I'm so very excited to be getting ready for the Imaginary Fears record release show. Let me just say a few things about this project that I am very proud of:
Music is the biggest part of my life, and I've spent more hours than I could possibly count over my lifetime playing and writing music. Most of the songs on this record have been written over the last 5 or 6 years. A couple of them, I wrote as a teenager (and with the exception of one, I've changed the lyrics to those early songs fit into the theme of this record).
I've spent the last 14 months building up my home studio so that I can record and create whenever I felt inspired. The first couple months were spent learning the software, figuring out how to get the right sound out of the microphones, and learning how to properly EQ different instruments for capturing a recording. Most of this record was recorded by setting up my laptop and microphones all over the living room, or all over the bedroom. The last couple of months, I've had a dedicated studio in my apartment where this album was eventually finished. After trial and error after trial and error, its finally done and ready to share!
Every single sound you hear on every single song, and every single piece of artwork was either composed by me, created by me, performed by me, recorded by me, mixed and edited by me. When I started this project, I had plans to include better musicians than myself and artists to help me put it together. The first couple of plans to do so fell through, so I forged ahead. By the time I got close to finished, I liked the idea of having me, and me alone, being the sole contributor to everything you hear on this record. It somehow made it more biographical and a work that more fully represents me.
The title of the album is Imaginary Fears. When I look back on my experiences, there were too many times when where fear got the best of me. But in looking back, I realized that those fears shouldn't ever have been fears in the first place: Fear of losing, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment, fear of making the wrong decision, fear of regret. These fears are those that we create ourselves and pin us down into inaction. They are imaginary fears.
This album is a little bit of a concept. It is a little bit autobiographical. It is a little bit therapy and advice to myself. And I'm very proud to share it with you all.
Imaginary Fears will be available at the show, Friday, March 13, 2015 at Black Eyed Sally's in Hartford. Show time is at 8:30pm! Make sure you RSVP and come check it out!!! Van Gordon Martin Band (very very good!) will be on after me!!!
See you there!
Chris