I was reading an article recently…an athlete (can’t remember who, and I’m slightly paraphrasing) said that “to do what we do, you have to be willing to go to the dark places.” That is the uncomfortable reality which faces anyone blessed with talent. Out of darkness have come my best works as a songwriter.  When I’m dark, I seek out art that matches the way I feel.

Last night, I came across a song by Ray LaMontagne called “Empty”. It’s from an album which has incredible artwork and an amazing title…the cover is black, with a flashlight illuminating a small portion of the darkness, and the title is “Till The Sun Turns Black”. Ironically, before I’d even heard of Ray’s project, I put an album out called “The Darkest Light”, and the artwork for it was a pitch black night sky, with a sliver of the moon in the middle. And that is the perfect expression of what being an artist is often like. Overpowering darkness, with the smallest light…the light is what you have to cling to.

Ray LaMontagne surely understands this, perhaps better than anyone. His lyrics are some of the most poignant you will ever hear or read.

“Well, I looked my demons in the eyes, laid bare my chest, said “Do your best, destroy me. You see, I’ve been to hell and back so many times, I must admit you kind of bore me.

There’s a lot of things that can kill a man, there’s a lot of ways to die, listen, some already did that walked beside me. There’s a lot of things I don’t understand,
why so many people lie. Its the hurt I hide that fuels the fire inside me…”

You can listen to this incredible testimony here. I realize that everyone has probably felt this way at one time or another, but it seems to very much be a constant battle raging in the soul of an artist…

My last album opens up with a song called “Every Mile”. The first line is, “I’ve been down, but I’m going up. I’m trying to find what I’m made of.” You’d better believe it.

A friend of mine who just got the album pointed out to me how many times the word “pain” could be found in the lyrics of various songs on the project. You might think that this isn’t good, but here’s the thing…pain is my single biggest source of inspiration. It’s tough, but without it, I probably wouldn’t have anything to write about, so it’s an interesting juxtaposition…

Darkness comes…music is a release…darkness an inspiration, and then the surest way out of darkness is music. So, it’s a cycle that endlessly repeats itself. And you know, that’s ok. I have a slogan, or motto if you will for my music. “Soulful, blues tinged, acoustic-meets-electric music…at the intersection of darkness and light.”

I have a good life, assuredly. I’ve been blessed in so many ways. I have friends and family, a home, and everything you could ask for. I’m thankful for all of it, and I don’t pretend to bear the heavy burden that many others do. But I will always be in “the dark places” from time to time, regardless of my position in life.

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