the album

1. High Time

When I wrote this song I thought that the one and another were people. Upon further review, it is apparent to me that it’s about the choice between accepting assumptions you’ve made your whole life and forging a unique path.

2. Hell Yeah

Some chord progressions are just lurking waiting to grab whatever lyrics suit them. And sometimes the lyrics are basically about how fun it is to play the song!

3. 8,192

Not that you always have a choice, but dwelling on things makes them snowball. I had the thought that when you think about something, it doubles its perceived significance. Being a science guy by day, I began to sift through numbers for one that was eminently sing-able and meaningful. When I hit this number I just knew.

4. We Get to be Still Here

The elation of moments spent adventuring outdoors is hard to capture in music. At a secluded spot I know with panoramic views of Boston, I said these words out loud... and (as if often the case) tried desperately to remember the exact line on the run home. I had been experimenting with this simple chord progression with an island feel that just matched the spirit perfectly.

5. Screaming for you

This one’s a repository for a million mixed feelings surrounding the end of my marriage. The discovery of my voice, both literally and figuratively, happens to coincide. But I do not hate my prior journey in the least. It only took about 20 minutes to write this one, and the live recording I made that day was close enough to the final arrangement that we used it “as is” on the demo.

6. Who Ever Planned the Good Part Anyway?

I bought a new Martin HD-28 in 2010 from Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, CA. The essential idea for this song was born that day, based largely on the joy of playing a big old G chord on a great steel string. It took a decade for that nugget to find life as this raucous instrumental/vocal mix that matches the lyrical sentiment!

7. Sounds We Knew

We are truly all blessed by the sounds we knew. Dedicated to John Prine (1946 - 2020).

8. Heart on Fire

My 10-year-old son Linus woke me one morning with an idea for a song. “Fire in the morning, fire in the night,” he said.

I replied, “That’s great, but I need a concept to write the rest, so what’s it about?” 

“Anger.” he said. Yup, that’ll do.

A couple weeks later, he told me the song was to be titled “Heart on Fire” but those words weren’t in the song (yet). So I said, “Hey you know what, this song needs a bridge!”

9. Come Take Me

Maybe we over-intellectualize what life is supposed to be. We all fight ourselves over what we want versus what we think is sensible. I felt like this concept presented in a somewhat cheeky, blunt fashion would be impactful. Along with an atypical string arrangement, this one tends to make me cry.

10. Like How Happiness Feels

Conceived of in my sleep, this one was originally called “song and a dream.” I was walking down the street with a childhood friend of mine and a street performer was playing some version of this song. I woke up and scribbled some things down, and it grew into a reflection on the complexities of life and the simplicity of just being.

11. Season II

I know how this song came to be, but I’ll leave it to listeners to tell me what it’s about. My son wrote the opening line and the opening chord progression. This is straight ahead bluegrass, a huge influence on me.

12. Bright Side

I wrote this chord progression at a geology field camp in the Wind River Range of Wyoming in 2004. It started getting words in summer 2019 and was one of the first full quarantine demos I recorded. It’s very special that it’s an intimate duet with Nate Sabat, who arranged, produced, played bass and sang harmonies for the whole album. On this one, catch him playing guitar!