This is the story behind my new Kickstarter Campaign. I’ll be recording a definitive, studio version of my song Post, with singer Taylor Rae.
In 2010, I wrote and recorded a song called Post. It was a happy sounding song about a nuclear holocaust. Over time, it has become my most popular tune. People who know my music, and who have listened to me for years, all know Post. What they may not know is that I’ve never been satisfied with the 2010 recording of the song, which was actually recorded as a demo. At the time, I was twenty two years old, and oblivious to the ins and outs of recording studios. I lacked any knowledge of mixing or production that may have given the song a warmer and more professional sound. As a result, the insufficient quality of the song always left me wanting more. I felt it didn’t do the song justice. The fact that so many people love Post in its current version really speaks to the strength of the song—but the truth is, they’re not hearing Post as it was meant to be heard. And that’s always been in the back of my mind.
Over the years, I’ve tried to rework the song in various ways—I went to multiple recording studios and tried to rerecord time and time again, to no avail. I wanted a perfect, definitive version of the song for people to listen to, one that would capture all the feelings and the sounds that I heard in my head. But I could never get it. Over the past decade, Post stayed in its original demo form.
One of the main things that I always knew the song needed was a girl to sing harmonies. But finding the perfect female voice that would fit with the song was yet another daunting challenge. And then I heard Taylor Rae.
I caught Taylor singing on a short Instagram video, and within the first two notes, I instantly knew that she was the voice that Post needed. I had never seen or heard her before; I just knew intuitively that she was the one for the song. I reached out to her in the summer of 2020, and my intuition proved to be right on the money. Taylor, who later told me that Post was her favorite song of mine, offered new ideas and a fresh perspective to the track, including reworking some of the harmonies into three parts. She brought new layers of emotional depth to the song, creating tones and colors that I didn’t know were possible. She totally blew away even my highest expectations. I can finally say that now, after ten years, Post is ready to be rerecorded. This will be the definitive version: the song I’ve always wanted you to hear.
Recording takes place in November 2020 (next month). Taylor and I will be working with Don Budd at Tone Freq Studios, in San Jose, CA. Don is an engineer of the highest caliber; he sports an arsenal of mics and recording equipment that will ensure that we capture every bit of sound and feeling that Post has to offer.
There is, of course, the bigger picture in all of this—one that centers on the universal suffering in the wake of the coronavirus, the erupting social and political landscape, and the uncertainty of the future. The theme of Post is one of hopelessness, of being lost and alone in a world where nothing has survived. This vision may resonate with our world today in ways that are too close for comfort. The arts have been effectively decimated: musicians, actors, performers, millions in the entertainment industry have had their worlds shattered overnight. Taylor and I have lost tens of thousands of dollars in live shows and music sales in the months since the pandemic. Our music, which is both our passion and our livelihood, is now being threatened in a way that was once unimaginable. By contributing to this song, in any amount, you’re letting the world know that music, musicians, art, and artists still matter. Your support can be a ray of hope in a very dark and fearful time.
Studio time is expensive. So is mixing, mastering, and the subsequent PR campaign to get the song out to as many listeners, radio stations, blogs, and music outlets as possible. All the contributions to this project will go towards the making and sharing of Post.
Taylor and I are asking for your support because we want you to be a part of this song. As the writer of Post, I want you to listen to the recording and be completely blown away by it. I want you to know that YOU helped to make this song possible. This Kickstarter campaign is for all the people who love this song: those who whistle and sing along to it, who smile at the bright melody of the music and picture the dark story underneath. And, with your help, this campaign will also be for millions of people who will hear this song, in its best version, for the very first time.
Thanks so much for sharing this with us.