Autumn is my favorite season. I can honestly say I wait all year long for this sweet season of mine to turn the corner.

My favorite fruits, colors and smells all belong to autumn. Camera walks, or Osanpo Camera as I (and some of you) call them, become a lot more interesting, and I admit, longer. The usual stops for clouds and plants and rainbows are completed with acorn picking and leaf crunching techniques.

A whole new world is being born and I let it all sink in, one fragrance at a time.
Leaves, pine cones and chestnuts.
Rain, wet earth and mushrooms.

20131022-014456.jpgThe sight alone is enough to get me out the door and when I’m by myself, always with my headphones on, the music becomes background for new stories and adventures.

So a week ago, when I stumbled on a new perfect album I knew exactly what to write about, today.
It only took the initial seconds to have me clicking on iTunes, getting my boots on and I was out the door with Lullatone in my heart.

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track 8. Just walking around

The album Falling for Autumn is their most recent work and a quick web search got me to their easy to navigate site.
In fact, it seems everything about them is simple, like a statement that music is where our focus should be.
Simple, however, does not mean they are new to this game.
They’re quite the busy multi tasking duo.

“We’ve recorded a ton of albums, made a lot of videos, a simple app, and are even on a children’s TV show here in Japan.
We also compose songs for TV commercials and do a lot of music licensing, too.”

Well, I want to be friends with them.

“Lullatone are Shawn James Seymour – making music and breakfast & Yoshimi Seymour – singing a little bit and making lunch and dinner.”

Simple. I am in virtual love.

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track 2. Here comes the sweater weather

My walk quickly became perfectly aligned with the tunes in my heart and the tunes in my ears. Occasionally I would look at the song titles to make sure I got images that matched. But this album was so perfect that there was zero effort to combine the two.
The sounds made me smile and feel giddy, sometimes inviting me to step on the leaves pilled up on the sides of the path, other times reminding me to slow my pace.
It was perfect. For me.

The confusing breeze of October days, no longer warm for tops, not yet cold to keep hoodies on.

The birds flying above, diving quickly as bread crumbs are spread across the grass.

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track 9. Adventure music for migrating birds

I do not know any of them personally, or through regular social media, so I couldn’t make an interview, as that requires a connection, at least for me, even if small, thin, separated by miles. Actually, I should not say “couldn’t” but rather “wouldn’t” as we did exchange words through email, but first I wanted to dive into their world, through their music.
To write a sort of introduction, as I felt it. To create a bridge.

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track 7. An awkward dinner conversation at a family gathering

I wonder if you need music on your camera walks, if you get inspired and affected by it. I wonder now because up until a couple years ago, I thought everyone reacted to music the same way I did. But on a creative writting class, during a simple exercise, I was confronted with the fact that not everyone was.
In fact, more students were distracted than actually inspired by it.

One of my poems was chosen to be featured on an exhibition, and that poem was only made possible when the teacher changed the tune playing.
It prickled my heart.
Springed it, really.

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track 4. The biggest pile of leaves you have ever seen

My Autumn took time arriving, the leaves were slowly falling off when I took my first walk with Lullatone. Since then, in the short time of a week, leaves have turned from golden to red and then disappeared. The branches have become thin and naked and the rain has become an usual companion.
In fact, if you follow my Instagram, you will know about the day where it caught me, kid 1, kid 2 and everyone else at the park completly off guard.
Lullatone has been a constant on my walks, sometimes playing softly from the bottom of my bag, getting mixed up with bird and wind sounds.

Which seems every bit as it should be.

And it all started that day, when I read these words…

Hello, here are some songs we made for autumn. We think they might make a nice soundtrack for:

• introducing more layers into your wardrobe
• discovering an impressive collection of acorns
• watching a cup of hot tea steam up a friend’s glasses
• riding bikes when it is way way too windy
• choosing a rake over a leaf blower
• switching from iced coffee to hot coffee
• eating too many persimmons, sweet potatoes and chestnuts
• “smelling nature”
• walking slower than usual

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Have a listen, read about them, like their work and then come back with your thoughts.
Let me know how it inspired you.

Now go outside and click.
Van

All images were taken on iphone 4 except their amazing portraits which belong to them and were used with permission. For more of their captures, visit their Tumblr.