Ok, because you asked, I’ll share: last January I fell on some icy stairs, landed on my elbow, and caused serious damage to my ulnar nerve (think about how great it feels to hit your funny bone…that’s how my arm’s felt since January). Next week I go in for surgery. Doc says I’ll be minus a guitar for a month. Timing couldn’t be worse, as I’m smack dab in the middle of recording my solo record (not to mention the dozen-odd gigs I had to cancel), but hey, if I don’t get it fixed, I’ll eventually lose my ability to hold a guitar pick (and my hand turns into a claw. Creepy). That’d be essential, considering my trade, so away I go, armed with a positive attitude (no, really).

In the meantime, here’s a few updates on the studio:

  • Tuesday night I recorded the record’s 11th song, entitled Still. As I’ve grown older, I truly dig taking real life experiences and creating characters based on these occurances and then inserting them into my songs. These poor bastards end up experiencing a lot of the same emotions  I’ve experienced, but are placed in stories that are ultimately more interesting than my own humble existence. Still is one such story about a self-loathing soul who loses his significant other and never quite recovers. I’ll spare you the details (you’ll hear them when the record comes out), but my point is that many of the songs on this record as similarly designed. It’s loaded with stories rather than stream of conscious indulgences.The session itself went extremely well, and I basically nailed the song in three takes. We then moved onto recording an alternate version of Wolves on the Walk Back Home (something JHawk and I worked out at camp last week). Not sure which version will make it onto the record (the other is a full band, rock affair), but whichever doesn’t make it will eventually be sold (or given away on this site) digitally.
  • Nate Wilson (Assembly of Dust, Percy Hill) came in yesterday to record piano and organ. Really dig what he laid down on Park Bench. Sounds very Norah Jones. Exceptionally cool.
  • Mags and I discussed possible release dates. Initially we were shooting for November. Might get pushed back a bit, depending on recovery time from surgery, but whatever the case, I think you’re gonna dig it. Can’t wait to share.
  • I’ve been looking for a new guitar for quite sometime now. I’ve also been unfairly pressuring Jenny to allow me to purchase one. It’s not that my two Taylors suck, it’s just that my 310 has taken a beating over the years, and the T5 is better served as a guitar I use for full band gigs (just doesn’t have quite the same texture as a dreadnaught). Jenny gave me the thumbs up last night. Gotta love the support. It’s amazing what folks are dumping off these days due to rough times. I’m hoping to land a handmade Taylor (pre-1994) 710 or 810. I’m sure you’re probably crying boredom tears right now, but I just thought I’d let you know, in case you’ve got an old pre-1994 Taylor you’re looking to unload on the cheap.

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