I remember starting this one with a guitar part and filling in the melody with gibberish words—just vowel sounds and a cadence that felt right. In other words, I had no idea what the song would be about, and I didn’t care. I was painting. Enjoying the process of discovery. But I also know I […]
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Notes on Writing “Forgiveness” One time our family rented a car that came with SiriusXM radio. Instead of searching around for something we liked, we just let the station keep playing whatever it wanted. At some point, this song came on by a band I can no longer remember. But in the middle of the
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Notes on writing “Home Means You” I was trying to write a non-cliché song about home. I’ve written dozens of home songs and will probably write dozens more. The whole “a house isn’t a home” idea has certainly been covered before, so I was trying to find a small twist on it. I think the
Learning Which Hills to Die On Read More »
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Protected: The Espe Boys and Recent Family Photos Read More »
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One of my first employers was a man named Bob Carr. He had about an acre of rolling garden beds next to his family home on the north side of town. He sold flowers and shrubs, and hosted a garden tour every summer that was like a miniature Woodstock for old people. On Saturdays, I
An Amen for Bob Carr Read More »
On Tuesday mornings, the garbage truck would come into my five-year-old view from the staircase window—the truck’s square nose pausing in front of Mr. Rugland’s hedges. The worker hanging on in back would hop off at Mr. Wenzel’s driveway, tossing one or two small bags into the truck. Mr. Wenzel was the high school English
Garbage Day and the Lost Rhythm Read More »