So, what's it all about? My Angel Lied - A way to express myself. In life there can be no light without darkness. No darkness without light. They need each other. I don't seek it out, but I know that the darkness is always there. Sometimes you have no choice. You have to face it full on and then make your way back to the light. These are my songs which touch on that dark side. Experiences, sometimes real and sometimes imagined, are the inspiration. Although dark, they are never without hope, and sometimes you may even find them uplifting. Life is a complex mix of emotions. I hope, you will feel that so too, are these songs. I decided I couldn't just write about love and all the usual things that most songwriters do.  -That's - just - not - me- As a song writer and musician I feel blessed. On a good day, I'm able to create something from nothing. Inspiration is what we all look for in life. I look for it everyday. I enter the studio and it's silent. Complete silence is rare these days. It can be peaceful and comforting, but it can also be intimidating. The ultimate starting point. Then it could be a memory, a feeling, a phrase or just a word. Maybe even an obscure sound. From that, I have a vision of what could be and the seed is sown.  The silence is broken. Using whatever I have around me, I love to sculpt and layer sounds into something that hopefully becomes more than the sum of its parts. I love to nurture that seed into a complete and finished song or piece of music. Rhythm. melody, and words all play their part, but to this day I still can't explain the magic that can occur when they come together. They can create a feeling, a change of emotion in myself, and hopefully in others. I believe, every songwriter's aim. On the rare occasion when it truly comes together I feel like it's not really me doing this. I'm just channeling something which I cannot begin, or pretend, to understand. As a song writer and musician I feel cursed. Sometimes the silence, in all honesty, is better than what I have in my head. Trying to constantly create something which hasn't been done before is a real challenge. Especially when it needs to remain musical and pleasing to the ear. I do want it to still be accessible to others and not just myself. Even when I like what I have created I believe that it could always be better. Knowing when to stop, and when to walk away from something you're so close to can be hard. I believe it's a songwriter's lot to be riddled with self doubt. A curse which over time hopefully brings the blessing of improvement. I wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you for listening. Derek Fischer London based songwriter, performer, engineer and producer, Grammy award winner, member of the Music Producers Guild, and I'm honoured to be a member of the Brits Voting Academy 2012 to 2016.