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The Story of My Last Album Ever!
I know, promises, promises. All my adult life I’ve been fascinated with songwriting and recording (see my writings on my first Outstate record). Once I started actually doing it, I was obsessed. I just HAD to make these records. But now…it’s gone. I’m done. I have no desire to do this again. I might do a song here and there, but I can’t fathom wanting to do an entire album again. BUT never say never… So anyway, I knew for years that I wanted to do another record along the lines of the first Outstate one. I just love that old-school blues-based hard rock stuff. But this time I wanted some grunge, some King’s X-type songs, lots of wah pedal stuff, and a lot of acoustic guitar, plus at least one blues song. Did I achieve that? You’ll have to listen and decide for yourself. These songs were written and recorded (in large part) during the same time I was working on my “Truth Bomb” album. After two albums in two years, you can understand why I have no desire to do this again! A lot has changed since that first Outstate album. In addition to all the music I’ve written and recorded since then (don’t forget Turbocharger and Moanin’ Jack Webb!), I’ve learned a lot (though still not that much!) about the technical side of recording. Also, the obvious big change is that my friend Greg Klein, who sang most of the first Outstate album, tragically passed away (see more on that in my notes on the Turbocharger record). Also, my friend Mr. Jack sang a couple songs on the first one but not this one. I knew I needed a singer, and I had to look no further than my son’s best friend, Elijah Blow. I first met Elijah when he was about a year old, so I’ve known him for a while! I first noticed Elijah’s vocal gifts during a talent show at a summer camp (Camp Cherith) when he was probably seven or eight years old. His cabin’s contribution consisted of him shyly looking down as he sang “Land of the Silver Birch” into the mic while another boy from the cabin marched back and forth in front of him with a huge scowl on his face. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, honestly, and I still laugh when I think about it. But he sang beautifully… Growing up, he was active in choir (though much MORE active in hockey), and eventually started singing alongside his mom, Faith, in the church worship team. Eventually, he learned to play guitar and became a worship leader in the youth band. By the time he finished high school, he was a standout goalie, member of the All-state choir, and worship leader on the adult worship team. After taking a gap year, he embarked on a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM)--this was June-December 2023. I wanted him to record everything before leaving, because I couldn’t count on him being available after finishing the program. He did, but he also came back and did a lot of revising after his DTS. We had a blast recording together. My son was off at college, so here I was, hanging out with his best friend, watching hockey, recording, and just having a blast. My wife and I love Elijah as our own, so it was an absolute joy to do this with him. I tapped my long-time friends and co-contributors Mr. Jack (guitar and bass), Matt Webb (bass), Matt Seidel (guitar), Bill Groninga (guitar) and Keith Thornby (acoustic guitar) along with some help from Fiverr musicians. Fun fact: Keith played sax on my Truth Bomb record. He is one talented guy! Track by track blow by blow (no singer pun intended): 1. Think Before You Act I wrote the lyrics several years ago. The song is in “Drop D” tuning, and has no fewer than four riffs (check off wah stuff from the list–see above). The initial riff was played by Matt Seidel. I was just too sloppy, so I asked if he’d just do that for me. He soon produced FOUR glorious tracks of it–two versions (listen closely). Mr. Jack initially played the bass, and it was really cool. But in the mixing process the guitars kept sounding thin, and at the last minute I hired a guy off Fiverr to do it. I felt bad, but his part was just too busy–I actually wanted something simpler (rare for me). I think I may do a remix adding some of his bass back in. The first time Elijah did the vocals, he had a real aggressive take on the verses. I decided I wanted something more mellow and bluesy. Elijah didn’t quite give me bluesy, but I love what he came up with! 2. Stolen Identity I had written ten songs, and was worried that the record was too mellow. The result was this and “Comfortably Refined.” For this one I stole the “We’re Not Gonna Take It” formula (which was stolen from the “Cum On Feel The Noise” formula): drums, chorus, full band kicks in. I came in at a weird spot with the drums (inspired by Zeppelin’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll”) and put a bunch of echo on them to add to the weirdness. I wanted a song about how incredibly important it is to know our identity in Christ. Not sure if I got that across here…by the way, “Charlie” (not his real name) is a friend of mine–that actually happened to him. The guitars are by a guy I’ve used several times off Fiverr–Jared from Canada. Super nice guy. I had this Black Sabbath–feeling riff (which was basically just a blues scale). Jared made it way cooler. 3. Brittle Monuments I love the song “Irish Garden” by Resurrection Band, and wanted to do something like that–pretty acoustic parts juxtaposed against a hard rocking song. Mr. Jack did a great job on the acoustic (I just told him to “do something in D”), to which I added some lame attempts at an acoustic lead. On the outro, my wife Kendra graciously improvised some recorder, just to add further contrast to the Bride (that’s a band)-inspired main part of the song. Mr. Jack again played a cool bass part, but I wanted something simpler (again) on the main riff and chorus, so I actually did those parts. I was hearing this slow slide down on the riff, so that’s what you hear the first time the Drop D riff kicks in. My favorite Bangladeshi guitarist added some insane shredding to this, which I love. 4. How Else? This would be “King’s X ripoff song #1.” I wanted it to evoke a happy Friday afternoon in September as one tries to find a new way of thanking God for being so unfathomably awesome. I gave the basic guitar parts to my friend Bill Groninga, who did some killer work on the first Outstate album. I told him to make it sound like “It’s Love” by King’s X, and he went above and beyond! After the bridge there’s a measure of ¾ time followed by an instant key change. This was inspired by “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi. Kudos to Elijah for all the great harmonies and Mr. Jack for the perfect bass lines. 5. Rust On the Gears Check “Grunge song” off the list (plus more wah)! I make every nook and cranny of this song as grungily grungy as possible, including the lyrics! Elijah had a challenge trying to sing my off-kilter melody in ⅞ time, but he pulled it off well. The guitars are tuned down a half step, which is what lots of bands do normally (Van Halen, Stryper, etc.). I just thought I should do that sometime. Matt Webb killed it as always on the bass. Lyrically, it’s basically saying it isn’t about your performance–it’s all about His Grace (a COMMON theme for me!). 6. Tear Your Robes Check off “Blues song”...I had wanted to write a song like this for years. Sammy Hagar has a song called “Little White Lies,” which was the initial inspiration. This song would never have happened without the authentic blues expertise of the amazing Mr. Jack. The footstomp was me wearing a combat boot (tanker boot, to be precise) tapping on a little wooden box. I downloaded a free recording of crickets to give the beginning and end the stereotypical sitting-on-your-porch-in-Mississippi vibe. I also like these lyrics. I don’t think I’ve ever written a “repent, sinner!” song before. I’m usually focused on the positive side, but I felt the need to do that at least once in my career. Rom. 8:1! 7. Sand Castles One of my best friends was a guy named Chad Weekley. We grew up together, and despite being drumming rivals, we became good buds. One day in early ‘93 (I think) he and I were hanging out at the Burger King in Moorhead, Minnesota (a frequent thing). He suddenly blurted out, “Do you wanna write a song?” to which I enthusiastically responded “Yes!” We went to his place, and he pulled out his guitar. I acted as cheerleader, trying to pull a Bride-style hard rocker out of him. We (mostly he) eventually came up with a riff and about half a verse. The lyrics weren’t that great, but they were more of a placeholder at that point. He made a rough recording on cassette (which is probably somewhere in his parents’ basement or something). I haven’t heard what we did since that afternoon, but it’s stuck with me. Chad didn’t survive a heart transplant in July of 1993. I decided to take what I remembered, as I remember it, and flesh it out. I’m sure the riff isn’t quite right, but the vocal melody on the first part of the verse is accurate, I believe. I wrote new lyrics, and ended up with a song in AABA form–no chorus. I gave it to Matt. He and Chad were cousins and best friends. We were all in a couple bands together back in the day. Matt’s playing was perfect (as always), and he unsurprisingly turned in the best solo on the record. The lyrics were inspired by a friend telling me about his sons-in-law. I asked how they’re doing, and he said something to the effect of “they’re busy building their castles” [focused on career, etc.]. I thought “that would make a great song.” RIP, Chad! He’s definitely with Jesus, thankfully! 8. Beauty of Innocence This was inspired by an old video of my daughter when she was around four years old. She was reciting a poem with the line, “Brown and furry; caterpillar in a hurry.” She was so earnest, trying to get it right that it absolutely melts my heart. I look at pictures of my kids when they were little, and I remember how impossibly sweet and precious they both were. It touches my heart, and I think also reflects the heart of God. Musically, I tried to rip off “Every Move You Make” (yeah, I know that doesn’t fit!). It ended up bearing little resemblance to that. One thing I liked was how that song modulates (key change) on the bridge, which kicks it into gear. Mine actually also modulates from the verse to the chorus, but that was because I wrote it too low, so I moved the verse up a step for Elijah! Matt Webb’s bass really makes the song, as do Lexi Kohler’s backing vocals (she sang backup on my Turbocharger record). 9. Careful What You Hear I had thought of this idea for lyrics for a long time. Whether it’s the Bible, your favorite political commentator or whatever, you tend to believe what you (repeatedly) hear. I had been wanting to just put some crazy percussion stuff on a song, so this was it. And hey, let’s do it in 9/8 time while we’re at it! :) I used some old marching percussion, a brake drum, and even a popcorn tin (not sure that was a good idea). I also decided to play drums on a guitar basically (on the intro part). Matt Webb added a nice Primus-style bass, and we’re off. Again, I couldn’t play the main guitar riff cleanly, so I recruited Matt Seidel, who again made it larger than life. And why not completely change the tempo for the last choruses (along with another key change)? 10. These Fields About 30 years ago I wrote some lyrics about my favorite thing in the whole world, which was going for walks with my dog through the many fields near my home. These were some of the best times I’ve ever had. Just reveling in the peaceful countryside, soaking in God’s creation…there’s nothing like it, and I really miss it. Back in 2016 or ‘17, when I was working on the first Outstate record, I wanted to put those lyrics to music, but I couldn’t find them. So, I wrote “These Fields” from scratch. A few years later, I rediscovered my original lyrics, so I decided to go ahead and put them to music. One of my favorite King’s X songs is “The Difference (In the Garden of St. Anne’s on the Hill),” so I attempted to come up with something in that vein. I struggled like crazy, but finally ended up with something I could at least live with. I asked the insanely talented Keith Thornby if he’d be interested in playing guitar on it, and he was! I kept the original part very simple, and told him to make it beautiful. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the stunning masterpiece of a guitar track he sent me. I’m still in awe. Thank you SO MUCH, Keith! Then Elijah–God bless him–recorded three part harmonies for pretty much the entire song. I actually took some of them out on the verses, because it was just too much, but mercy, that kid did great. Matt Webb added a predictably tasteful bass part, and I threw in a little percussion. It’s not really a reprise, but since it’s what “These Fields” was originally meant to be, I thought I’d call it that (it also sounded artistic to me, like when the Galactic Cowboys put a song called “Ranch on Mars (Reprise)” on their first album. Decades later, they wrote a song called “Ranch on Mars”…) 11. Comfortably Refined The idea for this song came from conversations with my friend Jason. It’s generally the idea that, if you’re in God’s will, even trials aren’t as bad. Just like the three Hebrew boys, you may be in a fiery furnace, but it won’t hurt you. It also reminds me of the year I moved my family to Kyiv, Ukraine (read all about it in my book Kyiv Diary!;). After we returned home, I was talking with a lady from church about how, even when things were tough, it was like we were in a cocoon that made those hard landings less jarring. Musically, I was inspired by the old Rez Band song “Defective Youth,” though my initial guitar riff just didn’t work. I decided to go with a punk-style guitar part. I had a chorus I really liked, but while recording vocals, Elijah grabbed my acoustic and started messing around. The next thing I knew, he had a whole new melody for the chorus, and it was great! I actually recorded him doing that, which is sort of what the end of the song is, except that he re-recorded it to make it a little cleaner (but still still him singing and playing live–you can tell when he turns his head at one point, making his vocals softer). I also decided we needed some bass and drum solos! Great job again, Matt! I have saved my original chorus and hope to maybe use that melody on another song in the future. Of course, not a song that’s part of a whole album! ;-) 12. Hometown In a career marked by songs that very few people listen to or like, I FINALLY decided to write a song people like! I thought to myself, “I should write a song about Detroit Lakes. Maybe somebody will actually listen to it…” I tried writing it as a Southern rock song, but just couldn’t pull it off. I then found a chord progression I liked from a popular modern country song. The song pretty much wrote itself (musically) after that, though the lyrics were a big struggle. I knew Elijah would like it, and when he first heard it, he immediately started getting into it. However, he said, “I feel like this chorus is more of a pre-chorus,” and I was like, “What?!” He then came up with the tag (“It’s my hometown, where I come from,” etc.). That really was a nice addition to it. When I showed an early version to my kids, my son responded, “I’m unironically vibing to it,” which apparently is the Gen Z way of saying, “I surprisingly find that I actually like this.” I figured this song would be worth investing a little more in, so I hired a more expensive player than normal off Fiverr. Jorge had the exact feel I was going for (check out his work with the Damien Isacc Band), and he didn’t disappoint, though I found it funny that he said the song reminded him of pop punk bands like Blink 182…that’s NOT the vibe I went for, but whatever! Long after the initial recording, I suddenly started hearing another vocal part in the chorus, which I described as a “descant.” I don’t know if that’s what it is, but I asked Lexi Kohler to sing it, knowing it was more in her wheelhouse than anything she’d ever done for me. I decided to leave that part for the very last chorus, and I think the guitar through the last chorus in particular turned out just like I’d hoped. It was coming along so well that I hired the guitar player (Jorge) to also mix it, and he gave it a legitimate, radio-ready mix. He also mastered it for free, which was amazing. He’s become a bit of a friend, which is so fun. If you’re wondering about the people the song talks about, “Skip” is Skip Craig, a Detroit Lakes (DL) grad my mom went to high school with in the late ‘40s. He went on to work with musical comedian Spike Jones and became a track reader (whatever that is) for Disney animated shows, including the original “Ducktales.” “Jessie” is Jessica Lang, who lived in DL for a few of her teen years. Her breakthrough hit was in King Kong in the mid-’70s. “Adam” is Adam Thielan, who has one of the coolest NFL success stories I’ve ever heard (from undrafted to the Pro Bowl). I was actually his seventh grade social studies teacher! He was short then. :) “Mark” is Mark Gulseth, one of my classmates, who played minor league pro in the San Francisco Giants organization. “Tanner” is Tanner Lane, one of the more successful hockey players DL has produced (and one of Elijah’s coaches). There’s a photo on my video showing Tanner on the bench with Elijah in the net in the background of the photo. The bridge talks about the revival that started in the Strawberry Lake area north of DL in the mid-’50s. Gerald Derstine (shown in my video) was a Mennonite youth pastor who was caught up in the middle of that crazy outpouring and who eventually became an internationally-known leader in the Charismatic movement. His story is chronicled in the book “Feel the Fire,” written by his daughter. I met him when he was in his 90s, and he was one of the nicest, most down-to-earth people you could meet. You’d never dream that he was a famous evangelist. John Steinbeck did write (very briefly) about DL in his book “Travels with Charley.” He just passed through and had nearly nothing to say, but hey, it’s Steinbeck in my town! So there it is. More than you ever wanted to know about this, my “last” album. If you actually read to the end, let me know, and I’ll send you a free CD. I have plenty! ;-) |