2020
Stratford Ct.
Spotify | Deezer | Bandcamp
C'est encore les compositeurs qui parle le mieux de leurs musiques. Quelques mots quand même sur cet album. Je dis souvent de certains qu'ils sont lumineux, mais ce n'est pas juste un adjectif en vain. Certaine musique sont tel un rayon de soleil, alors cet album, pour moi, il est solaire, il brille très fort, il m'inspire, il réchauffe et j'assume de ne pas avoir du tout le mesure du temps qui passe quand je lance sa lecture. Mais je laisse son auteur vous en parler bien mieux que moi.
"My previous release “Pictures of Purple Skies” was written during a transitional and transformative stage in my life. Without going into too much detail, I spent a majority of my adult life being plagued by insecurities, self doubt, social anxiety and later depression. I felt aimless, demotivated and seemingly trapped in a sequence of entry level day jobs that consumed my life and sapped up any and all creative influence.
I started a new data entry position in the summer of 2018. I had hopes that this job would be a lot more manageable and significantly less laborious than my previous roles. Sadly this was not the case. Over the months that followed, my frustration and tedium built to an all time high. Funnily enough, a few of my closest friends where feeling equally burned out at this time. So we drunkenly decided to book a holiday to Barcelona. I was unaware at the time but this trip would become a catalyst and provide me with some much needed direction towards the positive change I desperately needed.
In the months following my return there where many peaks and troughs, the latter of which where particularly severe. But as a friend once told me “Rock bottoms will teach you more than mountain tops ever will”. In February of 2019 I began my road to recovery and through a combination of treatment and therapy my quality of life began to change exponentially. For the first time in my life I felt comfortable in my own skin.
With my head in a better place I began writing “Pictures Of Purple Skies”. The idea was to revisit all of the significant moments that occurred during my time in Barcelona and attempt to score them. Arriving in that beautiful city, breathing in that atmosphere, dreading the inevitable return to the grind and finally my optimism for change. I wanted to take that concept and encase it in an almost tropical, Synthetic haze.
In August of 2019 “Pictures Of Purple Skies” was released. At this point my mental health was at an all time high. I was a few months into my new career in social work, my relationships with friends and family had only gotten better and before the dust had time to settle, I was back in the studio writing again.
One day I was out walking with one of the guys under my care. Seemingly out of nowhere he began to list off some of the things that he was grateful for in life. After completing this incredibly wholesome list He followed it up by saying “I’m living the life of Riley”. I was unfamiliar with this phrase and asked him what he meant. He replied “I’m carefree, Everything is good”. It was Autumn at the time and we happened to be walking down a park pathway. The sky at this moment was indescribable, so many different shades of purple and orange that where backed by huge opposing clouds. Inspired by my friends optimism, I decided to take a photo. I’m still not exactly sure what happened. But in that instant I became very reflective. I began thinking about my pursuit of personal growth over the years, comparing how I felt in that moment versus how I had felt at almost any other time in my life. I felt truly contented.
This mood stayed with me for the remainder of the evening. On my walk home my mind was buzzing. I became overwhelmed with images of Super 8, dusk drenched wheat fields and saturated flowers in the wind. I began thinking about the fleeting moments in my life where I felt equally contented. Sitting beneath the pine tree in my parents backyard during the summertime. Watching the breeze zip through the grass as the sun goes down and the sky fades to dusk. Something had clicked and I knew I wanted to soundtrack that moment.
I got home from work, dumped my shit and began writing what would become the first track on my 2nd album “Under The Tree”
In a nutshell. That’s what this album is about. To quote The Shawshank Redemption “I crawled through 500 yards of shit and came out clean on the other side”. That concept may seem somewhat self indulgent and to a certain extent I would say that’s accurate. But I feel that this album is more than that. I receive so many truly breathtaking messages from so many beautiful people on a daily basis. They share their trepidation and tribulations as well as their optimisms and how my music has in some way alleviated their stresses or enhanced the vibe of a pleasant evening. Even If I had the most expansive vocabulary on the planet, I doubt I could express how surreal and truly overwhelming that is to hear. I can never prepare for it. I always feel so privileged that people feel comfortable enough to confide so deeply.
So in many ways, this album is my way of returning the favour to the people who have supported me. I’ve been wading in a river of shit for many years and If it weren’t for my fans I doubt I’d be feeling so clean. These people have provided a platform for my outlet and the reception for which leaves me speechless. I often engage in discussions with family, friends and fans about mental health. I understand the physicality of depression and anxiety all too well. But I feel that too often, particularly with the cynicism of the Internet. You only hear about the struggle and never the resolve. From my perspective the last thing you want to hear when you’re in an emotionally acute state is how futile any affirmative action put towards change is. No one likes to feel trapped. I’ve been there and it fucking sucks! We all need to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel and if I can use what little influence I have to express that to the people who need to hear it. You better believe I’m going to try.
It will get easier.
It does get better.
My head is clear, my heart is full and everyday I’m grateful I never threw in the towel. I’m living The Life Of Riley - “A carefree existence”
