Taking Time

For a few years prior to putting out Java St Bagatelles in 2006, every time I ran into my friend Ryan Goodman he would ask me how the album was coming. It was coming slow. As I’ve said elsewhere, I wasn’t even necessarily planning to make an album until, probably, 2005 — I was just practicing. And recording. It was a great feeling not to be rushed. I didn’t feel like there was anything that I had to do.

After Java St was released my attitude changed. I had gotten some attention for the album and I wanted to build what momentum I could. I released Fresh Twigs in 2008 and Astral Law (serially) in 2010-11. But after the wrap-up of the sustained-release of Astral Law, which culminated with a physical issue on CDR, my attitude started to change again. The music was changing too. What I’m working on now is very different from the music on those first albums. It’s simpler, more direct, communal, and a return to my “roots.” Hate to use that phrase, but that’s close to it.

I now find it to be positive that the new stuff is so different from my first three albums. Initially the idea of “starting over” was disturbing, but now I’m alright with it. In a way it’s not a new process — Java St Bagatelles was very much a fresh start after playing rock for many years. So I’m embracing the sense of starting fresh. I’m not feeling any pressure to move things along in any timeframe; there’s no momentum to keep up, since I’d imagine that the audience for the new stuff will only tangentially overlap with the first albums anyway. And even if that were not the case, it feels better to work on this project without extrinsic pressure.

Right now there are 9 songs sketched out — some more fully than others, with 2 more in the works. I’ve also been thinking that I’ll include “Dunebuggy” and “The Devil Is a Sad Spirit” in the bunch — though whether I use the existing versions for the demo or try new ones I’m not sure yet.

Then, whenever I have enough tracks done — I’m thinking 15, but maybe more as they seem to be getting better as I go — I’ll take the bunch of them and go looking for a co-producer to make the album stronger than I’d be able to make it on my own.