Friday, January 3, 2020

2019 Year In Music

So here we are, the end of a decade. A decade of highs and lows and a period of tremendous growth for me a person and a musician. I have now lived in New York City for just over 10 years, for better or for worse haha. But in all seriousness, New York has played an important role in shaping me as a person as I finished my twenties and entered my thirties. I moved to New York will very little planning and much naiveté, so I'm not going to say that I could've envisioned where I would be in 2020, but I probably assumed I would still be here. And I probably would have assumed I would still be making music, which has quietly been increasing year after year. This past year was very important for me a musician, one of my most accomplished, and I've very proud of everything that I participated in. My journey is a slow one, but one that I have complete control over, so I am at least grateful for that. That being said, this coming year is shaping up to even busier, which I welcome with open arms. While I consider myself lucky to possess the talents which allow me to be a professional musician, it is an incredibly difficult career, one that I still struggle to earn enough income from without having to work an additional job. I understand there is a certain amount of privilege that is a part of being a musician, but that doesn't mean we don't work incredible hard to produce and present our art to the world. While the modern recording industry is still very young, it is not currently sustainable for most professionals. I think we can all agree on the importance of music in our lives, especially as we look for diversions in this current state that we have found ourselves in, and all I ask is that you think about how that music made its way to your ears. The creative process runs very deep and usually involves quite a few people, all trying their best to create their best work. Music is more abundant and available than ever, so I understand the difficulty in sifting through it all, but if you truly are a music fan, all I ask is that you support musicians in one form or another, of which there are many forms, and I trust you will find a few ways to best suit you. I will never stop creating, and I will never stop working with people who create because that is what I love to do, whether or not it is financially viable. I'll be fine, I hope.

Here is a selection of a few things I worked on this year:


Gold Child

This was the year of Gold Child! Emily released her debut full length album, and I am so grateful that I got to be a part of creating this beautiful record. There was nothing easy about putting this all together, and we worked many years on this project, but I think it's safe to say that we are very proud of the final product. I would like to thank Emily for writing these beautiful songs, and John Fredericks and Garrett Eaton for helping to produce the songs, and to Justin Gerrish for making everything sound great! The album is available on your streaming service of choice, but the Spotify link is below:




Dismal Stars

This is another project that I am more creatively attached to. Along with Nathan Aguilar and Ryan Hill, we have created a short album that I am very proud of. I would also like to thank Sam Wadsworth for helping us achieve a sonic reality. Playing this style of music is a thrill and I'm very happy to be a part of this band.




Surf Rock is Dead

Only one single was released this past year, which will be included on a full length album to be released May 1st. This year was quiet in comparison to years passed, however, 2020 is shaping up to be a busy one for SRiD.



We also released a music video for the single, 'Away Message,' which was a lot of fun to be a part of.




Also this year I became an active live member of the band Hideout, who I had admired for some time, and I am excited to participate in future recordings. I am also still a live member of Blonder, who is also about to release some new music.

Finally, I would just like to thank all the musicians I had the opportunity to make music with over the past decade, all the musicians I have met in during my time in New York, and all of the people who have listened. Because without the listeners, we would be nothing. Thank you.


Thursday, January 24, 2019

2018 Year In Music

This past year was yet another busy year for me musically. However, most of the music that I worked on, or was a part of this year, has yet to be released. Gold Child is very close to finishing a full length album, with the songs being prepped for the mixing stage. I am also a member of a new project called Dismal Stars, and we recorded seven brand new songs this year that are being mastered as I type this. Needless to say, 2019 is going to be a busy year for me, and I look forward to sharing new music with the world.

All of that being said, here are a couple songs released last year that I did play on.



Surf Rock Is Dead, "Away Message"



This song is the first release of a new batch of songs that the boys wrote and that we have been working on for the past year. A full album is on the horizon and should be released later this year.



Ski Lodge, "It's The End Of The World Tomorrow"



This song is the last to be released that was part of a batch of songs Andrew and I had worked on a couple years ago. Most of the other songs have been released as part of various EPs, but this one sat on the shelf while Andrew was building his new recording studio in Brooklyn called Hook and Fade. I'm glad this song has finally been released to the world.





Tuesday, January 2, 2018

2017 Year In Music

Another year has come and gone, and this was a year that most of us are probably very glad to be finished with. We were all tested physically and mentally, and it looks as though we might have another tough year ahead. Regardless, we have to keep living and creating because that's what we all do best, and I very much look forward to being creative in this new year. With that said, this past year was another busy one for me musically, and here are a few of the highlights.


Gold Child http://www.goldchildmusic.com

This was a very important year for us as a band. Emily has been writing great songs, and we convinced our friend John to not only help us produce these songs, but to also play guitar in our live band. We played some very fun shows with very good friends, and I'm sure that next year is only going to be better. We released two new songs this year, which can be found on your streaming service of choice.









Surf Rock is Dead http://www.surfrockisdead.com

This was yet another busy year for SRiD because in addition to playing a ton of shows, they also released a brand new EP that I had the pleasure of playing on.  The EP was accompanied by a very fun release show at Rough Trade in Brooklyn and then a tour with the Swedish band Shout Out Louds, which took us to the West Coast of North America.  We had a lot of fun this year playing for a lot of new people, and I look forward to what the new year has in store.







While I'm still a member of Ski Lodge and Von Sell, this year was a bit slower that the previous, however, we did play a few shows and both bands remain active. I look forward to making music together in the future. With that said, I believe creativity is more important than ever, not only to enrich ourselves, but everyone in our lives. This upcoming year is an important one, and together we can make it truly beautiful.




Monday, May 1, 2017

Gold Child, "Me and You"

The long awaited second Gold Child single has finally been released to the world. This track marks a new direction for the band, in which we have started collaborating with different people to help produce the future Gold Child sound. This song was written by Emily and features Mikey Freedom Hart on guitar and keyboards, and was co-produced by Mikey and us. We are also excited to announce that our music is now available on Spotify for your listening pleasure.





Monday, January 2, 2017

2016 Year In Music

This has been a very busy year. I would definitely say 2016 was my busiest since I graduated college and moved to New York. And that's a good thing. While I think it's safe to say that this past year was a difficult one for most, myself included, I am also grateful for many of the opportunities that came my way this year allowing me to advance my career in music. I'm grateful to the many musicians I met this year, as well as my girlfriend Emily for writing beautiful music. Living in New York is not easy, but I like to think that I have finally carved out a little piece of the pie for myself after all these years. While I complain constantly about the city, I love making music here, and I am glad that I'm doing it with my friends. Below is a quick rundown of the projects that I'm involved in.



Gold Child  https://www.facebook.com/goldchildmusic/

This is Emily's band that I play drums in and help her record and produce. We did not release any new material this past year, but we have been busy the last few months recording and working with new people to help produce her new songs. Please stay tuned for new music coming soon.



Blonder  https://www.facebook.com/blonderworld/

This is a band that I play drums in with some really great dudes. I did not play on any of the recordings, but I would recommend that you listen to them. An EP will be released soon, which means that we are about to get very busy. Stay tuned.



Surf Rock is Dead  https://www.facebook.com/surfrockisdead/

I have been playing with these guys for a couple years now, but this year was especially busy. In addition to playing locally a 2-3 times a month, we ventured out of town quite frequently. We befriended a few bands in Philadelphia, and even went on a short tour with one (Suburban Living). We also went on our first semi-national tour (supporting The Jezabels), my first tour in a few years. We also recorded some new songs, the first of which was recently released. Listen below.





Ski Lodge  https://www.facebook.com/skilodgeee/

It's true we have not played many shows this year, or released much new material. However, Ski Lodge is not dead. Andrew recently opened his own studio in Brooklyn and we have been working on new material, as well as an assortment of different projects. Emily and I have been spending a lot of time there working on her songs and we are looking forward to spending more time there this year. Ski Lodge still exists, so stay tuned for new songs in the future.



Von Sell  https://www.facebook.com/vonsell/

This is a band that I play drums in. I've actually been involved in this project for a couple years, but only recently have I become an official member as we begin to play more shows. I have not played on any of the recordings, but an EP was released recently and I would highly recommend it.



Hammer of Justice  https://www.facebook.com/hammerofjusticenyc/

Many people ask me if I still play heavy music. And it's true, I occasionally do. We have only played two shows and have only begun recording our five songs, but this band is a force. I'm definitely getting a work out after pulling my double bass drum pedal out of retirement after seven years. Music coming soon.



So that's it. Well, not really. I still had plenty of other gigs this year, but I'm not going to go through and list everything. Also, I know I used to go through and list my favorite albums of the year, but sorry, this blog is all about me.