Close To You

by Justin Maki

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Tmaki very good song

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Full Digital Discography

14

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Time Witchu, Find Your Flow, New Flame, New Years, Fleeting, Close To You, Simplicity, Different Kind of Love, and 6 more. , and , .

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about

“Close To You” is a song I began writing back in 2016. I wrote it in my grandmother and grandfather’s tiny office space in Saskatoon while staying with them for a short while around a family celebration. Being away from my hometown of St. Thomas, ON inspired me to dream of what it would be like to be on tour, and how that might take a toll on a romantic relationship. I imagined a situation where I came back from a tour, only to stumble across a previous lover at a certain club in my university town of London, ON: “Jack’s”. I imagined her noticing me, but ignoring me. I imagined pursuing her and eventually catching her attention. I imagined trying to convince her to pick up where we left off. The song does not provide closure - instead, it leaves the ending ambiguous and open to interpretation - but it is clear that the feeling is not yet mutual. Generally, this is a song about unrequited love, which probably everyone has experienced, but to me it means something more personal.

“Close To You” was produced and mixed by Matthew Johnston in London, ON and we first tackled it during a 2019 Junos Week challenge called “Dundas Demo Sessions”, where we had to demo a song in 4 hours. That initial session solidified the song in a Pop-Funk context. Between 2019 and 2021 (and a pandemic in between), we chipped away at and expanded upon the song, adding groove inducing bass, drums and guitar. We also created lushness in the track with 5 part harmonies and saturated synths. At the end of it all, the track sounds like a mix between Prince, Chromeo, and Jamaroquai. It’s hard to believe that the song took this long to release, but I am thrilled that it finally is ready to get out in the world and make people happy.

lyrics

Verse 1:
Out on the town tonight
A year remembered on the road
The dollar beers, they disappear
With every pulsing note

And then I believe I saw her
Those wide eyes are hard to miss
The taste of summer love
Still lingering on my lips

Pre-Chorus 1:
Tell me why
You keep on lookin’ away
When you catch me staring
Tell me why
I made the mistake of letting her go

Chorus 1:
Let’s get out of this place
Will you stay?
Will you stay?
I don’t mean to impose
I just want to be, let me
Close to You

Verse 2:
I gulp it down
And squeeze on through
I reach down for her hand
Spin her around
Stumble to ask her,
“May I have this dance?”

A moment of hesitation
A moment of quiet bliss
A mumbled line got me
A cold finger on my lips

Pre-Chorus 2:
Tell me why
I got carried away with the rockstar cliche
Tell me why
I made the mistake of letting her go

Chorus 2:
Let’s get out of this place
Will you stay?
Will you stay?
I don’t mean to impose
I just want to be, let me
Close to You

Bridge:
Again
Let’s suspend
On that single timeless cloud
Of when we first met

Chorus 3:
Let’s get out of this place
Will you stay?
Will you stay?
I don’t mean to impose
I just want to be, let me
Cl.. Ooops

Chorus 4 & 5
Let’s get out of this place
Will you stay?
Will you stay?
I don’t mean to impose
I just want to be, let me
Close to You

Let’s get out of this place
Will you stay?
Will you stay?
I don’t mean to impose
I just want to be, let me
Close to You

credits

released September 26, 2021
Vocals: Justin Maki
Guitar: Justin Maki
Bass: Justin Maki
Synths: Matthew Johnston
Drums: Matthew Johnston
Songwriters: Justin Maki + Matthew Johnston
Producer: Matthew Johnston
Engineer/Mixing: Matthew Johnston
Mastering: Dan Weston
Album Art: Brad Spencer (AKA Bradbeard Productions)

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about

Justin Maki London, Ontario

Justin Maki is a “Flirtatious Jazz-Pop” artist out of London, CAN and FCLMA’s 2021 “Pop Artist of the Year”. Japan born and Canada bred, Justin’s music is Pop while carefully drawing influence from R&B, Soul, Funk, and Jazz. Justin has played over 1,000 gigs from Regina, SK to Moncton, NB and has opened for industry heavy-weights like The Sheepdogs, Monster Truck, and Neon Dreams. Listen & Follow! ... more