I’ve never been a fan of bands who project a certain image through their art, then go on to share personal anecdotes which dilute their brand. It’s been a pet peeve of mine for years, but alas time has caught up with yet another stubborn personality trait which I must begrudgingly let go of. With todays urgent need for seeing and sharing everything and anything, it’s become somewhat of a requirement for artists to let their guard down and show the world who they really are.
For years I’ve tried not to inject too much of my personal life into Autumns Eyes, in fear of tainting whatever image I may have conjured up in any given fans imagination. Always trying to make sure my social media was focused on all things Halloween, Heavy Metal, and Horror Movie related. Though recently with age drifting cautiously forward, I’ve found it almost impossible to avoid wearing my heart on my sleeve. In this case, my heart being a twenty five pound miniature version of myself. Complete with all the love and stubbornness that I carry, only amplified in all the best ways.
My son has reached a milestone within the past few months learning how to walk and talk. This has made him an unstoppable force of adorable chaos. With such a milestone comes the requirement for all of Dad’s attention, and thus putting things like recording music on the back burner. As my wife and I always strive to find the perfect balance between family and career, family will always take precedence.
That’s not to say I’ve given up on this new album, it’s just a chance to give the music some space while life takes a deep breath before moving onto the next phase. My time has gladly been devoted to making sure my son is getting everything he needs in life. That requires me to focus on never standing in his way, and never making him think he’s standing in my way.
Family and friends are two of the most important aspects of life in my book. They keep life balanced, all the while providing a strong foundation of love and support that in turn feeds positivity throughout all other elements of life, such as making music. It’s nice to have Autumns Eyes as an outlet to channel all of the darker and aggressive elements of life, but without such a strong foundation, Autumns Eyes would cease to exist. Hence why my focus has been elsewhere as of late.
Thankfully the chaos has cleared a path, and tiny pockets of time have been popping up where I can work on my recordings here and there. As my son grows and finds his independence, I can only hope that he look upon his life with the same strength and positivity he gave me throughout this time. While I suppose this entire article could have been squeezed down into a few lines, those who know me are well aware that I always favor a more dramatic and lengthy approach to sharing an update. That could change in the future if another little family member comes into the picture and Im forced to condense my free time even more. Until then, I’ll take yet another opportunity to graciously thank any and all fans for their support and patience while I do what I do. I appreciate it more than my incessant blabbering could ever describe!
