Album Notes

I moved to San Francisco in 1998 with the hopes of getting involved with the local music scene here. I came to find that in midst of the dot com boom and bust, many of the best clubs were closing as fast as they opened due to rising rent costs. Gentrification was the word of the day. I played solo shows for audiences all over the Bay Area, and I absolutely loved connecting with the crowds. However, I still felt like something was missing. I needed to have some musicians to play off of to make things more interesting on stage. I'd written a series of songs since Id moved to San Francisco about the trials and tribulations of surviving here. I wanted to put these songs out in chronological order to capture a changing view of the city. The album had to feel alive and energetic.

In the Spring of 2001, I started seeking out a bassist and a drummer. I found a great pair of musicians in Scott Barnes (Drummer) and Jim Nunan (Bassist). We played shows to packed crowds in some small clubs around the area, with the band still learning the songs as we went. There was a real edginess to the performances. Arrangements changed on the spot, things were improvised.

In the Fall of 2001, three weeks after the events of Sept 11, we headed into the studio to try and capture the feel of our live shows. We found a small studio in the heart of downtown Polk Street Studios with producer Mark Love (No Beach Boy relations). Most of the songs were recorded in one or two takes. I wanted it to feel like a live band, running through our numbers with a take-no-prisoners attitude. Overdubs were few.

The album was finished in December of 2001, but was held back for release until the Summer of 2002 while I scheduled the tour. We got to play a number of shows throughout the summer at some of the biggest clubs in the Bay Area. We appeared on the front page of the local paper and even had a spot performing on TV!

I'm really proud of this album- I think it really captures the energy of a live show. The stories in the lyrics have a sense of urgency, the need to survive in a rapidly collapsing city. The melodies are really memorable on each song- these are songs Ive been playing in clubs for years now and I feel like I was able to do them justice with this album. I hope you enjoy it!