The demands and distractions of our current world make it increasingly difficult to do our best. Perhaps the greatest honor that I feel in having completed this body of work is that every person listed in these credits — the artistry of whom I admire — gave all that they had to give in the capacities asked of them; everyone committed and gave all of themselves. There were many moments over the last six years, and particularly the last two, where I couldn’t believe that this much artistic grace and excellence was being harnessed in service of my vision. I’m eternally grateful to every single musician that played a single lick or gave an ounce of committed attention to be a part of this album. It takes a village (or a neighborhood) to make music like this.
That said, I can’t promise you will like it any more than I could promise you would like me if you met me. I’d hope you would - but all I can do is be the best version of myself, and let who’s meant for me receive me. This album sounds like me — I feel proud to say I’m the only one that could’ve made it; for the first time, I didn’t hide at all behind sounds and styles that I knew would resonate with certain types of listeners. My only compass was to try to make something that would maybe last the test of time, that’s artistic integrity would still resonate 10, 20 years from now, and to do it with my own voice and the internalized influences that have inspired the artist that I am at this point in time.
I hope that you’ll listen to it in full, live with it, let it grow on you. Come back to it later if it doesn’t hit at first. Love it, or passionately have no taste for it. As it pertains to this semi-rant, I guess what I hope most to convey is that a truly incredible roster of world class musicians gave themselves to this project, and that we think it is deserving of your time, your attention, your feelings, if you have them to spare. We did it without the machine or budget usually reserved for these type of endeavors, and there is no one but me to tell you how much we cared. So this is me, writing a bit too much, caring a lot - looking forward to giving this album to whoever will receive it.
It’s an honor and a privilege to make music. It’s saved my life many times over, and continues to be the only practice that never fails to soothe my soul. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this album, and to everyone who will hear it.
