The Before Songs

These songs were written around 2009 and released in 2024. A couple weeks before releasing this album, I felt an overwhelming urge to share the songs I had written in my mid-twenties.

I always carried so much shame that these songs weren't perfect. That they showed the inner messiness and pain I was trying hard to hide. I worried that individual lyrics needed work, that my voice wasn’t polished enough, that my guitar was shit. Some of these songs I had recorded straight onto my laptop, some were in various stages of production. Some have verses that I've re-written countless times over the years to "fix" them.

But then on January 20, 2024, a beloved friend passed away very unexpectedly. His spirit immediately came and slapped me in the face in the most beautiful way. Honor self expression. All of it. All of those song . Hold them with love and without judgment. And within three weeks, the album was compiled and released.

Perfect in its imperfection. Creativity saved us in those years and my friend knew that in ways I'm just beginning to understand. I'm so excited for these 16 original songs to live outside me.

If you have a project that needs to see the light of day, I hope you share yours as well. Let’s get free.

Thank you, Justus ❤️