Talking about the weather... or something
Good morning!
It's a timeless clichet: don't have anything to talk about? Talk about the weather.
But lets be honest... The weather is super important--and it's getting very interesting these days, even if it's not in a good way.
On a personal level I think we're all familiar with the moodswings the weather can influence. And as a society we depend on the weather to ensure our food supply--massive props to those people (farmers) versed in the art of agriculture who are finding ways to keep up with these changing times.
As an artist, I will also say the weather plays a major part in the creative process. I think for many, the seasons delineate phases of artistic creation.
We each probably have our own version of this, but for me winter hybernation is when new ideas stsart to incubate. You've got a little more time--might even get a bit bored--and you start plugging away at things that intrigue you.
Then in the spring you start trying to poke these ideas out in the world. You might find out that half the stuff that felt great in your solitary head doesn't pan out so well in concert, but that other half makes you feel alive.
In the summer, you take those things that took shape in the spring and run with them. There's not much time for thinking in the summer, just going! That's why I like to say the musical success of a summer directly depends on the work you put in during the winter. The winter sucks mentally, but you can enjoy the spoils during the summer without having to be a parttime cave dweller.
Finally, things make a graceful arc twoards the ground in the fall. You're still riding that summer wave to some degree, but you start to feel some disatisfaction antsyness as your great ideas start to not feel so fresh anymore. It's that disatasfaction you take into your winter cave to begin the cycle all over again, but with the added benefit of more experience.
Again, this is just my personal experience, but talking to fellow artists and participating in collaborative bands over the years makes me feel there is some degree of universality to it.New single for the solar eclipse
Now that we've talked about the weather on Earth, lets zoom out to the weather of the cosmose.
A solar eclipse, where the moon blocks the sun during the day time, is coming this Monday April 8th and I'm releasing a song because it feels right.
The song is called Path of Totality, which refers to the path around the Earth where the moon will block 100% of the sun (as opposed to partial coverage).
The words, "Path of Totality," also feel evocative to me. It feels like we're in pivotal times across the board, and for me that means it's time to double down on what I feels right.
I'm not deep into astrology or anything, but I figure if the seasons can effect me, why can't cosmological events?
This release, and the impending release of The Harmony of Rhythm feel like a serious transition for me. Going forward, I'm really commiting to making my recorded releases feel like sonic stories. This is something I've written and talked about before, but I feel a new clarity about what it truly means.
More about this philosophy to come, but for now lets get ready for the eclipse. If you're curious, you can check on NASA's site to see if you're in the Path of Totality. Chicago is not, but I still plan to spend some time outside that afternoon (after having released the music into the world) to hear how nature responds to the moon showing up in the middle of the day.
Science!