I was born in Texas. My mom is a teacher, my dad is a preacher, I have a brother and a sister. I picked up the guitar when I was 15 and was writing my own songs within months of learning a few chords.
I was 19 when I spent a few months living in the Aegean Sea on the Greek Islands. I had just dropped out of college and then spent another few months traveling around Europe by myself performing in the streets. I came home in 2001 and finished school (within the traditional four year plan:) at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas in 2002. After graduation I moved to the Pacific Islands of Micronesia to volunteer and teach English on the jungle island of Pohnpei. Unfortunately I had to come home a year earlier than planned when my older brother Aaron died in 2003 up in NYC of a heroin overdose.
Keep in mind I was writing and singing the entire time I traveled. It was only after my brother died that I decided to begin performing professionally. I moved to Austin, TX in 2004 and was able to make music my full time job in 2009.
I have the most supportive and beautiful wife, Dawnerin, and three daughters, Zoe, Aster, and Violet.
Writing, singing, and performing songs is not only a very cathartic release, it has become a means to stay sane and focused.
My music is a manifestation of all I have experienced and learned. The love and purpose found in making a family to the pain and suffering experienced by so many in our world pushes me to be mindful, grateful and most importantly, it encourages me to celebrate how fortunate I truly am to have this healing gift of music in my life.
I am not a rock band. This is not a gimmick. There is no shtick… My songs do not fit into any specific genre and I am definitely not trying to be somebody else. I am a folk singer, an entertainer, and a story teller. I get to travel around and sing songs for people to help them forget about what is bothering them, remember what they shouldn’t forget and be mindful of the things we often neglect – and do all of it in a mode of awesome celebration.
