Album drops on Oct. 11th.
I started writing this album in 2009/2010. Each song is its own. However, together in the order they are placed, a story seems to be told. I released my first album, Labyrinth, in 2011. At the time, I purposely did not record these songs. I held onto them, knowing I needed to gain more experience recording in a studio as well as learning how to perform live and shoot music videos. I would incorporate magic into my music sets at the time whenever I played. Then in 2017, after being invited to perform on Penn & Teller, magic became the main focus for live shows. However, in the background, I still worked on this album waiting for the day I'd get to share it.
I want to thank III from Never Defined By Studios for producing this amazing soundscape. He took the time to learn all of the songs so that he could track everything, even to the point of being able to mimic my guitar playing style. He was patient with me as I recorded the vocals in the comfort of my own home and sent him tracks. He's a top notch producer, amazing musician, and a great friend to me personally. III has made this music dream of mine come true, and I am forever grateful.
Thank you to Jessica Blaylock. We've been singing Carriage Ride for no one but ourselves since 2009, and it's finally ready to be heard. She put a lot of effort into the recordings by staying up on work days to get the vocals right. She also added her vox to some other tracks such as Monsters & Ghosts. Jessica is family to me and I'm thankful to be able to share this musical journey with her.
Audrey Herren is the cellist on the album. She is the spirit of the music. The cello is my favorite instrument and to have Audrey be part of this is something that is beyond words. I can't express how lucky I feel to have her on the album and playing in the live shows. You will be able to feel her strings when you listen. I'm not certain the way she plays can be taught. You can be technically good at an instrument but that's not where her playing comes from. It seems to come from her heart and soul.
Adam Slechta is the album artist. He also takes care of the tech for Old Market Magician. Our friendship stems back to middle school and he happens to be one of Rex's (my oldest son) favorite people. The hours he has devoted to his craft in editing film and graphic design is exhausting. He has been there for me since day 1 and even created the original Old Market Magician music spade logo. It's reassuring to have him by my side as I warp and change throughout the years.
I'd like to thank my wife, Lacey. She understands me even when she does not understand why or what I'm doing. I'm always learning and planning and thinking of ways to improve in both magic & music. That includes staying up late on weekdays and performing shows on weekends. She hears the music in its rawest form, and she watches the magic tricks before they are finalized. She's an amazing mom. She's a warrior for our family. And she's also the love of my life.
The song, Makarios, is dedicated to the family of Bryce Hilgenkamp, who'm I played in a band with during my college years. There are some other people no longer living on this earth who were also in my thoughts during moments when recording: Dillon Hayes, Skylar Hunter, Victoria King, Alex Mastera, and my Dad.
Lastly, I'd like to thank you- the person reading this and for taking the time to hear a song, watch a video, come to a show, and share the music & magic with others. I so greatly appreciate you. Time is our most valuable part of each day, so any time you've allowed me to be part of, it means the world.
With all that being said, I hope you enjoy Monsters & Ghosts.
If you want to come hear it live, we'll all be at 40th Street Theatre in Omaha for one night only on Oct. 12th: Click Here for Details.
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