Happy New Years, friends! Time to get serious...so much to do. First off, new album. I have ten tunes for this one. With the help of John Abbey, Gerald Dowd, Scott Stevenson, and Dave Nelson, along with an assortment of other artists to fill in the empty spaces, I couldn't be more excited about the direction this music is heading. Once we get all the sessions complete, plus the mixing and mastering done, I'll be taking some extra time to properly roll this one out. I want to put as much time and energy into marketing, distribution, and publicity as I have invested on the creative side writing these tunes over the past year and half or so.
In addition to the new album work, my first show on the calendar is not until the start of February (Acoustic Explosion at Sylvie's Lounge) as I need time to work through album production and post-pro in the next few weeks. So once all that is sorted, I can't wait for FAWM (February Album Writing Month), which has become a yearly tradition for me and many of my songwriting friends!
Come March and beyond I'll be doing many more shows in the Chicago area and planning to do some traveling with my guitar. This could include a trip to Austin for SXSW, and possibly a visit to the northeast and northwest to help roll out the new album. As soon as I get confirmations on show dates and times I'll update my calendar, but already it looks like I'll be playing more shows this year than I did last year.
I had previously hoped to make 2014 the year of the new album, but for many good reasons, the new path forward is the best. Side note: I also intended to read Ulysses by James Joyce and I tried on three occasions to make it past the first few pages, but perhaps 2015 will be the year of making it through one of the most important works of modernist literature. On the plus side I did read books like Ancillary Justice (Ann Leckie) and A People's History of the United States (Howard Zinn), so 2014 was not without its periodic triumphs.
Until further notice: don't text and drive, keep both hands on the wheel, and remember to refill your fluids on a regular basis. Peace!