Keeping the Faith

It's hard to believe that it's been over six month since Covid-19 touched down on the shores of the United States. Six months of death and suffering for so many, and chaos, confusion and uncertainty for the rest of us. Six months of shifting priorities, juggling schedules and redefining every aspect of our daily lives. Six months of trying to figure out exactly what "the new normal" is going to look like.

Back in march, when literally overnight all of my gigs and performances were cancelled indefinitely, I went into a bit of a tailspin. Like so many of you, I began to worry about how I would make ends meet, where my next paycheck would come from, and whether or not I or anyone in my family would be at risk of catching this seemingly unstoppable disease. Some questions were answered, and some remain unknown to this day, but in the midst of all this turmoil I naturally turned to the one outlet that I have always been able to rely on in my life: music.

I began to write a batch of songs that dealt with the issues that we were all facing. For the first time in my career I put my personal political views out in the open for all to see without hesitation. People who have followed me online or know me personally I am sure have always had some idea of where I stand, but it was something I rarely dared tread upon in my music. With only a few exceptions, the majority of my lyrical content revolved around themes of love, romance, partying and having fun or staying positive and believing in yourself.

Twenty years ago I wrote a couple of songs for my group called the Royal Family, featuring the vocals of Nephtaliem McCrary (aka Nephrok!) the had some kind of heavy themes. "Chemical Brothers" is a song I wrote about drug abuse, and "Anthem for the World" I actually penned the first draft on September 11, 2001 as I sat in front of a television screen and watched the World Trace Center in New York fall to the ground. But I've always been a little bit hesitant to get too political with my music, perhaps for fear of alienating any potential listeners who may not share the same views as myself. Moreover though, I think it's just scary to put such an intimate part of yourself on the line; an artist can feel very exposed when doing so.

As I have continued to write and compose music over the years, I've come to realize that feeling that sort of naked and out in the open feeling is actually a good thing, because it usually means that you're doing something right. "Safe art" doesn't typically move or compel people, it doesn't spark change or pique people's curiosity. Music, art and lyrics that are engaging and make people think is what drawn listeners and makes them want to know more. Some of the best songs ever written have been about intensely personal things, but they are presented in a way that is often very accessible and relatable to the general population.

One songwriter who did this impeccably in my opinion is Marvin Gaye. Songs like "I Want You" "Distant Lover" and "Let's Get It On" were all written about things that were going on in his life and relationships, but something about the way he put it down made you feel like you knew exactly where he was coming from. As a teenager I can remember listening to Marvin's records and feeling like even at my young age I could feel and understand all of the joy, pain and heartache he was singing about, even if I had yet to experience many of those things firsthand.

Another of Marvin's great releases from the 1970s was his epic "What's Going On" album. Released in 1971, this intense concept album which employs a haunting leitmotif interspersed throughout an expansive song-cycle paints vivid images of a world torn apart by war, poverty, protests and riots. As a kid I would sit in front of my stereo with my eyes closed as the record spun and journey through that world, seeing everything that Marvin sang about as though it were right in front of me, trying hard to understand everything that I was feeling.

It's always been a dream of mine to create something that could make others feel that way, a project that would make a statement with words and sounds and take people on a trip; to let them see what I see. This is the spirit that I kept close to my heart as I began writing the music that will be on my forthcoming record that I made with my band The Moonlighters. Dealing with recording while social distancing was a challenge to say the least, and there have been a number of technical as well as personal/life issues that have sprung up along the way. All in all though I am very pleased with the work that we did and the sounds that we got, and I am excited to finally get this album released to the public!

Watch this space for news and updates. More to come soon!