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I came to LA from Corvallis Oregon when I was 19 to pursue a career in music. Like everyone else I've spent years in and out bands going from, �light at the end of the tunnel� to buried by an avalanche in almost every situation that came about. Realizing that the task of getting a record deal is virtually impossible I decided that the only way I was going to record a CD was to do it myself. This was before the internet got going. The idea was to do everything so that a record company could take it like it is without having to spend time and money on something that is too "risky". So I recorded �Losin� It All� with my band, �The Dickenz� and thought it would bring us some attention. Of course the CD was always ignored or discredited before anyone would even listen to it so trying to get some record executive to a gig was never too hopeful. After a few years of playing fowled up gigs and empty clubs we decided that we were not getting enough attention or support in LA. So we left for Europe, (Athens, Greece). In my experience LA is fairly musician unfriendly. In LA ether you are famous and everyone wants to talk to you or you are not famous and no one wants to talk to you. One is judged by their appearance and status rather than their ability or creativity. They simply can't see or hear it. Greece was a lot of fun and we were taken much more seriously and got a lot more attention. We started out small but soon we were getting support by radio stations here and there and were even featured on a couple of television shows. Before long we were playing to packed audiences and getting more praise and respect than ever before. But after a little while that changed for me as the band was moving into a different direction than I wanted. In the end there were no hard feelings and I knew that once again I was going to have to go back to the drawing board. So I came back to LA knowing I could take advantage of the internet. But in doing so I was faced with the task of dealing with the business of the industry - more in business relations, filling out forms and expenses of all types, more than anything else let alone playing my music. It has proven to be almost as time consuming, frustrating and chaotic as keeping a band together. The experience has served it�s purpose though, and I�ve learned a lot - and still learning. Over all there were good times as well as bad. But in getting through it, as I look back there have been many accomplishments that I am proud of and will always be able to reflect on no matter where my life will end up. Future Days was written from the hardships and disappointments in my life that inevitably made me stronger. Having to deal with what the world is in reality. But also about achieving and understanding. Accepting your hardships because they make you stronger and wiser from your experience. Of course there have been many good times and I do write about them but a lot of what art is, is sometimes created by fairly disturbing truths. Writing about them is therapy and the audience is the therapist. The songs are a reflection of life, community and celebration as well as frustration, and the shock of many truths. I have had many good times and dealings with a lot of good people during the years but the end result of almost every project has ended up in postponement or abandonment. Sometimes it seemed like the whole world was against me. A musician�s life is usually a hard one. Being a great musician is one of the most difficult things to achieve on the planet. Trying to make a living at it is even harder. It is easy to blame society for our problems especially when you are up against something so big. But you can�t blame others. You can�t expect one to understand what you�re going through. You can�t compare your problems to other peoples. It will just drag you down. All you can do is keep going. You have to take the bad with the good and keep focused. The musician's story is the life story through song. It can be about rough times and difficult experiences but they�re actually a celebration of acknowledgement, which is what I call a �release�. It is a bold statement. That is why the fight is worth it. It puts you in a place where you want to be even if you never become rich or famous. Rock and Roll, like all types of music for a musician is a way of life. And as a person who refuses to give up, all of those problems, obstacles and so called failures are turned into knowledge and experience by being strong and believing in oneself. Never give up. Never surrender. The world is not against us. We just make it that way until we learn how to deal with ourselves. The Lyrics of Future days came from thoughts of how I perceive the world. Full of corruption and the chaos that it causes. But also about love, beauty and truth but not necessarily truths that portray beauty. All of us have the power within our selves to change what ever is ailing us and to keep the chaos out of our heads. The songs of Future Days represent my ideas and philosophies about life. The way it was, how it is now and the way that it should be or in some cases, will be. |