It’s hard to believe that another year is about to leave us. 2011 was a really great year for me. I played some really fun shows, I was invited as a guest on Knoxville, TN’s WDVX Blue Plate Special and I even began work and am near completion on another solo album. I don’t want to come across as a whiner or anything but anyone who is a solo singer/songwriter/performer like myself will attest to the fact that it’s a hard fucking life as a solo artist. I have particularly found my life as a solo folksinger/songwriter a pretty brutal one. Gigs are few and far between. I have been super lucky to have had the support of some amazing venues such as Red Light Cafe, Java Monkey and even places such as The Cave and Open Eye Cafe in North Carolina. I have spent countless hours contacting and going to listening rooms and acoustic venues to no avail. Even here in Atlanta there seem to be a few really choice places for acoustic music and I can’t even get them to lend me an ear. It’s a rough road but ya know, I’ve had plenty of pleasant pit stops along the way. Getting to be a guest on radio shows, playing some really intimate places and getting to share my songs is what it’s all about in the end. Just knowing that there are people out there who take the time to listen to my songs and find a connection with them. That is all I ever really wanted and ever want but that need for something different, something fresh still beckons me.
I have recently started playing music with two really good friends and I can’t even begin to say how much fun I’ve been having. We have just been getting together and playing some really great, fun rock n’ roll songs. Everything from the Stones to Crazy Horse we’ve been tearing it up. It’s not perfect but it doesn’t have to be. It’s fun and it’s very cleansing. Volume seems to cure what has been ailing me these days. Picking up my bass guitar and plugging in has been a blast. We are even working on original material to eventually start playing. This has been an amazing experience for me and has rekindled my love of playing music. For a while there I was starting to get discouraged. At 38 years old, my life as a folksinger/songwriter isn’t going to get much better than what it is so I was starting to feel trapped and somewhat smothered. Playing with Mike & Bruce has given me some new space to spread the wings of my creative spirit and give me another outlet. In addition to these fellas, I”m still looking to put together my dream band, a stoner rock trio in the vein of Black Sabbath, Graveyard and Captain Beyond. This is something I’ve always wanted to try and I figured I might as well follow my own advice that I give to others: You’re never too old and it’s never too late to pursue a dream and try to make it come true. Hell, the worst that can happen is that it would suck right?
So what’s going to happen to my folksinger/songwriter life? Absolutely nothing. I will continue to do it because it’s who I am. It is a huge part of me. It is something I will always love and be passionate about but I just won’t be pushing it like I have. I won’t be trying to get every gig and play 20 shows a year. Maybe this move will make things more exciting for me as a solo artist. Maybe only 2-3 shows a year will make it an event and make it more exciting. I’ll always have the music in me and I’ll always make my solo albums for any and everyone who will listen to them and connect with them. I just feel that exploring other musical outlets will not only give me more creative and spiritual room to grow as an artist but it will keep my folk stuff from suffering and getting stale. The last thing I would ever want is to have my art suffer because of frustration. The more outlets and room I have to express myself the better off I will be.
So to all my friends, family and fans near and far, thank you for all of your support. Every single one of you who have come to the shows, downloaded an album and/or messaged me to tell me that a song or two connected with them, thank you. I couldn’t do it without the support and love you all give me and I hope I can count on your support in my upcoming adventures into uncharted waters. It’s going to an adventure to say the least and I look forward to seeing what lies ahead.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
