All aspects of my life have been busy since the last time I blogged, between the band, my business, and my family (Isn’t that the obligatory lead in for every post?). I’ve taken a few weeks to center myself and unpack this topic before writing. After nine months together and six months of gigs, Rob [...]
A Wild Rock Band Appears!
The holiday season is upon us, and I got an early Christmas gift this year! I always intended for Sempervivi to grow into a full band, both onstage and in the studio. After two years of performing solo acoustic, the right dudes came along to make my vision a reality. Forming a full band Jonathan [...]
“Fall”-ing in place
Summer has come to a close. That means I’m past due for my every now and then blog post to give you an update on what the ‘vivi has been up to. As usual, this will be a general recap of shows I’ve played the past few months. It also, predictably, will bring you up [...]
The host with the most…awkwardness…
Playing the Bad Apple Records songwriters tour really lit a fire under me to try more unconventional shows. It was refreshing to play small venues for crowds that were small, but invested in the artists’ stories and songs. Many of my favorite musicians around Lexington have expanded their brands by hosting open mics and songwriters round [...]
“Always Alive” and All that Goes With It
I titled this blog entry from a list I made of tasks for the “Always Alive” CD release. “Organized” is not the first word many people would think of to describe me. However, when I plan a big event, I practice due diligence to make sure everything goes smoothly as planned. I’ve blogged about many of the [...]
“So Close” Music Video
This past week, the new music video for “So Close” dropped on Youtube to much fanfare! My former Redfoot bandmate Ryan Staples shot and edited the video, which is the forerunner to the upcoming “Always Alive” EP on Bad Apple Records. Last year, as we were in the midst of recording the album, I had [...]
Best Dudes, Best Times – Songwriters Tour ’16
In December 2016, I set out for a most unprecedented expedition with my friends – the Bad Apple Records Winter Songwriters Tour. This tour was the second annual trip featuring the main songwriters from three acts on our label. We played a total of nine shows in nine days with lots of long drives, but we [...]
Tracking at Sneak Attack!
After a summer packed with cool gigs, I assembled some great players and hit the studio. Zack Messick (bass), Perry Ritter (lead guitar), and Rob Hanna (drums) joined me for five songs. These will make up the first full band Sempervivi effort Always Alive. I booked time years ago at Sneak Attack in Lexington with [...]
BalconyTV Full Band Performance
I was honored recently to be asked to perform a song on BalconyTV. For those who are unfamiliar, BTV is a web series of performances from balconies and rooftops all over the world. The Kentucky branch set up a shooting date, but I wanted to do it big. I assembled an acoustic band of some good friends: Fred Birch [...]
“Open Hands” Music Video
I am super hyped to announce the very first Sempervivi video is out! Brandon Miles shot the video, comprised of footage of me recording the “Artifacts” EP last year. There is also a lot of footage of me brooding, pining, and overall being emo. You know, my usual activities. B’Dan did an excellent job with [...]