TonyKevinJr

You better believe it. “The Holstee Manifesto”

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:11:39 -0700

You better believe it. “The Holstee Manifesto”

Felt compelled to make this for me and any other artist in a...

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:46:14 -0700

Felt compelled to make this for me and any other artist in a funk

Das Right...

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:26:14 -0700

Go get ‘em…

OTHERSIDE

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:53:00 -0700

When it comes to hip hop, I usually don’t dive right in. But the stuff I listen to, I am thankful to say, I was introduced to by either my brother Kramer, or my friend Trevor, so its all really good hip hop. Being raised listening to CCM and folk music in general, hip hop is one of those scary genres that I couldn’t quite feel brave enough listening to. I also was afraid of enjoying it. The reasons for that are for another blog post, perhaps. But now that I have a little bit of hip hop listening under my belt, and even some songs memorized, I felt no shame giving Macklemore a listen 6 months ago.

I purchased the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ‘Vs Redux EP’ and really really enjoyed all of the songs. Then I remember sitting on the bus, listening to the EP, and actually LISTENED track 3. You know when you’ve heard songs over and over but you’ve never really HEARD them? I heard track 3, ‘Otherside’, for the first time on the bus. And I could feel the music. It completely engulfed me and tangled me in its web. After the song, I skipped ahead to the other slower song on the EP, ‘The End’, and really heard THAT track and cried the whole time.

Since then, and all the “research” I’ve done on Macklemore and his genius production counterpart, Ryan Lewis, I’ve really fallen for these dudes. In a completely heterosexual, musical way. I’ve tried to spread their tunes around to friends as best as I could. I follow them online and I stay on top of what their up to.

And today, they dropped the music video for ‘Otherside,’ featuring Chris Mansfield from the band Fences. He sings on the EP version as well. Feast your ears, eyes, hearts, and minds:

I feel a special connection to this version of the song as well because Fences is the other band that my bass player is in. I love how interconnected this city is.

So start following these guys if you haven’t already. I promise you won’t be let down. And if you are, just blame me.

A retreat, if you will.

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:12:37 -0700

A retreat, if you will.

Kramer Kevin, my brother.

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:09:35 -0700

Kramer Kevin, my brother.

Bryan John Appleby

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:13:41 -0700

This is one of my favorite new albums. Bryan is an outstanding local songwriter and good friend. He released his first full length record, ‘Fire on the Vine,’ 3 weeks ago at Columbia City Theater and he recently played the main stage at Doe Bay Fest this last weekend. He and his band tore the trees from their roots. Listen and Buy. You will listen to this record for years, I promise.

<a href=”http://bryanjohnappleby.bandcamp.com/album/fire-on-the-vine” _mce_href=”http://bryanjohnappleby.bandcamp.com/album/fire-on-the-vine”>Fire on the Vine by Bryan John Appleby</a>

Doe Bay Fest

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:22:00 -0700

I had the honor of playing Doe Bay Festival this last weekend. I was already committed to hosting the amazing Conor Byrne Open Mic at the festival, but 4 days before I was schedule to leave, Kevin Sur asked me if I would be willing to play the festival. Aaron Stevens of Goldfinch recently became very sick and couldn’t play the festival. This was/still is VERY sad news, as Aaron is a huge part of the music community in Seattle and just all around amazing guy. But it allowed me to step up and try and honor him in his place. I am very glad to have been a part of the festival and wish everyone I know could’ve been there.

The open mic was off the hook. That’s the only term that comes to mind. Off the hook. From 3 sisters (6, 8, and 10 years old) singing a Jungle Book song, to Pickwick blowing the roof off the cafe a’capella style.. it was just a blast. Glad I could be this year’s host.

Everyone was there for our performance the next day. It was a hill full of beautiful people in a beautiful scenery, overlooking the bay and the San Juans. It was such a pleasure to play for such attentive and kind people. Loud applauses followed after every song and countless joyful “thank yous” after our set. Couldn’t have been a better way to kick off our weekend.

So glad I could be a part of it. I cannot wait for next year.

I think you should spend some time looking at these photos that the amazing Sarah Jurado took from this weekend.

click for more

Speechless. #doebay

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:45:26 -0700

Speechless. #doebay

#doebay

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:05:15 -0700

#doebay

Filthy

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:26:07 -0700

Filthy

View from my window #godblesshousesitting

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:57:31 -0700

View from my window #godblesshousesitting

Photo

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:32:25 -0700

I got to watch Bryan John Appleby and band soundcheck yesterday....

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:23:16 -0700

I got to watch Bryan John Appleby and band soundcheck yesterday. So good.

I Don't Remember Meeting You

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:56:00 -0700

I’m a social guy. I don’t really feel all that great if I haven’t been around people for too long. And I like to converse with people. But recently, I’ve realized that I have a little problem. I was always afraid of this problem growing up. Any time I would ask my dad about something from his childhood, he would always respond with a short sigh and say “I don’t remember, TJ.” I don’t know if he was just not up to talking about it, didn’t find it an appropriate time to talk about it, or if he actually couldn’t remember, but either way, I didn’t like it and I didn’t want to have my dad’s “bad” memory.

This week, and the last couple weeks, the universe, with a big stupid smile on its face, smacked me upside the head and shouted, “SURPRISE!!! YOU’RE JUST LIKE YOUR DAD, TJ!”

Because of my extremely social tendencies, I meet a lot of people. All the time. I have just about 1000 facebook friends (rolls eyes) and I have actually met 95% of them in person. That’s a lot of people. I have many friends who are in the same boat. But the difference between them and me?….

THEY ACTUALLY REMEMBER MEETING PEOPLE.

I’ve met multiple people in the last few months who have told me that we’ve actually met several times before. And my only response is, “WHAT? What do you mean? I don’t remember that AT ALL!!” They typically just smile and say something like, “Yeah, that’s ok. You meet a lot of people.” If it were me, I’d be pissed. No one likes not being remembered.

The reality is, for the life I’ve chosen, I’m not meeting an uncanny amount of people. Or, I’m not meeting more people than what is normal for the life I’ve chosen. You know, going to shows, Open Mic, going out with friends… Lots of people do that in this city. And lots of people are just as social and are meeting just as many people, if not more, than I am. So why do I have such a hard time remembering people?? I’ve narrowed it down to two possibilities:

1. I am a serious ass hole.

2. There’s something wrong in my brain.

I’m willing to believe its a little bit of both. I think there is something in me (a weird memory or past experience) that prevents me from memorizing a face and name, even after having met them multiple times. Its something dark and destructive and I really want to figure out what it is so I can get rid of it. I want more than anything to remember faces and names. My favorite thing in the world to do is swap life stories with people. I love hearing from and meeting new people. I swear to god, I do. But I also couldn’t care less about people sometimes.

I have a life coach. His name is Burton and he is crazy. He helped Shaquille O’Neal improve his free throw average. He is best friends with the president of Sony records. This guy is the brilliant life coach to the stars. How I came to know him?… Let’s just say, my dad is pretty well connected (I like how that makes my family sound WAY cooler than we actually are). It is a TRIP hanging out with Burton, let me tell you. He’s freaking hilarious. Burton helps people discover their “word.” The one word that describes a person. A person’s word is the reason why that person jumps for joy, and it is the reason why that person get’s angry. Whenever someone get’s angry, its because someone or something isn’t acknowledging their word. My dad’s word is “Recognition.” He needs to be recognized more often than not, to feel good about himself. He needs to hear “And great job, Tony!” to feel validated. If he gets upset on the freeway when someone cuts him off, its because that person didn’t recognize his presence on the road appropriately. This is legit stuff and, unfortunately, I’m not able to explain in a completely cohesive way. But after about 30 seconds, Burton figured out that my word is “Caring.” I care too much. I feel too much. And because of all of that, I think too much as well.

The funny thing about someone’s word, is that its their gift and their curse. Either I care strongly, or I don’t care at all. AT ALL. This, my friends, is a huge problem. And its one I want to figure out and fix in my life. Because I feel like that might be a huge reason for why I forget people’s names and faces. Its not that I don’t care about that person ever. Just not right then. There needs to be some kind of middle ground and not a swinging pendulum of caring/not caringness.

Do you find that this describes you too? If so, you should let me know.

And to everyone that I have forgotten now or in the past, I’m so terribly sorry. I’m sorry I was an ass hole. I am working on fixing my memory.

P.S. I should also add that my dad does not have a horrible, awful memory. In fact, these days, he seems to be sharing things about his childhood or past that I’d never heard before. My dad is amazing a great man. You might have to remind him of your name though.

Community is like Snot...

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:51:00 -0700

I’ve surrounded myself with community my whole life. Well, I mean, ever since I could make those decisions for myself, at least. The communities have all been completely different in nature. But in each place I immersed myself in, I have instantly felt a sense of belonging. And I’ve always been the kind of guy who is friends with everybody. I love people and I love doing things with people. I love supporting people when I can and I love being a part of some kind of movement with them. After a little over 11 years of being “in community” with others, I’ve started to realize some things. I thought it might be beneficial for me to get these thoughts out. Who knows, maybe they’ll be good reminders for others:

1. People change. We’re always changing, always growing as people. Its said that after the age of 30, every 10 years we become someone different. Now, I realize that I’m 24 and have not experienced that, I’m just going off what I’ve heard from others. I myself, am going through big changes now, though. And it isn’t the first time. But again, we’re constantly “evolving,” if you will. We’re always learning new things, meeting new people with new beliefs and agendas, and feeling new kinds of joys and sadnesses. As that happens throughout the years (or months), we develop a new vision of the world. And that affects the rest of humanity, starting in our communities. So naturally, people move on from what they do/did in certain ways. Its just natural. Its just plain human. People who have found what they love early on and love it the rest of their lives baffle me. I would love to understand that kind of heart. But the majority of people in America constantly change.

2. People are flakes. That’s a harsh thing to say, I know. I’m not pointing a finger, if I were though, it would be pointed at myself. But one thing I’ve noticed throughout my years of community is that when people are doing something together, there are a lot of promises made. A lot of the time, those promises can’t be (or purposefully aren’t) kept. For a long time, I called that a flaw. Because it hurts when someone doesn’t show up when they said they would, right? But recently, I’ve learned to accept it is as just being human. We all have a lot on our mind and heart plates. All the time. We’re busy, whether outwardly or inwardly. Especially in our world today. We go, go, go. Its easy to forget, and its easy to let others down. It is no excuse, however, when making promises. The right thing to do is keep them. But none of us are perfect. And you can’t expect perfection from anybody.

3. People are mean. Every single person on this planet has an idea of how things should be. How the world ought to look. And most of the time, those ideas are different from everyone else’s. When I am in a hurry to get downtown from Capitol Hill, I expect the other drivers to know that I’m in a hurry. But how would they know? They expect me to know that they are having a terrible day and just want to relax in the car and take it easy. That is a simple, silly example but I think it makes sense. So, the best way to let them know that they aren’t seeing what I need from them, is to honk, yell, cut them off, or flip them off. It is easy to say or do things to others to hurt them. We want them to know (and feel) what the world looks like in our eyes. And we’re always surprised when they don’t. But also, people can just be mean for being mean’s sake. Some people find it fun to inflict pain on others. And that is something that is just too bad.

4. People are kind. Its hard to notice sometimes, but people are also actually very nice. One of the great things about being human is that we can relate. I think a lot of animals are this way too. But having experienced pain and suffering to a certain degree, when looking on someone who appears to be feeling the same thing, a lot of the time, we hurt for them. We almost feel the pain again, and we want to see it remedied. Whether you’re helping someone pick up dropped groceries, or buying a beer for the broke musician at the bar (me), there is something in us that causes us to want to make others happy. I think its because it makes us happy. And that’s a beautiful thing. There’s a diagnosis that doctors give called “Neurotic Identification Empathy.” I first heard about it in an old Jerry Lewis movie (‘The Disorderly Orderly’). But I later found out that its an actual thing. There are two types: Physical and Emotional. If you suffer from the physical type of NIE, when you see someone fall (or even just hear about it later) and break their leg, you actually, literally, physical feel that same pain in your own leg. If you suffer from the emotional type of NIE, if your friend tells you that their mom just died, you actually, literally, feel as though your own mother died. Its a very intense problem to have. But its actually just an intense amplification of what’s already in us. The ability to relate. That makes people very kind.

With all of this in mind, it makes me feel better about where I’m at and the people I’m around. Because I am just the same as everyone else, because I’m so different. I change, I make promises I can’t keep, I can be really mean, and I’d like to think that I can be nice at times. With this knowledge, I see my community clearer, with an outside perspective. We need to realize that people change, grow, and move on. It happens all the time. The key is to not take it personally (something I’m trying to learn). We really ought to strive to be nice to each other, looking out for one another like we do ourselves. Making sure that they know, that we’re here for them. And not being exclusive towards others who are different. There is nothing wrong with having a close few friends, in fact, its very encouraged by many “People Professionals.” But having the attitude like we are better than anyone else… that’s just stupid. Its naive, really. We have to know that everyone has a story and that everyone has a perspective. They’re all different, and all beautiful, and all personal. That unifies us.

We’ve all been hurt. We’ve all been spit on or forgotten. We’ve all experienced joy and love. That is what makes us - these crazy people who are so different - the same. “Community” is a fun word to use, but the true meaning of it is lost most of the time. Webster says that Community is “a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.” I am in a community of people in the Seattle music scene, and that can be a hard one sometimes. Its easy to think you’re better or worse than someone else in the community. Or, maybe “cooler” or “not as cool” are better phrases to use. But we’re all human. We’re all broken. We’re all mean sometimes. And we’re all kind. Its having the understanding of that that keeps things going with a healthy, forgiving perspective.

Anyway, thanks for reading this, if you did. This was all mostly for my own benefit and reminding, as I seem to be the worst offender of some of this stuff.

“You are not ‘Hot snot on a gold platter’,” as an old friend of mine says. I forget that all the time. I’m no better than anyone else. It can be a hard thing sometimes to realize that I can be a “cold booger on a paper plate.”

As cold a booger as everyone else.

Thanks,

tkj

New Free Download, "It's Easy"

Sat, 28 May 2011 13:46:00 -0700

I wrote this song today and am very satisfied with it. Get it for free! CLICK HERE

A Personal Defense for POVERTY

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:50:00 -0700

In the last month, I’ve received more attention musically then I’ve ever had. Honestly, its not a whole lot of attention, but, again, its more than I’m used to. I think “press” might be a better word than “attention.” Its the kind of press that makes my heart drop at first. Its the kind of press that I constantly have to remind myself “Any press is good press, Tony. Don’t worry.” I sit here, at my desk, reading the articles and blogs I’ve found about my new EP ‘POVERTY’ and I feel really stuck. I begin to feel like I did a poor job trying to explain myself about the theme and purpose for this EP. And honestly, I never thought it would get some of the “attention” it has in the last month.

When I first sat down with the idea for this little EP, it was with the intention of getting some new songs into the hands of my fans. It wasn’t at all intended to stir anyone’s preverbal pots. I had grown tired of promising a full length record to people and having nothing to show for it, so I asked my friend Tim to record a handful of my songs for me. He graciously agreed, and the next day, I set to writing those songs. I had already written the last track (and title track) “Poverty.” A friend helped me name the song, and from that came the album name. “Hmm,” I thought, “What a beautiful theme. Poverty. Who are some key figures in history who stood up against poverty (besides the over-marketed, over-sold, and over-bought Jesus Christ, the ultimate image of love and compassion to the impoverished)? Some people that I have been inspired by are Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Rosa Parks. So I set out to write 3 other songs called “Mahatma Gandhi,” “Mother Teresa,” and “Dr. King” for the EP. The idea was to include the themes of their lives, what they stood for, and write a song about them.

The first two came to me in a total of 40 minutes. They were those miracle songs that songwriters talk about. They’re the songs that almost write themselves, as if they had been placed inside my heart from the beginning of my life and all I had to do was ask them to step forward. They were beautiful moments for me and its very difficult for me to try and explain exactly how it feels. But then, I tried to write “Dr. King” and it was as if the song just wasn’t ready to come out of my heart yet. I tried to force it out, trust me. But it ended up sounding like a pop hit from the 90’s (think ‘Backstreet Boys’ or something). Actually, I was baffled that I was able to come up with something so awful. Bottom line, the song was terrible. So I scratched it from this record.

I found the image I wanted to use for the album artwork, and found that it was public domain, though, before I had written any of the songs. And yes. That means that I found the image the day I thought of the EP idea. I really loved the image. I love the tiny, subtle smirk on Dr. King’s face as his mugshot was being taken. Its almost as if he knew what was to come and felt no fear. If you have read his letter from Birmingham Jail, or even if you haven’t, the image itself is so powerful. I felt like I needed to use it. But, again, I scratched the “Dr. King” song from the ‘POVERTY’ project. So naturally, there is room for confusion about the artwork.

My life has been an interesting one. In my teen years, I heavily involved myself in youth ministry at the church that my high school was a part of. It was the first place I ever experienced true community and camaraderie. I later moved on from that place and moved to Shoreline with a friend, after feeling pretty bitter towards my teen church experience. After a few months, through a series of very random circumstances, I moved back home, to Marysville, WA to be a part of a group of people who were living in a very intentional community. A community where anyone is welcome to come and hang out and share their stories and experiences. It was a community where the idea of God was held tighter than a vice grip, but wasn’t forced down anyone’s throats. The belief was lived, not preached. And it was exactly what I needed. I learned so very much from my time at the church of my teens and the community of my early 20’s. I learned about love, and what it really looks like. I learned about being hungry, physically and emotionally. I learned from other people about how important true, human relationships are to the health of another human being. I learned about poverty and loneliness (I would learn later that loneliness is itself a form of poverty). I met people who were raised in terrible homes and found solace with the Marysville community. It was a beautiful, beautiful time in my life.

I also listened to a lot of Derek Webb, a singer/songwriter from Nashville who sang about the things no one in the Western Christian Culture wanted deal with (from my perspective). I was so very much inspired and moved by Derek’s songs. His were songs that got him into trouble. In his songs, he would talk about how Christians would much rather sit in comfy church pews on Sunday mornings, listen to a sermon, and go home - instead of driving to the other end of town and feeding hungry people. He preached what Jesus Christ preached. Love, service, and compassion. He preached the fact that we’re all the same. No one person, homeless or filthy rich, is any better or worse than the other. He preached the truth about human relationships. It was his songs that first got me inspired to think, and try to live, in the way that I do, mindful of the universal human condition. His song, ‘Rich Young Ruler’ was also a huge inspiration for the EP.

I’m tired of seeing people treat others like they’re better than each other. I’m tired of seeing images of a world full of war and destruction towards fellow humans. I’m only 24 years old, and there is SO MUCH that I don’t know or understand, but I know that love is not a popular emotion for most people. And again, when I say “love” I really mean taking care of each other. Our fellow man. Whether or not I’m a Christian anymore, it doesn’t matter. To me, the lives of Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, and so many others… to me, they set the example of the way life with each other ought to be lived.

So when the opportunity to release these songs came to me, I took it.

More than anything, ‘POVERTY’ is a cry out to people who will listen to see our fellow man as equals. To help each other. To take the time to just genuinely ask one another how we are doing, and not settle for a fake, shallow answer. The lives we lead are blessed ones, with many many joys, but also many many sadnesses. And the sad times shouldn’t be experienced alone - ever - because we all go through them. The Mother Teresa quote that inspired her song, rings true:

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”

After the EP was released, I had multiple conversations about the choice of artwork and song titles for the record. Many people were unsettled. And it came to a head when Mark Baumgarten, chief editor of City Arts Magazine, asked to interview me about the album. When I received his message, I was elated. You can ask my friend Kevin, I was with him when I got the message. I thought, “Wow! CITY ARTS wants to interview ME! They must think I’m on to something really great here!” I mean, I’ve read City Arts magazine for a long time now, so it was a huge excitement. I should say though, that it was my first legitimate interview with any well known and well read publication. I wanted to make sure that I had my shit together. But when the time came to sit down with him and answer his very poignant questions, I failed to properly organize and verbalize my thoughts. Little did I know that he would transcribe my thoughts word for word in the interview. And little did I know that the interview would actually be about the problem of artists using historic buzz words or images to prove their own points. After reading the article, I was, at first, devastated. It was about something completely different than I had thought. After a few hours of reading friends’ thoughts on the article (By the way, thank you for those, friends) I calmed down and realized that Mark actually wrote an amazing piece and had some very very kind things to say about me and the songs. I am more thankful now for the article than I was at first.

But then, on April 27th, another little blurb was posted on The Seattle Times website by Andrew Matson about the EP and the unsettling use of the cover image. I dug into it and found many responses on twitter and blogs. I even got an email from an older gentleman calling me a racist and how even “Bob Dylan had more tact.” I’m guessing he isn’t a fan of Dylan. People are wondering why this young white folk singer put an intense image of a very well known black man on his album cover. You’d think that they would then go and listen to the songs to get a better idea, right? But trust me, I’ve been paying attention to my song plays on bandcamp, and not too many people have bothered to listen to the songs, at least all the way through (Bandcamp shows the artist how many times people skip their songs).

So the problem remains: Did I not do a good enough job explaining my intentions? Even though I know that people can say and think whatever they want about anything they want, this is all an attempt to clear this up, or at least explain myself. But I realized that, in order to completely understand some of my songs, you really have to know me personally to a certain extent. And if you didn’t already know me, and my heart, or my story, you’re going to have a harder time understanding an album cover like that.

The album cover is a picture of a man who was punished for standing up against the poverty of segregation. Dr. King fought against the belief that one man is better or more entitled than another. He was a nuisance to so many because he dared to challenge the idea of human superiority. He was thrown in jail for it. He was murdered for it. He was a beautiful example of someone who stood for the universal truth: All life is sacred and worthy of love and respect. And that is why I put his picture on my album. And I still stand by it. I am proud to have it on the front of a three song EP that I wrote. Am I using it to prove my own points? Hell no. I’m using the image and the songs to discuss and put a spotlight on the points that these people stood for. Peace, love, and respect. I am trying to do them justice (a lofty goal for sure), but it doesn’t end with a three song EP. It can’t. This must be the purpose of my life. Our lives.

I will always be mindful of these themes. They have defined so much of me. Of course, I know that I fail at love. I fail everyday. I am not setting myself up as an example. I want people to see and remember the examples from history. And because of that ever burning desire, these types of songs will always come out of me, I’m sure of it. Whenever I write songs, I’ll always lean towards these themes.

I have been humbled by all of this and am thankful. I appreciate so many of your encouragements and thoughtful words. I am glad to have people around me that love me and show so much compassion and care for each other. Without you all, I’m sure the EP wouldn’t have come out the way it did. Thank you to all who have been a part of it. And I hope for those of you who weren’t a part of it (or aren’t yet), who might read this long blog post… I hope I made myself clear and I hope you have loving people in your own lives. If you don’t, go find some. It’s vital.

And thank you to all of you who took the time to read all of this.

Derek Webb performs “Rich Young Ruler” live

And listen to ‘POVERTY’ for free:
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”http://tonykevinjr.bandcamp.com/album/poverty” _mce_href=”http://tonykevinjr.bandcamp.com/album/poverty”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;POVERTY by Tony Kevin Jr&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

'Poverty' FREE download.

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 07:28:00 -0800

The third and final track off of the EP ‘POVERTY’ is now available for download. It is the title track of the record. I wrote ‘Poverty’ for one of my dearest friends. She has been there for me through thick and thin over the last 4 or 5 months of my life. She is light in the darkness for me. A precious jewel.

About a month and a half ago I was in a very tough place. I was feeling very lonely. I was feeling the extreme weight of real poverty. Real loneliness. I’ve always been too proud to ask for help. Especially company. But on this particular night, I decided to swallow my pride and I called her. I told her I needed her to sit with my, if only just to listen to me cry. She told me that she was only a few blocks away from my apartment and she came right over.

She was there for me. No matter how “pathetic” I might have looked, a grown man crying his eyes out about being lonely, she didn’t care. She listened and held me. And I felt so much better after that.

True friendships and real relationships are unmatched. That can’t be competed with. A real friend will sit and listen to you and your struggles over and over and over again. They will listen and help you become a better person. That is what she did for me. So I wrote this for her.

The last two verses were written by a man named Mosie Lister (1955) from a song called “Where No One Stands Alone.” They resonate with me so much that I had to include them. I hope he doesn’t mind.

The song also features Damien Jurado and Bryan John Appleby, two influences of mine. These men are also friends of mine and I thought it only fitting to include them in on the song. My brother, Kramer Kevin, and my friend Rory Corbin also sing backups on the song.

I really hope you like this one, y’all. My whole heart went into this one. Please listen, and share it with your friends. And thank you so much for downloading this EP. It means the world.

P.S. And thank you, Abbey Simmons (from Sound on the Sound) for the idea for the title. Our talks have been a huge inspiration for this EP.

Tony

'Mother Teresa' FREE download.

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:15:00 -0800

Download the song here.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta is my ultimate crush. If only she were 1. Younger 2. Well… alive 3. Not a nun. Because she was one of the most beautiful women to ever walk the face of this earth. Teresa was the epitome of “love the ‘least of these’.” She took care of the poor, hungry, naked, homeless, sick, and wounded. Not only that, she took care of the unloved, the unwanted, and the uncared for. The whole premise of this EP is to expound on one of her most inspirational (to me) quotes:

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I wrote this song from my perspective and hers. My perspective is typically a frightfully selfish one. You’ll hear that in the verses. In the chorus, you hear Teresa’s perspective. As she shouts from the corners of the streets (I picture the streets of Capitol Hill, Seattle in my mind. 10th & Pike, to be more specific), the people just keep walking by. “Come to me now, all of you, we all need someone’s ear, to listen to our God-forsaken cries.”

We think that we’re okay in this town. We think that we’re cool. We cross the streets in our American Apparel hoodies and tight jeans thinking, “Well, at least I look good on the outside.” Funny how no one can tell that we’re all so sad on the inside. That is the greatest poverty.

“We are each other’s wings to cover us” y’all. We need to be hear for each other in the direst of circumstances and the easiest of circumstances. I love my community. But we can’t be fake to each other. If you are lonely, ask someone for company. Don’t be too proud. We can take care of the homeless on the streets of Seattle by giving change, cigarettes, clothing, whathaveyou… But we can take care of each other too. We must. We’re all broken and in need of love. Never forget that like I do.

I hope you like this song. Remember, tomorrow (Thursday 2/23) its no longer free. So get it for free while you can!