The Alchemists is about the legal drug trade and how far out of hand prescription drugs have gotten.  I was 12 when I saw my nanny (my mother’s mother) for the last time.  I didn’t know it would be the last time, but it was.  I was so happy that she and my papa were visiting from Victoria.  I just wanted to spend as much time with them as possible.  I remember one day she pulled out a cosmetics bag.  This bag was a good size, maybe 9 x 6 inches, with a flat 4 inch base.  This was odd because she didn’t really wear much make-up.  She opened up the bag and there was no make-up inside, just bottle upon bottle of prescription drugs.  At the time, I didn’t understand how wrong this was, but it still didn’t sit right with me.  She wasn’t a woman who had taken good care of herself throughout the years.  Still, when she went to her family doctor with crippling back pain, instead of x-raying her, he put her on prescription pain meds.  They discovered later that she had broken her back…and he just fed her pills.  Please don’t get me wrong.  I’m not anti-doctor, and I’m not anti-medication.  I’ve had exceptionally great (and terribly bad doctors). I’ve had prescription antibiotics that prevented me from becoming very, very ill.  All I’m saying is before drugs are prescribed, if it’s not urgent, that we explore other options.  We don't always need to take a pill to fix ourselves.

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Like everyone else, there have been people in my life who have disappointed me.  From distant heroes I was in awe of, to people I loved deeply and unconditionally.  But no one, at any time, has ever disappointed me as much as I’ve disappointed myself. No one else has ever had the power to hurt me the way I have.  I spent way too many years delaying important decisions, losing touch with loved ones, distracting myself with television and being my number one worst critic. ‘Astray’ is a reflection of that time.

I wasn't really sure what to do with this video.  I decided to represent three stages of life through the eyes of the same person as a child, an adult and a senior.  I opted for the televisions because...well...for me, that was my drug of choice.  When I didn't want to face life or couldn't bring myself to work on making things better, I would watch tv.  I watched a LOT of tv.

For lyrics, please click here.