New Album Update: The Usual Suspects

Just a quick update on my upcoming album. I’ve enlisted the help of several “usual suspects” to help me with song writing and recording.

First at the helm of the project, I’ve asked keyboardist Rocky Searan to produce the album. Though this will be his first solo flight producing, I’ve already seen the exact insight I needed to my music and he’s proven to be the right decision at every turn. Second, song co-writers Daniel Ortega and David Ellis are contributing to the album, as well as lyricist and pastor Scott Savage, with whom David and I co-wrote the song “Becoming Human”.

For me, writing songs is all about establishing a box of rules to work within. This may sound strange as one would initially think when doing a record, the sky should be the limit. However, I think veteran music icon Sting said it best, “a blank page scares me the most.” (s.i.c)

So with the writing phase well under way, I’m making sure I follow these rules I set for myself to follow:

1) Songs need to be clear and coherent ideas, each saying something specific to the song musically and lyrically. Basically, it needs to be a pop song, though the song arrangement may be very unique.

2) I must be able to sing song melodies apart from the guitar or other accompaniment. If I can remember it when I’m changing light bulbs around the house, then I’ve nailed it.

3) The songs need to belong on the same record. Flow of songs must be fluid and unique from one another, but must sound like a cohesive work. In other words, they need to sound like me now, not me over the last ten years.