A small town young man with a burning passion and a message...
I got my start almost 16 years ago (around Easter 2005 to be exact). I began recording a batch of 15 crappy acoustic demos on a simple Sony MiniDisc recorder and cheap microphone. The demos were not very good quality and some of them skipped, but they were there for referential purposes. A couple of years later, I received my first MacBook computer and, a little bit later, I bought a cheap $25 microphone and an iMic system to hook up to my computer. With that, I started recording some of the acoustic and full-band demos. Over the summer of 2008, after purchasing a Blue SnowBall mic and Toneport GX, I went back and re-recorded most of my songs I had at that point.
After college, the live shows started coming around in my hometown. Granted, they were cover bands, but they got me comfortable with the stage. With the comfortability came stage presence, confidence in rolling through screw-ups and flubbed lyrics, and banter with the audience during the show. It was an eye-opening experience, and I hope to get back to it very soon.
In the summer of 2014, I embarked on an adventure to write at least one song a week for one year. Equipped with new guitars, a new bass, decent mics, and a wealth of emotions after experiencing changes for the good and bad, I wrote over 100 songs in the course of 10 months (the project ended horribly, with inspiration lacking toward the end).
In June 2015, a move to Nashville was in order. Since the move, I haven't been as involved in music (the live aspect), but the creativity has been ever present. I have an entire back catalog of unused chord progressions and riffs to utilize for later. I am working to get back into live performances in 2021, and will work on single and EP releases shortly after that. Looking forward to a brave new world in a brave new future.
I have played live for several years after college. Definitely one of my special moments was my "last show" with my cover band Suspect (technically it was my third to last show). Really a bittersweet moment. People loved the energy I gave and the passion I had for music and creativity. It was hard to leave, but Nashville was the place I belonged, so it had to be done.
David Gray, Death Cab for Cutie, Brett Dennen, Vance Joy, The Head and the Heart, Foo Fighters, Barenaked Ladies, Weezer, Andrew McMahon, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Elliott Smith, and Conor Oberst. Just to name a few... Each has their place in my music.
INSTRUMENTS:
- Taylor 114ce Auditorium Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Fender Malibu Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Fender '72 Deluxe Telecaster Electric Guitar
- Fender Mexican Stratocaster Electric Guitar
- Ibanez JTK2 Electric Guitar
- Eastwood Classic 6 Electric Guitar
- Hofner Ignition Violin Electric Bass Guitar
- Williams Allegro 88-key Electric Piano
- Greg Bennett MA 2 E Mandolin
- Lanikai LU-21T Tenor Ukulele
- Taye 5 Piece Drumset with Sabian Cymbals (14" B8 Hi-Hats, 14" and 16" B8 Crashes, 8" B8 Splash, 10" AA Splash, 20" AAX Ride, 17" Holy China)
- Silver Creek Harmonicas (A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G)
COMING SOON:
- D'Angelico Premier Tammany Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- D'Angelico Premier Gramercy Acoustic-Electric Guitar
- Eastwood Classic 6 HB Electric Guitar
- Eastwood Classic 12 Electric Guitar
- Eastwood Classic 4 Electric Bass Guitar
EQUIPMENT:
Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 Audio Interface
M-Audio FastTrack Pro Audio Interface
M-Audio StudioPro 3 Monitors
Audio-Technica ATH-M40X Studio Headphones
Rode NT1-A Condenser Microphone
MXL 990/991 Condenser Microphones
Blue e100 Condenser Microphone
Korg nanoKEY2 USB MIDI Keyboard
21' Apple iMac with GarageBand and Logic Pro X
I find that the head and the heart are in a constant war with each other, and we're all trying to play peacemakers in the war. It's a battle that never ends. But within battles, there's always a ceasefire. Take advantage of these ceasefires, and make the most of what you can do with your life. You've only got one life, so live it to your expectations. And set those expectations high. There's only one way to go when you're down: UP!
