Alternate Album Covers

So in the making of any great piece of art, whether it be a film, a painting or an album, there are great ideas that end up on the cutting room floor. In an effort to give you some behind the scenes look at the creative process that goes into the making of great album artwork, I thought I might share some of the earlier incarnations of the cover for "I'm Just the Same as I Was."

This one was my favorite because it really spoke to my passion for mud-flap babes. There's also something innocent and fresh about it like the cover of a Raffi record. Sadly, it was shot down in some early focus group testing because apparently people thought it sent the wrong message.

As an artist, above all else, I challenge myself to be as honest as I can be. Because we can't all be beautiful without the help of some creative camera angles, plastic surgery and photoshop wizardry, I wanted to go with this raw, untouched image. Something magic happened in this photo that says: "here I am, a little bloated, a little wall-eyed, but hey, love me anyway."

The camera is a fickle mistress. Jason O'Donnell, the masterful photographer behind the lens worked very hard to capture my best side during this shoot. I think in this shot, he nailed it. The only reason we did not go with this one was because Jason is a real stickler for technical details and he felt this shot was just slightly out of focus.

This cover idea was something my wife came up with. She's always felt like my arm is my best attribute, so we should lead with it in all the marketing materials. I thought it was a wonderfully unique cropping choice and invokes a sense of mystery that I always enjoy. Unfortunately, this idea too was shot down by some early critics who felt it was important for fans to actually see my face. Go figure.

FREE iTunes Song

In celebration of the new album's release, I'm giving away a free song off of I'm Just the Same as I Was to the first 200 folks who send me an email with "Free Song" in the subject line. No strings attached, just a free song for you to enjoy.

If you are inspired and want to help my music find a wider audience there are a few simple things you can do to help me break through the noise out there.

1. After downloading your free song in the iTunes store, purchase a track from Josh Ritter’s new album, “So Runs the World Away” or James Taylor and Carole King’s new album “Live at the Troubadour.”
2. Rate my album and write a review in iTunes.
3. From iTunes, click the arrow next to the “Buy” button on one of the songs from my album and share it in your Twitter or Facebook account. 

Believe or not all of these little things make a difference in getting my music more visibility -- your small effort counts for a lot.  In these digital times where anybody with Garageband can make a record and sell it all over the world instantly, there is an overwhelming amount of music out there competing for listeners. You can help these songs find people who will hopefully wonder where I've been their whole lives.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy the free song. If you have a request for one song in particular, you can preview all the songs in iTunes and let me know which one you want when you send me the email request.

How Do You Promote a CD?

So this video blog thing. I frequently talk to myself, so this is not a real stretch for me to actually record it. Besides being an amazing lip-sync talent (see previous post) I am a gifted monologuer. The challenge before me is to make enough noise about my little CD to move the needle even a little bit and find an audience for this music I've put so much effort into writing. I need you and your ideas if you feel so inclined. Enjoy!

Uncut, Uncensored, Unbelievable, Unamerican

So, I have no real disclaimers for what you are about to witness. I don't recommend you try this at home - only a professional such as myself should ever attempt such a daring spectacle of sheer lip-syncing prowess. Be sure to pay close attention to the amazing camera-work and clever way I "pretended" to forget a few words here and there in order to relay the pure, spontaneous experience of an average guy singing in the car.