July 13th, 2020
Today marks a neat anniversary I’d like to quietly celebrate with some introspection and a sparkling grape water.
15 years ago today, on July 13th, 2005, I released my first full-length album.
The Next Step existed before this (it all started in high school…), but this was the first time I put out a real album like a real boy and went out and played some real(ish) shows.
“Something Old, Something New” is a concept album, because I am nothing if not pretentious and ambitious. The record tells a story from beginning to end, even featuring an introduction and closing credits track, like a feature film. It details the whole of a relationship, from first dance to final plea.
I didn’t know if I would ever be able to do this. Making music is hard. I’ve had some of my best moments as a human doing something with music, but I’ve also had some of my worst and most stressful.
The best moments are always the ones that seem to matter in the end, and the ones that stick in my heart and mind and gut.
The soaring chorus of “Positively,” a song that feels like a train rolling on its side down a hill. The odd, staccato waltz of “Dance With Me,” the opening number. The haunting strings (and sentiments) of faux emo ballad “All I Need.” And one of the best songs (in my obnoxious opinion) that I’ve ever written, “Have A Nice Life.”
I remember late nights, running out to my car with a burned CD of new audio mixes, to hear how they sounded in the speakers. Fine-tuning and re-recording and re-mixing and making myself fall in love with the mistakes (some of which still make me cringe to this day). I remember sharing songs on sites like Soundclick and watching them climb the charts, and getting feedback from people all over the world.
Making music is hard, but it taught me some of the best lessons of my life, and was responsible for saving it more times than I can count.
And it all really started with this little gem. Released on CD (as all my records were), thus dating us forever.
I love this ode to love, and I just wanted to celebrate its birthday.
P.S. I had plans this summer to play a show or two, as a fun little surprise to any fans that still exist. That didn’t happen for obvious reasons, but I might be shooting some new performances to share online, so if you have a request, let me know! All my music is available on any major streaming service.
The Den 