Save the one borne of high school angst (I’ll let you guess), all of these songs have been written over the last few years, which I have spent between Florida and St. Davids, PA. They reflect, I imagine, many of my own preoccupations–rural life, the natural world, blood and lineage, fathers, death, rivers, what it means to be from a place, God, chronic dissatisfaction, movie stars… 

I’ve got a theory that we as humans persons are deeply tied to and shaped by the physical land in and upon which we live. What growing up amidst lush waterways, scrubby land, and strip malls has done to me, I cannot say. But with that idea in mind:

These songs emerged from the wild woods of Florida, came of age in southeastern Pennsylvania, and took on new life when they arrived in Los Angeles, and I hope they will take on new life as you listen to them. Perhaps one day I’ll get to sing them for you.

Thank you to Paula Veldhuis, Simone Azimi, “my college friends,” Sarai Gonzalez, the cast of characters to be found (both now and in bygone years) at “the little school in the backwoods” and the nearby church, and the many other friends and family members who helped me bring this record into the world. To Claire, for answering my many questions, being the driving force of my great sojourn out west, and for doing so much to make this music what it is now; and to Mark Rains, for your patience and your valuable opinions on Dune and its various iterations. To everyone who played on this record. To Dr. Brian Williams, for being in my corner. To Dr. Kendall Cox, for bringing Claire to PA and setting this thing in motion. To Dr. Kathryn Smith, for being such a supporter and taking the time to make this record look like it does. To Cameron Moreau, a great musician who taught me everything I know and with whom I spent many guitar lessons — at some picnic tables under some live oaks, somewhere in middle-of-nowhere Florida — talking rather than playing music. To Dr. Virgil Lovett, for getting me on stage for the first time. To all the people who have been enthusiastic about this music, as it stands now and as it stood when I was fifteen and probably a little harder to listen to. To all the green earth and blue water down south in that strange, infernal paradise.

yours,