A behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the basement.
My favorite Foo Fighters track, reimagined with John Hollister's guitar wizardry and my tired vocals. Had to share a little treat before we close out 2023. I've enjoyed spending this past year working with folk freak Tanner Bingaman (new album due early 2024) and the perfect pairing of Liz Cerepanya and PD Ronstadt - it's been refreshing playing live again and producing another artist. It's safe to say new jams are on the way for 2024
"There might be gray skies overhead. It feels like days now that it's been raining."
Hello from the basement! I'm excited to share a new one with you today that's extra special to me. Blue Skies is the first song I wrote for baby Violet Watson, who's set to arrive in January. We had a rollercoaster start in May - she was there, then she wasn't, then she was, then she wasn't. And then we had to wait and see.
We took a road trip to clear our heads and see part of our family, and driving through Flagstaff, Arizona, the entire song hit me, like a lightning bolt. There was something about coming up the mountain, views changing from desert to forest, that left me thinking things might be okay, and if they weren't, some good would still come from it. I had to jot down the lyrics at a gas station so I didn't lose it all. Here we are a few months later - preparing to move back to Tucson, changing jobs, and waiting patiently for Violet to arrive. Blue skies up ahead. Hope you like it.
The chunky guitars and singalong chorus in 'Blue Skies' serve as reminders of how fun guitar music can be. The scene painted of a road trip gone wrong reminds us of the promise that good things are on the horizon. Featuring a chorus of friends from across the country, 'Blue Skies' speaks to the road you walked to get here, and the hope for what comes next. Written for baby Violet.
In April I finished recording Going Home - I was so happy with how my new sound was shaping up, and wanted a great video to match. Melissa and I have made all of the Heelers videos ourselves up to this point, and they've always been fun to make, but we wanted to work with a pro this time.
Enter Brian Medeiros - a real-deal videographer and touring drummer with Red who knows how to make one guy flailing around in the desert look good. I brought him a loose concept for the video and he made it much less silly. We shot over two days, first out at the Bonneville Salt Flats near the Nevada border, then in the small towns and back roads west of Salt Lake City. We ended the shoot with the opening shot of the video, in the stench of the Great Salt Lake. Brian has a great eye, awesome feel for editing, and put together my favorite shot from any Heelers video where you can see three of me playing with myself (4:35). Omitted from the video were a half-dozen takes of me running and falling in a field - I'll always have a banged up knee to remember that day by. This was such a fun experience.
"All that's real is what's in our heads. Don't believe a word they say. And all our work won't mean a thing. Nothing matters anyway."
Going Home is out today. I’ve carried this song for a long time and I’m excited to share it with you. Back in college I was in a two-piece blues rock band with my friend Jack - one of the last songs we wrote was built around this huge riff with an off-kilter time signature. I was really proud of they lyrics, too - I had just started writing and this was the first time it felt like things clicked.
Jack is a great guitar player and I can't keep up, but I made it my own with a heavier, deliberate feel. The song sounds huge. Reworking Going Home is pointing us in a new direction, and I'm looking forward to what comes next. For now, blast this one, and watch for the video next week.
- Tyrus
Our new track Ruston is all about space, change, and home. This is the last song written in our first home and features a CB-radio conversation I had with a 73 year old Tucson native who seemed to have fried his brain in the sun. I was listening to a lot of Hum and Death Cab when this was written and it shows.
"For God so loved America that he made it number one, and whosoever disagrees on this is a sad, nasty loser."
Six new songs from Heelers, with acoustic guitars, bleeps and bloops, and some features by old friends. Written during quarantine, Tyrus writes about the dangers of American exceptionalism, twisting of faith, and the changing of times. Out October 30th, just in time for Halloween and a much spookier Election Day.
With lots of time spent in doors during this quarantine, I've thrown together a take on one of my favorite hymns for this Easter season. Hoping you're all safe and sound. Thanks as always for listening.
After two years of writing, recording, stalling, and getting it together, I'm happy to share The Basement Series with you. Twelve tracks, the most personal songs I've written and the best sounds we've ever gotten. Thank you to those that helped put this together, and to you for listening!
This collection reflects the highs and lows of the past few years, and I hope you find a track that resonates with wherever you're at on the ride. I can remember exactly where I was and what I was thinking while writing each part, and it'll serve as a little time capsule for me down the road.
If you're digging it, please share it with a friend and tag me - I'm grateful for the support of all my friends and family that preordered leading up to today. Enjoy!
The Basement Series is right around the corner. All twelve tracks, plus a new video for Stars Are Out, coming 2/21. We've looking forward to sharing our work over the past two years with you - follow us on Spotify and click the video below so you don't miss out.
Move over, Sarah McLachlan.
Every day, hundreds of pieces of band merch go to waste. Help us find a loving home for our new gear, and jam The Basement Series, out 2/21.
We've got posters, pin packs, and stickers. Order here and get Daisy to work packing your swag.
