Set to be released on Saturday, "Garden of Love", is finally complete.  I actually did a little teaser video on Youtube to announce it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvc8NX2l1tM

It feels pretty good to have this done, finally.  It's been in the works for about 4 years now.

I am pretty happy about the finished product.  As is appropriate for the BSMS, the production values are DIY and LoFi, and stripped bare.  I still am inspired by the recordings of John Cragie, his solo live shows, Blazer Foley, what little there is available of him caught in the act, and all the solo acoustic performances from various artists that catch the essence of the songs, usually just a single instrument and a vocalist singing a song that he or she wrote.  It is the most intimate and honest a singer songwriter can be experienced, in my humble opinion.  Anyway, it's the way I judge artists work, to each their own.

Before I had finished this release, which was just moments ago, I decided that I would publish another album, or EP, at the Spring equinox.  It will be all intrumentals, just guitar.  I want to publish the early pieces I composed, pieces that though often simple, still had character and identity.  Some of them I have lost, as in, I didn't notate them and I don't remember how to play them.  I think I will try and relearn them as a gesture to the release of them.  

    I think that they are interesting because they were mostly not in standard tuning.  Because of this I found it easier to compose with out the limitations of knowing anything about basic chords shapes and structures from standard tuning.  Most of the songs are in DADGAD tuning but at least one is in some alternative tuning.

    I didn't have any information on chord structure in DADGAD so I just played what sounded good to me.  The result was some of my favorite instrumental pieces.  The recordings I have are not perfect, or more accurately are full of flaws, but they were all caught in the moment, mostly during structured improve sessions to one microphone.

    I suppose some might be reluctant to publish something like this but I think the musical ideas that can be found in those pieces are really solid, and who knows, somebody who can really play might be able to do something worthwhile with those ideas.

    I already have the album art, a photo I took a while back, and that is just what I needed to set the spark.  I also have a playlist that I will start editing down til I pick the final album track list.

Happy Valentines' Day, enjoy "Garden of Love", weeds and all.

Peace