at my studio and we drove around to get a coffee,and he played the first single "Taylor’s Song" song to me in his van.  The lyrics, which Rich explained was part of a prayer that was given to him by his friend Elly on the third day of Taylor’s brain swelling, was the same day that the doctors said would mark the survival or loss of Taylor. He explained that he had been positive (as Rich always tends to be) and that somehow Taylor would be OK despite the obvious medical reality that he would not. Earlier that very day the same friend who gave him the prayer rang Rich when he was having his first moments of slight doubt about Taylor’s survival. “Elly rang me to see how I was going, I had been so positive, so sure, but was having a moment of fear and doubt. She asked me to get out of the car and look at the night sky… which I did." It was the night that an astronomical event called “God’s Blessing” happened where the crescent moon lined up under Mars and Jupiter to create a perfect smiley face.  “That was a special symbol for me, says Rich”

After this event  Rich explains that Wes Seewald, the keyboard player in the band, had written a chord progression many years ago that he had not completed  but wanted to give as a song for Taylor. He found a piano melody line that fitted and played it over the Video phone to all the family in the ICU ( Intensive Care Unit) waiting room. "It was such a hopeful sound that we all cried," says Rich.  We played it to Taylor each day in ICU and we knew the prayer was meant for that song and the vocal melody just came. After Taylor had come out of the comma, returned home and starting recovery, Rich and his band went into a 10 by 10 rehearsal room and played the song together, which is when the signature soaring guitar line for the song came to Rich.  Without sleep, Rich said they worked on the 14 tracks for 6 days straight and that would become the album that I was asked to paint the Album Cover Art for.

Creating the album cover

I received the email from Rich asking would I create the album cover art, explaining that even though he is a talented and professional digital graphic designer, he could not create something digitally that would fully capture the feeling and emotion and movement that this special album required. The moment I got that email, I immediately had a mental image of the album cover and did not sway a bit from that immediate image and gut feeling.

That image was triggered by an old van that I saw out the front of a wreckers that was old and covered in graffiti. At the time, for some reason, it really struck me and I knew that one day I would be given an opportunity to interpret that old broken down and graffiti covered van into an image of hope somehow. With the image of the van in my mind and the powerful symbolism of the band totem the “Eagle” and their concept “Positive Consciousness Rock” along with some key contemporary symbols of love, peace and positivity the artwork was completed. Rich got very excited about the “uniqueness“of this Album Cover and its youthful vibe and its truthful and meaningful representation of the concepts of the band.

It’s been a great experience to help them consolidate their image, message, concept and vibe into visual image that will… from all current feedback …be a standout on the record shelves! Some of the feedback already includes the editor of Rolling Stone, Dan Lander “I really like it, it’s very you!” Billboard Magazine Entertainment writer Christie Elizer "I like that vibe!", Hoodoo Guru's Tour manager and high profile publicist Marshall Cullen " good - i like it - suits who you are - people will get it", amongst many others. www.veryuniqueexistence.com   Home Menu - Paintings and Stories. Art Blog

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