Recording Then And Now

It used to be that a two hundred thousand dollar album sounded ten times better than a twenty thousand dollar album.

It used to be that record companies had an exorbitant recording budget MINIMUM written into the contract that the artist had to spend on making the album. (Of course all recoupable.)

Because it used to be that good sounds were only possible in a few rooms with a few select people at the controls.

Now it’s possible to have no sonic difference between the twenty and two hundred thousand dollar album. Now the record company has to be smarter about what makes a good album. Now it’s about knowing the right people for the job you need done…not just knowing one of the top dogs.

The old way was probably easier but the new way is better.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

The Ride Home

Ending your tour in your hometown vs. ending it somewhere else.

Ending it somewhere else gives you a longer ride home.

And that ride home is its own thing. It’s special. It’s weird. The after glow, the come down, reflection, savoring, the in between, it’s over but not yet, the last lunch at summer camp.

The full power of the magic of music comes head to head with the fact that you’ve gotta get your tire pressure checked and your neighbors are always putting their excess trash in your bin without asking.

It’s a strange and wonderful ride home. Road life and home life packed into real life.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Perfect For Now

The only way to make timeless music is to make music for the present moment…to make music that sounds like the present moment and reflects the culture as it stands.

Let It Be is timeless. But if it came out today it wouldn’t be. The sound, lyrical style and content, production elements, the mix…it’s all wrong for today. But it was perfect for back then.

So in turn, that’s the goal…to make something perfect for right now.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Who's Doing Laundry?

Parents with young and school aged kids are doing lots of laundry. So when the laundry detergent company is picking a song for their detergent commercial, they want a song that is going to catch the parents’ attention.

When were the parents born? What music was popular when they were in middle and high school? Is the messaging of the commercial energetic or emotional or dutiful or playful?

If a song on a commercial catches your ear, chances are it was meant to.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

Coffee Mug Stories

The logo on one of my favorite coffee mugs has long since worn off. Now it’s just a blank black mug.

But the (not so) crazy thing is I still get the same wonderful feeling when I grab it out of the cabinet as I did when the logo was on there.

Stories, memories, attachments, souvenirs…if they’re warm and joyful and help the morning get off to a better start, they’re worth hanging onto.

If not, toss out the mug and buy a new one.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple

A Few Shoe Things

- The shoes make the outfit. Jeans and a t-shirt with Beatle boots. Same jeans t-shirt with Jordan 1’s. I’ve done them both. Completely different looks. The shoes are a powerful story teller.

- Some shoes look and feel better after they’re worn in. Some shoes are at their pinnacle right out of the box.

- This is more of a sports angle…But if you show up to the pickup game and someone has fresh new shoes, then you’re dealing with one of two people. 1) Someone who hasn’t played in forever and had to get brand new shoes for the occasion. You don’t want this person on your team. 2) Someone who plays all the time, wore out their old shoes and just got new ones to dominate with. This is your desired teammate.

- It’s hard to believe but the most likely scenario is that the pair of shoes you’re working really hard to keep clean will one day be your lawn mowing shoes.

- I imagine it’s little tough to connect with people at a shoe convention because everyone is looking down.

So why all this shoe talk?

The things you wear are whispering. To you and to us.

Hum Love on Spotify and Apple