For those who haven’t heard of you before, could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I like slugs, and dogs, and woodworking, and balancing rocks, and listening to people, and playing drums all night, and guitarring all morning. There is no reason that the leaves in the autumn should be so beautiful, or the fleeting bends of light in the evening should be so pleasing. Yet here we are, observing a world, spinning.
I spent a decade touring and sharing my music across every continent where humans live. Now, I spend days building stone walls and giving the community a place to gather in a small bit of woods in a divided state in a country, spiralling off into disinformation. I am glad to be here and glad to sing of being here on Earth. I don’t care if my songs outlive me, or if I am remembered; I hope we get the chance to share some beautiful moments while we are briefly here. Maybe you have never met me, and maybe we never will. Maybe you will invite me to your house to sing, and I will say yes. We live in many mabies.
Who inspired you to get on stage and perform?
My older brothers have been a big inspiration in many aspects of life. I looked up to them with their guitars as a kid, and by the age of 6, I had already written my first songs and performed them at a show.
What artists and albums have stuck with you and inspired your sound?
There is so much amazing music in the world. The inspirations that go into my ears do not always come out in the sound of the music I share. There are many songs inside my soul from artists that I love and respect that do not show up sonically in what I release. For instance, I spent my teenage years smashing the “repeat” button on Boysetsfire and Rage Against the Machine albums. I met Tumi & The Volume while on tour in South Africa in 2010 and have been obsessed ever since. While I feel those songs in my soul, most of the music I share is built around fast-picking riffs on my classical guitar and a few drifting thoughts that circle back to me as I quietly watch the world go by.
Where do you write your music, are you someone always coming up with song ideas?
My music comes to me to be written anywhere and everywhere. Usually at inconvenient moments. If I am up on a scaffold, laying brick, a cheeky little song might float by and tell me, “If you don’t drop that trowell, and climb down and write me right now, I’ll go have someone else write me.” I used to stay up late into the wee hours, listening for new songs to come by; recently, I have been waking up in the morning to be greeted by new songs. It is a subtle and strange shift in the hours of peak creativity on a personal level.
Please tell us about the writing/recording of the ReverbNation Competition winning track “Captain Dan”?
“Captain Dan” is a song I wrote for one of my friends who had a beautiful failure of a childhood journey. They made a raft and attempted to stay out on a cow pond for a couple of days, camping over on the water. The raft ended up falling apart, and they had to abandon ship and be rescued by an adult. When they were in the doldrums from this journey-turned-tragedy, I wrote this song for them as a little gift. In that small childhood journey, as well as in any journeys in life, there will be “loving arms to gather you” whatever the outcome. My friend Joni Elfers was the recording engineer for this album, and it was mastered by Patrick Mulrooney. This song was its own producer. It just arrived, all full of love and optimism, ready to be recorded. I sat around with friends in the basement and wrote, arranged and tracked it.
What has been your favourite experience as a musician?
Music is the most beautiful bridge that extends to many places, people, and dimensions. I have gotten to tour in 29 countries, and have sometimes had bandmates that speak different languages, but we can meet in the shared melodies we create. Seeing the borders melt under the power of melody has been truly beautiful.
Do you have any plans for an EP or an Album?
I am currently recording a few projects at Curylands Studios in Pennsylvania, USA. I am recording 2 separate memorial albums for two friends that recently passed away. Some of the songs, I may deem too personal and not end up releasing. Writing and making music have many functions, and it takes time to determine what to share with the world. I am also recording and releasing some music about the land that is now referred to as the Big Elk Creek State Park. In a sinister turn of events the Pennsylvania government has made unlawful plans of heavy development of land that was set aside as a nature preserve. There could be many protest songs written, calling for government transparency and/or honesty, but I am mostly writing lovesongs to the land, whose many voices are unheard in the political arena.
What is the most memorable place you have performed?
I find something to love about each and every place that I’ve gotten to perform. Whether a show be in a stadium or a living room, there is always something to enjoy and remember. Some of the tours in Uganda and China have been amazing opportunities to feel appreciated for the music I make, as well as to hear music and meet people who show me different ways of creating and being.
Here at Artistic Echoes, we are always on the lookout for new artists do you have any to recommend?
I recommend going to any small show close to where you live. Popularity means nothing but popularity. There is amazing creativity in some corner near you. One awesome artist who has been playing forever, but has recently started releasing music is Skyler Cumbia.
What plans do you have for the rest of the year?
I hope to get enough firewood split by the true cold that my fiance and our dog and I can be cozy for the parts of the winter for which we will be in Pennsylvania. I will keep recording the music I’m working on, and keep hosting community jams and events as well as booking people at our recording studio. I am also excited to be planning a couple of short international music tours around the end of the lunar year.
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