The importance of teenage angst and collecting washing machines

This week's rabbit holes and a dive into my first Eras Project album, Origin. Episode 1

That’s the first line on the first album my music backlog release situation I’ve found myself in. What I’m starting to call the “Eras Project’.

I was sixteen when I wrote the song called “Puzzle Piece”. I know there was a girl involved, though, I can’t quite remember the details. Maybe because I blocked it out. Maybe because giving too much thought to my teenage romances feels like picking through a dollar store clearance bin or rewatching Home Star Runner videos. There are some rollercoasters you can appreciate just by looking at them.

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Is there love from any girl that I could have or is it just a waste of my time?

Can I have the last puzzle piece, pretty please?

I had it but it got taken outta my hand.

I don’t think I need it, but it would be nice to have that puzzle piece in my life.

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I almost didn’t include Puzzle Piece on Origin. Why?

Reason 1 | It was recorded with a desktop computer mic.

Reason 2 | We’ll see a lot of versions of Dave on this journey, and this is one of the more “Bro, releax” cringy versions.

Reason 3 | It’s the first song on the first album I’m releasing in over five years. Do I really want a crappy teenage angst song to be the handshake between me and new listeners?

Turns out, yes. I guess. There were some pretty convincing counter reasons.

Counter Reason 1 | I remember being really proud of how this came out. I was able to sync the tracks really well. I didn’t have Garageband or a digital audio work station. All I had was whatever rudimentary audio software was on my desktop HP. Syncing things was incredibly difficult.

Counter Reason 2 | I’ve always been jealous of people who kept their old high school journals and could look back at old versions of themselves and see how they’ve grown. I never journaled. Or, at least I thought I didn’t until digging through my unreleased music. And now I think songs were my journal entries. I rarely shared anything I recorded. Up until I released Hurts & Joys in 2013, I don’t think I shared anything. Music was more about creating and figuring out how I felt about things. Also, the creator economy wasn’t really a thing in 2013. YouTube had just barely started. Insta wasn’t around. The tools and playbook for being an online musician didn’t really exist.

Anyway, this specific song is my journal entry. What more is an origin besides something that makes you think, “Damn, was I naive.” It’s all highway from here, baby.

Counter reason 3 | This whole project is about growth. About all the versions of you. Even the ones that make you roll your eyes. I’d be doing a disservice to the foundations of why I’m doing this if I didn’t include it. Besides, God’s loved all of those versions, why shouldn’t I? They were what I needed to be and could be at the time. So, to hell with leading with a strong handshake. You get my flimsy, cold-sweat handshake. Deal with it.

Counter reason 4 | I know where this project ends and how it progresses. I know the last song I wrote before I stopped making music and Puzzle Piece is a perfect start. You can hear the foundations of what becomes my “voice” in songwriting and producing. While flavors, ability, and outlook change, everything that you hear in this track is a seed.

So, fellow rabbit, after all that, you can hear 16-year-old Dave blat out Puzzle Piece here, first.

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Rabbit holes

No newsletter is complete without some random deep dives. So here’s some randoms I’ve found over the last weeks.

1. Kate Warne aka “Lady Unknown”

Image from Smithsonian Mag

Judy Hopps, but real. Kate was America’s first female private detective. She foiled an early assassination plot on Abe Lincoln. His getaway required him dressing up like Kate’s sick brother. She lived a brave and fascinating life, and it’s led me to further rabbit holes about the Pinkerton Detective Agency and other female agents like Hattie Lawson. I’m not sure why we don’t have a Netflix miniseries about her. I’d consume the crap outta that content.

2. Digital collage art

I’ve been looking at a bunch of digital artists and I love the collision of digital with non-perfect physical textures. My day job is looking at products all day where it’s all straight lines and drop shadow. Collage art is modern meets magazine cut-out. Linking some of my fav artists so far below. Let me know if you know of anyone to check out.

By Ben Stafford

By Tomasso Deangelosante

By Blake Cale

3. The man named Lee Maxwell who collects washing machines

I stumbled across this delightful and somehow moving article about Lee Maxwell, a man with so many washing machines he has a museum. His story just reminds me how important it is to follow your fun. Like, if you’re into washing machines, own it. Start a museum. I’ll let the summary of the article itself entice you.

Ninety-four-year-old Lee Maxwell lives in Eaton and owns a Guinness-world-record-holding washing machine museum. When his wife of 71 years recently died, Maxwell was left to ponder what his new life would look like—and if anyone, besides him, cares about his singular collection.

Alright, that’s the rabbit holes for this week,

Stay curious, friends.

Dave