The Music Behind V is for Virgin & A is for Abstinence

Today I’d like to share Kyle’s songs with you and tell you a little about the inspiration behind his band Tralse.

First of all, if you haven’t yet heard where the idea for the book V is for Virgin came from, and how Tralse actually came to be, you can get the whole story (and trust me, it’s a good one) in my post about The History of V is For Virgin. There’s even an interview with the REAL Kyle Hamilton. (Yes, there’s a real Kyle Hamilton–go read the post…)

But today I want to talk a little about the music. When I first started writing V is for Virgin, I knew I was going to have to have a song in it. The plot relies heavily on the song that Kyle writes for Val, that makes her famous and him even more famous, and I always knew I would have to have actual lyrics for it. The problem was, I am sooooooo not a songwriter. I completely freaked out at the idea of having to write a song for this book. So what did I do? I went to my amazingly talented, songwriting little sister and made her write it for me, of course.

My baby sister Cara used to be the singer in a local band here in Phoenix called Science of Sydney, and her husband was the lead guitarist. (Yup, the Cara in the book is totally named after my little sis, and Shane is named after her rocker husband.)

Cara and Shane started their band, wrote all their own music, and even had a producer pick them up and help them record a demo at one point. But, as life will do to people sometimes, they were forced to move away to Seattle and the band had to break up.

So, Cara wrote the song that started it all, Kyle’s song for Val, “Cryin’ Shame”. When I spoke to her about writing the song for me, I had to tell her a lot about Kyle, and the kind of guy he is, and the type of sound I was going for. I even made her read the book (what I’d had written so far) so that she’d know what I was trying to accomplish. I fell in love with it instantly, and thought she did a perfect job getting the angry, obnoxious, yet sexy and sweet tone of Kyle Hamilton down. Really, she nailed it!  (I understand I could be biased I this, but still…)

Cryin’ Shame

She’s smokin’ hearts with a burnin’ flame

She’s got a wild side without a name

And when she’s riled it’s a cryin’ shame

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’ve got it bad

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m goin’ mad

Cause in your head you’ve got it right

Won’t go to bed without a fight

You think you’re wise, you think it shows

So show me wise without those clothes

She’s playin’ hardball and it’s nothin’ new

Short skirts so enjoy the view

She’s a coldblooded tease baby through and through

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’ve got it bad

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I’m goin’ ma

Cause in your head you’ve got it right

Won’t go to bed without a fight

You think you’re wise, you think it shows

So show me wise without those clothes

Come on Legs don’t go to waste

I could be your only savin’ grace

Put those morals on the back burner

Something tells me you’re a fast fast learner

Cause in your head you’ve got it right

Won’t go to bed without a fight

You think you’re wise, you think it shows

So show me wise without those clothes

Fun, right? I can totally picture him up on stage singing this song. I love it! Well, when Cara gave me these lyrics, she also introduced me to an indie rock band that she said inspired her. It is a testament to how well my baby sister knows me, because as soon as I heard them I knew they were exactly the type of band I’d always imagined Kyle’s band Tralse sounding like. It was as if she read my mind and conjured up Tralse in real life for me.

So, the sound behind Tralse, the inspiration for Kyle, and what I always imagine him/them to sound like is based on the indie rock band Head Automatica. Check them out on their official Facebook page. More than just having the right sound, they also had a song that was just so perfectly Kyle and Val in my mind, that it became their theme song. So… everyone… please enjoy Beating Heart Baby, and imagine Kyle singing it to Val…

Head Automatica, I’m a fan. And to me this song is just so Kyle and Val. Dream cone true? I would LOVE one day to have these guys put a melody to Kyle’s songs and perform them for me. Wouldn’t that be the most amazing awesome thing ever? I’ll keep dreaming, but hey, as Kyle always says, Dream Big!

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Now, moving on to A is for Abstinence… When I eventually wrote a sequel to the book and knew that Kyle and Val would get their second chance, there was never any doubt that there would be another song. However, my little sis was super busy with life and whatnot, and I didn’t want to bug her to write me another song, so I put on my big girl panties and wrote one myself. That’s right, “Worth Waiting For” was all me. (Hopefully that’s not a bad thing.)

I figured I knew Kyle well enough, and knew exactly what he sounded like, and what kind of song I wanted, so I tried really hard to come up with something that sort of matched the first song, and yet shifted tone just a tiny bit. I wanted the second song to still have a hint of the old sassy obnoxious Kyle, and I still wanted it to be sexy, but I also wanted it to be much sweeter and more romantic at the same time, since Kyle had done a lot of growing up, and had learned a little. So, who knows if I accomplished it, but by the end I was pretty happy with the results, (if not still a little self-conscious, ’cause, again, NOT a songwriter…)

Anyway, here’s the lyrics for Worth Waiting For. Hope you enjoy them, and I hope this post helped you get a better feel for Kyle and Tralse.

Worth Waiting For

Thoughts of you runnin’ through my head.

Heart’s pumpin’ full speed ahead

Body’s screaming to get you in bed.

Need you, want you, Baby gotta be mine.

Come to me girl, I’m done wastin’ time.

You ask me to wait, don’t know if I can

Too scared to lose, I’m only a man

But I can’t let you go, can’t shut the door

Heart’s telling me you’re worth waiting for

The feel of your lips, hot breath on my skin

Touching you, touching me, I’d relish the sin

Lets find a way for us both to win.

Need you, want you, Baby gotta be mine.

Come to me girl, I’m done wastin’ time.

You ask me to wait, don’t know if I can

Too scared to lose, I’m only a man

But I can’t let you go, can’t shut the door

Heart’s telling me you’re worth waiting for

Forever I’ll wait, it’s drivin’ me mad

Driven by memories I’ve not yet had

Hanging on a promise of you and me

Hope springs eternal for things that could be

You ask me to wait, don’t know if I can

Too scared to lose, I’m only a man

Bring on the torture, forever and more

’Cause girl it’s true, you’re worth waiting for