Well my time in California draws to a close with a 5 am shuttle ride to the airport in the morning.
A tremendous week and meeting the people who actually make and support the products I sell was a treat beyond description. I've not met a more passionate, dedicated, professional group of people anywhere. From the guys on the line who build the chairs to all the other support staff, it was aces from top to bottom.
My down time left me some good time for reflection on my own art and a renewed passion for my own art. Over the last several months, a number of voices have encouraged my to turn my own vision into more commonplace, pedestrian works to make them easier to play; more able to fit common formulae.
Well, those voices are now drowned in my own renewed vision to my own songs. What the hell do I care if a two bit drummer is struggling to understand my rhythm? I do not. If he can't hang with me, I have no time for him. I will continue on my own because I believe in what I do. Simply because my songs don't follow a simple 12 bar blues formula, they are "off." Well, I'm not interested in writing another song in 12 bar blues. I write original songs. My rhythm may be quirky but I'm not interested in anyone else's rhythm. I have my own. I will celebrate it. I will cultivate it. I will leave him to play cover songs in shitty bars and I will write songs that lift people up. Songs that tell the stories of America. Songs that celebrate what can be.
Haters can go straight to hell while I do what I believe in.
Thank you. That is all.