Another banner year for barren yields around these parts. Keen eyes may have noticed I only released one new recording this year, but for once I’m not measuring my productivity by its public-facing side.
In the past I’ve used these year-in-review posts to collect and revisit my major creative milestones from throughout the year, and the feelings they arouse are invariably bittersweet. Somehow each year feels successively less than the previous in terms of the work I released, to the point I never even wrote a 2022 recap despite being involved with some excellent albums and touring as part of Executioner’s Mask alongside playing my own shows. At the end of every year I feel some productivist drive to measure myself entirely by how much stuff I’ve put into the world, often to the neglect of the real milestones in my life.
So in the interest of recording what has actually been a surprisingly decent year for my mental health, here are a few neat things I did this year:
I managed to play over 150 gigs, mostly under my own name, a number I haven’t reached since before the first Covid lockdown.
In January Lucas and I drove out to Laughlin and Bullhead City to explore caves, build bridges, repair roofs and do a little recording. I had hoped to make something with those tracks by now but they will be out some time in the new year.
I managed to get a few small film projects off the ground, including one new completed short starring Joe and Russell and a music video which should be out some time in the next couple months.
Hannah and I got to travel a fair amount this year to celebrate our anniversary, get tattoos, see Patti Smith and visit family and friends far afield. (Hi, Sam! Hi, Carlo! Hi, Jean-Paul! Hi, Robert Senior! Hi, Grant and Anna! Hola, Mina! Hi, Bill!) I got to spend a significant amount of time wandering in the desert which always marks a successful year for me.
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately playing music with Roger, who becomes ever more serious about dedicating himself to performing. I’m enormously gratified and grateful to have a friend constantly willing both to push himself and allow me into the fold.
Some favorites from my year in literature both new and old include East of Eden, Wuthering Heights, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Near to the Wild Heart, The Descent of Alette, Last of the Mohicans (a very pleasant surprise!) and the complete works of Dashiell Hammett. I began the year reading all of Rabelais and I’m finishing it a quarter of the way through Austen’s Emma. All told I read some 175 books this year, a low number for me on account of the fact…
…I started a new job a few months back, and my newfound dearth of free time in my routine has meant when I do manage to find some I devote it entirely to creative projects. I’m consuming far fewer books, movies and albums, but I’m sure anyone who knows me would agree that’s probably good for me.
And you know what? I did put out some music this year. Under my own name, no less.
After a slow start, 2023 ended up being the best year for me since 2019, the year I got married, toured North America, released a grip of records which stand as my proudest work and made friends all around the world. So not exactly easy competition…! 2024 promises a lot (but don’t they all?) so rather than make any grand claims as to what I’ll accomplish in the new year I’ll simply leave off by saying I feel magnificently humbled, proud, and hopeful about what’s on the horizon. This was a good year for me.
Leave a Reply