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.