Local Hermosa Beach musician, Nick Shattuck, has taken social distancing to a new level. With solitude abounding in times of quarantine, Nick has turned isolation in to inspiration with his new song, “The Curve”.

The words “Stay Home” have been buzzing around California since lockdown was ordered on March 19^th. Before the lockdown, our audio All- Star, Alex Lockwood, was able to record the tune in Nick’s home while practicing social distancing (remaining 6 feet apart). The song is a reminder for us that staying home isn’t all that bad. It gives us time to read our favorite book, cook our favorite meals, sip some wine, be creative and love on the ones we live with.

“Everything with COVID-19 was starting to escalate and a lockdown seemed imminent. You could feel the tension & uncertainty in the air and the words appeared to me.” 

The song came to Nick in 30 minutes on March 18^th, 2020. It’s amazing that this period of isolation has forced us to look within and challenge our mental strength. “The Curve” is reminiscent of an anthem, “reminding everyone that we’re all in this together and it’ll take all of us to survive this thing.”

I contacted Nick to ask about his thoughts on the long-term effects of the song and the quarantine.

He said, “Biggest lesson from quarantine for me so far would be finding an inner peace.” For many Hermosa locals, getting outside to cruise The Strand, surf, or play volleyball is what stokes the fire inside. Nick says It’s been difficult to stay locked in without a chance to get outside and clear his mind.

I think we can all agree that fresh air and activity are good for our brains. It’s difficult for those of us with compromised immune systems to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Many of us are facing anxiety, fear, and loneliness.

With this song, we can be reminded that mental strength comes from spending time in solitude. Nick and his wife have been practicing meditation, which leaves space for inner peace to grow. 

Meditation Tips

Meditation is a useful tool for disconnecting or becoming aware of toxic thought patterns. Focusing on your breathing for just 5 minutes a day regulates the heart rate, which reduces the negative effects of stress you might be experiencing during this time. If you’re new to meditation, try setting a timer for 5 minutes, sitting in a comfortable position, closing your eyes, and focusing on breathing deeply- in through your nose and out through your mouth. When distracting thoughts arise, try not to judge them as good or bad, but let them pass through you and let them go. On the inhale, imagine peace, safety, and comfort filling your body.  On the exhale, let go of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. 

This time has led to struggle for many of us, but we can’t let negative thoughts overtake us. I asked Nick what good he thinks will come of this. Here’s his answer:

“I hope we all come out of this realizing that the world is one. The more you travel, the more you realize this. Every single human being wants the same thing for the most part. There is evil and assholes everywhere, but the majority of us want peace, happiness, shelter, challenge, and love.” 

In less than a week, “The Curve” was featured in The Beach Reporter as well as played on The Current radio station out of Minneapolis, MN.

At Studio 637, we want to extend our remote services in any way we can. Our goal is to unite our local community and help bring project visions to life. During this time, our audio service capability includes song mixing and mastering by our sound engineer, Alex Lockwood. Video and Live Streaming services remain in operation for our clients that are working in the critical infrastructure categories.”

We wish you a healthy, peaceful quarantine. Thanks for staying home!

Lyrics:

Man it’s no fun to be alone
But don’t come over love
Just call me on the phone 
Well play our part to kill the curve 
Yea for now we’ll keep our distance 
And we’ll hope that others learn 

To lock it down
Shut it in 
And open up some wine
Go read your favorite book again
For the 100th time
We’ll talk about 
Our trips again 
When we’re feeling fine
And our hearts will swell
And the sun will shine 

Man i can’t stand to be inside 
But maybe we can use this time
To teach our children what is right?
That life is precious, years are few 
For the ones that gave us breath
It’s the least that we can do

So lock it down
Shut it in 
Be patient and be kind 
And we’ll cook our favorite meal again
For the 100th time
We’ll talk about 
Travelin 
When we’re feeling fine
And our hearts will swell
And the sun will shine 

Oh come fall
When the leaves are turning colors
We’ll be over this all 
We’ll shave off all the stuble 
Oh come fall 
Well clean up all the ruble
And learn from all the trouble that we’ve seen

So lock it down
Shut it in 
we may just lose our minds 
But we’ll play our favorite songs again
For the 100th time
We’ll talk about 
Hanging with   
Our friends when we are fine
And our hearts will swell
And the sun will shine 
So lock it down
Shut it in 
Be patient and be kind 
And we’ll cook our favorite meal again
For the 100th time
We’ll talk about 
Travelin 
When we’re feeling fine
And our hearts will swell
And the sun will shine 
Yea lock it down
Shut it in 
And open up some wine
Go read your favorite book again
For the 100th time
We’ll talk about 
Our trips again 
When we’re feeling fine
And our hearts will swell
And the sun will shine