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Hey!

After writing for seven years and meandering through just about every conceivable genre I could think of, some stuff happened in my life and I quit music for a little while. It has been (as of mid-October 2008) almost three years since I wrote anything, or even thought of writing anything. I've always been playing and singing during that time, but I never really sat down and forced myself to create stuff like I had been doing, and the whole process made me a freer writer than I ever thought I could be.

Of course, some things are impeding my ability to put up new music today (funny enough, if you store an electronic drum machine in an attic for two years, it doesn't work right when you take it out). I'm splitting my time between work, school, writing for a magazine, and depending on the season either mountain climbing or kayaking. This project, while it has resumed, is still on the lower part of my priority list, partially because it doesn't pay and partially because it is much, much more difficult.

My creative process used to be simple: I would strum out a chord structure, figure out a cool melody, and improvise lyrics (mostly). I think I was about 16 when I started writing and recording music like that, and the first four CD's that I sold in my town were pretty awesome and generated a lot of interest.

But they made no sense. Th lyrics did nothing. I was too young, too naive, too simple to really grab at things that really resonate with people. So the music, while it sounded awesome, was still really unfinished and basic.

Then I went the opposite direction: I thought too hard. I listened to complicated music and complicated structures, and tried writing lyrics based on melodies that were far too complicated for me to really flesh out. Nobody could sing them, nobody could dance to them, and while they meant a lot and were wicked deep...they didn't really do anything for anybody, least of all myself.

Fast forward to now. I decided to go back to my old way of doing things, improvising based on basic structures, but its way more refined now. It feels a little bit more emotional, and it sounds a lot better. The things I regret about the music currently up on the page you're on (way too fleshed out, melody keeps on repeating, slow, steady, boring, but nice sounding) have been thoroughly worked out of my new stuff. I use my voice now, I use my heart now, I use what I've learned about the shitty parts of life and what I've learned about the really awesome parts of life. All of it comes together really nicely, and I feel like if I ever am to become anything good in music, the time is now.

I don't know when I'm going to be posting the new stuff, but if you're out there and you still wonder about what happened to me, that's the story. Sorry for going away for so long, and I'm especially sorry for not staying in touch with any of you when I went. I hope you guys will like the new stuff, and maybe it will make up for it.

In any case, I will be here now.
Ben

Blog - see all 2

June Jun 27, 2007

Well, it's been almost a month since my last post. What does that mean for you? Nothing. I haven't been on Virb at all over the last month or so and I have only been writing music, not recording. It's been a strange summer so far, honestly, I feel like a …

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