I’m far enough along that I can open up about what I’m working on: an album rooted in my experience of growing up a man in Vermont and all that includes and the impact it’s had on me. There’s so much to talk about, and it’s too early to share very many details beyond vague ideas right now. I do like being open about my process, ideas, and progress though, so I’d like to share what I can of what I’ve been doing musically over the past few weeks while also gadding about in other ways (mental and not!).

My relationship with and experiences of Vermont are homegrown (born here in 1975) and a massive part of my existence. That is, being a man from Vermont has been a blessing and a curse over the course of my life: as a boy and teen, young student and activist, husband and father, son and brother, lover and musician, and middle-aged man. All of these have been profoundly guided and altered by my relationship with this state and its culture.

The album will attempt to cover a lot of it, and I’m seeking a far more collaborative and integrative experience than my first one. I’m a different person, and I’d rather not do this one entirely solo.

In the sketching phase, though, I enjoy working out certain notions on my own, and it’s the output of that I’m sharing here. This short segment is part of my process of sculpting sounds to find the moods I want before I really get into composing and channeling the songs. There’s no mastering or leveling here, just what I’ve recorded and sculpted so far. Like a charcoal/graphite sketch with the torn edges still visible where I ripped it from the sketchbook and tacked it to the wall. Mood board.

I’ve got the pad dialed in using LogicPro’s Retro Synth and think I like the sound it’s not too round, and it fades forever later, which I enjoy.

Nothing here is set in stone, and is just meant to convey the kind of atmosphere I’m searching for in this album. The guitar tones have a similar kind of grit on their edges with a slightly more open space at the back of the reverb. I hope to share some of that next.