"IN PURSUIT OF AN AUTHENTIC LIFE"
"In Pursuit of an Authentic Life" was ambitious; with no rehearsals, no band and creating all of the songs in studio as we went, transforming a set of acoustic, singer-songwriter ideas into fully produced songs by adding a wide-range of quirky instrumentation, lush vocal arrangements and string orchestration. Taking over 18 months to record, I wrote most of the parts & all the lyrics, was a first time singer and played 75% of all of the instrumentation on the recording. It was a transformational experience…
It was recorded, produced & mastered by Norm Demoura (Grammy nominated) at Harmonium Studios in Western, MA. Norm has worked with a number of notable artists including pianist Terry Adams from NRBQ and Susan Tedeschi. "In Pursuit..." features guest performances by Mike Levesque on drums (David Bowie, Seven Mary Three), Joe Boyle (Peter Tork), Scott Levesque (Wheat) and Rick Lescaut (sky jelly).
Below you can LISTEN TO EACH TRACK and then HEAR more about the BEHIND THE SCENES inspiration & story about each song in the video stories.
You can also WATCH acoustic versions of the “In Pursuit Of An Authentic Life” taken from the “Songs & Stories Live From The Blue Velvet Couch” Series Recorded in the Summer of 2020.
ALBUM CONCEPT OVERVIEW:
EXPERIENCES INFLUENCING THE MUSIC - PART I
The songs from “In Pursuit of an Authentic Life” chronicle a four-year period of my life that were filled with dramatic change & disruption… and in my songwriting I tried to capture all of the emotions, & perspectives I was experiencing. Hear the backstory…
ALBUM CONCEPT OVERVIEW:
EXPERIENCES INFLUENCING THE MUSIC - PART II
Now, I have been an avid personal journaler for over 20 years, so I always write everything down… and during this time, it was no exception. So I also got this idea about channeling all of my ideas and all of these emotions into songs. Hear about how I started my journey as a singer/songwriter…
ALBUM CONCEPT OVERVIEW:
EXPERIENCES INFLUENCING THE MUSIC - PART III
Now, during this time, as I’m recording my songs, I meet Kristin at work; she will eventually become my wife… and I end up writing songs for her that I decide to add to “In Pursuit…. Hear the conclusion to the story here…
SONGS & BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEOS
“YOU ARE THE REASON”
This song is about a person that I had in my life that I really loved, but my priorities got in the way. Listen to how I wrote a song about it to try to work through it and make it right…
“MOMENTS”
This song describes the "moment" you meet someone for the first time and you're completely caught up in that moment. Have you had that moment? Hear about mine. Share yours…
“THE TRUTH IS”
…And that gets to one of the main themes of my songwriting. Love. Writing songs for the people I love, about the experiences we’ve had together. Everything I write about is so personal… Hear more.
“DON’T MEAN A THING”
Where “Moments” captures the initial feelings of being “caught up in the moment,” This song tells the story from the perspective of a few days later. Hear that story…
“LOST IN A HOTEL ROOM”
I love hotels. Everything about them. Learn why…
“WISHING GOOD THINGS FOR THE WORLD”
I meditate every morning & pray every night. Part of my meditation is to offer love, peace and good fortune to everyone in the world. Hear more…
“THE INNER BRIGHT LIGHT”
This is the first instrumental on the record. At one point I had considered doing all instrumentals. I actually wanted to do a soundtrack-type of record. Reflective piano pieces, produced instrumentals, etc. Hear more about the original record concept and how “In Pursuit…” became what it is today…
“NEVER BRING MYSELF”
"This song is about the emotional turmoil I was wrestling with at the end of a long-term relationship. Hear more…
“FOUND A WAY”
This song deals with the idea of not having quite gotten over a breakup. Hear more…
“ONE LAST TIME”
Many nights during this period I found myself sitting alone in my apartment with a broken heart, thinking to myself. “god, when will this feeling ever end? Have you ever felt this way? Hear more about how I worked through it…
“MY HEART IS FILLED WITH YOUR HEARTBREAK”
This is the other instrumental on the record. This was meant to represent the different emotions of loss and grief… this is the darkest song on the record. It actually started out with lyrics & a different song title, but I could just never get the words right. Hear what I did…
“FORGIVENESS IS DIVINE”
I wanted to end the record with a song that brought closure to this chapter of my life. Listen to how I closed this chapter of my life in a song…
"In Pursuit Of An Authentic Life" - Live From York St. Cafe - Record Release Party Show
These four songs were taken from the Record Release set for "In Pursuit Of An Authentic Life." They was recorded live at the York St. Cafe in Newport KY in front of a full house. I have created a photo gallery of the record release event in the PHOTO & STORIES section of the website. Click on the MENU to view. Gratitude and thanks to the musicians who helped make this show possible:
Marc Broering: Guitar & Backing Vocals
Marc Mecoli: Violin
Greg Mecoli: Upright Bass
Jeff Mellott: Drums
Jake Ostmann: Keyboards
And much gratitude & appreciation to our families, friends and fans who came out and made this such a special night! I am always so humbled to feel so much support & love from everyone around me!