Panes, who plays mandolin and guitar, is accompanied by Georgie Harris (Viola), Joanne Sy (Cello), Sean Hatton (Drums) and Deborah Panes (Vocals).
Panes is a British songwriter with a guitar to his chest and a heart swelling with hopes and dreams. A common on-paper pitch, perhaps, and one sold a thousand times before. But Dorset-born Panes has something special to offer those willing to wait a while for their favourite songs to settle into place.
Panes’ debut album, ‘Little Giant’, isn’t a collection operating at the vanguard of a cutting-edge, ultimately transient scene worthy of clicks for the next few months. It’s not an album that sets out to trick its audience in any way – what you hear is succinct, honest songwriting, from a place of deep personal expression, resonating with universal truths and values. It’s an embracing set, a welcoming one, which represents everything that its maker has worked towards since first picking up a guitar and exploring his innermost thoughts and feelings through song. No follower of fashion, Panes walks to his own beat.
It’s a strange admission for any artist, but nevertheless: “I’ve never really listened to much music,” says Panes. “Influences from other artists, they’re not really that important. I find that my music comes to me from situations I find myself in – those situations can come to me as songs. In terms of first picking up an instrument, my granny was a classical pianist – we’d go to her house, hear her play, and run around in circles. And my mum used to be in a travelling theatre company, so I was encouraged towards culture, towards the arts. But I always thought: if I want to listen to music, I’ll just write it.”
Don’t mistake confidence for arrogance – such statements come from a sincere place, as Panes’ upbringing in Wimborne, once home to novelist Thomas Hardy, proved more inspirational to his writing than any sessions in the company of a parent’s record collection. The natural beauty of Dorset’s open spaces – and those of the Lake District, a place he loves to visit – have become woven into the fabric of his craft. The peace, the silent solitude: it’s here that Panes feels more alive with ideas than he does in the hubbub of his adopted home of London. There’s a pastoral warmth to ‘Little Giant’ that couldn’t have manifested had its roots been laid within urban limits.
The comfort of home, of a tight and supportive family, punctuates proceedings throughout Panes’ debut LP – which is perhaps inevitable, as the collection was recorded there. Beside producer Rupert Coulson – a man with numerous soundtrack credits, as well as experience of working on records by Portishead, Robbie Williams and Oasis – Panes and his band captured the classic 12-string guitar sounds, rippling percussion and sweeping strings that decorate ‘Little Giant’ in, says the singer, “the music room, down at our house – just a small, wooden-floored room. I thought, why not keep the recording close to where I write the songs?”
He continues: “I’m a really big fan of the idea that you don’t need all the stuff you find in a big studio – it’s about how you use the things you do have. Rupert had a lot of imagination, and got a good grasp of the room and harnessed it. I love working in places that have an atmosphere, and I think it’s good to have that extra, background noise on a record. I’m sure there’s an ambulance on the album, actually.”
He was, briefly, the face of a Burberry campaign, something he describes as “random”. “I was on tour,” he says, “and I got a phone call asking me to do it. I just grabbed the opportunity that was in front of me. I went in a musician, and came out a musician. It’s a short episode in my life, but one that’s had some quite big repercussions.” Indeed, a Google search pulls up many attractively composed black-and-white photographs of Panes sporting fine threads – but it’s music that surges strongest in his veins, above all other passions.
And now that you’ve separated your senses from social media for a while, closed your chattering inbox, just what does ‘Little Giant’ offer above more garden variety singer-songwriter recordings? A little patience provides the answers: this is material that truly connects on an emotional level, its gentle rhythms and compelling cadences topped by vocals that can’t be faked, that come characterised by a complete lack of artifice and affectation. His is a deep voice, one that sounds aged beyond its years, perhaps. And yet, it’s telling of timeless stories, endless ache and forever love. It asks that we all find the right way to see the world around us.
One number that specifically addresses the need for optimism is the single ‘Tiger Striped Sky’. Says Panes: “It’s about the idea where we can look at any situation ahead of us in two ways: either it’s challenging, and off-putting, or you can say that you love a challenge. It’s about the idea that you chose your context, and if you put yourself into a negative context, you’re going to come out with stripes on you.”
The title track is about addressing one’s own shortcomings in order to better themselves. “It’s accepting that you have to realise your own vulnerabilities in order to become stronger,” says Panes. “That’s why there’s the line, ‘Have the heart of a giant / But know you’re a man.’ You have to take things step by step. It’s also got that message of hope, as well.”
These songs are, says Panes, “personal, and vulnerable – but expansive, too. Because I don’t want it to just be about me. Here’s a bit of me, to help you understand a bit of you. I think positivity and hope are things worth giving to people, and I think that the album does transmit a lot of hope.”
A Message to Myself
Roo Panes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So many voices fill this place
Society is in my solitude
Oh, find me the corner of this great space
If I'd heard every word
Or read every line upon the shelf
I'd still need a message to myself
Searching for the elements
The roots of a fundamental love
Been reaching out to find my solid ground
Because I've never known peace lest from above
So up in the clear
I'll find the voice that I hold dear
And I'll send a message to myself
A message to myself
The lyrics to Roo Panes's song A Message to Myself seem to be a representation of a man searching for inner peace and a sense of belonging in the world. He feels overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of society and longs to find a corner of solitude where he can reflect and get in touch with his emotions. The song is about his journey of self-discovery, where he is determined to find the elements of fundamental love that he has been seeking for so long.
He begins by acknowledging that he needs to leave the place he is in to find clarity of thought. He is tired of the many voices around him, and he needs to separate himself from society to find his identity. The lyrics suggest that our environment and societal pressures can cloud our judgement and hinder us from being our true selves. The line, "If I'd heard every word or read every line upon the shelf, I'd still need a message to myself," emphasizes this idea that no matter how much one learns or tries to fit in, there is still a need to look inwardly and find an understanding of oneself.
The second verse continues the theme of searching for one's place in the world. The singer is looking for a solid ground to stand on, a place where there is peace and love. He believes that this peace can only come from above, indicating a kind of spiritual awakening. He recognizes that he needs to find his voice and speak to himself, peeling away the layers of outside influence, and uncovering his core beliefs and values.
Line by Line Meaning
Going to get out of here
I am leaving this place.
So many voices fill this place
This place is crowded with many conflicting opinions.
Society is in my solitude
Even when I am alone, society's influence is still present.
Oh, find me the corner of this great space
Help me find a small, quiet space in this large, chaotic world.
If I'd heard every word
Even if I listened to everything ever said,
Or read every line upon the shelf
And read every book that exists,
I'd still need a message to myself
I would still need guidance for myself.
A message to myself!
I need to give myself advice!
Searching for the elements
I am looking for the fundamental pieces that make up love.
The roots of a fundamental love
I am seeking the very foundation of love.
Been reaching out to find my solid ground
I have been trying to find my own stability and security.
Because I've never known peace lest from above
I have only ever found peace from a higher source.
So up in the clear
I will go up into the open sky,
I'll find the voice that I hold dear
And I will finally hear the voice of wisdom that I trust.
And I'll send a message to myself
I will give myself the guidance that I need.
A message to myself
A reminder and guidance for me to follow.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew David Panes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@reblet1139
Here are the lyrics :)
Going to get out of here
So many voices fill this place
Society is in my solitude
Oh, find me the corner of this great space
If I'd heard every word
Or read every line upon the shelf
I'd still need a message to myself
A message to myself!
Searching for the elements
The roots of a fundamental love
Been reaching out to find my solid ground
Because I've never known peace lest from above
So up in the clear
I'll find the voice that I hold dear
And I'll send a message to myself
A message to myself
@ruby-pm8zw
Going to get out of here,
So many voices fill this place,
Society is in my solitude,
Oh find me the corner of this great space!
If I'd heard every word,
If I'd read every line upon the shelf,
I'd still need a message to myself.
A message to myself.
Searching for the elements,
The roots of a fundamental love,
Been reaching out to find my solid ground,
'Cause I've never known peace lest from above,
So up in the clear,
I'll find the voice that I hold dear,
And I'll send a message to myself.
A message to myself.
@reblet1139
Here are the lyrics :)
Going to get out of here
So many voices fill this place
Society is in my solitude
Oh, find me the corner of this great space
If I'd heard every word
Or read every line upon the shelf
I'd still need a message to myself
A message to myself!
Searching for the elements
The roots of a fundamental love
Been reaching out to find my solid ground
Because I've never known peace lest from above
So up in the clear
I'll find the voice that I hold dear
And I'll send a message to myself
A message to myself
@gofranmustafa5572
Thx 💕💕
@r.4m4n
Thank you!!
@Shanvind2302
Thank you! 🙂
@anprimpending5681
Relate to these lyrics a lot (name should give it away if you know what it means)
@culturedchic
I find his voice so relaxing...almost angelic!
@dewantoroo
I still don't understand why this man doesn't get much attention. I mean, his music is so good and relaxing, it good for our ears to take a rest from all of edm noise out there. And come on...... look at his face! Such damn handsome man like him is totally destined for the screen.
@toffeepupu
Antoroaryo A him and tom odell are like angels blessing our ears 😭😭
@debapriyoghosh5017
Couldn't agree more with you...truly, a gifted one:)
@Silluet88
Because he is way too special to be in mainstream.