As the days unfold, and the time to go back down South approaches, time speeds up. And all at once, I find I am to be gone on Friday, not Saturday as planned, and my time in West Virginia has already come to an end.
Back in early June, when a debilitating accident brought me home for the summer, I remember dreading the long days, the simpler small town life, the humility I knew that I would inevitably have to experience. And, as I expected, life became much different for nine weeks. But, through the space, I got back in a groove that I had been missing in Nashville – having no other choice.
That groove was Songwriting. Often in Nashville, I’d been so caught up in how to make just enough to get through one more day, that I would have no room for writing songs. I wasn’t doing it right. The stress that came with this struggle brought about outside issues: I was distracted.
I knew that things weren’t right and that I was approaching a break in the tracks, and when that break came, it wouldn’t be pretty. Something had to give. And what gave was my foot.
Here, at the foot of the Allegheny mountains, I was forced to sit with myself (and my swollen foot) and face the situation. I had really no choice but to continue writing, so that’s just what I did. I even recorded some, too. I just sent off some work tapes to good friend and drummer Aaron Latos to have some drum tracks added.
Don’t get me wrong. There were days when I did Nothing, too. But those days were just as important and just as necessary. They say everything happens for a reason, and I believe this summer’s “accident” was no exception. Here’s to another return to Nashville, another great round of music-making and collaborating, and to some fantastic adventures ahead.
Don’t forget to catch me Sunday night at the Commodore, at Holiday Inn Select, 2613 West End Ave, Nashville, TN, 37203, playing a few NEW original songs with some other great songwriters! Here’s the schedule.
IMG Source:Gramophone record – Wikipedia http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Vinyl_groove_macro.jpg