Harrisburg

Music has always been part of my life, even if it took me a while to take notice. My maternal grandfather sang Caruso and Lanza in old working men club's along the Garw Valley. He did it for the love of it, and not to put coins in his pocket. He was the local cobbler and mended shoes for a living. My paternal grandfather was a competition-winning ballroom dancer. He graced the polished halls of the Llynfi Valley. He was a miner and spent most of his time underground. Again, he danced out of adoration and not for it. My father is an engineer. He once walked the best part of thirty miles to see The Who in concert. I need say no more.

I started writing words at a young age, probably six or seven, began my first novel at eleven, and wrote my first song at sixteen. I believe in the heritage of music. I believe in a shared history, the highs and the lows and the in-betweens. I could say I play folk music but I'm not sure what that means. I could say I play country but I don't wear a hat. I don't play the blues 'cause it's too much fun and I'd never try anything else. Maybe Townes was right and it's all just zippedee-do-dah.

I write songs with words. That is, the words don't merely serve to punctuate the vocal but formulate it. Phrasing is the most important aspect of the art of singing in my eyes and ears and I strive to make each performance disturbingly fresh. My work is as much influenced by Dostoevsky, Pessoa, & Keats as it is Dylan, Van Zandt, & Thompson. I play under a pseudonym 'cause I've never been able to deal with the fact that my first band didn't last forever. I confess that the name comes from a Josh Ritter song. I hope he doesn't sue me.



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