9-8: Laboring On

Seeing as I have to get up to perform at 6:00am tomorrow for the show I'm in, I should probably be fast asleep. But I'm not. Not anywhere close.

Because I'm pumped.

The album is done. I'm burning the disc as I type, which means tomorrow I will ship it off to cdbaby for them to finalize and rip onto....ITUNEEEESSS! And as of right now, you can expect it (keep your fingers crossed) on Itunes by next Tuesday - September 15.

BUT what I thought I'd do tonight is give you some insight into what the album will sound like. What the songs are made of. What they're about. So when you hEAR the album, you can come back here and see just what you're hearing. :)

1. I Dream On the Horizon - Basically, this song was one of the last songs to be finished writing-wise. This song was originally titled Jet Sky Alley, until the REAL Jet Sky Alley appeared. Then THIS song was rewritten, and became what it is today. Complicated, I know. But this song has a lot of guitar tracks (I believe 12), and is also one of the songs Heath Martin helped with drums on...and they sound GREAT. This song is basically about getting sick of living the same day over and over, and living with the same pain, and finally going to sleep one night and realizing it's up to you to change things. And then dreaming on the horizon. WOOO. How clumsily cliche. But I love the song, and it's one of the more rock-driven songs.

2. I Need You - Well, this song was written for a girl I was dating back in the day...as in 2 years ago. Hahaha. But that's basically the song. It was always called I Need You, but was a much...wierder song when I first wrote it. Maybe one day you'll hear the old version. But it's one of my favorite songs I've written just because it is so simple, and yet says so much. I also like that all the guitars are played on a incredibly old and broken guitar that was missing two strings, but in a way, it adds a very cool sound to the song.

3. 11:11 - I wrote this song (originally called Century to Be) when I was 7. No joke. I even have a recording of it. Not much has changed, besides the key of the song, and some of the verse lyrics. But the chorus is exactly the same. The song is basically a homage to people who believe in "signs". I got really interested in the whole theme of 11:11 and why people believe in it, and HARDCORE believers think 11:11 is a "wake-up call" our guardian angels use to remind us that they are there for us. Pretty haunting and awesome when you think about it.

4. Jet Sky Alley - This song has 59 tracks of sounds on it. Ugh. Let me just say it was a b**ch to master. But I'm proud of how good it sounds - it's one of the best mixed on the album. The song is about Jet Sky Alley, which has a special meaning to me, but is basically that ethereal place where you dream of living. It's my fighting song - I will do whatever it takes to find "my place" in this world. Listen carefully, and through all the guitars, you can hear my kazoo solo. It's rocking! Forget harmonicas! Kazoos are where it's at!

5. No Need to Speak - One of the more recent songs I wrote, I actually wrote this in my dorm near the end of my freshman year of college. Very simple lyrics. It's basically about me talking to someone who is hurting in a relationship, and me wanting them to listen and realize what they mean to me. Because I know what they've been through. Not saying...that...this has happened...or anything...hmmm. But it's a very beautiful song (in my opinion) and has a jazz feel to it. I even added some saxophone sounds that Rob Hervan did for me. Short but sweet.

6. World - This song was probably the first song on this album I wrote with the intention of writing this album. It hasn't changed lyric-wise or melody-wise at all, but it really has changed sonically. I love the different effects this song uses, and it gave me a chance to work with a new drum system I found. The song was based on a conversation I had with my mom about how people are constantly worried with where they'll end up and what's right and what's wrong, and they worry so much that they forget where they are, and how important that is.

7. Ghosts + Goblins - This is a darker song, but has a very important meaning. It's about how people can be so judgemental, when they make the same mistakes everyone makes. Even the goody-two-shoes girl will sometimes be seen "in the dark". But Heath's drums sound incredible on this song, and it's some of my better guitar work. Alot of cool sounds, including a sound I made by putting a paper clip inside a soda can and shaking it, and then looping that sound through guitar pedals. You'll hear it come in at around 2:35 if you're interested.

8. Cause + Cause - When ever I was finishing the album, I found I really needed a piano-centered song, and this is lyrically one of my favorite songs. It talks about alot, but in the center of it is the fact that however much we question, we are all connected. There are some quiet guitar sounds that I love, but the main focus in this song is the piano - and I love it!

9. Rain_Fire - I had two versions of this song, but in the end, I went with this version. It is a less clear version, but I actually really like the muddy, over-the-top quality of it. The song is a reference to Pentecaust, but basically talks about how even in the darkest of situations, light can come...and can make you feel stupid for doubting yourself. This song reminds me a lot of Animal Collective sonically (not lyrically - I was not high when I wrote this song. haha)

10. The Road to Now - Personally, this is the best song I've written. It has 75 tracks, mainly vocals, and very sweet tribal drums I made from a simple congo drum I own. But most of all, I just love the message of this song - that no matter how hard the world you live in gets, you can always go back to your family/friends. You are never alone. The only song I've written that still manages to give me chills.

11. Finding Eden - Another mumbo-jumbo of tracks, this one has 61. Alot of cool drum sounds, and alot of vocals. This song is a very dance oriented song, but has a lot of heart to it. It's a pure love song about convincing this girl that love is still possible in a world of people who doubt it. Some of my favorite lyrics in this song. A song I crank up the volume to when I'm listening to it.

12. You Were Meant for the Skies - Alot of people tell me this is their favorite song on the album, and it really is a very uplifiting song that pushes people to not give up. Has some accordian and banjo sounds, and nice drums at the end. It was always going to be the last song in the beginning. I knew the minute I heard it.



So I hope it won't be too long until you get to hear it.... haha...

I am in awe of everyone's support. I really am.

:)