The Story Behind “Hearts & Minds”

Posted on September 19, 2009 by

Some songs you write in a day – inspiration hits, and you don’t leave the studio until it’s done. But others take time, sometimes months. “Hearts & Minds” falls into the latter category. In fact I took longer to write and record that song than any other on the album.

I wrote it when the war in Iraq was just beginning, and the war in Afghanistan had been under way for a while. Politicians and pundits were always talking about what it would take to win the hearts and minds of the people there. I won’t go into political positions, but I’ll say that it was something that weighed on my mind. Of course, it was on everyone’s mind.

I was also thinking at the time that relationships can work, in a much smaller way, similarly. Someone may have the heart of another, without reaching his or her mind. Or inversely someone could convince another that they should be together, but that person hasn’t won the other’s heart.

Obviously the conflict that can create is insignificant compared to the conflict of war, but maybe there are some similarities. This song is basically me brooding over that idea, musically.

“Harbor View”

Posted on May 30, 2009 by

“Harbor View” is my favorite track off Rural Sounds, and based on digital sales, I think it’s the most popular.

When I wrote the song I just wanted to capture a feeling – one of escapism and relaxation. If you’re like me, you’re always on the grind, and it’s rare that you get any down time. But then comes the unusual occasion when you can get to the beach, have some drinks, chill by the ocean, and just forget the world. That’s what “Harbor View” is all about.

People write songs for different reasons. I always try to write music that I’d want to listen to myself, regardless of its commercial viability. And “Harbor View” is the perfect example of that. I can listen to it, remember that mood, and escape for a few minutes.

By the way, I also love Incognito’s music for that same vibe. Check out Tales from the Beach, and then the remix album, More Tales Remixed, which features a Mark de Clive-Lowe version of “Feel the Pressure.”

The Story Behind “The Funeral”

Posted on May 25, 2009 by

I wrote “The Funeral” on the day of a funeral for someone who was very close to me. At the time, I was struggling with the question of, “should death be a time to celebrate that person’s life, or a time to mourn your own loss?” And that conflict is at the heart of this song.

Obviously, the song leans a little toward the mourning side in its melody, which is provided mostly by guitars. The lead melody was played on a Strat, and then flipped around. Later in the song, the acoustic guitar comes in – I re-sampled it and chopped it up (didn’t want it to sound too folksy).

I wanted the sound to be melancholy, but I also wanted the rythm to be celebratory. It just seemed appropriate for the song to have a certain bounce to it, kind of like a dirge you could nod your head to. Thus, the 808 beats.

By the way, I also used the 808 because I think of it as a newly traditional instrument of the south. The funeral in question was, after all, a southern one.

I’m leaving out the personal details, but this song is a particularly personal one to me. In fact, I’ve been surprised by its popularity because I wrote it just for me, to communicate an emotion, and to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of someone I loved. It’s a sad song, and usually I don’t like sad songs. But it means something to me, and it’s cool that it means something to others too.

The Story Behind “Star Slide (Green Cigar Remix)”

Posted on May 18, 2009 by

Green Cigar is David Healy, a very talented music producer from the UK. David cofounded and helped run a digital label called Working Beats. Sometime in early 2005, he came across some of my demo tracks online, and got in touch with me about a distribution deal. I released three songs through Working Beats. You’d probably have a hard time finding those tracks now since the label closed a couple years ago. But I really enjoyed working with David – he encouraged me, and had a good feel for where I wanted to go musically.

And of course I really liked David’s music as Green Cigar as well. He’s well-versed in a number of electronic styles, and not confined to one in particular. He could drop breaks, downtempo, techno, or pop, do it well, and maintain the Green Cigar sound. I like that approach, and it’s the one I try to take too. Anyway, when I was writing and recording Rural Sounds, it just made sense to work with David on a remix.

What’s cool about the remix is that he tried to get at the intention of the song. That is, the melody, the feel, what the song intended to communicate. Then he accentuated that with his own sound and style. Really, that’s how a remix should always work, right? I was real excited the first time I heard it, and loved the track right away.

Hear it here or in iTunes.