The Beginning

Really the concept of this album was birthed a long time ago. I remember hearing this record from a phenomenal artist who goes by the name of Rosie Lowe, and the name of that record is Birdsong. For some strange reason this record gripped me, but it was one line in particular that burrowed itself into my brain... "I'm waiting to hear your birdsong."

That line replayed over and over in my head and I couldn't help but ponder and reflect. The more that I sat in thought the questions very naturally came to me... "what is your birdsong, what would it sound like?" Honestly those question where just the beginning of what would become my biggest project, because in order to bring life to the song I have in me, I had to find out who I was.

It wasn't until the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020 when I really started to work on this album. Honestly, I still had no idea who I was, I was just ghosting through life operating through the mask of my ego. It wasn't until the beginning of 2022 that I was truly able to disconnect from what wasn't me and really look in the mirror, and that's when everything changed.

Music's big question mark

Of course I hear the conversations. I think about the stats and statistics, what I need to do, what I could've done, what I shouldn't have done. I think about my age. Am I too old? Is it to late? Did I make a mistake? I've spent so much time in fear over the "how." I spent so much time concerning myself with the next person and how it worked for him but didn't work for them.

In this space where I find myself, or at least beginning to find myself, I see the answer to the how is typically in the why. Everyone has a story, and "how" that story plays out is usually influenced by the "why." Why do you do what you do? This question I've asked the mirror so many times I've lost count. It was through that process of learning about myself when I truly started to understand my why.

I only do this because I love it. If I were only looking for a pay day I would've quit ten years ago. Honestly my why is I want to be great at what I do. I want to ooze passion and breathe life into the art. I want to create the language that moved me and share it with the people who love it too.

Figuring out half of the equation gave me the answer I was looking for. If I wanted to create art at that level then I had to get the business right. I had to learn about all the clerical side of things. I had to learn how to connect the art to the right channels so I could put it in the places where I needed it to be. In taking the time to learn what was blocking my "why" I found the solution to "how" it could all come together and happen for me.

Life, this process, the journey... it was all teaching me balance. It was teaching me how to put together a complete project by teaching me how to complete myself.

"If not now, then when?"

Another massive influence on this project was quarantine. I don't believe I could talk about these last three years without some mention of how covid changed the world, and honestly that time completely changed how I create everything.

All that time in solitude really helped me dive deeper into myself. With everything being so quiet and still it was almost as if I had no other choice. During that time I was struggling to write music that actually moved me, I wasn't connecting with the production that I had nor with the styles that I used to do. I found myself drowning creatively, waiting for inspiration and looking for direction.

Again, as I sat with myself and I pondered over all the possibilities of what this album could be, I said to myself "if it's going to be titled Birdsong, then no matter what it is it all has to come from you." Finally it felt like a foot in the right direction.

So I began to compose and produce. I always knew how to chop and blend but I never really put it to use, I never thought I could. The idea of a whole song written and produced by me seemed like something I could do but first I had to get over myself. I had to let go of being a perfectionist and become okay with starting from level one. I had to focus on not comparing myself to others and in that humility, I found my sound. Learning to produce completely changed the way I heard music, and that change had a direct effect on how I wrote. Eventually by the end of 2020 that energy and work manifested in the form of a song I call "Batman."

Because of those keys, the way that I sampled and chopped them over those simple drums, adding just a little bit of texture... I found myself in pockets that I never would've heard before. I found new belief in myself, but it also felt like an affirmation as to what I could do.

Bijou Theory

The belief that something as fragile as an idea can change the world when refined. It's the belief that the smallest details paint the biggest picture. It's the belief that every exchange matters. Your seed is in your idea, but it's growth depends on how you nurture it. Your soil is only as good as your belief. Your soul is in whatever you produce so your impact is in your every move. The Bijou Theory is the understanding of the

La la land & Moonlight

Overcoming fear has been the reoccurring theme these past few years. Stepping into a more visual world helped me make sense of all of these different perspectives. How I hear things, how I see things, and how I express different feelings.

I've always had a deep respect for cinematography. I not only loved the way the movies looked but I also loved the way they told the story through the images. Every touch and detail perfectly placed and every moment captured authentically. With more understanding came more appreciation and a reflection of those qualities in my craft.

These last three years changed something in me. The things I didn't believe I could do I now know that I can, even if I have to do it alone. I'm no longer afraid of figuring it out and trying something different. My fear was presenting as perfectionism and my ego was dictating the space I used to create from. So for me this album is what it's like to find harmony in acceptance, to live in authenticity, and know the power of your presence.

idea that every great thing begins with a thought, it begins with you.

from the editor

Let me take this moment to be totally honest with you. This album is just me addressing myself. In a way it truly represents these past three years and the journey that I've been on. I've spent these past few years finding myself, releasing myself from who I was and accepting who I am, while dealing with the pain of all of it.

The album starts with "Bodies in the Trunk", and that song is very much representation of how I viewed myself. My wish is that this album takes you on a ride and by the time you arrive to "Moonlight", you'll see that I've released myself of the mask and stepped into the true essence of me, realizing just how much power I have.