1/1/2017

It has become customary, for me at least, to release something, anything, on the first day of each year. New Years Eve/Old Years Night has been a bust for me for a few years so these days I bury my head in work until I wake up in a New Year with something to donate to the world. Start as you mean to go on and all that. Which is not to say that I simply threw out an EP on Sunday, it's quite the opposite.

I had been writing solidly throughout 2016, as I do, with one eye on writing and releasing an album. Yes, a lot of it went in the bin (censor thyself). It was an interesting year, by all accounts, so I felt like there was a deep well from which to draw. Certainly enough form an album; an album which would be all mine. That has been the creative focus of the past year for me. Not my life's focus, of course. Making music is a form of meditation for me and I believe that it's ok, healthy even, to have things which one does by oneself and for oneself. It's not about the money. It couldn't possibly be. The act of creating by and for oneself is something I find to be particularly worthwhile, especially if it produces something at the end of it all; it adds focus and a goal and at that end, regardless of the resulting success or failure, one can be proud of what has been achieved. I would recommend such an activity to anyone, of any age.

Maybe I merely make music redolent of the popular culture image of the 1980s or maybe that's simply how it appears at the moment. Maybe that's just one part of it? For me, it is merely one part of it all. It's a process and an ongoing one at that. The 'work' is one thing and the product another but it is the doing of the work which holds the key. In the course of this work I found myself pulling in two different directions and as the end of the year approached, I saw myself trying to piece together a puzzle, the fragments of which had been written over the previous months. If a piece does not fit, the puzzle will never be solved. So I removed some pieces to make a smaller, separate puzzle, the result of which is the EP which I just released - 1/1/2016. I was never very good with names.

Work will continue on the album, as and when I can, until it is 'ready'. I am already proud of what I have written for it. It shall, however, be taking a comfortable back seat in the coming year as I have far more exciting, lovable, worthwhile and important developments occurring in my life. Namely, the imminent birth of my daughter. Who I simply cannot wait to meet, hold, love, teach, laugh with, be proud of, experience life with, dote on, nurture and father. Some things in life you can prepare yourself for. This is something quite different.

Music is one thing. Without it I would be someone else entirely and while some people refer to "the birthing process of my album' *rolls eyes to the sky*, what I am anticipating is a real birth, a citizen of the world, THE true love and the very definition of responsibility. Am I scared? A little. Nervous? Slightly. Excited? Absolutely.

Perhaps this blog should be about my music and solely that but that's not what life is. It's all connected and without one thing, there is no other. I intend to keep this updated, all forms of writing are creative processes in my opinion but if I, or you, check this blog to find no new posts for months do not be surprised. Procrastination is the thief of time.

Welcome to a website/blog and I hope you enjoy my music but above all, no matter what happens and no matter how much strength it takes (you have that strength), love one another and as my mother has always told me - don't let the bastards grind you down.

Herb x