In 1998 I started writing songs. I was 15 at the time. It was the only way I could really process what was happening without anyone having to know who I really was. I kept most of it to myself because I didn’t want to look weak. I had zero confidence or self worth, and so I became a chameleon in a clown world for the next few decades, trying on different personas, characters, names, styles, accents and roles. I probably should’ve just moved to Hollywood where successful charlatans are glorified as celebrities.
The world doesn’t want the real you (or so I thought). You have to join the pop clubs/tribes and toe the company lines. Or join the anti-pop clubs/tribes and step on the toes. It seemed like there was a constant war of ideologies, no matter the field. It was confusing and disappointing to see this same phenomenon wherever I went. Just endless human drama and the struggle for power. The whole “hustle or die” culture was a scam that almost everyone was in on. There is this relentless pressure to achieve, succeed and become. It never felt right.
But I heard whispers from those that weren’t part of this capitalist spectacle. They sang to a different tune. Neither for or against. Here nor there. They lived different. Ate different. They were the painters, poets, prophets and mystics of history, some of which you only know now because they are dead and gone. Dead prophets are no longer a threat to anyone and much easier to follow and profit off of their work in the name of poverty, war and greed.
So I slowly began to lose connection with everyone who saw nothing beyond the capitalist nightmare. I went in the opposite direction, towards being, truth, love, creativity and liberation. I met mentors and masters. As my own path unfolded, I began to integrate art and spirit. And I knew there were others like me out there. I didn’t really know what I was doing but I kept going. Occasionally I would meet others like me that gave me courage to persist. And my music and poetry gave me the confidence and worth I never had.
After spending the 5 years on my own in a quiet town near the Russian border, I have put together a collection of songs about all this that I feel obligated to share with the world. The album is called “Drifter’s Paradise” and it will be released on all streaming platforms in December of 2024.
That’s all for now.