DEMO 1.11.2008

Here’s one from early 2008. I wrote some lyrics later on that weren’t very good. This is the original instrumental version.

DEMO 11.13.2007

Here’s a clip of another idea from late 2007. Is this another attempt at Song 11 from 2005? I’m not sure. They sound pretty similar.

DEMO 11.9.2007

Here’s another brief string arrangement from late 2007.

DEMO 11.7.2007

Here’s another one I don’t remember very well. I don’t think I spent much time on it. What was I trying to accomplish? It must have seemed important at the time.

DEMO 11.7.2007

This one is a bit repetitive. I think I meant to come back to it at some point but never did. I honestly don’t remember. I haven’t thought about these songs in a long time.

DEMO 11.6.2007

This demo eventually turned into Primes off the By The Numbers EP. It doesn’t have all the live drums and other stuff we added in the studio, but is just as good I think. The studio version is below as well for comparison. Thanks for listening.

DEMO 10.28.2007

Here’s the initial idea that led to Dig Down from the Calm EP. The previous two ideas were all started on the same day as well. It’s interesting how creativity comes in bursts sometimes. It’s fun to work on several projects within the same day, moving from one to another.

DEMO 10.28.2007

Here’s another acoustic idea that appears to an updated take on what started with Prague 46 below. Not sure why I didn’t keep in within the same folder as Prague 46 but whatever. I might revisit this someday and see if I can improve it.

DEMO 10.28.2007

Here’s a different version of the first post from this series. Perhaps I didn’t think the first one was good enough? I can’t remember. Not a big a fan of either to be honest. Time well spent!

DEMO 9.14.2007

Here’s an acoustic guitar idea from September 2007. This morphed into a live intro to Luminosity during some shows a bit later. It still needs something else to make it better. I still like the chord progression though.

DEMO 8.14.2007

This idea began in August of 2007 and was set aside for a while until I settled on this version from late 2008. What was I doing the entire Spring and Summer of that year? There’s a six month gap between when this one and the previous one were begun.

WASHING THE CAR - 7.11.2007

Here’s a carwash I recorded in Louisville in 2007. Fair warning there are a few loud pops and clips so maybe don’t turn your volume all the way up.

DEMO 2.25.2007

This one has been through quite a few iterations. I started it in Prague and continued to work on it in New York with Brian Forbes at The Gallery. It was a contender for By The Numbers but was passed over.

DEMO 2.25.2007

Here’s another experiment using a string of different random sounds. I’m not sure if I knew where this was headed, but I must have enjoyed putting it together at some point.

DEMO 2.23.2007

How could I forget this one?

DEMO 2.17.2007

This idea eventually evolved into Easy As Pi from By The Numbers. I worked on this one quite a bit, which explains the number of files below. It began in Prague in early 2007 and was finished almost three years later at The Gallery in New York City.

EASY AS PI

COME OVER HERE

MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT

FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE

SING IT LOUD AND CLEAR

YOU LEARNED THE MOVES

BUT FAILED TO UNDERSTAND

WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS FAITH

SO NOW YOU JUST PRETEND

THAT YOU’VE BLOWN AWAY

THAT YOU’VE BLOWN AWAY

THAT YOU’VE BLOWN AWAY

THAT YOU’VE BLOWN AWAY

BUT I CAN TAKE YOU FAR FROM HERE

I WON’T MAKE YOU LOST

BUT I’LL ENGINEER 

OUR ESCAPE

DEMO 2.13.2007

This one went on quite a trip. My first memory of it was on a bus somewhere in Germany. I think it was raining. I’d created the rhythm in my head using my teeth (as I tend to do), then managed to program it into ProTools a couple weeks later and add some melodies. It went through a few other iterations in Prague then was set aside for a couple years until I started working with Brian Forbes during our time in New York. The last file is where we left it in late 2009.

DEMO 2.2.2007

This one started later the same day as the last one. I’d had the chord progression in my head for a while and took the opportunity to record it. The first file is the original guitar part. The second is after I added some other things later that year.

DEMO 2.2.2007

I wrote and recorded this in our apartment in Prague, soon after I had finally picked up my guitar again after working digitally over the past few months. The first file is where things were finally left in late 2008, followed by an earlier and slower guitars-only version. I still like this song very much and very happy I came across it again. I’ve already rehearsed it a few times this week! Hopefully I can work it into a show someday. To hear it again and feel how it feels is very special indeed.

APARTMENT

DON’T GIVE UP ON ME

I’M A WRECK, YOU SEE

SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH MY HEAD

APARTMENT

DON’T CLOSE IN ON ME YET

JUST LET ME CATCH MY BREATH

BEFORE WE GET DOWN TO WORK

WITHOUT WORK

APARTMENT

TELL ME WHAT COMES NEXT

CAUSE I’M A BIT PERPLEXED

HOW I’VE MADE IT THIS FAR

APARTMENT 

TELL ME WHY IM HERE

MAKE IT SO AUSTERE

SO I WILL NEVER FORGET

HOW I LIVED

APARTMENT

YOU’RE MY CLOSEST FRIEND

I HOPE YOU’LL UNDERSTAND

WHEN I BID YOU FAREWELL

DEMO 1.30.2007

This begun on the same day as the previous two and was intended to demonstrate something that had been in my head for awhile. I don’t remember working on it much though upon reflection. It isn’t particularly interesting to me now, but perhaps it will be. There’s a song in there somewhere though. Maybe I’ll serve it better someday.