August 20, 2020
It hardly seems possible that it was one year ago today that my debut EP, "Foolish Heart, " was released. Musically, it has been a crazy year for all the best reasons. Four of the five songs on the EP hit number 1 on Indie music charts somewhere in the world over the last year. My sixth single, "Oh Woman, Don't You Cry," also went to number 1. My latest single, "Fading Away," didn't hit number 1, but it has 60,000 streams on Spotify as I write, and it has been on several "Best of Summer Indie Music" charts since June. The EP and singles from it all appeared on multiple "Best of 2019" charts at the end of last year and I was a finalist in two Music Awards shows this year.
Like all my musical brothers and sisters, 2020 has been a real kick in the ass. COVID-19 has made it impossible for me to play live shows as I had planned. It has also put a huge financial hit on those who depend on music as either a sole or supplementary income. I'd have to say that, in terms of music, 2020 has been the worst tear since I started playing 55 years ago.
I'll take a brief sidetrack here to urge all of you who miss seeing live music to use common sense and wear a mask to help us get through this coronavirus mess as soon as possible. This isn't a political message; it's a realistic view of the state of the world as we know it at this moment. Now back to music!
Take this, COVID-19!
As bad as 2020 and covid-19 have been for music, I have to say that isolation has afforded me the opportunity to work on new songs and, as unlikely as it may seem, to combine with several musicians I've known for a long time but have never actually played with.
I'm happy to say that I'm back in the studio to work on new songs for the first time in almost a year. This time the studio is Albey Road, owned and operated by the remarkable Al Snyder, whose name may be familiar to you from the Corbin-Hanner Band. I have known Al since the early 1970s, but I have never worked with him. I can't accurately explain what a great honor it is to finally do so...and how much fun it is. Al us not only a great keyboard player but is also a wonderful singer. His studio chops are unparalleled. He's a great songwriter and producer and I think he has raised the level of my songs above the bar I set, and I said it pretty damned high.
I've also worked for the first time with drummer Joey Waslousky, who I'm sure Pittsburghers know from many bands, including Studio A with Scott Anderson and Pete Hewlett and so many others. I don't need to tell you that Joey is a first-tier guy, both from a human standpoint and as a drummer -- solid and very adaptable. It's a joy to hear what he does on our tracks.
I've also played in the studio for the first time with my good friend Danny Gochnour, who you all know from the Houserockers and his own remarkable band, of which I am proud to be a member. Well have many more friends appearing. You'll gear many new sounds on my upcoming work, some of which you heard before, but quite a few of which you probably had no idea I was interested in.
We hope to have a new single out by Labor Day with and EP -- or maybe two -- out by late fall or the end of 2020. Stay tuned to my Facebook page and this website for more information and updates as we get closer to Labor Day.
Meanwhile, if you aren't familiar with my music, please check it out on Spotify. If you wish to purchase individual tracks and the full EP, either digitally or physically, you can do so through Bandcamp or on the STORE link on this site.
And, if you would like to contribute to help offset recording costs, you can do so through the link at the top of the home page of thissite
Thanks to everyone who has supported me since I'm started recording two years ago, either financially or with encouragement.
