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Octavia of Earth, Vol. 2 EP (2022)
Pasadena Goddam
Music, Vocals, and Instruments: Skip the Needle
Lyrics: Skip the Needle with Anand Kalra
Scene: 1976 – Octavia transforms her early childhood in a plantation house in Pasadena and current life as a working class black woman writer into Kindred.
I Don’t Wanna Be Here Anymore
Music, Vocals, and Instruments: Skip the Needle
Lyrics: Skip the Needle with Anand Kalra
Scene: 1980ish – Octavia’s day job dread is a constant dull roar while she tries to find purchase as a published author.
Manifest Destiny / Breakout
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, and Instruments: Skip the Needle
Lyrics: Skip the Needle with Anand Kalra
Scene: 1976 – Octavia transforms her early childhood in a plantation house in Pasadena and current life as a working class black woman writer into Kindred.
Space Invaders
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, and Instruments: Skip the Needle
Scene: 1985 – 1989 Back from Peru, Octavia faces the idiocy of Ronald Reagan’s obsession with nuclear war. In the twilight hours, Lilith challenges her to break free from the trap of hierarchical power structures that Doro seeks to control.
Tell Me Your Name
Music, Lyrics, Vocals, and Instruments: Skip the Needle
Scene: 1995 – Octavia wins a MacArthur “Genius” grant, whose cash prize allows her to pay off her mother’s 40+ year mortgage and buy herself her first house, but only a few months later, her mother passes away.
Patterns (Reprise)
Music, Vocals, and Instruments: Skip the Needle
Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: Multiple eras – Artists in other disciplines discover Octavia’s writing for the first time and see themselves represented in visions of past, present, and future.
Octavia of Earth, Vol. 1 cast album (2019)
All You’ll Do
Vocals: Melanie DeMore
Piano: Jaren Feeley
Music & Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 1951 – Octavia’s mother Margaret helps a 4-year-old Octavia (“Junie”) get ready for bed.
The Devil Girl from Mars
Vocals: Adrian Jazz Applin, Melanie DeMore
Piano, Organ: Jaren Feeley
Music: T. Carlis Roberts
Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 1957 – At 10 years old, Octavia (“Junie”) stays up late to watch what turns out to be a deeply influential B movie.
Live Forever (and Breed People)
Vocals: Adrian Jazz Applin, Erica Dunkle, Anand Kalra
Music & Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 1964 – Nearing high school graduation, Octavia (“Estelle”) divulges her life ambitions. Lyrics based on this quote:
“When I was in my teens, a group of us used to talk about our hopes and dreams, and someone would always ask, ‘If you could do anything you wanted to do, no holds barred, what would you do?’ I’d answer that I wanted to live forever and breed people — which didn’t go over all that well with my friends.”
– (Butler, Octavia E., Larry McCaffery, and Jim McMenamin. “Across the Wounded Galaxy: Interviews with Contemporary American Science Fiction Writers.” (1990): 54.)
Hypnosis
Vocals: Anand Kalra
Music: Itoro Udofia
Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 1965 – Taking a walk on the wild side, Estelle seeks unorthodox help for her debilitating shyness.
Patterns
Vocals: Adrian Jazz Applin, Anand Kalra
Piano: Jaren Feeley
Music: T. Carlis Roberts
Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 1973 – After graduating with an associate’s degree, Octavia works blue collar jobs during the day and tries to write Patternmaster in the wee hours of the morning.
Emergence
Vocals: Itoro Udofia
Music: Itoro Udofia
Scene: 1980 – Struggling to find a voice in her third novel while navigating a white patriarchal capitalist industry, Octavia finds inspiration from an Earth Goddess.
End of the World
Vocals: Adrian Jazz Applin, Erica Dunkle
Piano: Jaren Feeley
Bass: James “Jae-E” Earley
Music & Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 2001 – Octavia and Valerie grieve the September 11 terrorist attacks in their own way.
Xenophonia
Vocals: Adrian Jazz Applin
Music: Itoro Udofia and Anand Kalra
Scene: 1984 – Octavia lets her mind wander back to her inspiration for the Xenogenesis trilogy, a research trip to the Amazon basin in Peru.
Anywhere
Vocals: Adrian Jazz Applin, Edie Irons, Anand Kalra
Piano: Jaren Feeley
Music & Lyrics: Anand Kalra
Scene: 2006 – Octavia passes away alone in her backyard, while Valerie and Proto grieve.