‘A Way to Live Now' was initially written for a commission for the Box during 2020 in which myself and four other artists were commissioned to write about a week in our lives during lockdown. Many of us remember the 2020 lockdown as a time of global uncertainty and sadness; people's experiences varied greatly and we are still living with the after-effects now.
As I have played this song over time, its meaning has changed for me. The song's position in the set list, straight after ‘Cocoon’, demonstrates a development in the story of this performance. Once we've emerged from the proverbial cocoon of healing, we need to get to grips with the world around us. When any life-changing event happens to us, whether that be a global pandemic or working through a significant trauma, the main challenge that we face is to figure out how to live now. How do we move on in the knowledge that we are different now than we were before? How do we take forward what we have learned? And most importantly, how can we maintain a connection to other people?
Further Resources
Learn about the Box Plymouth After Dark project and listen to the other commissions:
https://www.theboxplymouth.com/past-projects/plymouth-after-dark/music-commissions