Music

About this album

Some of y’all may already know this.

I have been a musician and writer most of my life. Both of these things, I have come to realize, are pretty important pieces of what makes up who I am. And, despite not having ever had the wherewithal to pursue either of these passions as a profession, I’m no less grateful both for the role they’ve played in shaping my perception of the world and for the creative outlet they have given me to express things I can’t quite articulate any other way.

I’ve spent about five years recording this album in a room above my garage. It’s full of songs that I have written over the past two decades, give or take. Some are fun, some are a bit serious, and some are downright silly. Together, they sort of interweave to tell a colorful story about the big journey we make together as we navigate life and try our best to connect and relate with one another.

At least that’s my hope anyway.

The work on this album took about four years longer than I had originally planned. There were quite a few detours and rabbits I needed to chase along the way. I lost two jobs and spent close to 18 months unemployed. I ran for Congress. I got sober after 16 years of binge drinking. Then there was what whole pandemic we’re all tired of talking about, which brought with it plenty of old fashioned loss and heartbreak as we said farewell to loved ones who gave up the ghost. I was in a random accident that made it nearly impossible to play guitar, write, or even walk down the stairs some days. I read lots of books and made long overdue changes to incinerate parts of my life that no longer served the greater good. Out of those ashes, the recordings on this album took shape. And I like to think, in some cosmic sense—if you subscribe to that sort of thing (I certainly do)—it was all supposed to happen in the order that it did.

If you’ve ever done something creative or put a piece of yourself out there for others to consume and critique or, perhaps worse, ignore altogether, I imagine you can recognize the familiar potpourri of emotions that are bound up in a project like this. Nervousness. Anticipation. The hope that people will “get” it. The fear that your shameless self-indulgence is only masquerading as art and you’re too attached to realize it. The cavalcade of second guesses, what-ifs, and maybe-I-oughtas that parade through your mind as you brace yourself for the inevitable commentary that will seep out from Monday-morning quarterbacks and armchair aficionados.

Of course, don’t forget the good stuff, like the pride you feel in your hard work or the joy and relief you feel that it will finally (yes finally) be out there where, with any luck, it will make a difference for at least one person who happens to stumble across it.

After everything we’ve gone through these last few years, I imagine y’all probably don’t need me waxing on with platitudes about how life is full detours and rabbits to chase, but that has certainly been the case for me, and these recordings are one reflection of a very long journey. They’re not something that came out of a pressure cooker. These songs simmered on low. I stirred and seasoned them as I learned a lot more about life and about music. They’re not viral hits or flavors of the week. They fermented and became transmogrified like something sealed up in an old oak barrel while I mustered the confidence and musical proficiency I’d need to actually perform them in front of a microphone or, God willing, an audience. I’d like to believe that they developed the kinds of nuances, subtle notes, and depth that can’t be easily fabricated because they’re the product of a process that was facilitated, at least in part, by the passage of time.

Then again, maybe that’s just my pride speaking a bit too loudly. After all, this album isn’t anything too complex—just some simple folk music with a bit of classic country, punk, and some ska for good measure. That notwithstanding, I say all this to emphasize that, whatever the objective quality and merits of the work turn out to be, the process itself has been a real labor of love. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

— Allen

Credits

All songs were written, performed, and produced by Loran Allen Smith.