This album is not exactly intended to be “good”. ... depending on your definition, that is.

This record was made as a highly experimental recording in March of 2016 as part of “Joe’s Concept Album Month” (JoCoAlbMo). The annual JoCoAlbMo challenge is to create a full-length concept album during the month of March using only minimal amounts of pre-written or pre-recorded material. The challenge is designed to motivate the creative processes of composition and songwriting while de-emphasizing the pressures of performance and production, which can often interfere with those processes.

Along with eight other bold artists, i embarked upon this challenge, and am happy to report that i successfully completed it on time and within the guidelines proposed. As one might expect, the resulting record -- at least in my case -- is focused largely on vision and content. In that regard, i consider it an accomplishment of which i’m proud. In terms of highlighting the best of my performance and production skills, however, the album is sorely lacking. While i apologize to those who may have been looking for something more polished, i hope that listeners will understand that this endeavor was an important artistic exercise for me, and further hope that some may be able to appreciate the album for its writing and message, despite its flaws.

The concept of this record was born out of a long and not-entirely-voluntary hiatus i took from public performances and releases for several years. It seeks to roughly chronicle some of the wide range of emotions and stages through which i moved while deciding what role -- if any -- i wanted my musical pursuits to continue to have in my life. As the record moves through themes like success and failure, recognition and obscurity, and ultimately the question (and answer?) of art’s purpose in a saturated world, it similarly traverses a wide breadth of musical genres that includes shades of folk, rock, a cappella, electronica, and ambient/noise. On the way, it outlines my own story, and my eventual realizations about why i still wish to create music.

Again, while this album may not showcase the best of my work as a performer or producer, i hope that it might offer lovers of the art form a rich experience both in the breadth of music’s definition and in the exploration of its very purpose.


For a better sample of my musical efforts when i actually have time to pay attention to performance and production, check out northmusic1.bandcamp.com or thenorthwebsite.com .

For more about the annual creative challenge formerly known as Joe’s Concept Album Month, check out incoalmo.com .