Sculpture Projects
Sculpture Projects – I’m glad you stayed around (single), track by track
Released in May 2025, the Sculpture Projects single, I’m glad you stayed around, has two tracks. They are discussed here by artist/producer David Gauntlett.
I’m glad you stayed around (single mix)
“Overall, this is clearly my most straightforwardly good production, and most like an actual song. Though it doesn’t have a chorus as such. I guess I didn’t go that far! But it has an underlying chord progression, of 8 chords, and they are not necessarily heard as pads of chords but instead they determine the arpeggios and melodies, and also the bassline. I wanted to have a strong clear bass tune which sounds cool and provides a solid foundation for the rest. These are very ordinary conventional songwriting things, but it’s new to me. Or I’ve tried some of them before, and here I’m bringing it together.
A few months ago I got a lap steel guitar — the least macho possible form of guitar — as I thought it would be nice to include more organic sounds, and/or just to make some interesting textures if I drive it through effects pedals. And so that’s how we get the strange opening sound — which recurs in parts — and because the lap steel guitar is tuned in D major that meant that all the rest of this is in D major too.
Lyrically, it’s all from how I felt very moved by someone who said “I’m glad I stayed around”, and really meant it, because they had been through hard times and might no longer be with us, except they kept going and they are still with us, and happier, and it’s such an understated way to say such a huge thing.
And as a vocal performance — well for the first time I think I’ve solved my problem of how to deliver words in a track. Because I’m not a good singer, I had previously spoken words, or even whispered words, and my singing never seemed very tolerable at all. But here it’s half way between speaking and singing — which, if you pay attention, is not entirely uncommon in pop music (although more often than not we go to a well-sung chorus, which I don’t) — and this seems to work for me. Which is not to say it sounds amazing, but just that it seems to work ok, and it is, after all, me”.
I’m glad you stayed around (gentle mix)
“This is a rearrangement, with more long-held chords, no kick, and just … gentler! It’s also two minutes longer, because we’re in no hurry..”
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Listen now to I’m glad you stayed around on streaming services.
View other Sculpture Projects releases.