Eyes Above the Skyline is AVAILABLE NOW on Digital USB Card and CD, Vinyl (Available at ALL live shows), and on most Major Streaming Platforms

Eyes Above the Skyline

Driven

I Drink Alone

Runway In Reverse

It's Not You

Later On

Movie Star

Get Out Of Here Alive

Wide Awake

Small Town Celebrity

Train

If you're interested in knowing what the process of recording my first album was like, read below for "from the studio" updates. Most recent dates are at the top. I hope to begin work on my follow-up album later this year. All songs are written, I'm just going through them to see which ones will make the cut for this record then I'll begin the recording process all over again. I have some new ideas this time. I think it's going to be a good one!

See y'all soon!

Come check out a LIVE SHOW !

*UPDATE* 5/17/2025 Masters are finished and approved. A few quick things to handle on the legal side and I'll get the album off to the manufacturer. First will be a Digital Release and then, as soon after as possible, Vinyl and CD.

Some of you observant types may have noticed a change to the cover and title. You are correct. I've been sitting with the initial idea for a while and, while I love the cover art, I stopped being in love with the title. It fit the art but not the album. "Eyes Above the Skyline" fits the album as a whole and I just happened to have the perfect picture for it. Happy accident and whatnot. :-)

*UPDATE* 4/17/2025 To date, 4 of the 10 songs are 99% finished. We will be wrapping up the remainder of the songs wrapped up over the next couple weeks.

*UPDATE* 4/7/2025 Editing is finished and final mixes are being worked on now. Those should start getting to me this week for final approval and we will begin final wrap-up. It's not much longer now.

Session 13 - 2/25/2025

Bittersweet...an absolutely cliche term but that's what it is. The album is one step closer to completion but tracking is finished and I'll miss that. Being in the studio is so much fun even if I wasn't actively participating in what's going on during these last sessions. Last 2 songs (backing vocals) were completed tonight. Karlie knocked these songs out of the park (on piano/keys, too)! This has been such a positive experience. I can't wait to start work on the next record.

Session 12 - 2/20/2025

5 more songs wrapped up tonight. Next session will be for the remaining 2 songs (backing vocals) and anything extra we want to add. Nearly finished with "Phase 1" of the process. "Phase 2" will be editing, mixing, and all the behind-the-scenes stuff that happens after recording is finished. Then onto the legal stuff (copyrights, etc.) and production of the physical media (vinyl/CD) and the digital release (Phase 3).

Session 11 - 2/11/2025

Piano/Keys are finished for 10/10...and they 10/10 make the songs SO MUCH better IMO. Began tracking backing vocals for Driven, Get Out of Here Alive, and Wide Awake. Next session will be more backing vocals and the Home Stretch for tracking. #LettingItTakeAsLongAsItTakes

Session 10 - 1/30/2025

Piano/Keys are finished for 9/10 songs. Next session will take care of the last song and begin work on backing vocals. Getting close...

Session 9 - 1/23/2025

Began tracking Piano/Keys for the album. Got through 4 songs. Most of the piano parts are being hashed out as we're recording them (meaning I don't really know where each instrument is going and exactly what is going to go there anyway) so the session was a little bit disorganized...but in a good way. Next session or 2 will be to finish keys then we move on to backing vocals.

Session 8 - 11/26/2024

Finished tracking the remaining lead vocals today. We got 9 songs tracked in a 4-hour session. I'm amazed, still, with the effeciency and effectiveness of our work during the recording sessions...even with taking time to crack a few jokes and talk about the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish - it's Deviled Eggs, BTW.

Next session will be for piano and backing vocals. Look for an update after the holiday.

Session 7 - 11/18/2024

Finished tracking acoustic guitars for the remaining 8 songs and tracked lead vocals for "Driven". This session was QUICK! We got in and got some work done. Getting in the home stretch now. The next session will concentrate on vocals, mostly, then we'll fill up with a few other instruments and, maybe...that'll be it. This album could see the light of day earlier than I hoped.

*UPDATE 11/13/2024* After a short break, tracking for the new album will resume on Monday November 18, 2024. I'm hoping to squeeze in an extra session or 2 over the Thanksgiving Holiday week. Hopefully, that will allow me to move toward an earlier-than-anticipated release. Let's see how it goes.

Session 6 - 10/28/2024

All electric guitars are finished now. Started on acoustic guitar tonight and got that done for 2 songs: "Train" and "Later On". This is super exciting! I love all the songs on the record but Train has always been the favorite (for me) of all of my songs. Taking a few weeks off so the next update will be a little delayed.

Just as a side note: Life has not afforded the time yet to do a full-day session in the studio. All these past sessions have been 4-hour sessions. I'm super impressed that we are able to get in and get so much done with the time we have. That's a testament to going into the studio as prepared as possible but MORESO it shows what having talented people on your team can do. Props to everyone involved so far.

Session 5 - 10/21/2024

Finished tracking electric guitars for songs 4 - 8. Tossed around some ideas about other instrumentation. (Heads up! You may hear some steel guitar. Just saying.) Session 6 coming up on 10/28 to finish electric guitar and start tracking acoustic guitars. Onward and upward! I can't wait for this project to be finished! I'm ready to get these songs out into the world.

Session 4

Tracking is well underway. Drums and Bass have been completed for all 10 songs. We began tracking guitars tonight and were able to finish electric guitars for 3 songs: Driven, Get Out of Here Alive, and Runway in Reverse. Session 5 will be on 10/21/2024. More updates soon!

I feel like an explanation is needed for when I say that I'll finally get to hear what the song sounds like. Here goes. When I write, I write just on acoustic guitar. I'll write the chord changes and the lyrics and work them out so they fit together and the song, though complete, just sounds like vocals and acoustic guitar - which is fine.

10/14/2024

But they don't have a definite "feel", necessarily, or lean toward one genre or another at that point. And, as odd as it may seem, I just don't have the best ability to hear my songs a certain way - with certain parts added, certain changes in feel, etc. - until those parts get added (most times by other musicians or the producer). Only when the other parts happen do the songs, for me, begin to move in a particular direction and (and here's the fun part) then they take the life of an actual complete song with a mood and feelings and direction. It's a super fun process for me. It's like getting a present with each song.

Session 3 - 10/7/2024

We finished tracking Drums and Bass for the remaining 3 songs. Next session, we'll start on guitars - either acoustic or electric. Then the songs will REALLY start to take shape. I can't wait to hear those.

Session 2 - 9/30/2024

Drums and bass for 3 more songs (plus the 1/2 from last session) completed this session. That may not sound super exciting but it IS because even just adding drums and bass to the demo idea makes it feel like an actual song. Beyond that, they start to take shape and reveal the direction the song is going to take. Onward and upward.

Session 1 - 9/19/2024

Drums and bass are first. Best to build the foundation for the song before adding the other "pretty" things. We made it through 3 1/2 songs. No nonsense tracking session. Super productive. Producer had exceptional input. Ginger Cat Sounds was definitely the correct choice.

Choosing a Studio

I wanted to record somewhere I'd never been to get as fresh of an outcome as possible. I researched studios in the area and selected, based on multiple factors, what I thought was the best decision for this record. After emailing with the engineer/producer, we set up a time for me to tour the studio and ask questions. After that meeting, I was confident that Chris was the guy for the job. Our views for the entire process were in line with each other but he also brought some new ideas that I thought would align well with the direction I wanted the album to take. The decision was made to record/mix/master at Ginger Cat Sounds in Fort Mill, SC.

Backstory

I've been writing songs for 25+ years and have always said I was going to get an album recorded. I've been in a few other studio settings and even attempted to record in my home studio. Unfortunately, while I have the equipment to make it happen, I just don't have the knowledge or the producer "mindset" to get the songs where I think they should be. To date, I had a decent number of songs but nothing to showcase them beyond a few odd demos and videos of live performances. I decided it was time to buckle down and make it happen. I didn't want to just record songs I've had for a while - but I knew there were a few songs I already had that I couldn't ignore. I decided to write some new songs for this project and ended up with 8 new songs. I culled 1 that I wasn't in love with and added 3 from my catalog to end up with the 10 songs that will be on the album. I'm not sure in which format they'll be released. I'm toying witht he idea of a vinyl release but understand that a digital release, for sure, is a must today. So...here we go!

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