In May 2019 I spent 15 days driving my motorcycle along CA Hwy 1 from Los Angeles, California to Brookings, Oregon. Between San Francisco and the Oregon border I spent eight days alternating between riding and writing music- resulting in the four songs below. I also got to visit some of my favorite places in the world and stay with some wonderful friends and family along the way.
I planned this trip as an exercise in writing music, and afterwards as an exercise in audio mixing, but also an experience in the fulfillment of joy. There is no better place than the Pacific Coast to remind oneself that you are a speck of dust in time and on Earth.
I'm now thankful for my extreme procrastination of mixing these songs because reflecting on the joy I felt during the fifteen days of this trip has brought me tremendous happiness, and anticipation of a brighter future beyond this quarantine.
I wouldn't call the four songs below my greatest works but they are honest, and I had a lot of fun producing & mixing them. I hope they make you feel something.
Los Angeles to San Francisco
Broke down in San Luis Obispo
Mom in Santa Cruz
Sausalito, CA
Stopover in Half Moon Bay
Mutek San Francisco
Me & mom's bikes
Bodega, CA
Pitstop at Panoramic Studios in Stinson Beach, CA
Panoramic Studio, Stinson Beach
Panoramic Studio, Stinson Beach
Star Ranch Studio, Bodega Bay
MENDOCINO, CA
Thanks to Jay for playing improvised cello on this track.
Fortuna, CA
The renovated barn I stayed in on a hill above Fortuna, CA
Johnny Houx in Ferndale, CA
Avenue of the Giants
Trinidad, CA
Brookings, OR
Brookings to LA
On my way from Brookings I ran into some rain, and ended up conveniently getting caught near my hometown of Calistoga waiting for the rain to let up for five days. During these days, I stayed with my best friend in the hills of Angwin, CA and would go down each day to the Ehlers Art Collective and continue working on the four tracks in Samvega's rehearsal room while the Ehlers crew tirelessly prepared for the Nimbash event that was to take place that weekend.
The road to Ehlers Art Collective
Somewhere south of Hollister on Hwy 25
Thanks to all of my wonderful hosts along the way- Monica & Justin, my mom, Jeremy & fam, Faolan (& Jay for playing cello), Suzie & Rosie (& Troy for letting me use his beautiful guitar), Amy, and the Ehlers crew. Thanks to Tim for lending me his precious OP-1 for the trip.
Thanks for listening. All of these songs are available to download on Soundcloud. xx