Happy Birthday Bend in the Middle

No matter how long it takes to record and release and album, it’s always longer than I think it’s going to be. And always longer than I’d like it to be. This time - releasing my 5th album (4th full-length) - I was the most relaxed I’ve ever been around the timeline. But that’s not to say I was relaxed.

It’s a nervy thing - being an artist, making music, sharing it with the world and trying not to care *too much about the reactions of others. Of course I want you all to love my music. But I also don’t want to care too much about what you think about my art, because it then gets in the way of the actual flow required for music making.

But we’re here! The album came out! It exists in real time and people are streaming it all over the planet. Literally. And so far, I’m validated to see that my favorite track on the album (Lovin’ Our Friends) so far appears to be your favorite as well, at least as far as streaming traction goes.

The album release show was perhaps my favorite night of music making in my life! The Dairy Arts center in Boulder was nearly sold-out, and I got to perform all 11 tracks with a 9-piece band! It was beyond dreamy. The one scaled back tune ended up stealing the show, as Kyle Donovan and I sang “You & I” as a duet, and it was memorable. I don’t get too many standing ovations, but the one I received at the end of the show felt as good as any in existence. My heart is swollen and I’ll be floating on the love from that evening for some time to come.

The process of writing, re-writing, recording and releasing and album often means that by the time you hear the first “new” song, I’m already a bit tired of it. You can imagine the hundreds (thousands?) of times that I have heard each song by the time we finally master it and get ready to share it with the masses. But that’s just part of the process.

The other big thing I was really excited about in releasing this album is that my songwriting has evolved at a rapid clip, and I’ve been eager to share with you where I am NOW. But I just just mentioned above, even NOW is fleeting, for I’m now excited for this next batch of tunes I’m writing, and so it goes.

The album itself is garnering wonderful reviews, which always feels gratifying. Thank you for listening, for sharing the music with your friends, and for keeping an eye on the YouTube channel. I’ll have a new video up soon doing a deep dive behind the album, discussing each individual song one a time.

Thank you for your continued support and love. It takes a village indeed. Stay tuned!