Lights Are Burning is made up of 10 songs that I wrote in a wave of inspiration, feeling intensely awake to those powerful, fleeting moments of opportunity in life. The title track is about those potent moments that come our way.

All of these ingredients came together, and what emerged was a collection of songs with catchier hooks than anything I’d written before. Themes range from intensely going after you want, to enjoying love. But the common thread driving each song is that soulful, burning feeling.

To capture this burning feeling in an album, I called on the worldclass musicians I got to know during my eight years in LA. I’d long been hearing the sounds needed to bring these songs to life: deep, fat low end from the bass and drums, warm, soulful Fender Rhodes, swelling B3 organ, gritty Wurlitzer and electric guitars, lead vocals with the right mix of grit and soul, rich vocal harmonies…
I developed the vision for this album with producer and bassist, Ethan Phillips. Ethan is a top-notch producer and my favorite kind of bassist, who lays down that solid, grooving low end you can feel in your feet. He's worked with many musicians I love: was the long time touring bassist and Music Director for Brett Dennen, helped produce the new number 1 De La Soul album, and has played with other major acts like Fun, and Fitz and the Tantrums. He brings all of this experience to helping create the right vibe for this album.
In July 2015, we laid down the foundation for each song. We recorded rhythm guitar, bass, drums and Fender Rhodes live to tape in a really fun studio just drenched in good 70s vibes. Such a rich, authentic sound.  

From there, we layered all those vintage and new sounds I wanted, and the album emerged.

I have always loved covers, both as an excuse to hear a favorite song again and to hear what other artists bring to something I know. A cover can allow us to fall in love with parts of a song that were not as present in the original artists arrangement, while showcasing what makes the person performing it unique. Whether reviving standards or putting a new spin on a typically out-of-genre gem, some artists have a unique ability to breathe life into a song that did not need more life in the first place.

​No one has ever been better at this than Aretha Franklin. 

​If you want to see the ultimate performance, skip to the end. Otherwise follow the evolution of one of my favorite songs, "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", originally recorded by Ben E. King. Interestingly, or at least of interest to me when I learned this during writing, the song was co-written by Ben E. King's wife and the co-founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegün. 

An all-time Favorite - Ruby Johnson
I found Ruby Johnson when I was digging into Stax, one of my all-time favorite records labels. I came for Otis Redding and stayed for the MGs, plus a long line of musicians they backed. Ruby Johnson never had commercial success and stopped singing professionally in 1974, but her sole soul album is one of the best I have ever heard. Written and produced by Isaac Hayes, and backed by Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn, she still steals the show.

No-one is better at a cover than Aretha, and like a lot of singers her greatest hits were written by other people. Unlike other artists, she was often not the first person to record them or make them famous. The songs may have been classics if she did do them first, but familiarity with them does not take away from what she brings to the table. If anything it gives her a well-tread canvas to make her masterpiece.

The list of songwriters on Aretha Franklin's greatest hits is impressive, and it is amazing her versions stand out next to their's. Included: Paul Simon, Otis Redding, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, John Lennon, Ahmet Ertegün, Phil Spector, Jerry Wexler, Carole King. She always sounds like herself, but takes a cue from earlier versions.
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As my brother once said, "Covering the Beatles is tough. You either need to play it spot on or bring something they didn't".

​She always did.