by Aubrey Toone

Thought of U

“Thought of U” was born with two brilliant writers by my side. I met Jodi Valentin, and Jack Book while participating in a songwriting competition, Songathon, in New York City. The network we created there was unmatched and with all of us living in Philadelphia, we became a writing trio for the next couple of months. One night we got together, and this idea started to form. Co-writing sessions have their own ways of taking shape, and with these two, it has always been so seamless. “Therapy session turned hit song” is what we joke about sometimes. We all got together and just started talking, about what’s going on in our lives. This song will always mean the whole world to me. I had something very vulnerable and difficult to process this last year, and I was really struggling writing about such a loss. When I started talking to Jack and Jodi, the words all started coming together.

I had been trying to write the pain I had felt, losing someone so close to me, that was still alive. A very touchy, delicate topic for me to grasp. One thing I love about music, is when I give myself the creative freedom to open up, and share my stories, I find that everyone can relate in some form or another.

As all of our stories started to meld into one, we found a common ground where the root of this song came to life:

“It’s not the same as putting flowers on a grave, but that’s how I felt when I thought of you today.”

Jack, the producer/writer on the track, helped us create a vibe that to this very second still gives me chills. The lyrics in this song, while sung acoustically, are ones that tug at the core and heartstrings of someone who could relate. We didn’t want the song to feel too heavy – because the message in the bridge sets this song apart:

“Sometimes you gotta let go, gotta move on, just go slow. Sometimes you’ve got to move on. My minds been busy, re-writing history with you.”

This beat. The consistency of the rhythm, and the way it moves forward despite the lyrics is the message behind the story. Sometimes life throws us unexpected curve balls, people make decisions that hurt us, relationships end, and from a young age I was taught that it isn’t about what happens to you, it’s about what you do with it. This song will forever be one that reminds me the power I have to move forward, to take the time to heal through heartache, and never forget the beauty in starting over.

I absolutely loved creating this piece with these two, and we hope it is something that you too, no matter what you are going through, can use as purpose and power behind your story. That, YOU are the person in charge of your destiny, and the takeaway of what I have learned most this year:

Everything in life happens for YOU, not to YOU, and if you allow yourself, with time, you can find a reason in everything to mold you, to re-write your life the way you have always dreamed.

@aubreytooneofficial