A heartfelt project from Jade Helliwell has materialised with her latest single "Telephone", which deals with a subject deeply personal to her, yet she will find her thoughts, in this year of all years resonating with many around the world as it deals with dealing with loss.
Christmas is that time of year when normally families come together and there is more sombre than an empty chair. This song seeks to find the positives in that sadness, recognizing that as long as those that have passed are celebrated and remembered with tales that are to be passed down the generations then they are always still with us in some way.
Recorded with Holloway Road's Rob Gulston on production duties, under covid restrictions meaning that her vocals were recorded at home, there is a simple acoustic feel of guitar and piano that really allows the words to hit home as Jade delivers with her trademark vocal.
The song treads the difficult line between needing to convey the appropriate amount of sadness balanced with that celebratory aspect mentioned earlier. Opening with Jade contemplating the reality of not being able to pick up the phone and have a conversation about the smallest of things or indeed about how she could not
"Tell you how I missed you round the table Christmas Day
How we tried to make it wonderful but it just was not the same"
The chorus concludes on the observation
"I'd never have to feel like you were gone if heaven had a telephone"
The second verse opens with Jade continuing the conversation, making the point alluded to in our intro that talking about those that have passed helps keep them alive in our hearts.
"One day I'll have children of my own, and I'll tell them stories and let them know of all the love you would have shown"
There's a truly touching couplet that sums up how many of us at one time or another have felt
"I know that's how life goes - but I wasn't ready to let you go"
A difficult subject, delicately handled with and undoubtedly a fitting tribute.