In January 2024 I began another “songwriting season.” I’m part of a group (Singer/Songwriter Songwriting Challenge) in which we are given a prompt a week (or every other week) for two different sessions (winter and summer). You could join this group and write songs too! Or, maybe just follow and hear some great songwriters witness songs being born.

Now, if you follow my music (or probably just even know me) I tend to write pretty serious stuff. I told a friend of mine who I consider a much superior songwriter and performer, “you write songs that could immediately go on the radio, I think I write songs you listen to and then put in your back pocket to save for later.”

Back to January 2024. We had our first prompt for the “season.” It was the word “sporadic.” I had this word rattling around in my head when I was out and about in Northfield during the day the first week in January. I was probably in somewhat of a surly mood (see above paragraph), thinking about big catastrophic stuff. And then, I saw a young couple going about their normal routine with their young child in a stroller. They were so focused on each other and their child it snapped me out of my doom mood, and I thought, huh, people still fall in love, have a kid and find joy in that love. That’s not bad.

So, I wrote about that idea, and what came out of it was ten songs telling a hopeful love story. In the end I wrote not only ten songs but also short stories that tell the story of Katie and Danny, two kids falling in love in this small town I call home and my story of creating this story as I sit and watch them from my isolated corner in a coffee shop. I guess I wrote concept album. But it’s more than a concept, it’s a coherent story, so I’m calling it a musical novella.

Finally it’s done and I can get back to writing sad shit. Well, I hope not. But we’ll see.

Anyway, I’m pretty proud of this work and so now the next step is to begin sharing it. The album will be released in two versions this fall: This Town (Stories and Songs) with the songs and recorded stories as well and This Town (Just the Songs). I’ve also written and will have available a small book with the stories and lyrics that will be available with the CDs and digital download. This will all be available in September.

September 28, I’ll be doing a one-man show telling the stories and singing the songs at the Grand Event Center in Northfield. I hope you’ll put that on your calendar and join me that evening. Here’s a short promotional video with a bit about the project and one of the songs from the album.