A few years ago I stumbled upon a song by a young Canadian artist, that I didn’t know. I liked the song and discovered he just released an album (Modern, Magic, Melody). I decided to buy the CD of the album and take a long shot in asking if it could be signed. I expected nothing, since he didn’t really know me. But to my surprise the CD I received was signed.
After that CD release he became a bit silent and I almost forgot about him, until he earlier this year posted a photo on Instagram of him being in Scotland. He also announced that he would be releasing a new album.
Then a few weeks ago he posted that he would be releasing a single first, which would be on the album. The single was released on June 2nd and it was the title song of the album Gemini Rising. It starts with a beautiful guitar solo and then the calm voice of Liam Docherty starts to sing. His voice has changed since his first album (what do you expect from a boy that still is a teen and 3 years have passed since his first album), but definitely still a beautiful voice. When you hear Liam sing, you can feel the song.
In the next few weeks he released a few snippets, but no new single. On June 30th, he released a new single Life on the West Coast at the same time as the full album Gemini Rising.
If you wonder if Gemini is named after the constellation, the answer is no, but still there is a relation. The constellation Gemini was named after the twins Castor and Pollux from the Roman mythology. Roman mythology was mainly based on Greek Mythology and Gemini was actually a reference to the famous Greek twins Kastor (Κάστωρ) and Polydeuces (Πολυδεύκης). (Sorry, but I like Greek Mythology, so I tend to always mention the Greek names).
The album contains 12 songs to enjoy, all written by Liam and some co-written by Ken Docherty.
I loved Gemini Rising, so expected it to be my favourite, but as always, when listening to an album multiple times, I get new insights. Still love Gemini Rising and it still is among my favourite songs, but so are Life on the West Coast, Southern Sky, Picked Flowers and Honey Bee. Hard to pick on of them as my favourite.
The songs aren’t just beautiful songs to listen to, but also contain a story.
The title song Gemini Rising is based on the story of the twins Kastor and Polydeuces. One is the song of a Greek king, the other one the son of Zeus (. When Kastor dies Polydeuces (who is immortal) is so sad, he asks Zeus to give his brother immortality as well. It was only possible when they live on Olympos one day and in Tartaros the other day (or in some stories they were places as a constellation in the sky).
This story inspired LIam to write a song about love, longing, loss, separation, pain, sacrifice, and redemption that touch each and every one of our lives. (Liam’s words)
Life on the Western Coast tells the life in Van City (better known as Vancouver) through the eyes of 4 stories around fictional characters: A girl, run away from home, who gets acquainted by a dealer who doesn’t care anything about her (“Fake faith healer, showed her how to die“). A single mother with 2 kids who has a billionaire landlord who only cares about his own wallet (“A notice on the door. Billionaire landlord looking for more“). A young couple, who enjoy living in Vancouver (“Promise to remember. This moment. Forever and a day“). And a rich guy, who can do almost anything he wants (“If you know. Who he knows, You can do as you please.“). Even though these are fictional people, it does represent the people living in Vancouver,
The other song will also have a story behind them, but I can only recommend listening to the album and discover them yourself.
Where to get/listen to Gemini Rising:
Where to find Liam: