By Your Side
I wrote the first version of By Your Side when I was 17. It had a different name then, and a completely different (and genuinely terrible) chorus. I was never happy with it, and it fell by the wayside. It crept back into my head about 8 years later in 2018 when I became aware of a songwriting competition through my work. The idea was to write a song around the theme of mental health and being there for somebody. I was able to keep a couple of the verse lines I’d written all those years ago, and added some new ones, as well as a much better chorus! I was also inspired to turn it into a duet, featuring my friend Rebecca Leslie. I worked with Bec at the time and she is an amazing singer in a cover band called The Cover Council. I submitted the song to the competition, but unfortunately didn’t win. The winning song was called “I’ll Be By Your Side” so I guess we were a few words short! Huge thanks to Bec for being an absolute professional in the studio and lending her voice to this duet.
At its core, By Your Side is simply about supporting your loved ones through anything and I think it’s a really important message. I’ve struggled with mental health over the years, and it’s important to not be afraid to ask for help when you need it.