In Honour Of St. Mungo’s And A Little Cardboard House

John’s House
Mieko Shimizu
From Write To Be EP
 
When indie musician Mieko Shimizu was wandering London’s Soho district during the pandemic, she came across a tiny cardboard house propped up in a doorway. The house had walls covered in writing. Fascinated by this, Mieko decided to kneel down and read some of what the boxes had to say. She was moved when rather than meaningless scrawls about who fancies who, the script told tales of sadness. There were stories about friends who died in the Hillsborough disaster here in Sheffield, home of Sound Read Six. There were stories about soldiers coming home from war, a mother lost to cancer, and life on the London streets. When Mieko interviewed the house’s creator, John Daniels, she was inspired to write a song about it. Publishing the track on a compilation EP called Write To Be, in which she and a few contemporaries gave their all, sales and revenue from the music will go directly to St Mungo’s Homeless Charity.
 
The music starts with a voice sample of Mieko’s interview with John. A hardened scouse accent describes the scene. Mieko begins her song, synthesiser and percussion create a strange and enchanting mix of sounds that draw a unique musical picture. Slow and graceful progression brings layers of feeling and form that describe the compassion of the song writer for the spirit of the housemaker. John’s House launches into the air like a swan, powerful and meaningful wingbeats cascade downwards as the passion for the cause inspires such a deeply felt transposition of empathy.
 
 
Listen to the entire Write To Be EP on YouTube

and Spotify

Find out more on the Mieko Shimizu website

You can follow Mieko Shimizu on Instagram

You can give directly to St. Mungo's Homeless Charity
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