THOUGHTS ON THIS ALBUM:

It's finally finished, this album. Here it is for your consideration: 8 songs, 39 minutes of sound, 9 months of writing and recording and mixing, a decade of experiences, and over 15 different instruments (including my voice) which I played myself.

Originally I wanted to play with other musicians on this album. But the more people I met with, the more reluctant they became. Sending out demos and demos through the email with people who seemed initially interested before being ghosted completely—never hearing from these people again.

Perhaps I didn't fit their perception of what a front man should be in a band. Perhaps they thought my sonic expressions and ideas too far out.
maybe they were uncomfortable with the subject matter, or the fact that the subject matter was layered in metaphorical expressions they couldn’t or didn't want to wrap their heads around. The songs on this album may be very unorthodox to some, I will admit that; sometimes having a run time of over 7 minutes,which is hasn't been commonplace since prog-rock was at the forefront of the popular zeitgeist. This music doesn't feature anyone telling you to forget your troubles and dance and drink the night away, not that there's anything wrong with music that
does.

Instead the album I made, and the songs on it, hold a space for anxiety disorders, seasonal depression, the creative process itself and finding strength in making art out of one's personal afflictions, ecological disparity, desire, loss, failed relationships, and invitations of companionship that, like the demos I sent to those musicians, are left to linger in the air—unanswered before being carried off like an echo, diminishing into silence.

So after being ignored, I sat down and recorded this album on my own and I'm glad that I did, in the end, because I can't see it being any other way. This album has become a bit of a diary of my life and a running record of my experiences and how I have been able to tackle negativity by making art and expressing myself, despite the ambivalence.

I worked really hard on this album and it features some of the best work I think I've done as a musician and a songwriter and as I let this piece of work out into the world I would hope that it serves as a message to other artists, whether they actually like the album or not, to keep creating. Even if it seems like nobody wants to hear what you have to say, or help you speak your truth—say it anyway. If it the art is honest and reflects your hard work, it will find its audience in time.

There may come a time when I'm finally able to find other musicians who work on the same wavelength and are interested in sharing an artistic vision with me, but in the meantime, I will continue to make things on my own—art for art's sake.

Regards,

-Keith McQuade (Wild Oms)

April 4th, 2019