This is the most complete collection of my songs ever collected! Most of them have been posted before (not all), but never all in one place. What follows are the three EPs with all their songs (click the links to listen) and a short synopsis for each album.

---

“A Wide Open Room” (August 2019)

These songs are about trying to find perspective and looking towards the future, which at the time looked like a wide open room. A couple friends helped me with some of the recordings and Aleisha helped with the cover photo. My favorite song is track 3, “In Your Arms.”

All I Know

Good Old Days

In Your Arms

To the Sea

With You

---

“Songs for the Springtime” (Feb. 2019)

This second collection of songs was written out of a pretty hard time – but with the hope of new life and resurrection in mind (springtime). The vibe of this collection is pretty mellow and raw, and I think that fits. I really like a lot of these tunes, “April” “Numb” and “Springtime” are my favorites.

April

God Bless Us All

For the Sleeper

Pull for You

Stay

The Sun Comes Up

Between My Hands

Clarity 

Numb

Springtime

---

“Rambling Anthems” (Jan. 2018)

*This is the first collection of songs I ever recorded. They are dear to me, and as I listen to them I think of Oregon and what it felt like to be eighteen and nineteen years old. They were (almost) all recorded with a borrowed mic and my Taylor guitar in an upstairs room. My favorite is track 4, “What Love Is” and track 2, “For Your Morning.”

Blessing Song

For Your Morning

Pilgrim

What Love Is

Patiently

Evergreen

Mountain Song

I Love You More

Others Too

Gethsemane

A Lot Like You

Lullaby

Gravity

---

Misc. Songs

Ryan’s Song (cover)

Run

Spanish Class

---

This is my disbelieving smile: to those who say that we’re headed for hell – to those who say we’ve come so much farther than any other people – to those who say the good old days were so much different than today.

My friends, these are the good old days. And we too will fade away like ancient memories. Our kids will watch us get old, and they’ll laugh about our ancient ways and funny words.

We are tomorrow’s good old days.

---

2-22-19

Westminster, SC

“Good Old Days”

Some say the world is going to hell,

And some say that it just might as well,

They think we’re farther than anyone’s come,

They seem to forget the circles we run,

We are the fading memories of tired old men,

The whispered legends of way back when,

These are our children’s ancient ways,

And we are tomorrow’s good old days,

Some say we’re making history,

Flying cars and robots, these modern machines,

They think we’re farther than anyone’s come,

They seem to forget the circles we run,

—

This is my favorite song on this album.

It’s about having somewhere to run when the world around affords no place to hide, a bridge to walk up under when the road is getting driving rain. It’s a very short, simple song. I wrote it while sitting at my desk – then recorded it the same day.

5-18-19

Westminster, SC

“In Your Arms”

In your arms, and in your eyes,

There’s a place where even fools like me,

Are allowed to be alive,

So I smile, and then I cry,

Cause there is nowhere else for me,

In this world to hide,

—

I was on a surfing trip in Charleston with some of my best friends when this song came to me. It was late at night, and I was sitting up in a stranger’s living room. Then I went to Corey’s house, and helped me record it.

It’s about getting washed clean of everything that isn’t right, everything else. Sometimes I feel that happening when find my way down to the water.

—

---

7-27-19

Charleston, SC

“To the Sea”

I’m up for the ride, I’m out of breath,

I’m down for good times, I’m scared to death,

You’re all I want here, you terrify me dear,

Something inside knows, you’re what I need,

Accompany me, to the sea,

And the waves will wash us clean,

Accompany me to the sea,

And our doubts will go out like the tide,

It’s all so simple, there’s so much excess,

Standing between us, and what might come next,

Feeling real heavy, like I’m soaking wet,

I believe love, I’m scared to death,

—

---

I wrote this song after a basketball game one night. I had played really bad, and gotten really frustrated. It’s the longest song on the album, and took the most work to record. Tristan was staying at my house one weekend, so I made him help me. He played the percussion, some guitar, sang some ooooohs, and made the plopping noises with his mouth. Thanks, Tristan!

My favorite parts of this song are the strange tempo shift and the new C#m fingering I learned while writing it.

---

2-26-19

Westminster, SC

“With You”

Tonight, I stumbled all over the place,

Tonight, I didn’t have the cards to play,

Tonight, things just didn’t go my way,

But I like me better when I’m with you, maybe together we could make it through,

I’m down here doubting enough for us both, the light in your eyes gives me hope,

You make me smile like a fairy tale, if I’m Jonah be the whale,

I like me better when I’m with you, maybe together we could make it through,

Tonight, all my eyes could see,

Were giants, coming down on me,

I feel, like I floating out to sea,

But I like me better when I’m with you, maybe together we could make it through,

You’re always chipper like you’re in a good mood, but I’m melancholy so I need you,

Your smile is good news and your heart’s like gold, nothing but sunshine in your soul,

I like me better and I like you too, maybe together we could make it through,

—

---

This is the third “album” of demos I am sending into the world. They are five songs I’ve written and recorded over the last year or so. I’ll post one a day for about a week.

The album is called “A Wide Open Room.” It feels like my future is bright and open. There is so much waiting to happen, and so much is uncertain. It feels like a new room ready to be filled. To be decorated – moved into – lived in. These songs are about looking close at what’s right beside me and dreaming about what’s coming into sight.

—

thanks to:

Corey Steiner for helping on track 1 (To the Sea) – he played everything that isn’t my voice or guitar, did the editing and such, and explained the difference between 3/4 and 7/8 timing.

Tristan Hertzler for helping on track 3 (With You) – he played the percussion, made the cool mouth noises, and didn’t even ask why the tempo needs to change.

Aleisha Boley for fixing the cover photo with her cool app.

Su, Brock, and everyone else who cared about these songs too.

A Wide Open Room 

1. To the Sea
2. In Your Arms
3. With You
4. Good Old Days
5. All I Know

—

coming soon, thanks for listening.

—

---

Here is the second set of songs. Whereas most of the (side A) songs were written for friends, the songs on this side are pointed a bit more inward. Some came from watching a film (I wrote “Between my Hands” after watching Manchester by the Sea) or a documentary (“Numb” was written after watching Child of Rage – a horrifying documentary about a little girl with no trace of empathy, conscience, or remorse for hurting others).

These songs all mean something to me – and I hope that you enjoy them. All the lyrics are posted at the bottom.

---

– tracks –

(6.) The Sun Comes Up

(7.) Between My Hands

(8.) Clarity

(9.) Numb

(10.) Springtime

---

– lyrics –

Click on these words to view side B lyrics.

I am pleased to present to you, good friends, the top side of this collection of demos. These first five songs (side A) were all written for people right around me. *use headphones.

Rambling Anthems: Volume Two – Songs for the Springtime

—

if the Lord should tarry,

let the springtime come,

—

---

– tracks –

(1.) April

(2.) God Bless Us All

(3.) For the Sleeper

(4.) Pull for You

(5.) Stay

---

– lyrics –

Click on these words to view lyrics.

---

cheers.

And about once a year I fill up a notebook. By the end, it’ll have pages and pages of random lyrics, choruses, and unfinished songs. But there are always a few actual, coherent pieces I deem worthy of making into a demo with a recording mic or my phone. After I filled up the second book, I made a sort of album (called “Rambling Anthems”) out of the demos.

I have come to the end of book three, and I’ve decided to post the recordings here. Otherwise, they’ll forever sit in a folder on my computer called “songs”. There’s a line in ““The Sounds of Silence” – Simon and Garfunkel” that goes,

And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people maybe more,

People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening,

People writing songs that voices never shared, cause no one dared,

Disturb the sounds of silence,

—

I think that on some level, if you’re making things, you need to share them with people – lest you become part of Paul Simon’s restless nightmare.

All of these songs have a very rough quality. It sounds like someone wrote something, then sat down in front of a mic plugged into a laptop and played it – cause that’s exactly what happened.

This first song is one that I did not write. It’s a cover of  “Ryan’s Song” which is written in “Boyhood”, my second favorite movie of all time. I encourage you to listen to that version by clicking on these words. I’m still finishing up the uploads – the rest of the songs will be posted before too long. You can click on the *follow button to make sure you get an email when they’re posted.

*like most everything in life, it’s better with headphones.

 “Ryan’s Song”

Well, I want for us to be together forever, But to wander wherever I may,

I want you to be easy and casual, But still demand I stay,

I want for you to know me completely, But still remain mysterious,

Consider everything deeply, But still remain fearless,

Climb to the top, look over the ledge,

Dance barefoot on a razor’s edge,

Reach for the stars, grab the tiger by the tail,

If I don’t try, I’ll never fail,

If you go home, you’re rolling the dice, Can’t step in the same river twice,

If you love too much, it’ll turn to hate,

If you never leave home, you’ll never be late,

If you eat too much, you’re gonna get fat,

If you buy a dog, you’ll piss off your cat,

Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride,

Cause arrivals and departures run side by side,

—