The Right Tools
TRACKLISTING
- Come in the Morning
- Won't Mine Kill Yours
- The Right Tools
- Come Home
- Late Bloomer
THE STORY
Released March 26, 2021
The EP The Right Tools is not quite about hammers and saws. Elly Kellner thought of a mental toolbox meaning the more diverse its contents, the more options and ways to deal with the challenges life throws at us. Not every tool is going to be effective in every situation and not all of us own the right ones.
These songs were recorded mid 2019 in a virtual collaboration with musicians in the Netherlands, Cameroon, Switzerland and the United States of America. In the titletrack Elly is vocally supported by Cameroonian soul artist Danielle Eog Makedah and Sasha Shlain on piano and organ. On drums we hear John Lumpkin II who also co-produced the song.
Reflecting and exploring all the ways we can understand, help and comfort ourselves Elly takes us through the five songs. Starting with the embrace by another (Come in the morning), the question of trust (Won’t Mine Kill Yours) or the knowing that home should always be a safe haven (Come Home).
Joining Elly on the song Late Bloomer is Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort) and together they sing about coming to a standstill whilst figuring out what it is that we really want. The song also features Kane Mathis on the Kora, a West African harp with 21 strings.
The beautiful cover design and paper cutting art was done by Jona van Breemen at Ohpopup. A limited edition handcut version might still be available in our Special Collectors Bundle.
CREDITS
The Right Tools was written between 2013-2018 by Elly Kellner. Elly recorded her parts in her homestudio and arranged all parts for the EP.
Elly Kellner – Vocals, Guitar, Bass guitar, Percussion
Danielle Eog Makedah – Vocals
Sasha Shlain – Piano, Organ
John Lumpkin – Drums
Iain Matthews – Vocals
Kane Mathis – Kora
Cover design and paper cutting art by Jona van Breemen at Ohpopup.
Produced by Elly Kellner with the kind assistance of BJ Baartmans.
BJ Baartmans – Mix/master
Special thanks to Jona, Eliza and Eva.
LYRICS
Come In The Morning
Come in the morning
When you know that I’m still sleeping
In the morning
You have got the key
Open the door and
Try not to wake any of ‘m
In the morning
Come into my bed
Hold me while I’m dreaming
Make sure I don’t die
I’m drifting off so quickly
Diving down I’m crying
Come in the morning
You don’t need to bring a thing ’cause
All I long for
Is your nakedness
Open the door and
Slide in like invisible
In the morning
Come into my bed
Hold me while I’m dreaming
Make sure I don’t die
I’m drifting off so quickly
Diving down I’m crying
Won't Mine Kill Yours
Me never putting roots in the ground
Me never wanting, wanting more
Me screaming encore, encore
So loud in my head
So loud, it just makes me sad
If I put my roots into your soil
Won’t mine kill yours
And won’t we starve to death
If this is all we have
If I want to water you
And put you in the sun
But couldn’t stand the bees sniffing at your flowers
What if I wanted you
Every hour of every day
Would you still stay
Me never weeding weeds from the ground
Me never wanting, flowers before
My heart is so sore, so sore
From wanting more
Wanting, it makes me confused
If I put my roots into your soil
Won’t mine kill yours
And won’t we starve to death
If this is all we have
If I want to water you
And put you in the sun
But couldn’t stand the bees sniffing at your flowers
What if I wanted you
Every hour of every day
Would you still stay
The Right Tools
I want to do it, even when I can’t
The commercials scream JUST DO IT and I did give all I had
But I got lost in translation, feeling empty and sad
Sometimes I mourn all the things I never had
What if my parents, taught me different things
What if I grew up easy and finished school
If I had learned I am worthy, instead of feeling like a fool
Sometimes I mourn, not having the right tools
I stay home when I can’t, I stay in when I’m down
To recharge all my batteries and lose that frown
You can be assured when you see me around
I’m doing good
I want to do it, for as long as I can
Want to ignore all the warnings and just go on
Don’t wanna take a break, I want to be strong
Sometimes I mourn, everything that went wrong
I stay home when I can’t, I stay in when I’m down
To recharge all my batteries and lose that frown
You can be assured when you see me around
I’m doing good
Come Home
If you work all day, every day
Why at the end of all that
Don’t you wanna come home
You could stay away
Why at the end of all that
Don’t you wanna come home
Shouldn’t home be where
You can be yourself
Where comfort reigns forever
Shouldn’t home be where
Someone always cares
Where love reigns forever
Come on home, we have a door and it’s wide open
Come on home, we’ve been waiting here for you
Come one home, we have a door and it’s wide open
We’ve been longing for so long to hold you
Late Bloomer
I don’t wanna run
I wanna take my time
I wanna look around me
See what treasure I can find
I am in no rush
I’m gonna take it slow
Take in all the scenery
As I wonder where I’ll go
While the world keeps spinning
I come to standstill
Many of us were running
So many of us are ill
We think it’s neccesary
To never fall behind
But if we’d all stop running
Who knows what we would find
Take it slow, take my time
I’ll be the late bloomer
And I’ll be fine
Take it slow, take my time
I’ll be the late bloomer
And I’ll be fine
I don’t wanna worry
If I’ll miss the boat
Sometimes it’s just sink or swim
That just the way it goes
I don’t wanna race you
Because I don’t need to win
I wanna feel my hearts desire
See what lies within
While the world keeps spinning
I’ll come to standstill
Many of us were running
So many of us are ill
We think it’s neccesary
To never fall behind
But if we’d all stop running
Who knows what we would find
Take it slow, take my time
I’ll be the late bloomer
And I’ll be fine
Take it slow, take my time
I’ll be the late bloomer
And I’ll be fine