We have worked on about half of the material that will appear on the next album. I still have to finish writing the other half of the songs. The material is strong and of course …emotional.
Production will probably begin in the Fall, or perhaps just after.
Listen to “After All” on YouTube.
We knew After All was a special song the first time we played it together. Not only was it well written but the progression of the story compliments the slow dynamic and crescendo, musically, at the end of the song.
I recall when we played it live as soon as we could. We opened the show with me telling the audience that we had a brand new song that we were going to play for the first time. I said it may come out a little raw but we really like it so … Turns out it was one of those times when half way through the song the room went quiet (one of my favorite audience responses)!
Listen on YouTube: “After All”
Originally I was writing longer, more intricate pieces of music. At least half of them would hardly be considered songs. Over time the material shortened in length and got more precise lyrically.
I found the more simple… the better. Even on Songbird I was shortening songs and I could see how much better they became ( to the point, precise, etc.).
Also, I seem to have developed a method by which I do not repeat lyrics on some of the acoustic ballad’s. The words progress , through the song, as one long story without repletion…and they work!
Listen to “Black Magic“.
The song Black Magic was written towards the end of the production of the As One album. I really wanted to get it on As One, but it would have delayed things. So I figured I would save it for the next release and as it turned out it was a good thing.
I think it’s hard driving sound complements, on the electric songs, the rounded offering of the material on the album as a whole.
The song, “Songbird” is a balance of what is found on the rest of the CD. It contains a good upbeat pop tempo, as well as the acoustic sound found on the ballads. This is one of the unique things about this song and why it is the opening and title track!
Songbirds desire one thing and one thing only…to sing.
Songbirds have a self contained joy. Desiring nothing from without and resting content with everything. Songbirds remain free of egoistic likes and dislikes. This freedom harbors the quiet security of a heart fortified within itself.
In some ways, the Songbird CD is something of a roller coaster type of experience. It has up-tempo pop songs and slower ballads throughout. After four of these changes, it culminated with a hard edged rock song Black Magic. I would have left it that way, and everyone thought I would. However, I tried putting Courage after Black Magic and I liked how it sounded. Also, I thought it a unique way to end.
Courage is the only song that I do not sing the lead vocal or sing as a duet. I only help in the backround vocal. This is because Abby sang it so well. As a matter of fact, she sang it so well that we held back on the recording. This is because what she did deserves two versions. The one you hear on the recording and the one you will hear live!
Listen to “Courage“.
Originally, I had intended to record this song without any accompaniment. I thought the solo guitar and vocal would complement the message of the song… and it does. However, the other instruments enhance the song greatly (and I can always perform it solo). So the proper thing to do was to add the strings.
Also, I thought it might be better if Abby sang this song (without me). As it turned out, I was correct, because she was wonderful. What a great voice!
Listen to the song Courage.
Courage is a song born of the “Great Recession”. It was a time of great loss and uncertainty of the future. At the time, courage is what was required to keep one’s head, deal with the situation and remain true to one’s principles. This song asks for the courage for these things.
Although we do not know what the future brings, what we do know is… we need to be true to ourselves. This is because, being true to one’s self is the only thing superior to all external fate.
Sometimes it takes more courage to be true to yourself… this was one of those times.
This is why, I believe, courage is the greatest human virtue of them all.