Platform of Pain

May 19th, 2023 If you would have told me when I was a kid that I would eventually build my life on hurt, I would have told you that you say really weird things to kids. But you would have been right. I was having a recorded conversation with a friend earlier this week (forContinue reading “Platform of Pain”

The History of The Next Step, Part II: Tangled Cords, No Fear Of Failure, and Recording at Pachyderm Studio

May 11th, 2023 Now that we had a name and had performed an original song, it was time to record an EP (a short album which is typically 2-5 songs in length). By this time, personal computers were becoming more common in homes; we got our first PC when I was in high school. IContinue reading “The History of The Next Step, Part II: Tangled Cords, No Fear Of Failure, and Recording at Pachyderm Studio”

tragic/miracle

May 1st, 2023 Normal people wake up in their normal beds on the morning of their birthday and they post the cutest pic they can find of themselves on the internet to announce that they are a year older, a whole three-hundred-and-sixty-five-days wiser. I stayed up until midnight to post this photo of me I’veContinue reading “tragic/miracle”

Final Thoughts On Us, and Them

April 28th, 2023 Enough talk of failure. There was some victory, too. As we end another month of retrospect and introspect, I want to talk about the triumphs from the year I released Them and Us. I made a list: 1. It only took me one book to realize I can do anything. By that,Continue reading “Final Thoughts On Us, and Them”

Static Interlude

April 26th, 2023 I’ve been distant. (Don’t act like you noticed. We can only hold 150 people in our heads and I’m not one of them.) Usually when I sit down and type one of these I have a central idea or general theme or, you know, a point. That is not what this is.Continue reading “Static Interlude”

Us: How do I love failure? Let me count the ways

April 17th, 2023 I’ve mentioned several times that the story of my book, Us, is the story of failure; but today, I want to count the ways. Because I’m an eternal optimist, however, failure is always only half of a story. The other half is a lesson, an annoying ray of sunshine as a bookendContinue reading “Us: How do I love failure? Let me count the ways”

Woke Up Call

April 10th, 2023 Happy Monday, y’all. I haven’t been posting much this month and I can’t throw a dart on a board to pinpoint why; it’s a whole set of concentric circles, from all the work I’m doing, the day kind and the creative kind, to obsessively watching and reading Star Wars to maintain myContinue reading “Woke Up Call”

Be The Sun

April 6th, 2023 It’s a weird phenomenon that we think of something nice to say about someone else and then battle within ourselves over whether or not we should say it. We should always say it. I got a gift today. As an artist, you’re always trying to figure out what kind of art youContinue reading “Be The Sun”

Them: Heroes, Villains, Humans

March 31st, 2023 I spent most of my youth trying to shock people. I think a lot of young people, especially boys, do. When I think of those moments, that era, the many times I said or did something for the sole purpose to shock, I cringe so hard I form permanent wrinkles on myContinue reading “Them: Heroes, Villains, Humans”

Maybe I’m Wrong, Part II

March 28th, 2023 It’s weird, because yesterday’s school shooting was supposed to be a heavy day for our country, but nearly every day is heavy with the same weight, like a wet blanket at the bottom of a swimming pool, so yesterday was just a normal day. This is our normal. I wrote an essayContinue reading “Maybe I’m Wrong, Part II”