Brief Break

Greetings everyone,

I can't say how much I appreciate all of your support over the last 10 months of blog posts. It took a lot for me to put this out in the world, and I'm so glad I did. I've learned so much and have received a generous outpouring of kind words from friends and family.

These posts and the conversations that have bubbled up from them have given me a refined look at the craft of songwriting. I feel I'm reaching new heights and that I wouldn't be here without the reflections on the past and present songs.

Last week, I was fortunate to perform as a solo artist not once, but twice! It was quite exhilarating and I'd love to continue doing it. After years and years of playing with bands, changing it all and boiling it all down to just me and my songs was eye-opening. I think I will always love playing in a band, but this was just plain good for my soul and spirit. To receive positive responses to just the songs was a welcome change for me. It's something I'll continue to reflect on over the next few months and weeks.

With that, I have to take a brief break from this blog. The reason is two-fold:

1) The busiest time of the year is coming in a few days at work, and I've been doing a lot extra things to train a new employee. This is my first peak season in my new position and I need to be sure I'm resting, etc when I can.

2) I've run out of space on SoundCloud!!!! To be truthful, this is main reason I've stopped, but peak doesn't help things. But here's the deal, you only get so much space on SoundCloud on the free version and I have maxed it out. I suppose that's a good thing, but I'm not quite sure how to proceed. I may ending putting all these songs on either/or YouTube or Bandcamp to free up space, but we'll see.

Hopefully I'll get my proverbial poop in a group in January and get this going again! Thank you all for your continued support. It truly means the world to me.

Out Here

Out Here
Written 2014
Recorded 2015

This song did not come to be without putting a good fight. "Out Here" is one of many songs written in the wee morning hours. Long ago, I tried writing in the evening hours, but somewhere along the way I realized that I was much more productive when I woke up. I'm not sure why, as a general rule I am definitely not a morning person. Granted, that's more around those pesky people.

Nevertheless, I remember this morning particularly well. I started off noodling around on my guitar, and quickly found the verse progression. But that's where progress stopped. I was completely stuck, so I went over to our keyboard and tried plunking a few things out there. Then I had an idea for a vocal line. The problem was it felt way too simple, yet lyrics started coming. The words, "Out here," came out and I wrote them down in my notebook. Again, progress stopped. I couldn't get beyond that line. Noodled around some more and started coming up with the opening riff you hear now. Then I got the idea for "Breathe in where you've been." So I wrote it down and tried playing the progression and seeing if more words followed naturally. They did not. Up to this point, the tempo was much, much slower. So when I started finding the chords and melody for the chorus, that's when I made the move to quicken the pace. From there, it all kind of came together. I decided that a simple verse was fine as long as I added some harmony and the chorus was the glue to hold everything together.

• For being a glaring feature at first glance, I really enjoy the simplicity of the verse. This is not only in melody, but in message too.
• I was a little on the fence about the call and response style of the chorus, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It just made sense at the time and I needed to trust my gut. I think it felt a little cheesy to me when I looked at in on paper.
• The flow and structure of this song works really well. It's a very positive song as well, and that always helps. 
• Because this song was written at essentially two different tempos, it really took me a long time to start the song with the right one. The 'ole metronome (my mortal enemy in high school) saved my butt there.
• This recording is of Whiskey Doubles on our Nightcap EP. It's probably one of my favorite tunes from that batch.

A Journey

A Journey
Written and Recorded 2010

This is probably one of my simplest, but meaningful pieces that I created while in Baraboo. When I sat down to write this song and started having ideas, I knew I wanted it to be laced with as much emotion I could without bringing in my agenda. As you all know by now, those were some difficult times for me. But when I wrote this song, my original intent was to present it to family as a gift. I never did follow through with that, but I do enjoy the end product.

• Synth pads are one of my favorite tools for this kind of writing. If you find/create the right one, it can have as much weight as the human voice. They can be as delicate or strong as you want them to be.
• I go through the main progression quite a few times before moving on in melodic material. I thought it was so simple and beautiful that I wanted to explore it in a few different textures/ranges. Doing that keeps the song moving forward enough for me where I don't get bored.
• The building that happens on the 2nd progression is really nice for me. Once you get that extra low octave in there, it cues the listener that there is something strong going on. 
• My favorite part is the drop-off after the build. Both parts are beautiful, and one can't be fully experienced without the other. The intensity and the softness are both necessary for the full effect.
• This song is a soothing reminder of the beauty that can come out of painful experiences. As I've frequently come to say in recent years, "It's all about the journey."

Take the Reins

Take the Reins (MMT)
Written and Recorded 2011
Take the Reins (Last version OTN)
Arranged and Recorded 2013

This song underwent some huge changes in its time. For this blog's purposes, I'm only highlighting the beginning and the end to demonstrate the two extremes. At the end of the day, I'm glad I stuck with this song as long as I did.

The lyrics of this song are about an experience I had as a child at my aunt and uncle's old farm. I was probably about 6 years old and we had gone out to their farm to spend New Year's Eve. As you might expect, they had a pretty sweet John Deere 4 Wheeler. My cousins had tied a string of plastic sleds behind the 4 Wheeler and were headed out to have some serious fun on the frozen and snow covered fields...at night. Does this sound dangerous? Yes. Does it also sound amazing? Absolutely. So I went along, hopped up on sugar and the kind of excitement you only get when you know you're doing something fun and dangerous.

When it finally came to my turn, I went stomach-down, face-first on the last sled in the chain. It was crazy. I remember going very fast in almost complete darkness. The white snow helped as the moon was shining that night, but let's be honest, I was still a little afraid of the dark. Next thing I new, we took a really sharp turn and I fell off the sled, I just couldn't hold on. I laid in the snow like Ralphie's brother in "A Christmas Story" when he gets pushed down but can't get up in his ridiculous red snowsuit. I remember just laying there, hearing everyone laugh as they continued on, just looking up at the sky in the cold. I remember thinking, "Will they find me? Will I die out here?." But I also was very calm, no real panic came over me. Looking back, I have no idea how long I was actually out there before they circled back for me. It was probably a minute or so, but that memory is so clearly burned in my mind.

I don't know why the 23/24 year-old version of myself felt the need to write a song with these images, but it happened.

• The first version is one I recorded in Baraboo for what was going to be the Miss Misery Trio. Bass was the primary instrument and everything else was based around it. For a while, it was just bass, keyboard, and a lead vocal line. But as I mentioned in the "Sifting Sands" post, the harmonies of Fleet Foxes really inspired me to add more in. Guitar was one of the last things added for a difference in texture.
• I really play a lot with dynamics with the MMT version. It was easy going from clean guitar/bass and then adding in the overdrive here and there. That was probably the biggest strength of this demo.
• The background vocals are quite sloppy, mixing ooos and ahhhs on different parts at the same time. But I like the effect of waiting to the last line of the song to all sing the lyrics together. 
• This song went through a couple of changes during Of the North's time together, especially in the beginning. We really struggled to find a way to make it work and fit in the set. It was shelved for a while, but one summer night I decided to give it another shot. I developed a new chord progression for the verses and gave it an entirely new feeling.
• In all honesty, this is one of my favorite recordings I made (with the help of Kent and Kristen) during Of the North. It encapsulates the best parts of the band and what my vision ended up being. 
• Fun fact: I misspelled the title of this song as "Take the Reigns" until 2014 when we tried adapting it for Whiskey Doubles. Ellie was kind of enough to let me know and I gave myself a good face-palm. I was so sure! Oh well.
• One of the reasons that this song has been laid to rest and no longer used with Whiskey Doubles is the vocal range. I started to have some big issues trying to sing the chorus of the song. When I rearranged it, I changed the key so that the vocals could be more impactful and pressing. But my voice would start giving out and activating my gag reflex (sorry, I know it's gross), I would have to stop singing mid-song and try to regain my composure. It wasn't good. 
• As a song, it no longer reflects my current songwriting style. It comes close, but I actually see it as a bridge to a new, and simpler style. By changing the main rhythmic part of the verse to a chord progression rather than a riff, it helped move away from the rock and roll and into the folk world a bit more.

Tickle of My Breath

Tickle of My Breath
Written and Recorded 2012

This song has been around long enough for me to admit that I have absolutely no idea how I wrote it. Lightning never strikes twice and this song proves it for me. Nothing before or since has come close to the energy in this tune.

• Despite it's high energy and cheerful sound, the lyrics of this song can be one of two things. 1) Questioning authority/faith or 2) Spooky houses. I'm not going to lie to you, the first verse was originally written about being in a haunted house, feeling the cold presence of a ghost. Over time, I've sung this song with different intentions for different performances. 
• I really feel like I got luck with verse 3 being able to work in an echo/round style. It sounds a lot better on the Whiskey Doubles recording of this with Kristen singing it rather than me, but it's a cool effect that breaks up the usual song structures.
• Though one of the older songs in the current catalog for Whiskey Doubles, this song has been a great addition to almost every setlist for the last 3 years. It not only changes up the energy, but also the texture. One guitar and then percussion for everyone else. It can be a stark contrast to something as full as guitar/clarinet/flute/cello.
• Fun fact: this song has most often been described as "cute." Not a word I typically would use for any of my music, but still, people seem to enjoy it.

Sifting Sands

Sifting Sands (MMT)
Written and Recorded 2011
Sifting Sands Revised
Arranged and Recorded 2012

 This one takes was written at the tail end of our time in Baraboo when I was getting ready to start up the Miss Misery Trio. The first version is a mishmash of influences. It still has massive focus on the bass part but is starting to incorporate Fleet Foxes-esque harmonies. This one helped us realize that this style was not going to work out. One thing I've really latched onto over the years is how important it is to realize what doesn't work and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses therein.

• This song's lyrics are based off a book called "Soon I Will Be Invincible." I can't remember a lot of the details, but it's basically a novel about superheroes and villains. One of the perspectives it is told from is supervillain. I thought it'd be interesting to write from the perspective of the bad guy. Feels unnatural to me, which is probably a good thing.
• The vocal harmonies are too much on version 1. They overpower the overall simplicity of the song. They work much better when I changed it to lyrics instead of "ooos". It's definitely more in line with the more bluegrass style of version 2.
• It took a long time to figure out how to adapt this song from versions 1 to 2. Because the chords are so simple, it almost left me with too much room to explore. Sometimes I feel my options are limited because of chord progressions or melodies. Restrictions tend to spurn creativity for me, so no restrictions made this one difficult.
• The structure and key on these are identical, but the stylistic change is so important. A word I think of when I hear version 1 is "sleepy." It's very lethargic, but there is power that comes in at the end when I hit the overdrive on the bass. That dynamic change comes way too late.
• Changing to a bluegrass style for this song was band-aid. I was able to add quite a bit more contrast in different sections, but I was never convinced that this song was that good. Definitely not a terrible song, but it misses the mark in many ways.
• The second version has some issues coming out of the solo. I miscounted and didn't bother to fix it. I believe it caused some problems when rehearsing and subsequently performing this song a few times. In the last year, I've made a real effort to make my demos as accurate as possible.

Eagle Trees

Eagle Trees
Written and Recorded 2003

I shall always love the rock band Clutch, this much I know. Did I used to really, really, really love Clutch? I believe this song serves as proof of that. One of the first dozen songs I ever wrote, this demonstrates more imitation, not only in terms of the style but lyrics as well. For those unfamiliar with the work of Clutch, much of their music is riff-based and you can rest assured it rocks pretty hard. The vocals are gruff and powerful, but usually still melodic. It'd be hard to say that the melodies of Clutch are memorable, it's more about the delivery of the lines and the guitar work. They also usually have some pretty groovin' beats. This song was never performed...in any context.

• The lyrics of this song are part Clutch/part Magic cards. Starting to play Magic at a young age, the illustrations helped form my imagination. When writing lyrics for this song, I remember visualizing a Green card with a monstrous looking tree that also had wings, talons, and a beak. Then, being the cause-hungry teen I was, decided to make it about deforestation as well. Deforestation of fictional trees. 
• How do these lyrics fit in to the Clutch influence? Aggressive is another word to describe their music, and the Eagle Trees story brought that out a bit in me. They also can have some tongue-in-cheek lyrics, too. You may hear a line in this song that starts "Those lions and tigers and bears, oh my." So there's that.
• I'm not sure where the idea for two different tempo/feels came from, but the chorus riff and the vocal line is the same, and pretty weak. I clearly worked a lot hard on the intro/interlude and the verses.
• For the longest time I thought creating melodies over riffs was the hardest thing ever. I couldn't understand how a guy like Chris Cornell could come up with such memorable melodies over single note guitar lines. It wasn't until college music theory and Youtube where I started making the connection. Youtube helped me find "stripped down" versions of songs where Cornell would strum an acoustic guitar and sing the song. It was definitely a revelation seeing that there are chord progressions outlined with those riffs and they sometimes even spell out the chord. 
• Guitar solo...A for effort, D for playing notes in the scale. In 2003 Nathan's defense, he didn't understand what scales were or why they are important. Oh well.

Poor Man

Poor Man
Written 2011
Version 1- Recorded 2011
Version 2-  Whiskey Doubles, Recorded 2014

No matter where my musical future takes me, this will be a song that I can always come back to and be proud of. It's a fairly simple and straight-forward song, but has enough intricacies to keep the listener engaged. I always tell folks, "This was the first song I wrote on banjo," and I think you can hear a little of that excitement and exploration in the original recording. After Of the North decided on the folk direction, this song was written and became our most accessible tune. It has stuck with me throughout the tenure of OTN, and now into Whiskey Doubles.

• The first version was recorded with no microphones, just the wonderful on-board mic of the MacBook. Before I bought my Zoom recorder, I would record all of my ideas straight into Garageband and build on them right away. The more I think on it, that's probably a contributing factor as to why I started adding instruments right away and didn't focus on the song itself. It was right there and I liked how the song sounded, so I just went ahead. Nowadays, when I record on to my Zoom, I record multiple versions of the same guitar accompaniment until it is right. Then I typically try to sing with the recording and craft some lyrics. Adding instruments has almost been removed from the equation. 
• Version 1 is almost more of a sketch than anything else, but I'm pretty sure I gave this to the band as a completed song. From there were worked out some structural things. Though the banjo part has nearly stayed the same the entire time.
• In Version 2, aside from more instruments and better quality, you'll also hear more dynamics and an alteration to the verse's chords. Rather than stay on C, the second phrase shifts to an Am. After 3 years of playing this song, I began to feel it needed something more. So I started exploring the chord progression, adding more chords and things like that. But in the end that little tweak is enough to keep it alive.
• When I started this blog, I didn't want to use any recordings from Whiskey Doubles CDs, but I cannot find any other versions other than these two. I'm kind of glad, though, because this really demonstrates the beginning and end of the song's evolution (so far)
• The banjo/vocal melody line on the verse is where everything stems from. At the time, I had no idea that I was writing in mixed meter, and admittedly have never taken the time to figure it out. It's a funny thing, because I don't think audience members hear it either.

Too Early (Climbed to the Top)

Too Early (Climbed to the Top)
Written and Recorded 2010

This is essentially a sketch, not a complete song. I had the music for a while before trying to put vocals to it, but it just never went anywhere. I love the soundscape that I created, but there was some sort of roadblock in the way that never let me finish. The first part of the title, "Too Early," refers to the fact that I thought it was too early in the morning when I started this song. Pretty deep stuff.

• I remember starting with the drums on this. The MIDI drums in Logic aren't too bad and I really loved the groove. Then I added in the static noises as well, not sure why, but I like it.
• If memory serves, I had the melody line and was doing my typical game of singing the line with whatever syllables feel right. It's funny how I often I find myself ending phrases with the "ooo" sound, and this sketch actually helped me discover that.
• Being early on in the Baraboo days, I was still working on finding my voice. While this song does extend to some of my higher range, I sing with a lack of authority and confidence, especially on the "This mountain's coming down" line. Singing it now, it is still up there, but I sound much different. Again, I have to attribute a lot of that to the community choir director we had there. 
• I'm not sure what happened at the end. I think I started a new loop too early and never bothered to fix it.
• I still wish there was more of this, but even now there is a block there. I'll keep this sketch and maybe it will surface again in the future.

Drift and Stray

Drift and Stray
Written and Recorded 2007

I have to say, this song is a little difficult for me listen to. I keep yelling at myself, "Nathan!!! This song isn't in your range!!! Change the freaking key!!!" So it's taken me a while to get past that part of this and share it with you. "Drift and Stray" is another one that was recorded in the Spring Break session of recording at my friend Zach's apartment. I wrote the song a month or so before and specifically waited to record a full version until then. It was supposed to be a pseudo romantic song, but it definitely comes off as creepy... really listening to the lyrics, this may be a song about murder. OH WELL!

• I have to say it again, CHANGE THE KEY!!! As you can tell in the first few lines, this song is well out of my range in the lower register. Maybe I wrote it in the morning? Who knows. But I still hadn't discovered the magic of changing keys to better fit my voice. The chorus fits nicely, but those verses...that's rough. Sorry folks.
• I enjoy the chord progressions on this song. They are simple and leave a lot of room for some interesting things with the melody. Did I do those interesting things? No, I did not.
• For the most part, the melody is just outlining the triads of the chords. This could work for some parts, but it happens for the verse AND the chorus...in the same rhythm. This was written at a time when I was learning a lot of music theory and started analyzing songs that I liked. I remember particularly seeing a pattern in a lot of Muse songs, where solos and melody parts would simply be outlining the notes in the chords. I thought I had unlocked the musical key to catchy lines. I am proud to say I was incorrect, but it was an interesting observation and I learned from it.
• The first guitar solo was my attempt at a Pink Floyd solo. Zach did the second one. It is not the worst part of the song.
• I tried to make the verses interesting with backing vocals that would start a line and hold a note/word. It's a cool effect that I haven't used since and would consider trying again. 
• Like I said, this is a rough one, but it happened. And as you can see, it taught me quite a lot. In this case, I learned what NOT to do.
• Side note: Hooray for drum loops!

Edge of the World

Edge of the World

Written and Recorded 2013

This song has seen a lot of stage time over the years and has undergone some instrumentation changes as well. Written in the second half of Of the North's time, "Edge of the World" was one of my more catchy songs at the time. I remember sending this demo off and getting a reply from Kent that was something along the lines of "Thanks for getting this stuck in my head all day." I felt it had great energy  and broke up our setlist nicely. We still play this song in Whiskey Doubles and recorded it on our first EP, Honey Creek. Nowadays, I use it as a positive song to insert into a setlist. I see a lot of smiles from first-time listeners on this one.

• The song is pretty simple, using just four chords. I wanted it to be a straight forward folk tune that anyone could play. It captures the feel pretty well at this tempo.
• The extended, solo intro that you hear has since been axed. It made the already long song, much longer. Truth be told, I didn't practice it that much so I tended to biff the opening in some way. Cutting that section helps the song move along significantly better.
• There are two instrumental sections. The first was intended to be a drastic change of dynamic after the first big chorus. I don't know if we've every fully captured that effect, but I do enjoy the extra section there. The second instrumental section was intended to be (if you'll forgive the expression) balls to the walls. It's hard to go from fortissimo to fortissississimo and have it be any sorts of effective. Perhaps some revisions are in order after analyzing this!
• I thought the multiple instrumentals would also give it more of an old timey folk feel to it. Kent does a nice cello line in there that is complimented by flute (formerly trumpet.) I think it does the job, mimicking a fiddle interlude you'd find on an old Irish tune.
• Lyrically, I would describe this as "pleasant." It's a very positive message about moving through life and that hard times make us stronger. I have similar messages in many of my songs, but this song's narrator is a bit happier than others.
• I've always like the line in the second half of the second verse. It is a complete play on "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and while nobody has ever mentioned to me that they recognize the connection, I think internally people hear those words rearranged and know it's something familiar. It's a bit cheesy, but I though it was clever!
• If you'd like to hear the current version, see us live and buy one of the last copies of the Honey Creek EP or buy it on iTunes.

BONUS ROUND: Someday

Someday (Strokes Cover)
Arranged and Recorded 2013

Covers are usually an extremely important part of an original band's repertoire. They showcase a band's influences and give an audience something familiar. Let me be clear by saying I do not believe this is vital to a band's live show. It can be cool if a band takes a song and makes it their own, but it also runs the risk of being "schtick." I also feel that depending on the popularity of the cover, it can overshadow the original work that an artist is trying to put out into the world.

Covering songs in the Folk/Americana genres is especially dangerous ground. For instance, if you want to cover a classic song like "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, you pretty much have to do an exact replica of that song in terms of tempo, feel, and harmonies or go completely the opposite...almost making it unrecognizable. But why make it unrecognizable if it's a cover? And who can really do justice to that kind of legendary song? Not many bands. Then if you do a song that isn't necessarily popular, but is important to your songwriting or band's approach to music, it's just another song that people won't recognize. It's a tough game to play.

During the reign of Of the North, I tried a different approach. Instead of focusing on the live show, I took songs that I loved (or were requested in some cases) that weren't really in our style, and made them our style. BUT I only recorded them and released them for free on Bandcamp. There is only one song that made it to the regular live show, but thats another story. I found it to be a very useful exercise in arranging and creativity, and it gave fans a different sense of connection. It was a lot of fun!

"Someday" is one of my favorite songs by The Strokes. Their first three albums have been extremely influential to me. I had always felt that songs off their first record, Is This It, would lend themselves nicely to the folk genre. They are built around simple chord progressions and can be catchy as hell. There's an inherent energy in that album that transfers nicely to other arrangements. Here's my attempt at "Someday," complete with terrible trumpet playing by yours truly. All in all, I enjoy this one a lot.

Shine Clown

Shine Clown
Written and recorded 2010

Oh the joys of naming songs. While I wrote the riff for this song, I couldn't stop visualizing one of those bouncy balls with the big red star, then stripes of blue and yellow...which reminds me of a clown. But the way the synth sounded, it reminded me of an old school NES or Gameboy game...not sure why that equals the shine part of the title. But there you have that little gem.

• I count the riff as one progression despite having three different sounding sections to it. There's the minor riff, major riff, then the turnaround. They flow into each other and one isn't meant to be there without the other.
• This is an incomplete sketch, but it's one of my favorite nuggets that came from this time. I always wanted it to grow to something more.
• Even in this minute and half I wanted it to build. Truth be told, I looped the badass synth and drums. I think I could only play the whole riff once without messing up, so I cheated. Whoops.
• I took one or two passes at a guitar part/solo, so this is how far I got. There's definitely potential there, but I peak too early I think. 
• This is just so busy, I could never figure out anything else to go over it or follow it. Perhaps it would have been a good NES soundtrack that endlessly repeats until you beat the level. The game Wizards and Warriors had that. It was both fantastic and terrible at the same time.

Recollection

Recollection
Written and Recorded 2004

Now presenting Nathan Honoré as BUSH!!! Yeah, I went through grunge phase (about 10 years too late.) This song was one of the two that I had written for my high school rock band. I mostly just played bass and did backing vocals with them. We were together for about 3 years and probably played a handful of gigs, but it was incredibly helpful in my development. My bass playing moved up by leaps and bounds, and I also learned how to play in a band, how my part fit, etc.

It's fun to look back now and see how badly I wanted to be Gavin Rossdale. And this song is pretty fun too, teen angst running rampant, calling people "fake." It should be noted that this recording is actually of that band, then known as Plow. We recorded in some guy's pseudo-studio in Port Washington in my senior year of high school. We felt pretty damn cool "heading to the studio."

• The opening riff is probably a blatant ripoff of something on "Sixteen Stone," and my performance of it is pretty messy. Even Zach's lead guitar part sounds like Bush.
• "Life ain't no gravy train." This line came about because of a book a idioms I found while working my summer job as a janitor at St. Matthias. Just another thing I was doing other than actually working.
• As a whole, this song flows pretty well. The structure is solid and keeps moving. Even the bridge builds into the final chorus in a powerful way.
• Many of the backing vocal parts were done at the suggestion of the "Engineer." He was really into the echo thing. But the double tracking on the lead vocals does add some weight to those lines. Though I was trying to emulate a metalcore band called Poison the Well. Here's a link to the specific song that has some nice vocal around 38 seconds...beware, the rest of this song is not for the weak of heart.
• Needless to say that I was trying really hard to be a lot different things. A great time for experimentation!

After One Night

After One Night
Written and Recorded 2012

Written in the same batch of songs as "Say," this song is one of the few that feature the mandolin. At this time in Of the North I was still trying to play as many instruments as possible. With that in mind, I created the interlude riff and then kept the part very simple while the verses were being sung. I thought that riff was super catchy at the time, but being only one measure long, it gets a bit old.

We really tried getting this song to work a few times. When Kent came in, he added more depth to it by doubling the riff on cello. Here's a video of the "core" members of Of the North performing the song at a great place in Riverwest called Art Bar. This was probably the best it ever went, but it never quite clicked for me, especially live.

• The video has a slightly altered structure, taking out an extra interlude section before the final verse and adding a few measures at the end of the verse. These things definitely helped and made the song tighter, but it didn't fix the problem I was having.
• I don't mind the verses. In fact I think the concept is really strong and evokes vivid images. But as they say in the Food Network world, the execution is just not there. The last line in particular, "can take the place of one," falls flat and doesn't punctuate those previous lines as it should.
• The "ahhs" over the main riff/interlude are also lackluster. But the part that I really dislike is the bridge. I was definitely trying to go a little too Mumford on it and it just doesn't work. It's really long, and really boring.
• All in all, I think there could still be hope for this song down the line. I think if I extended the main mandolin riff into more of a real fiddle tune/line, and made a few other cuts/changes, it could make another appearance in the future.

Striking Back

Striking Back
Written and Recorded 2010

This is another hidden gem that I thoroughly enjoy listening to. It's done in the same style as "Ticking Away," but it doesn't fit into the time theme. I remember recording some of these parts, especially the rhythm guitar that is nearly always doing a very high energy strumming pattern, and just losing myself in the music. It's super high energy and though the recording isn't perfect, it's a pretty joyful piece.

• The start of each verse/A section is a big question mark, the listener has no idea when the progression will actually change and the melody develop.  It goes on longer than our ears want it to, which I find really engaging. 
• I recorded these songs all in one complete take on each instrument. So whatever instrument goes first is the structural template for the entire song. When I did lay it down, whether it be the keyboard or the guitar usually, I usually had the different parts kind figured out in terms of progressions, but I would almost improvise the form. The number of verses/choruses, time between progressions, breaks in the song, etc were all done on the spot and never really planned out. I would go by instinct.
• There's a lot of power in the first chorus/B section. There are a few instruments that change their role in terms of rhythm, but the 8th notes continue throughout in one way or another. This gives the brief silence before the second chorus/B section even more weight, then doubling it before proceeding the very conclusive Post-chorus/C section progression. 
• The title of "Striking Back"is definitely me trying to take a little control in my life. At that time in Baraboo, I felt like I had no command over what my job would be. There's a lot of pent up energy in this piece that I find refreshing.

Voice Memo Delux w/ Bacon

Voice Memo
Written and Recorded 2007
Voice Memo Delux
Arranged and Recorded 2008
Voice Memo Delux w/ Bacon (King's Gentlemen)
Arranged and Recorded 2008

During the winter and spring breaks of my sophomore year of college, I went back home to 'Stallis and recorded a bunch of music with a former bandmate of mine named Zach Rieboldt. He is my brother's age and had his own apartment at the time. Zach was pretty excited because he just bought a nice studio interface and wanted to test it out. So we started with a cover and then just wrote a bunch of music. I would bring in a song and record most of the parts while he essentially produced and engineered, then we would switch and I would do the same for him. It was an extremely challenging, fun, and productive time. It spawned many songs that would later be reworked again in college.

The original Voice Memo was recorded at Zach's apartment and would go on to be reworked and reworked again for King's Gentlemen. It's pretty cool to listen to all three versions. This is a pretty clear illustration of what my process was like at the time. I'd write a song and record a full demo of it, then go back and do it again until I was happy. Part of me feels doing full demos was a waste of time, but the changes in instruments and settings definitely influenced the structure and feel of the song. I would rarely go back and change things like lyrics, chord progressions, or key signature.

• The title comes from the fact that the chord progression that you hear on the verses was originally recorded on the Voice Memo function of my old, orange, and doughnut shaped phone so I wouldn't forget it.
• The lyrics of this song were originally targeted towards my previously mentioned ex-girlfriend (then girlfriend.) I just didn't get it, we did not really click. Though it was written 4 or 5 months before we broke up, the chorus is basically saying, "Let's break up, I'm clearly not what you want, no hard feelings." 
• Yes, there is a reference to Duke Nukem in the second verse.
• By the time that King's Gentlemen was going to record this song for our EP, I had established new meaning for myself in the song. I was entering my final year at Whitewater and knew it was time to move on. Instead of being a pseudo-sappy break up song, it turned into a positive journey song.
• In the second/third versions, the final chord of the bridge/pre-chorus is extended and builds towards the final chorus. That makes a massive difference in getting to that final moment, otherwise it's very plain jane, but this gives it more weight.
• Again, drummer Trevor Saint really helped this track come alive. That drum fill in the beginning (complete with the "ah fuck") became a highlight for me. He was incredibly easy to play music with.
• It's funny how in the original recording the main guitar is clean on the intro/verses and it almost sounds a bit western in nature. But by the time you get to the KG version, it has lost all of that connection and just becomes a rock chord progression. Part of that is adding the connecting riff in there.
• I always enjoyed playing this song more than listening, but lining up these three versions is really fun. 

Unexpected

Unexpected

Written and Recorded 2014

This one was a challenge. For some reason I really wanted to write a song for a friend's wedding and this is what I came up with. I tried to bring in a few things from their story, but I didn't pull it off and we didn't perform it. In the end the groom felt the word "Unexpected" conveyed more of a Dexter "I'm going to put you on my table" vibe than a "surprise you're in love!" vibe. Whoops!

• Love songs have never been my strong suit, so I'm not quite sure why I felt like I could here. I guess I'm more of a journey/story guy. It is really important to acknowledge one's strengths and weaknesses.
• Sparse instrumentation is something I really enjoy experimenting with. That's probably my favorite part of this song, what I'm able to accomplish with a 6-string guitar, a simple mandolin part, and a single voice. It is straight forward and clean. 
• Maybe this song would work for someone else, but it doesn't work for me. I think I tried a little too hard on this one.

Gunslinger

Gunslinger
Written and Recorded 2011

This one was written in the first few weeks of being back in the Milwaukee area after 4 years in Whitewater and 2 years in Baraboo. Why I wrote a tune that sounds like I'm in Arizona? I don't know. But I have always loved that signature, western twang that a guitar can deliver. I tried to keep with my same "Crantson" rules, by having two guitars, bass, two midi keyboard instruments, but I decided to add in a wee bit of harmonica and maraca.

• This isn't my best song, but it's one of my sleeper favorites. There's something about the B section that keeps me engaged. 
• It's a simple A B form, but I tried to play with building and layers. That's a tool that I have always appreciated and love working with. I could have done more though.
• The image that I see in the beginning is the lone gunslinger, dressed entirely in black, entering a dusty old town, ready to go!...I'm a sucker for the Old West...
• The harmonica and maraca are really there for texture. I really felt that they added that little bit of organic, real instrument to give some authenticity to the track.
• It's no coincidence that this was one of the last of these instrumental tracks that I've created and that it broke my rules. At the same time that this track was created, I was starting to discover how much I craved real instruments. When recording in Baraboo, I basically rejected anything acoustic and worked with a lot of MIDI, effects, and keyboards. Acoustic instruments were missing in my life and I've come back to them in a big way. But I wouldn't have appreciated it without that time to explore. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Poison Ivy's Kiss

Poison Ivy's Kiss
Written and Recorded 2004

I often forget about this song, though I played it in two bands over the years. It was written in high school  and performed by The Manacles and then revived in college for The King's Gentlemen. It's not a bad song overall, just a rock tune. At the time I was really, really into Queens of the Stone Age. Most of the people in my circle of friends worshipped them, so I did too. This song is me trying to do my best version of QOTSA/ Eagles of Death Metal. Eagles of Death Metal are a side project for essentially the same people as QOTSA but more simple and definitely not death metal.

• This is probably my only song that uses a glass slide, and only for one chord at that. I never could quite get the technique of those things.
• I try way too hard with these vocals to be a rocker and the lyrics are pure fluff, no substance to them at all.
• MORE COWBELL
• The opening progression is your simple four chord progression of   Em  G  C   B7. Then for some reason I use an augmented F chord as a pivot to the chorus in Bbm...I didn't have any grasp of music theory at the time and I'm sure I just wanted it to sound cool, but it sure is weird. It works pretty well to break up the song.
• It's funny to think about those progressions working in the same song. Nowadays, I would never dream of doing that sort of key change mid song. But I think that's the price you pay for knowing the rules of harmony. Back in high school, I didn't know I was breaking rules, I just did things. Since I learned all that music theory, I still break rules, build up expectations and break them, but not like this. 
• This is probably my finest drum set performance (the cowbell is overdubbed...I wasn't good enough!)
• "La da da da da do dee day day." *face palm* These lyrics loosely translate to, "I can't think of another rhyme and this sounds good enough." The lowest of the lows...