Final string arrangements and other finishing touches.

Hey everyone. I've been hard at work finishing production on the new record which is still on schedule for release on May 8th. Between the new music and the new addition to our family, Eli Henry...Kierstin and I have both been busier than ever.

There's so much to say, I don't know where to start...so I'll just dive in.

First of all, tomorrow is a huge day. After nearly nine months of planning and dreaming, (I've been saying that a lot lately) we're going to be recording the strings with some of the absolute best string players in Nashville. They call themselves The Love Sponge Quartet and they are comprised of David Davidson, David Angel, Kris Wilkinson and John Catchings. Two violins, viola and cello....and one very excited Jeremy sitting in the control room listening to them (and PRODUCING!) while they add their beauty to these songs I've written and arranged.

Monroe introduced me to them four years ago when we recorded "The Innocence Fires" and sitting there in the room with them while they added parts to my record back then was truly life-changing for me. I know that sounds a bit exaggerated but that was the precise moment where I realized that I could explore that classical world of instruments and textures while mining for truth and beauty in my music. It was really the tone...the string quartet pulsing through my chest with all its gorgeous certainty set something off inside of me that has fueled me creatively ever since...so all that to say I am thrilled to be working with them tomorrow.

Another thing I am excited about (which is related to tomorrow) is the simple fact that all of the string parts I've written have been scored on paper for the players at the session.

No big deal, right? Musicians write down their music on paper all the time, right? Well....no.

Not me anyway....and I have to tell you....seeing all of it written out on paper and separated into lines for violin 1, violin 2, viola and cello...it just feels like a big accomplishment because my background has always been in the singer/songwriter category and this is my first attempt at arranging. I can't wait to hear it all happen tomorrow for real!

Ok, so that's the string news. Moving on...

Brannon McAllister of Portland Studios fame is coming to Nashville tomorrow to work with me on filming a mini-documentary/promotional video for the album. He'll get some footage from the sessions this week and also some interviews with some of the folks who worked on the record. It's the first time I've ever done anything like this and I think it will give people who check out the music have a better idea of where it comes from and why it was made. As my friend Matthew Smith reminded me recently..."God has called us to action."

I created this music so that people could hear it and that's what I intend to happen. Sounds easy enough but these days it can be a tall order. More on that later.

This is a long entry so I'll stop here. But there's a lot more in the hopper...new website coming, tour date announcements, etc etc....also we'll start taking pre-orders soon.

Thank you for your support!!