TBT SWG
Throwback Thursday…
In August 2020 I started an Instagram livestream series called Singing With Gum which lasted until November. Each episode I sang four originals and one cover song; and featured a different brand of chewing gum. Click HERE for the full playlist. (Also available on the VIDEOS page.)
20/21
Even with the pandemic, 2020 turned out to be quite a busy year. It started with a New Year’s Eve gig on drums with The Pimps of Joytime in Colorado. Then a tour in February, drumming with Mike Doughty. A few days after returning home to Memphis, I drove to Mississippi for a solo acoustic performance on Thacker Mountain Radio.
As we all know, everything changed in March. I decided to channel my energy into recording and releasing six songs before the year was over. Three of those were singles with accompanying videos, and the others were unplugged versions of new songs posted on YouTube and Bandcamp. I also remixed an older song, “Looking for a Sign” which became more relevant in those turbulent times.
Over the summer I signed with Brooklyn, NY based indie label Declared Goods. Their support helped me reach a wider audience and introduced me to new fans around the world. My work was featured in outlets such as Magnet Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, and The Memphis Flyer; with regular plays on BreakThru Radio and WFMU.
I started an Instagram livestream series in August called Singing With Gum which ran until November. Each week I sang four originals and one cover (while chewing gum).
In the fall, my video for “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” by the Pogues was an official selection of the Indie Memphis Film Festival. It was included in the Hometowner Music Video series.
I ended the year with a move to Atlanta in December. I’m currently getting settled at my new place in Candler Park. The home studio will be up and running soon, and I’ll be preparing for single releases in the spring and an EP in the summer. I’ll also be posting regular content on social media with new beats, melodies, projects, and experiments.
Please be sure to sign my mailing list HERE and I’ll keep you updated on all the latest happenings.
Happy New Year!
chopek yourself
Studio Wisdom
Eric Sarafin aka MIXERMAN wrote Zen and the Art of Mixing in 2010. I recently finished reading the revised 2021 edition, and it’s great. Here are just a few of the many gems…
”Frankly, the moment you bring up a track it should speak to you. There’s a story contained in every raw production, and as you become more adept at mixing, you’ll become equally adept at reading the story contained within.”
”You don’t want the listener to think; you want them to react.”
chopek yourself
Woody and me
For the past few Januarys, I've been posting a photo of Woody Guthrie's 1943 New Years Rulin's. This time I decided to set them to music and write a new song. Check it out…
https://youtu.be/j9Pm35fCGlE
2021
Ok. Here we go. Any questions?
chopek yourself
New song sing along
In case you missed it, I made a new lyric video for my latest single “Unspoken Hopes”. Check it out on the VIDEOS page!
BTR 2020
Excited to announce that my summer single "With Every Love Lost" is included in the Best of 2020 from BTRtoday! Check out the full playlist…
btrtoday.com/listen/dealerschoice/best-of-2020-week-4-singles
ATL update
We’re getting settled at our new place in Atlanta. The studio has a fresh coat of paint and will be ready more music in 2021.
chopek yourself
Sing with me... forever
For those who like to sing along, I made a lyric video for my latest single “Unspoken Hopes”. All together now from the top with gusto...
https://youtu.be/4VT_5Qyttwc
Planning ahead
Ready for 2021.
HBD Shane!
Happy Birthday to Shane MacGowan!
Let’s all celebrate with Songs of Shane on the MUSIC page!!
Best of 2020
Big thanks to Alex Greene at The Memphis Flyer for including my latest single "Unspoken Hopes" in the year-end wrap-up! Check out the song on the VIDEOS page, and read the article here…
memphisflyer.com/memphis/10-from-20-great-memphis-sounds-from-the-year-from-hell/Content?oid=24445428
Let's get jazzy...
I’ll be the special guest on That Jazz Show TONIGHT, streaming live on Facebook at 10:00 PM EDT. Tune in here…
facebook.com/That-Jazz-Show-110519503711232
Handmade video
In case you missed it, I made a video “by hand” in my backyard with some found windows and a few cans of old paint. Check out “Unspoken Hopes” on the VIDEOS page.
B'ham radio TONIGHT
Tune in to Birmingham Mountain Radio TONIGHT for Essential Indie with Geno. He'll be playing my latest single "Unspoken Hopes"! Show starts at 9:00 PM CST. Click link to listen everywhere...
https://bhammountainradio.com/