THE STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS ON OUR DEBUT "UNBREAKABLE" (Released October 2015)
SHORT SIGHTED
Wrote the lyrics for this song about 8 years ago with all the selfish myopia present in the world but could never come up with a melody.
(I couldn't get Pearl Jam's "Life Wasted" out of my head)...
So, I asked my former student Frankie to come up with an angry/punk riff and a week later he shared it. It blew me away and his solo was the second take, uncut! This was the hardest track for me to sing as I've never been able to sing angry...
WIDE EYED AARON (Instrumental)
I came up with this little instrumental in the spring of '99 when my son Aaron was a few months old and would play it to him. He would stare at me with his big eyes and smile. I removed my first finger on the barre chords to get more ring like a 12 string guitar. Fun to play and a great warmup.
CARRY ON
Written in the summer of '96 after my dear friend Renee' was killed by a drunk driver on Memorial Day Weekend. Was grief stricken and it helped greatly with the healing process. Another former student, Jason, helped with some chords on the bridge and added a beautiful, heartfelt solo. We played it the following year in front of the high school at a spring music concert.
My daughter is Alyssa Renee' in her memory...
WITHOUT YOU
Written in the spring of '97 after the tragic death of a former student, Aaron S. in November '96. Another shocking, unexpected death that rocked the school to its core. I again asked Jason to add a solo and it became a dueling blues outro which I love. My son is named Aaron in his memory and our family has worked the past 20 years with his parents on an annual scholarship given in his name.
TOO SOON
Written in late 2013/early 2014 after two tragic deaths: a current student who was struck and killed while skateboarding (Pat) and a retired science teacher and dear friend (Lee). Was the first time in my career that a current student had passed away and I will never forget the hollow feeling of seeing his empty desk the next day of school. My daughter Alyssa was very close to Lee and she asked if she could play saxophone on the track. So, her music teacher and I wrote two separate parts which we combined into her solo. Lee was also an avid musician and I was honored to play his early 70's Gibson EB-3 bass on the track.
I wrote the end guitar solo and Ed nailed it!
UNBROKEN
Written in late summer/early fall 2014 for my dear friend Will as he battled liver cancer and Hepatitis C. My wife and I visited him and his family in Nashville that July for the last time and I was amazed by his continued positive spirit in a winless battle. He passed away on November 11, 2014, but I was able to share the song with him and his wife the week before. He told me he loved the song and loved me.
SWEET ALYSSA (Instrumental)
Originally written in the fall of 2001, shortly after my daughter was born.
Frankie again assisted with some transitional chords and then came up with the little bridge/solo in the middle. Was the hardest song to record as it seemed no matter how much I practiced, I couldn't get it to sound perfect
when the tape was rolling.
TRUTH IS A LIE
Written in January 2014 after an unexpected incident opened my eyes. This was also the first time Aaron recorded drums. Once Joey Vana (engineer/mixer extraordinaire) and I were able to rein him in a little,
he did an unbelievable job (and it is a long, long song!).
Eric Bazilian's two guitar solos are the icing on the cake. I am still in a state of disbelief that such an amazing musician and songwriter is on the album.
I am forever thankful and grateful for his generosity and talent!
INVISIBLE
Written in May 2014, a somewhat tragic song of not taking love for granted.
Again, Ed's solo was dead on!
REMEMBERING AMY (Instrumental)
The first song I ever wrote, at the age of 11, shortly after my younger sister Amy lost her almost six year battle with cancer. It was originally written on piano and was very percussive and tribal. Twenty or so years later, I transcribed it for guitar and the song was transformed. Ed's ambient guitar adds an angelic feel.
SHORT SIGHTED (Acoustic)
Stripping a punk song down to two acoustic guitars and a bass definitely changes the mood from one of anger to sadness over opportunities lost. I absolutely love the bare emotion in the room and Ed's acoustic solo equals Frankie's electric!
SHORT SIGHTED
Wrote the lyrics for this song about 8 years ago with all the selfish myopia present in the world but could never come up with a melody.
(I couldn't get Pearl Jam's "Life Wasted" out of my head)...
So, I asked my former student Frankie to come up with an angry/punk riff and a week later he shared it. It blew me away and his solo was the second take, uncut! This was the hardest track for me to sing as I've never been able to sing angry...
WIDE EYED AARON (Instrumental)
I came up with this little instrumental in the spring of '99 when my son Aaron was a few months old and would play it to him. He would stare at me with his big eyes and smile. I removed my first finger on the barre chords to get more ring like a 12 string guitar. Fun to play and a great warmup.
CARRY ON
Written in the summer of '96 after my dear friend Renee' was killed by a drunk driver on Memorial Day Weekend. Was grief stricken and it helped greatly with the healing process. Another former student, Jason, helped with some chords on the bridge and added a beautiful, heartfelt solo. We played it the following year in front of the high school at a spring music concert.
My daughter is Alyssa Renee' in her memory...
WITHOUT YOU
Written in the spring of '97 after the tragic death of a former student, Aaron S. in November '96. Another shocking, unexpected death that rocked the school to its core. I again asked Jason to add a solo and it became a dueling blues outro which I love. My son is named Aaron in his memory and our family has worked the past 20 years with his parents on an annual scholarship given in his name.
TOO SOON
Written in late 2013/early 2014 after two tragic deaths: a current student who was struck and killed while skateboarding (Pat) and a retired science teacher and dear friend (Lee). Was the first time in my career that a current student had passed away and I will never forget the hollow feeling of seeing his empty desk the next day of school. My daughter Alyssa was very close to Lee and she asked if she could play saxophone on the track. So, her music teacher and I wrote two separate parts which we combined into her solo. Lee was also an avid musician and I was honored to play his early 70's Gibson EB-3 bass on the track.
I wrote the end guitar solo and Ed nailed it!
UNBROKEN
Written in late summer/early fall 2014 for my dear friend Will as he battled liver cancer and Hepatitis C. My wife and I visited him and his family in Nashville that July for the last time and I was amazed by his continued positive spirit in a winless battle. He passed away on November 11, 2014, but I was able to share the song with him and his wife the week before. He told me he loved the song and loved me.
SWEET ALYSSA (Instrumental)
Originally written in the fall of 2001, shortly after my daughter was born.
Frankie again assisted with some transitional chords and then came up with the little bridge/solo in the middle. Was the hardest song to record as it seemed no matter how much I practiced, I couldn't get it to sound perfect
when the tape was rolling.
TRUTH IS A LIE
Written in January 2014 after an unexpected incident opened my eyes. This was also the first time Aaron recorded drums. Once Joey Vana (engineer/mixer extraordinaire) and I were able to rein him in a little,
he did an unbelievable job (and it is a long, long song!).
Eric Bazilian's two guitar solos are the icing on the cake. I am still in a state of disbelief that such an amazing musician and songwriter is on the album.
I am forever thankful and grateful for his generosity and talent!
INVISIBLE
Written in May 2014, a somewhat tragic song of not taking love for granted.
Again, Ed's solo was dead on!
REMEMBERING AMY (Instrumental)
The first song I ever wrote, at the age of 11, shortly after my younger sister Amy lost her almost six year battle with cancer. It was originally written on piano and was very percussive and tribal. Twenty or so years later, I transcribed it for guitar and the song was transformed. Ed's ambient guitar adds an angelic feel.
SHORT SIGHTED (Acoustic)
Stripping a punk song down to two acoustic guitars and a bass definitely changes the mood from one of anger to sadness over opportunities lost. I absolutely love the bare emotion in the room and Ed's acoustic solo equals Frankie's electric!