AYA (2015)

by EYYES

AYA, my third album, celebrates a new dawn. Its lush natural metaphors laid the foundation for my present songwriting. For the first time, I invited friends and family to play instruments and sing voices. I released it just before leaving France with my then-partner, to live in Vancouver for a year and a half – where we worked small jobs while studying energy healing. When I came back to France in 2016, Canada's open mind had brought me enough confidence to start teaching shamanic practice, which I then did for five good years. This album is a journey across the vast landscapes of Mother Earth, meeting precious allies and abandoning certainties. It can be compared to an inner vision quest, inspired by the countless awakenings and drum journeys that I experienced at the time.

– Released on May 22^nd, 2015 –

All music and recordings of AYA are owned by Hollow Jay (Jimmy Joël Guye-Dumoulin). Lyrics from Diamonds are written by Pierrick Falmon, and all other lyrics and music are owned and written by Hollow Jay – except Cosmic Coincidence, co-written by both of them. Music performed by Hollow Jay (acoustic guitar and main voice on all tracks, alto recorder on Lonely Rose and Tucan), Lou Charraud (second voice on Diamonds, Lonely Rose and The Door), Stephanie Vincent-Sweet (violin on Grain of Sand and Earth), Sophie Denjean (second voice on Cosmic Coincidence), Anne Giraud (accordion on Lullaby) and Pierre-Yves Dumoulin (saxophone on Sophia). Recorded in Toulouse and Causse-et-Diège, France.

Special thanks to Sophie, Lou, my colleagues from Juncasse school, Anne, Pierre-Yves, Pierrick, Stephanie, Max, Nora, my drum circle friends, my spirit guides and many others for their participation, inspiration, support and enthusiasm.