2025 Competition Entry:
House Of Summer by Shayla Morag
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Genre
Folk
Artist
Website
Co-writer(s)
no
Performer(s)
All songs composed by Shayla Morag. Vocal, piano, synth, & harmonies by Shayla Morag. Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, ukulele, glockenspiel, & synth by Darrel Cameron. Co-produced by Darrel Cameron at Blue Acres and Shayla Morag. Drums by Jordi Comstock recorded by Kirk Comstock at Comstock Recording Studios. Recorded, mixed, & mastered by Darrel Cameron at Blue Acres. Recorded at Blue Acres & Mermaid Theatre.
Description
This heartfelt song captures my childhood memories of visiting my Grandmother’s house for the Summer months. The house is gone but the memories live on.
Bio
Shayla’s Gaelic name means ‘fairy palace’ and Morag means ‘great and sun,’ which speaks to her love of imagination, the forest, and the sky.
An avid nature and animal lover, Shayla lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and is a lyrical indie singer-songwriter who has a background as a sociologist and certified life coach. It was a goal to wrap up her ‘In the Forest’ trilogy with her 3rd album ‘Opal Sky’ by her birthday in October 2024. A car crash experience was the catalyst, and her inspiration came from her journey as a single mom. She has previously released two albums, Private Dairy (2000), and Secret Castle (2008).
A New Brunswick native, Shayla’s music has been previously featured on CBC Radio Atlantic Airwaves (Radio One) and has received critical acclaim in an array of print media. In her earlier albums, her purest approach of mixing voice and piano has been tagged as having Elton John and Paul Simon as influences. She has been referenced as having a similar vocal quality to Tori Amos, Joan Baez, and Merril Bainbridge, with a similar entertainment style to Carole King and Joni Mitchell.
Shayla started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and taught piano in her studio for many years. She recorded some of her original compositions back in the late 1980s and took vocal training from Patricia Lee at Mount Allison University, and Diane Oxner (Sarah McLachlan’s former vocal teacher) at the Maritime Conservatory of Music.
Opal Sky is available on all streaming platforms. Shayla is a proud member of Music Nova Scotia. For inquiries, feel free to email [email protected].
An avid nature and animal lover, Shayla lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and is a lyrical indie singer-songwriter who has a background as a sociologist and certified life coach. It was a goal to wrap up her ‘In the Forest’ trilogy with her 3rd album ‘Opal Sky’ by her birthday in October 2024. A car crash experience was the catalyst, and her inspiration came from her journey as a single mom. She has previously released two albums, Private Dairy (2000), and Secret Castle (2008).
A New Brunswick native, Shayla’s music has been previously featured on CBC Radio Atlantic Airwaves (Radio One) and has received critical acclaim in an array of print media. In her earlier albums, her purest approach of mixing voice and piano has been tagged as having Elton John and Paul Simon as influences. She has been referenced as having a similar vocal quality to Tori Amos, Joan Baez, and Merril Bainbridge, with a similar entertainment style to Carole King and Joni Mitchell.
Shayla started taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and taught piano in her studio for many years. She recorded some of her original compositions back in the late 1980s and took vocal training from Patricia Lee at Mount Allison University, and Diane Oxner (Sarah McLachlan’s former vocal teacher) at the Maritime Conservatory of Music.
Opal Sky is available on all streaming platforms. Shayla is a proud member of Music Nova Scotia. For inquiries, feel free to email [email protected].
Lyrics
There was a house, it sat very still, on a small little hill, the sunset had dark clouds | This big yellow house, it had a view of the lights, on the river at night, the silence was loud | There was a breeze, as I laid on my bed, on a quilt made with thread, sewn with my grandmother’s love | The breeze smelled of pulp, from the mill in the town, lounging in my nightgown, feeling loved from above
Newspapers stacked up the walls, of news from long ago, kitty cat wallpaper looking at me, teaching books piled high and low
La La La…
There was a fort, it lived in the trees, where nobody sees, young dreams to ignite | This sweet outdoor fort, it had a window and door, with costumes galore, variety shows by flashlight | There was a barn, it burned to the ground, on Halloween night, with neighbours around | This large red roofed barn, with antiques in hay, treasures lost in a day, our voice had no sound
Crystal china filled the cupboards, ready for a party to start, the pot belly stove sat in the back room, with brushes in water from art
Newspapers stacked up the walls, of news from long ago, kitty cat wallpaper looking at me, teaching books piled high and low
La La La…
There was a fort, it lived in the trees, where nobody sees, young dreams to ignite | This sweet outdoor fort, it had a window and door, with costumes galore, variety shows by flashlight | There was a barn, it burned to the ground, on Halloween night, with neighbours around | This large red roofed barn, with antiques in hay, treasures lost in a day, our voice had no sound
Crystal china filled the cupboards, ready for a party to start, the pot belly stove sat in the back room, with brushes in water from art
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My song ‘House Of Summer’ is currently #23 on the ‘East Coast Top 30’ in Canada.