Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at my isolated keyboard parts for In The Pouring Rain—an epic 80s power ballad I recently recorded for Chris Missen’s upcoming 2025 album.

This one’s a little different from the previous isolated piano tracks I’ve shared—both stylistically and sonically.

While Chris’s writing usually leans toward a more organic Americana sound, this track embraces the lush excess of the 80s. I composed three layered keyboard parts for the arrangement: a Yamaha DX7 electric piano, a warm synth pad, and strings.

My approach was shaped by a few iconic influences—the emotional drama of Prince’s Purple Rain, the atmospheric textures of Don Henley’s The Boys of Summer, and the haunting minimalism of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks theme. I wanted to evoke a sense of space, longing, and cinematic intensity, using voicings and textures that blur the lines between pop balladry and ambient storytelling.

Harmonically, the song departs from traditional functional progressions. Instead, it builds on melodic motifs drawn from the key, layered over shifting bass notes to create evolving harmonic relationships.

Many of the notes don’t belong to the chords in a conventional sense—they function more as upper extensions or colour tones, adding movement and emotional ambiguity. I ended up using some fairly unconventional (and at times unwieldy) chord symbols to reflect the layered, ambiguous harmony.

This kind of harmonic language was a hallmark of many 80s guitar-driven bands like U2, where atmosphere and texture often took precedence over traditional harmonic resolution.

I always find it fascinating to hear keyboard parts in isolation—there’s something raw and revealing about them. Once the full track is released, you’ll be able to compare this version to the final mix and hear how everything fits together. (I’ll include a link here when it becomes available.)

Listening to isolated piano parts from other players was a huge part of my own musical growth, so I hope this track offers something both educational and creatively inspiring.

🎹 Interested in learning how to play or create piano parts like this? I offer customised lessons that focus on real-world musicianship—from playing in different popular styles and improvisation to songwriting and arranging. Contact me to find out more or book a free consultation.

Music & lyrics by Chris Missen
Keyboard parts composed and performed by Lisha Kayrooz

🎧 More isolated piano performances from this album are on the way—each one revealing the layers behind the music.