Eleven Months Since My Last Post

As a commenter on my last song pointed out, it's been a while since I've updated the site. Since it draws in a few hits from Google every day, and probably a few of my friends a couple times a year, I thought I'd take a moment and post what's been going on.

I decided to start this website two years ago while I was sitting at my 9-5 job thinking about what more I could be doing with my life. Although I've only written a handful of songs since then, a lot has changed.

I've moved from Seattle to Portland. I've spend a few months out of the country. Lost a girlfriend, and found another. Started a successful (as of late) freelance motion graphics business. Started playing music with some old friends from high school. Rented a practice studio for a month. Gave up the lease, moved all the music gear back in my garage and moved on.

It feels like it hasn't been very long since I wrote a song, or posted one here, but it's coming up on a year, which sucks. I have a strong desire to continue songwriting, playing and recording music. But at this point in my life, I have a lot of strong desires.


Things change, sometimes for the better.


David

Time Got Away From Me

I wrote this a few days ago. The lyrics came pretty easy and after a bit so did the melody and chords. I recorded the vocals and guitar in my garage, after my housemates finally left for a few hours. I played and recorded the drum and the bass track this afternoon in my friends garage and mixed it all tonight back on my home computer. It was my first time recording and playing drums on a song, I think it went well.

Time It Got Away From Me 12-21-09



I can still feel the water splashing, my chest it tight with air
The sky it burns hot red and orange, like there's a fire up there
The glint in your eye, your confident smile, you knew I wanted you then
But night it came and it got too late and I lost you once again

Time it got away from me
It took you away from me
so far away from me

That fire it burned but barely warmed the wood so soaked and wet
I wished to myself that it'd been just like the day that we first met
The branches grew and we climbed inside and we smiled at what we'd found
I brought my camera, but I left it on the ground

You got so close to me
You stayed so close to me
You were so close to me

We let it all out right then and right there and we breathed in deep as we could
You were the brightest thing in the sky and I stared and you looked good
The canyon breeze would have blown your hair, i looked up but I was alone
So I'm stoking the fire with my two hands, waiting for you to come home

I'll make sure you stay with me
I'll keep you right here with me
I'll make sure you stay with me

New Material

After a several month long dry spell, I've got some new material that I'm really proud of. Not that anybody really follows this very closely. But in a couple more days I'll have a new song posted that I've recently written. A few of exciting things about it: I'm recording a drum track tomorrow in a friend's garage, so this will be the first song with any real drums on it, and the first time I've ever played drums on a track. Also I experimented with a new writing technique that I'll I'll also be sharing. And I've got another song to get recorded after that. So stay tuned.

Songs for Download

I've had a couple request for mp3 versions of my song of my songs, which is very encouraging. Instead of sharing just a few, I've made 13 songs that I've recorded in the few years available for download in one set. Click on the link below then unzip them, and the tracks are all yours.

Download Now

A Big Change

I haven't posted anything for 5 months. Not necessarily becuase I hadn't written anything, I just haven't been very happy with what came out of it. I've been feeling a bit uninspired and even bored with writing music.

But after 4 years of playing alone, today, my old band is getting back together. Back in high school we used to play every night for hours, we even recorded and self released an album (of
which our friends bought all 250 copies). The last time we played together was at a high school talent show at the end of our senior year sometime in may, 2005. Now, I'm not saying we were the best band, or really even worth listening to, but playing with those guys were some of the best a times of my life and I've been missing it ever since.

So I have high hopes for the future, and I'm feeling excited about music. I've got absolutely everything we need in my garage, finally even including a drumset. So get ready...for something.

So Easy

I wrote this song this morning while driving down the freeway, I didn't have a pen, so I texted it into my cell phone. Lyrics have been coming to me much easier lately, which is a nice change. Also, I moved into a house last week, so I've got a new recording space now. If you heard a little more reverb it's because I recorded this song in a empty two car garage. I bought an old upright piano that you'll definitely hear in the future.

So Easy 05-05-09


i'm laying there staring at the ceiling
and you're beside me I'm listening to you breathing
and wondering why we can't have what should be so easy

maybe that's all that it would take
one night together there awake
sharing hearts and lips and hands and your mouth tastes so sweet

you told me that maybe you could love me
and i grabbed your hand and told you i was so happy
but morning came and you'd already changed your mind

now were sharing the same house and the same walls
i can see you from your room acorss the hall
but i guess that i've gotta stop thinking about you so much

What's it Gonna Take?

Sorry for the poor recording quality on this one, I wrote it back in early March and quickly recorded it on my laptop. I've since tried to rerecord it, but I'm just not feeling it anymore. I thought it was worth posting anyway.

What's it Gonna Take? 03-06-09

My Love

I wrote some of this song while I was away on vacation over the past few weeks, I didn't really know what it was about until I got home and finished it.

My Love 04-28-09



She sang to me so sweetly in languages in didn't speak.
And walked along the beach alone and thought about her life back home.

It's worse than just bitter sweet it's hard to taste and hard to eat.
When love looks you right in they eye but you know it won't last the night.

That's life
That's life

I know I'm weak, but I act strong. I miss you when you've barely gone
Who am I singing these lines to? Maybe you think this songs about you.

My Skinny Love, or my Little Bird, a girl from Holland or Oxford
I've got to put my love somewhere so friends look out and cute girls beware.

Of my love
Of my love

It comes from deep inside of me and it's got to find somewhere to be.
So don't blame me if I've moved on and found new subjects for my songs.

Those seven months have long since past and things did change oh so fast.
So who's forgotten how to love? Because it clear there's none to speak of.

No love
None to speak of
No love
No love
No love
None to speak of

No Chords and No Words

My mom died 3 and half weeks ago, on Christmas Eve. I've wanted to write a song for her, this is the best I can do right now. I know she would have loved it, she loved everything I did, she was my biggest fan.

Song for my Mother 01-16-09



I love you mom.

Anything Changes Everything

This is about things that never happened.
It's about small changes in circumstance and their much larger effects on my life.
About things that I wish would have happened, and others that I'm glad never did.

Anything Changes Everything 12-11-08




Sidenote - Here's a picture of my little home studio.

I'm Not Looking Foreward to This

But I Will Make The Best of It 12-01-08



Sidenote - I've been using Ableton Live to record music for about 8 months now, and I think I've finally gotten the workflow down.

Your Heart Felt Good

Your Heart Felt Good 10-03-08





If any of these lyrics sound familiar, you might have heard them here.
(sorry Modest Mouse)

You Only Get What You Give

I recorded this song 2 months ago, I feel better about it now.

I left my house so early or the sun it was late
I know it's been forever, but it felt just like yesterday
The wind was cold on my face, it brought water to my eyes
That's when I felt it, I saw the empty sky

The day it kept getting longer, until i made it home
But, before i knew it, I was back out in the cold
Seven months of train rides, even if I board it twice a week
It's way more then she needs, but not enough for me

I hear the cars they drive past, everybody's going some where
maybe I should join them and get the hell out of here.

The Empty Sky or Seven Months of Train Rides 09-19-08

Treasure or Trash?

I tried out some new recording techniques with a few things I found around my apartment.



Song for Someday
05-07-08



This song features:
My x-700 Minolta camera, a socket wrench, car keys, my IBM keyboard, a djembe and some taping on my desk.

The First Song

This is not only the first song I'm posting, but one of the first songs I'd ever written. I wrote it almost exactly two years ago, mid-September 2006. I had just moved to LA and my girlfriend (of 2 months) lived in Portland.

The day that I left was one of the saddest and most beautiful days of my life. I cried for probably the first 40 miles. The sun was rising and there was a low fog covering the fields that I drove past. I knew I had someone that needed me, and I would be truly missed.

All that I want 09-15-06




I recorded that song here. In a rundown backyard guest house where I lived, one thousand miles from home.

The Inspiration Behind This Blog

This blog in inspired by a line from a song:

But it all boils down to one quotable phrase
"If you love something, give it away"

-Conor Oberst

That's a Bright Eyes song, called Landlocked Blues