Written alone in Nashville in 2023 after several planned co-writing sessions were cancelled, “Living For Today” is a stripped back acoustic country song about releasing comparison, living one day at a time and finding hope in the moment.
The song later inspired an award-winning Australian short film, original artwork by Melbourne artist Hope Corrigan, two tattoos worn by Tasmanian listener Jason Dwyer and a limited edition clothing range carrying its message.
The Story behind “Living For Today”
Victorian based Rae Leigh reflects … “Living For Today” was written in Nashville in 2023 during a trip that did not unfold the way that I had expected. I had travelled to the United States through an export opportunity, attending SXSW before heading to Nashville for a fully booked week of songwriting. When several of the co-writing sessions were cancelled after I arrived, I was very disappointed and felt very alone. Instead of allowing that disappointment to end the experience, I picked up my guitar and wrote by myself. Sitting on a bed in an Airbnb, only a short walk from Broadway and the Country Music Hall of Fame, “Living for Today” began to take shape. At the time I was also carrying the pain of an estranged family relationship and learning that I could not build my life around the expectations that I had placed on other people. I had to accept that my dreams were my own, and that I needed to keep moving forward, even when I felt unsupported or misunderstood.
The opening of the chorus says:
“I’m living my life, stopped measuring my stride.”
Those words are at the heart of the song.
We live in a world that constantly asks us to measure ourselves by: followers, streams, achievements, productivity and how quickly we appear to be achieving.I know how exhausting it can be to compare my path with everyone else’s and feel as though I am never doing enough.
“Living For Today” is my decision to let go of that pressure.
The title was partly inspired by the old hymn that my mother sang: “One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus.” My faith reminds me that God meets us in the present. I cannot change the past, and I do not have to carry the whole future today. I can trust him, take the next step and live this day as well as I can. The song also continues a message that began with my first single, “Find a Better Day”, a hopeful song that I once sang to myself during periods of poor mental health. Together, the two songs carry the same encouragement. Keep going. Live one day at a time. Believe that a better day can still come.
I hope that “Living For Today” brings listeners a sense of peace, hope and love. I hope it reminds people that they are already enough, and encourages them to notice the ordinary moments that make them smile, take their breath away and feel truly alive.
What began as a song written alone in Nashville has since inspired an award-winning short film, an original artwork by Hope Corrigan and a tattoo worn by a listener as a permanent reminder to keep going. For me, that is what music is meant to do: move from one life to another and meet someone exactly where they are.
The Recording
Rae Leigh first connected with Nashville producer Michael Flanders through an interview for the ‘Songwriter Trysts podcast’. After discovering a shared love of honest storytelling and acoustic country music, they went on to work together on Rae’s charting single ”Love Me”. The creative partnership continued with “Living For Today” and a larger body of work recorded in Nashville. The stripped back recording uses acoustic instrumentation to preserve the intimacy, vulnerability and hope at the heart of the song.
Credits
- Written and performed by: Rae Leigh
- Producer: Michael Flanders
- Musicians: Rae Leigh, Michael Flanders, Ben Flanders and Caleb Flanders
- Mixed by: Jason Millhouse, Brisbane
- Mastered by: 12th and Vine Post, Gold Coast
- Original Artwork: Hope Corrigan, Melbourne
- Label and Publishing: Rae Leigh Music
- Distributed by : Kycker
“Living For Today” is available on all digital platforms.
Join the team and get a T-Shirt here.
The Film
“Living For Today” began as an idea for a music video inspired by Rae Leigh’s original song, but the story grew into something much bigger. The award-winning Australian short film follows a mother and her young daughter through one difficult day as they try to escape domestic violence, financial dependence and a system that repeatedly fails to recognise what they are going through.
She seeks help, searches for better work and tries to protect her daughter, while carrying the fear, shame, and exhaustion that often accompany abuse. When she is left with nowhere safe to go, music becomes a reminder of the dreams and identity she had lost along the way.
At the end of the night, one unexpected act of kindness gives her the hope and practical support she needs to take another step forward.
The film explores domestic violence, motherhood, inequality, disempowerment, resilience and the impact that compassion can have in someone’s darkest moment.
Written and produced by Rae Leigh, and directed and co-written by Ryan Littler, “Living For Today” was adapted from the original song written and performed by Rae Leigh.
“Living For Today” – Official Trailer
Film Recognition
- Low Budget Indie Short Film Award – New York Film & Cinematography Awards
- Low Budget Short Film Award – Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards
- Social Issues Award – Depth of Field International Film Festival
- Honourable Mention – HeARTflicks Charity Film Event
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