Life, family, and music.
Hi Greta, Great question. First, for others reading who might not know, here’s a list of albums and EPs: My Whole Life (2005) Songs from a Small Town (2008) Christmas Songs (2008) Three (2012) Tennessee Sky (2012) Through Frozen Forests EP (2012) Safe Enough to Wander (2013) Black Wall Way EP (2016) Passages (2017) This Time of […]
Greta asks, “What’s your favorite album you’ve made?” Read More »
So, you’re in a slump. Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve had a win—whether that’s commercial success or simply someone complimenting your work.If you find yourself eating an entire bag of Doritos, I get it. I’ve been there. But here’s something to try after you brush those crumbs off your shirt: Go Through the
How to Believe in Yourself When Times Are Tough Read More »
If you’re having difficulty finding creative time because your life is hectic, that’s okay. You’re normal. After having kids, I grew really frustrated by how little I seemed to be able to write songs. Carving out time seemed impossible. Before you give up, try this method. It’s comprised of two parts: Labeling Existing Daily Habits
How to Find Creative Time in a Hectic Schedule Read More »
“So many of your songs evoke strong emotions (joy, sadness, longing etc), as a listener I can feel them with you. What’s one of the strongest memories or feelings from your own life? Have you written a song about it?” Hi Stephen, One example might be “Vacation,” all about my family’s trip to Disney World
When was the last time you got bummed because it started raining? Maybe you had planned on mowing the yard or going swimming. You’d even gone so far as to start cutting the grass or drape your towel over the back of a pool chair. Then the clouds darkened and grew heavier, and pretty soon
Know the Weather Forecast Read More »
I stumbled upon this YouTube video. It caught my attention because it seemed off-brand for Elliott Smith: the dark, brooding artist on a couch at six a.m. with a puppet behind him (not Sesame Street) and the host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. Huh? It made more sense when I saw the date. It was
Lessons from Elliott Smith’s Appearance on a Tacky Morning Show Read More »
Great question, Ty! But here’s a curveball for you: I encourage you NOT to focus on boosting your social media presence right now. Let’s hit pause on all that for a moment. Why, you ask? Social media can be a fantastic place to: Feel bad about yourself Practice mustering up genuine excitement for other people’s
AMA: “How do I boost my social media presence when I’m just starting out?” – Ty Read More »
How do I get over the fear of sharing my work? – Aly Aly, this is a great question, and I have to be honest: the fear of sharing your work never completely disappears. That’s why I titled this post “Dealing…” rather than overcoming. I’m not sure many of us truly overcome the fear. However,
Dealing with the Fear of Sharing Your Work Read More »
I know the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” are about West Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains and all. But last year, when my wife and I hauled our family around the Midwest in a camper for my Living Room Tour, I took a wrong turn near the Montana/North Dakota border. Though we tried
Happy Accidents: Where This Picture Came From Read More »
I’m a distractible person. Don’t get me wrong, I can be laser-focused for several hours on, let’s say, a guitar tone. But send me to the grocery store for an onion, and I’ll return with strawberries, ballpoint pens, tiki torches—pretty much everything besides an onion. I tell you this because I’ve realized that looking at
Why I’ve Been Going Back to Paper Read More »