Music
Here are the records and tracks I've spilled my heart out on so far, along with a few of the collaborations I've been super lucky to lend my voice to. Be warned, it's a real potpourri of styles and songs: confessionals, yarns, kiss-offs, torchy standards, sentimental cowboy covers, and even a few ghost stories. This is everything that has come before Unquiet Country. There! Now you're up to date.
single:
Look For the Silver Lining
During the COVID-19 lockdown, I found myself drawn to the resilience and defiant joy of the American Songbook, particularly the tunes that buoyed my grandmothers through the hard years of World War II. I covered this classic song by Jerome Kern and BG Silva as a way of convincing myself that things would be okay, and created the video as an homage to the women who faced down hardship with grace and a song in their hearts. Producer & Band: Ed Arnold, Mix/Master: Dave Westner.
video:
Come Find Me
I'm a sucker for ghost stories and love songs, so I wrote a song that is a bit of both. I created the accompanying video to translate that feeling into a visual poem and it became a love letter to the almost supernaturally beautiful Maine summer nights that simultaneously scared me and awe-inspired me as a kid. Producer: Sean Staples & Me, Remix by Ed Arnold.
album:
Sky City Lullaby
True story: I once met and befriended a real cowboy. His name was Ed Tucker and he became a mentor to me in music and life. This record was made in his memory, as a collection of his favorite songs from Texas, and really his favorite songs from anywhere with wide-open, starry skies. I also wrote a few originals for this one, with his life lessons in mind. I still miss you, Big Ed. Producer: Sean Staples & Me
album:
Hold On
This was the record I made right before I did the crazy thing and moved to Nashville, but I made it in South Berwick, Maine, with an incredible cast and crew of musicians. Listening to this feels like time travel to me now, but I am proud of what can happen when musical friends get together and polish song ideas into full-on productions. Producer: Andrew Gallagher & Me.
single:
Sweet Talk
My friend, the incredible guitarist Andy Santospago, invited me to be part of his innovative "Year of the Horse" project and I jumped at the chance to sing his song about snake oil salesmen and other sweet talking charlatans. The talent in this band boggles the mind. One of my favorite tracks I've ever been part of. Producer: Andy Santospago & Andy Plaisted.
single:
She Got the Call
Treat Her Right frontman and beloved Boston raconteur David Champagne asked me to sing a song on his Agnostic Gospel project, and I answered the call. He put me to work singing this gospel-inflected scorcher with an incredible band at Dimension Studios in Jamaica Plain. I love it because it's a celebration of life, a cheers to the universal experience of mortality, and a hopeful salute to the great beyond. Plus, the backup singers were simply amazing. Producer: Kimon Kirk
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album:
Waiting for You
My first record! This was produced at The Studio, in Portland, Maine with a fine band of musicians I just happen to have known since college - and a few since birth. I was finding my voice and my songwriting style at the same time, and learning how to produce all in one fell swoop. My favorite track from this session is "Highway 9" because it feels like home, and always will. Producer: Me, Noam Weinstein.
misc:
Worktapes & Live Takes
My SoundCloud is a bit like a looseleaf journal where the orphans and worktapes of my songbook hang out, along with other demos and works in progress. Some of these songs will be getting the full studio treatment on my upcoming Unquiet Country project. Anything can happen over there. Check it out!
