Your Ocean Blue - Unique sound.  Where did it come from?

1.    What was the initial spark or personal experience that inspired the creation of "Your Ocean Blue"?

My time boating in Southern California, specifically the Two Harbors area of Catalina Island.  I spend about 45 days a year living on a boat in Cherry Cove. And I wish I could spend 365 days.  The island is like an addiction. It calls for you to return when you are away.  I am not alone. Many other boaters feel that same way.  I think that is why that first verse speaks to so many similar-minded people.  “a singular mission to return to the waters so wild”

2.    The soundscape of this track feels remarkably deep and immersive. How did you approach the instrumentation and production choices to mirror the emotion of the title? 

The lyrics on this song come out fast and quick.  Almost like rap music.  But the meaning just flows.  It also needs the energy.  When I recorded this, and when I play this, my whole body moves and dances to the rhythm.   That energy keeps the lyric flowing and feeling so natural. When recording this, we made the decision to bring that live-play dancing energy to the album recording.

3.    Is there a specific line or lyric in "Your Ocean Blue" that holds the most personal significance to you, and why? 

My favorite line. “In the warm summer night, we swim in the water, so naked our silhouettes of light”.  This may sound sensational, but it truly is something that happens regularly.  After a good night spent with friends, returning to the boat, the dark, warm water beckons you to strip down and just jump in.  No time for bathing suits. The silhouettes of light refer to a common phenomenon of phosphorescence. Microscopic creatures in the water that glow in the dark.  When you dive in, they glow, and you see the glowing shape on the body.  

4.    What was the most challenging aspect of taking this track from an initial concept to its final mastered version? 

Perfecting the lyrics. The bulk of lyric cam quickly, but refining them so that they flowed so smoothly was months of work, trial and error, through live performances and countless hours in my home studio.

5.    When audiences listen to "Your Ocean Blue," what primary feeling or message do you hope stays with them? 

Enjoy boating and the ocean wherever you are, and however you can. Local Catalina folks have told me they love the line “the sound of the waves that lap at the hull at night”.  It is a unique thing, and anybody who has slept on a boat will tell you that sound of waves slapping on the hull makes you sleep beautifully. 

6.    How does "Your Ocean Blue" set the stage for where you are heading next musically? Can fans expect an EP or album in the near future?

Your Ocean Blue is part of a 9 Song Album called “Golden State of Mind”.  Most of the songs follow this theme of love for the ocean and boating.   Songs like “Paradise Beach” describe that warm feeling of beachside life and being. Or “Warmed by the Sun,” which describes the million-year-old torrid relationship between the oceans and the island.    More is in the works… Plans are in place to record 10 more songs for release in 2027.  My songwriting has gotten much stronger, and I am very excited for the new material.