After reflecting on the beauty of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird," I decided to compose using a similar approach. Like "Blackbird," chord shells were used to enclose an open drone string, creating a hollow yet melodic sound. Being a post-rocker at heart, I added a harmony guitar, resulting in a less raw but more immersive feel.

An old student of mine, Daphne Duston, wanted to collaborate under the moniker "Zymova." Produced by Mario Quintero (Spotlights), "Love In The Soviet Union" was written for the FX series "The Americans." According to Daphne, our song was pitched at an industry party, and Alecia Key's producer loved it and wanted a second song so he could pitch it to corporate. Then, an unsurprising radio silence. That's the music business.

"Decades" was a long time in the making (hence the name!) This progressive metal tune was created almost twenty years ago. I revisited and re-recorded it many years later during an exceptionally long and dreary winter.

"Travelin'" began as a backing track idea. Here is an early iteration. I have since refined it into a solo piece and played it throughout the world's bars and restaurants, for better or worse. I chose the name "Travelin'" because my father always wanted to travel. What he experienced made him a new man when he finally got around to it. Only later did I discover what that growth would feel like. Sometimes, songs capture a sense of place beyond the physical or temporal. He's since passed, but I still think of my father when I play this song softly late at night.

Pictured above
Walker, Coire: Photograph of Cat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, Thailand. 6 Apr. 2023. Author's personal collection.