#singersongwriter #guywithguitar #acoustic Gathering the nerve to reach out to someone from way back to catch up.

Over more than twenty years of participating in February Album Writing Month (FAWM), I’ve settled into a workflow that lets me capture a solid recording almost as soon as a new song exists. Everything begins with a guitar progression and a melody I’m humming into place. Once a few words surface, the actual songwriting kicks in. Even with all the digital tools available today, I prefer to keep things grounded by playing real instruments.

I print the lyrics in large type, hang the sheet above a camera, and run through the song a few times. Usually the fourth or fifth take is the one I keep. FAWM taught me early on not to get stuck chasing “perfect.” After recording, I pull the audio from the video and drop it into a mixing program. Most of my effect settings are locked in beforehand. Then I add extra vocals and additional instruments—guitar, banjo, piano, keyboard. Once the mix sounds clean enough, I sync it back to the video. Every year I pick a new two-tone color theme for these recordings.

If a song is captured this way during FAWM, it’s considered finished. After the month ends, I usually have three or four keepers that I test live on stage. Performing them helps the songs develop, but I never rerecord them. Around ninety percent of everything I’ve written in the last two decades began during FAWM—simple, consistent, effective.

These days I use ChatGPT to check my lyrics for grammar and spelling and to offer suggestions; before that, I leaned on native-speaking FAWMers. The audio mix I upload to Bandcamp is identical to the one in the videos.

Podsafe audio: https://studio273.bandcamp.com/track/catch-up-someday

What comes to your mind when you hear my name Do you still have good memories, still feel the same It’s been a while, I know I’m to blame Please let me know, have your feelings changed

What’s your opinion, do you even care Is our connection still strong, is it still there?

Would you like to catch up someday? Share a drink, talk the night away See if the spark is still alive not just a story from another life Would you like to catch up someday?

Do you still play and perform on an open mic night Do you still laugh until the morning light Do you think of the times when we felt so free or is that just a good memory only for me?

I’m reaching out softly, just to know what’s your take on it, should we give it a go?

Would you like to catch up someday? Share a drink, talk the night away See if the spark is still alive or just a story from another life Would you like to catch up someday?

No promises, no heavy words just a chance to see if it still works A moment, a smile, nothing more to prove I just want to know if you still feel the groove

Would you like to catch up someday? Share a drink, talk the night away See if the spark is still alive or just a story from another life Would you like to catch up someday? Would you like to catch up someday?

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