In November of 2021, we started this record at Sage Arts Studio in Arlington, Washington. The south fork of the Stillaguamish River runs through the property – a rapid, churning force. There is a deep, smoldering green and gray that envelops the Pacific Northwest in the winter. The sun sets around 4:30 p.m. It’s the perfect time to make an album.
Andy Park, Dave Dalton, Sean Lane, Harrison Whitford, Dave Dawda, and I learned and tracked 11 songs in five days. Most of it was done live, with all of us playing together in the same room. These guys are incredibly talented musicians and it was a privilege to make this record with them. This is the third record Andy and I have made together and I am continuously grateful for his guidance. My sister, Abby, contributed beautiful string arrangements and harmonies, once again playing an integral part as she has on all my records.
These last several years have been ones of significant personal change. I got married to my lovely wife, Misha, taking a deeper step into the uncharted territory of building a life with another person, pushing past my former limits of commitment. We bought a little house in a small town in Washington with our two (now three) dogs and our cat. It’s a quiet life, but a good one.
For a while, I stopped actively pursuing music and took a job working construction. I found myself disillusioned with the industry and no longer knew my place in it. The world around me has changed rapidly and I sometimes have difficulty grasping it. There were moments when I felt I had lost the wind from my sails – but I still love creating music and I love these songs.
It’s been a challenging but rewarding period of my life, which I feel throughout this record. A lot of regret and failure, but also hope and the transformative power of love. Acceptance of the way things have been, and the way they are, and how little control we really have – acceptance that everything is transient. My hope is that these songs will find you in the ways you need. Here’s another message in a bottle – I hope it washed up on your shore at just the right time.
[Noah]
