I wrote “New York” about being blindsided by a personal tragedy several years ago. I left for a month long solo tour to New York and back immediately afterward, and it was one of the most intense tours of my life. I wanted to write about the feeling of missing a step in the dark and wandering through hazy memories.
“The Impossible Sum” is the proverbial bird and fish tale of star-crossed love, though I chose to represent it with an owl and fox instead (which is why my Deering banjo has an owl painted on the head). It is full of bittersweet longing for something that can never be, and a wish that all that mattered was being happy in the moment.
I’ve always had a fascination with the fragility and fleeting nature of life. “Sleepwalking” is a mix of hope amidst melancholy. It expresses my firm belief that though we never know how long we are given, we should live life out loud.
