Itās just wild to think that my first album was released 5 years ago. I recently found the demo for Whereās My Love and shared it on the WhatsApp channel: whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaKiz0YEFeXhy05cyL3L
Like most landmarks in our lives, the passing of time can feel like it crawls one minute and breaks our necks in the next. I think about my family and how itās grown and changed in 5 years. I think about the places around the world Iāve played these songs and the coffees and beers Iāve had trying to evade jet lag. All the people Iāve met because of this album.
I have no idea how many times Iāve played these songs that come from a pretty small snapshot in my life. Iām grateful for the faces I have looked into from stage, and the countless ears that have lingered on my music for the past 5 years, you beautiful bunch. Grateful for the rain on the window in the attic where I recorded the demo for Whereās My Love. Grateful that we werenāt actually live when I said fuck after forgetting the words to the song on live TV a few years later. Grateful for my extended musical family made of beautiful and smart humans, who I am fortunate to continue working with into the next albums and years ahead. Cheers everybody!
I recently learned that my longtime piano teacher, Mrs. Luce, passed away. I met her when I was 7 and she taught me until I was 18. She was stern, and she always knew when I hadnāt practiced. Her name was Anne, but I donāt think Iāve ever called her by her first name. The last time I saw her was at a concert where she heard me sing for the first time and told me that the faces I made were ādistractingā. I could tell she was proud. I actually wrote a piano song named after her a few months ago but didnāt include it on the EP because it sounds like a piano exercise. She taught many kids in my hometown and I am thankful to be one of them. Strangely, she passed away on my birthday back in January. I donāt know why thatās strange, other than itās a poignant reminder that loss is always around us and we should be kind because of that. Thank you Mrs. Luce, may you rest in peace. š¤
Hope everyoneās doing good. Iāve spent much of the winter writing new songs. No oneās heard them yet and I thought it would be fun to play a bunch of them for you. So, Iām going to do that in LA onĀ Tuesday, May 28.
There will be 2 shows: oneĀ at 7pĀ and another at 9.30p. Both shows are all ages and tix are limited to 2 per person.
PresaleĀ this Thur April 25 9a PTĀ exclusively to those signed up for SYML text or email (youāll find out venue name then too). š¤ ffm.bio/syml
Keane was hugely inspirational for me in a time when I was learning to sing and write songs. Their first album, Hopes and Fears, is one of the strongest pop rock statements of the early 2000s. It might have been how I understood love at the time, but We Might As Well Be Strangers, in particular, is still a stunning piece of writing and performance. I remember watching a Keane tour documentary that came out a few years after this record and was struck by how success seemed to be affecting them in real time. It was beautiful, but it felt sad. Keane are certainly not the first band to have a complex relationship with success, but I found them during a formative time and their voice is undoubtedly part of mine. open.spotify.com/playlist/1HpvyHsBcgV039Ouf3jcC6?sā¦
My new song - The Walker - is out now, Fin Recordings release 001. syml.ffm.to/thewalker
As we walk through different seasons of life, if weāre lucky, we will have companions who walk with us. Whether itās a parent, partner, friend, or even a child, they can encourage us and bring perspective. The Walker is about compassionate love with no expectations. Itās the stillness that comes in the midst of pain where we choose to push through. Itās about finding ourselves along our way.
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āThe Walkerā, my new song and the first release on Fin Recordings, is out tomorrow. Video premiere on youtube at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 4 PM CET. youtu.be/bOEarfH0KA0
I started a new playlist at the beginning of the year. Itās called fifty-two 52, a song for every week of the year. John Lennon wrote this song, but this Donny Hathaway rendition is special. Donnyās voice, keys chops, and the players he got to play alongside are next level, and should be an inspiration for us to create more than we judge. open.spotify.com/playlist/1HpvyHsBcgV039Ouf3jcC6?sā¦
This is the highest the sun got yesterday. Decided to record 3 of the songs from the new EP on piano, as they were originally written. The first one - Sentimental for solo piano - is out todayš¤
syml.ffm.to/sentimental_pianosolo
Raising funds for Washington Trails Association to support their work to keep Washington parks beautiful and something for all of us to continue to enjoy. I will donate $1 for everyone that saves the new EP āHow I Got Homeā.
syml.ffm.to/highxwta
I write and sing songs about being human ... from Seattle