That's More Like It

Let me be very plain about this. I don’t have a plan. I just know what I want to do and that I probably need to be here to do it.

At least ten times since 1997, I have been in town and heard something great, only to return home knowing that I was, or was capable of something, better. What I thought I would do once I got here was to simply experience the town, the industry, the community. Get a feel for it. Find out where and when it’s okay to drink. Learn the idiosyncrasies of this particular place, and then feel my way into it.

Last night was obviously pretty pathetic, but tonight was much better. I went here to hear this person, this person*, and many other writers. In fact I sat in this chair to hear the show.


I heard great stuff. I heard writers that I think I could write with, and do so very well.

But most importantly, I watched and listened. I realized about 30 minutes into this show, “Man, these people are almost as screwed up as I am.” And I liked it.

I guess a part of leaving was also the desire to be around more people like me. Not that the people at home aren’t, but very few of them want to do this like I do. Here, they do. No one lets a good song be performed without making sure it has a good harmony part or four. People scream "Damnit" when someone sings a hook they wish they had written, and they shake their heads in disbelief when someone makes perfectly perfect sense in a tune. It’s reassuring. It lets me know that this idea isn’t crazy… that in fact, there are thousands of people who do it everyday and think that the opportunity to do it is worth ridiculous acts of carelessness or self-endangerment. In fact, there are parts of this town in which that is normal. Hmmm.

I still owe you a blog on how the business works, so this won't make sense to some of you. But, purely for the purpose of my own comparison from good days to bad, right now I think I am 14 months to signing and 18 months to first cut. This is the most random speculation possible, but I'm just curious to find out later on if I knew what I was talking about.

In related unrelated news, I caught up with an old UGA friend who is an engineer here. After some discussion about my goals, he agreed to let me sit in on a tracking session for one of these. Just another part of the learning experience that I am really looking forward to.

* Totally recommend Shelly's tune "Tiny Town." What country could be if it ever decided to be.