Blog

I cut this video with the help of Ash Little at Free Times.

For the studio version, click HERE to download free.

Coming late December/early January I’ll be putting out a 5 song EP.  Keep an eye out!

Last week I made the trek from Nashville to Columbia, SC.  It takes around 7 hours. Ain’t much fun!  But the mountain views of fall make the drive a little easier.

 

If you know me, you know I’m a foodie with the nose of a bloodhound.  If there is good food, I’ll find it.  Sure enough, found some kickin chicken at the Pigeon River Smokehouse.  They don’t look like much, but son… I’ll just apologize for you having to slap your g’ma so hard.  Exit 447 heads up

 

 

One of the highlights was playing Tin Roof on Wednesday.  I’m proud to say, the place was packed with friends.  If you made it out, thanks.  Y’all make me feel just sadang special.

 

 

But the true highlight was seeing my baby girl, Mia.  If you have a dog, you know how hard it is to leave um.  She is in good hands with her grandparents where she can run, chase rabbits and assert herself as queen of the backyard.  Mom gives here everything (steak, cheese, pizza, name it). Now she’s husky for sure.

 

 

Getting home Sunday made me appreciate Nashville all the more.  Columbia is great and home to some of my favorite people, but Nashville has a beat and rhythm that make it exactly where I should be.  This pic says it all.

 

 

Great things are rolling and on the horizon.  Sometime before Christmas I’ll be putting out a 5-6 song EP with fresh new tracks.  Lookout!

If you want to hear a few tracks from Sirens for free, check out my soundcloud page HERE

The Best of Nashville party at the Parthenon

 

J Edwards and I had a blast playing Antique Archaeology.  One of two locations for the TV series American Pickers.

From cafe racers to Marathon gasoline signs, it has some incredible stuff.  Wall to wall Americana.

And, of course, vintage guitars and mics… Wouldn’t be Nashville if they didn’t have a few

I’m pumped to have gigged alongside J Edwards.  If you don’t like his voice, ya just ain’t right in da head!  Be sure to check out his music here.

We also got to meet the Artist In Residence at Gibson Guitars after our set.  He makes Gibsons look EVEN better.  You can check out some of his masterpieces here.

When I first started getting serious about my music performance and vocals I constantly sought the advice of Donnie Scearce (stage manager for Corey Smith).  After a year of shows he said, “You have played enough to feel comfortable onstage.  Now you have to take your vocals to the next level”.

Enter the poor musician’s savior: youtube.  I found Eric Arceneaux.  He is a stellar beginner coach.  If you want some great free advice, check him out here.

But I progressed to wanting and needing more.  You can only go so far with impersonal teaching.  In 2009 I started training with Jan Smith.

 

 

All of her students call her Mama Jan.  She has taken my vocals light years from where I started.  What a firecracker!

 

 

She trained Usher, Rob Thomas, Sugarland, Colbie Caillat, and countless other major recording artists.  I’m always greeted with a hug and a “how are you, sugar?” in her strong and confident southern tone.  She is warm and welcoming – not the type to allow success to saturate her ego.  And like a good Mama, her words carry heavy weight.

 

 

You can check out more about Mama Jan on her website here.

I’m proud to have her in my corner.

 

This is my first blog post! Thank you for all your support! I’m incredibly humbled by the response to my writing and songs. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Rough Seas

As an artist I’ve grown to understand my voice and shape my writing dynamics through my experiences.  It was a rocky beginning.  I was living out of my 85′ accord and praying for a break.  The hondoid, as it was affectionately named, could hit 60 MPH if you were smashing the gas to the floor and trucking down a STEEP slope.  She was a chick magnet! LOL.  Believe it or not, it actually had an old school radio turn dial.  If you got a station, you left it!  Nothing like a white boy rolling down the road pumping R&B or gangster rap. But she did the job and I miss her… But not that much

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was sleeping in the hondoid or on Nic Stratton’s rotting couch that reeked of booze and his feet! HAHA! In fairness, his place was in the center of 5 points… but the the funk on his feet had no excuse. Nic is an awesome friend. His encouragement and charity sustained me!  Seems like once a day he would tell me that this was part of the master plan and that I wouldn’t ever be without a place to crash.

I remember thinking, “What the hell am I doing?”.  I graduated from USC (national baseball champs!) Magna Cum Laude.  My friends are attending medical or law school and I’m sleeping in a car.  But I wanted it… I wanted music more than any grade or university accolade.  This quote resounded in my head, “Hard times are the crucible in which character and leadership are forged” – Abigail Adams.  I kept telling myself that the end will justify the means.  In 10 months time I was playing 12-15 gigs a month.  I couldn’t believe it! The struggle for music continued, but at least now I could afford my own place.  Looking back, those uncertain times helped me appreciate music.  I had to constantly ask myself, “Is this what you want?”.  The answer was and always will be.  Yes