EP

I like the idea of themes, that things string together in a semi-cohesive way. I don’t know why. I don’t really care to examine it other than I find it more interesting to do it that way. So “High Achievers” – call it my “mid life whimsy” angst album – is going to be an EP. I think there’s enough juice in this topic to warrant 5 songs. An EP feels good.

I got a rough mix back of “seagulls” and it sounds so so good. Caleb Stull, who’s mixing it, is so awesome. There’s some alchemy is getting the frequencies just so. It feels like such a relief when you send something out and it comes back better than you expected. Just working on the last song, High Achievers, Part II. It’s got a bit of Broken Social Scene/Bon Iver vibe going. Lot’s of space, a bit noisy. Actually the whole thing is a bit noisier than I was expecting. But noisy is awesome, so I’ll take it.

I figure it will be done maybe mid-September. Upon release I expect great fanfare from you. Inside I respond well to praise, though on the outside I may wince.

4th Down & 20

Had a new song emerge fast and furious over the last few days. My favorite lines on the album so far are:

souvenirs of all our /
treacherous past glories

souvenirs of all these /
boring stories

This is a mid-life angst album, after all.

My kids wander down to my studio, mostly out of boredom but a little curious about what I do for hours down there. I’ve been trying to teach them about the process of making something. Show them how tracks are organized, how I’ll do several takes of something to get it right, how it comes together, how creating anything is not a quick process. I hope they are learning from it. I hope they find something creative they like to do. Something to feed their soul.

My 10 year old daughter asked me: Why are you doing this daddy, no one is going to BUY your album. Because it’s fun to make things, I told her. As a souvenir. And that’s mostly the damn truth, kid.