Willis Tower – based on a true love story
In september I went to Chicago in Illinois, USA together with Mathias and Henrik (who played drums and bass on the debut album). We were invited to the wedding of my friend Nate and his wife Kristen. I really wanted to give them something special for their wedding. Eventually, I wrote them a song. Here is the story behind ”Willis Tower”:
I got to know Nate in 2002 (I think) when he wrote a fan mail to my old band ”Eyedrop”. He was very impressed by what he heard on the website and said so in his email. I replied and thanked him for his kind words. Then he wrote me back again, asking some questions. I replied asking a few questions myself. Soon we were off in an frequent online conversation that went on for years. This way we developed a friendship that lasts til this day.
I later learned that he was thrilled that the singer of such a brilliant Swedish rock band as Eyedrop even wrote him back. Little did he know that we were completely unknown and that his fan mail was one of my very first. I was just as excited that someone in the United States would take the time to write us a fan mail. We had a fan! So Nate became our first (and some would argue ONLY) fan.
We often talked about music and Nate is one of very few people I entrust with listening to songs in progress. He’s a musician himself, he’s got a great ear and gives brilliant feedback. It was Nate who set the track order for the Orphan Songs debut album. In 2008 Nate came to Sweden for Midsummer and we had a blast. He came back a second time in the fall of 2009. Then it was my turn to go visit him. Soon after his second visit to Sweden he met a girl called Kristen. I think it was pretty much love at first sight and and he proposed to her up in Willis Tower in Chicago on Valenties day of 2010. Cool!
When I got the invitation to the wedding in late 2010 I had an idea for the grandest wedding present. On several occasions, Nate had insinuated that although Orphan Songs was great, Eyedrop was … better. He said it was such a shame we split up and that he really wanted to hear what our second album would sound like. So my idea was simply to get the old band together and record an album as a wedding gift for Nate. Simple enough, eh? After all, he was Eyedrop’s first and only fan. I told the guys in the band about the idea and everyone seemed excited. We got started! We already has some unfinished recordings from the time of the breakup and we also planned to get together for a weekend and lay down some tracks in a studio. I wrote new songs that would fit the album, some of which would be recorded in online collaboration.
But pretty soon the initial entusiasm wore off and nothing happended. The project died. I didn’t have the time nor the energy to complete an entire solo album so I just went back to working on my solo stuff again. One week before the wedding I had nothing. I thought of the circumstances of Nate’s proposal:
The location: Willis Tower – the tallest building in the United States.
The time: Valenties Day.
What a great love theme, I thought. Just like in a movie. Perfect for a love song.
I tried to imagine what went through his head that day as he was carrying that ring around in his pocket, waiting for the right moment. Then I sat down with my guitar and out came this song.
We left for Chicago a few days later and I got to go up in Willis Tower myself. The wedding was up in Wisconsin in a little place called Waukesha. It was great. I asked Nate to bring his guitar and I played the song after the wedding dinner. I believe they liked it. 
So Nate, Krissy – here is your wedding present, again.
I wish you much happiness.
/Carl-Otto
Willis Tower used to be called Sears Tower and most people in Chicago doesn’t like the fact that they changed the name. Thus, people still tend to call it Sears.
