This song is written about Bonnie Raitt. I have a soft spot for great female blues and jazz singers. On my last album there was a song called I Can Never Know that was my tribute to Joni Mitchell, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.
The sound of this song was influenced greatly by Gregory Alan Isakov. His album This Empty Northern Hemisphere was in our car's CD player for seriously a year straight. It is a perfect album. I don't know that I've listened to any album that consistently since Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright.
I first saw Gregory at a small show in Fort Collins, Colorado about 6 years ago with probably 5 people there. I checked out his show because all of the local musicians in town were all in agreement that he was better than they were lol. I recently saw him play in Evanston, IL and the place was packed and silent. Check out his music.
Because of his influence I was planning on making my album very mellow. However, slowly but surely my own personality took over the writing process. I guess I can only be myself whether I like it or not.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
You're Not Alone
This was written in Chicago and Savannah. The verses finally came together last year. This is one of those songs where each verse is potentially coming from the point of view of a different person, but they all come together with the message of the chorus.
Britt Scott, a Savannah musician who currently plays with Crystina Parker in their folksy duo Lovely Locks, did some awesome vocal tracks on this song. I think if you include all of the vocals by her and I there are at least 5 voices on this song. You don't wanna know how many guitars there are. I think her voice on the chorus of this song really took it to a whole new level. I've always wanted female vocals on my records. Finally on album 5 or 6 or whatever this is, I got it!
Britt Scott, a Savannah musician who currently plays with Crystina Parker in their folksy duo Lovely Locks, did some awesome vocal tracks on this song. I think if you include all of the vocals by her and I there are at least 5 voices on this song. You don't wanna know how many guitars there are. I think her voice on the chorus of this song really took it to a whole new level. I've always wanted female vocals on my records. Finally on album 5 or 6 or whatever this is, I got it!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Keep You Warm
This song is about taking care of the person you love even after you are gone. I wrote this song when I was freezing my ass off in Chicago.
Sometimes (more often than I'd like to admit) I feel like what I'm doing with my life is kind of pointless. If aliens were watching me from above they would think, "Why is this guy filling up notebooks of word vomit and making all this noise with these stringed wooden things?"
With this song I'm trying to say when I'm gone, just burn everything to keep yourself warm. All those notebooks really aren't important in the scheme of things. I hope this song gets that point across....and if not...oh well! I've already sent it to Itunes lol.
Also, please don't burn my album collection to keep yourself warm. Trust me, Jeff Buckley and The Beatles can keep ya comfy with their voices alone.
On an instrumental note, I think this is the first song I've recorded that features organ so prominently. I actually let my guitar take a break for once...or at least for about 23 seconds. There's actually alot of organ on this album, just very very low in the mix. I feel like it really thickens the sound up.
Sometimes (more often than I'd like to admit) I feel like what I'm doing with my life is kind of pointless. If aliens were watching me from above they would think, "Why is this guy filling up notebooks of word vomit and making all this noise with these stringed wooden things?"
With this song I'm trying to say when I'm gone, just burn everything to keep yourself warm. All those notebooks really aren't important in the scheme of things. I hope this song gets that point across....and if not...oh well! I've already sent it to Itunes lol.
Also, please don't burn my album collection to keep yourself warm. Trust me, Jeff Buckley and The Beatles can keep ya comfy with their voices alone.
On an instrumental note, I think this is the first song I've recorded that features organ so prominently. I actually let my guitar take a break for once...or at least for about 23 seconds. There's actually alot of organ on this album, just very very low in the mix. I feel like it really thickens the sound up.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Dear Clementine
This song was written about the movie
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
It's probably my favorite love story of all time. It was directed by Michel Gondry. I want this guy to make my music videos.
The images are just incredible in this movie. When Jim Carrey is going through his memories there are so many random images that go by. It reminds me of Blonde on Blonde era Bob Dylan and how he used such odd specific images but somehow you can relate to it very easily and draw on your own life. I dig it! Not that I'm on the same level as these amazing artists, but they totally influence me. I think this might be the first song I've written about a movie.
Someone else who may have influences this song: Andrew Bird. I saw him live at Millennium Park when I lived in Chicago and it was amazing. Those string plucking sounds on this song are just me trying to emulate the sound of his violin on guitar. I used this trick on a song on my last album called Takes One to Know.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
It's probably my favorite love story of all time. It was directed by Michel Gondry. I want this guy to make my music videos.
The images are just incredible in this movie. When Jim Carrey is going through his memories there are so many random images that go by. It reminds me of Blonde on Blonde era Bob Dylan and how he used such odd specific images but somehow you can relate to it very easily and draw on your own life. I dig it! Not that I'm on the same level as these amazing artists, but they totally influence me. I think this might be the first song I've written about a movie.
Someone else who may have influences this song: Andrew Bird. I saw him live at Millennium Park when I lived in Chicago and it was amazing. Those string plucking sounds on this song are just me trying to emulate the sound of his violin on guitar. I used this trick on a song on my last album called Takes One to Know.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Skin and Bones
I threw my chronological order off a bit here because this song was actually written before Golden Days
but seriously who's keeping track.
E and I were house sitting in Kentucky and she was going through her Ghost Hunters/Paranormal State phase...You know those shows where they never actually see ANYTHING! Anywho, I was standing in the kitchen playing guitar after she went to bed. It wasn't that I couldn't sleep because of that TV show....Of course not, I mean...I'm a grown ass man....that stuff's for....shhh....what was that......Scoobie..?
I played that opening little riff of this song about a million times. Maybe the spookiness of that show and the darkness of that house inspired this song. It's all about being alive and knowing that there's something better in store for you and that you really do have a soul. "Everything that you've broken's made you real. Forget about your bones what's in your soul no one can steal."
but seriously who's keeping track.
E and I were house sitting in Kentucky and she was going through her Ghost Hunters/Paranormal State phase...You know those shows where they never actually see ANYTHING! Anywho, I was standing in the kitchen playing guitar after she went to bed. It wasn't that I couldn't sleep because of that TV show....Of course not, I mean...I'm a grown ass man....that stuff's for....shhh....what was that......Scoobie..?
I played that opening little riff of this song about a million times. Maybe the spookiness of that show and the darkness of that house inspired this song. It's all about being alive and knowing that there's something better in store for you and that you really do have a soul. "Everything that you've broken's made you real. Forget about your bones what's in your soul no one can steal."
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