Music! Food! Heat! Stuff! Things!

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Exclamation points! Didn’t have a catchier title!

First off, thanks to John Parnell for including my friend Anson and me in The OBS Show, combined episode 23/24! He stopped by Kru last Thursday and captured some live music before heading back to Birmingham and capturing more live music from Disincentive, Power Sink, and Cam Girl. (Thanks, John!)

Aaaaaand, Saturday’s Hilltop Art Festival was so much fun! I got to see a bunch of people, lots of amazing art, got a couple of plants, played some #sadboi songs, listened to more music, and enjoyed some good food and drink. (Thanks to the Hilltop Howlers for making that event happen!) And that led to Sunday, when the Funky Forte food truck added a new dish to their weekend brunch menu called “The Carples.” (Today marks 90 days of switching to a vegetarian diet. So far, so good… especially with delicious options like this!)

And at some point during all of this, I managed to stop by Leroy for a beverage (and meeting) and found out they had some cocktail that has ghost pepper drops in it. So of course, I had to at least try the spicy part, right?! And I asked Jeff McKinney to document it for me as Sean Golson observes with a bewildered WTF look. (You might know Sean and Jeff as the main protagonist and antagonist in the Towering Above music video trilogy.)

Also… here’s a list of upcoming shows. Hope to see you soon!

June 2 at Shagnasty’s Grubbery and Pour House in Huntsville, AL (Towering Above, Forest Haven, Jimmy Speed, and Road to Ruin)

June 8 at Dothan DanceClub in Dothan, AL w/ Anson and Nervis

June 10 at Common Bond Brewers in Montgomery, AL w/ Anson

June 20 at the Cloverdale Playhouse in Montgomery, AL w/ Lara Oshon and Stephen Bray (Guitar Pull)

July 14 at Goat Haus Biergarten in Montgomery, AL (details coming soon)

July 15 at the Alabama Jubilee in Birmingham, AL (details coming soon)

July 22 in Atlanta (details coming soon)

Thanks for being awesome! Much love to you. (Psst… subscribe to my YouTube channel, and also to the blog… thanks!)

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May 2023 Guitar Pull photos and show info!

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Photos from last night’s Guitar Pull at the Cloverdale Playhouse are up on my Facebook page. See the full gallery here.

And in other news, I’ve got some shows coming up, and I would love to see you in attendance! So mark your calendar, and come hang out!

May 18 at Kru in Montgomery, AL w/ Anson

May 20 at Hilltop Public House in Montgomery, AL for the Hilltop Art Festival put on by the Hilltop Howlers

June 2 at Shagnasty’s Grubbery and Pour House in Huntsville, AL (Towering Above, Forest Haven, Jimmy Speed, and Road to Ruin)

June 8 at Dothan DanceClub in Dothan, AL w/ Anson and Nervis

June 10 in Montgomery, AL w/ Anson (location and details coming soon)

June 20 at the Cloverdale Playhouse in Montgomery, AL w/ Lara Oshon and Stephen Bray (Guitar Pull)

July 14 at Goat Haus Biergarten in Montgomery, AL (details coming soon)

July 15 at the Alabama Jubilee in Birmingham, AL (details coming soon)

July 22 in Atlanta (details coming soon)

So yeah, make plans to come hang out!

Also, I’m on Spotify, Apple Music, etc., and I have a YouTube channel, so please take a listen, follow, subscribe, all that stuff.

Thanks for visiting my website, reading, listening, supporting, and loving. You are appreciated.

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Perspective

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I think most artists have this innate need to create, and there are so many times we feel as if we’re not doing enough. In my head, I’m never doing enough. I lamented recently to a friend that I had only completed two songs since last summer. Her response: “That’s incredible! I’ve never written one song.”

Perspective.

Back in March, I mentioned that it had been 8 years since I went public about my struggles with depression. In the past year… well, almost a year… I’ve undergone a lot of changes, mindset shifts, growth, which has been great. And very interesting. But as with anything, it doesn’t mean I no longer have down days.

You’ve probably heard, “it’s the journey, not the destination.” (That actually inspired the first line of my song “Liquid Heart” – “They say it’s the journey, but I’ve been losing direction…”) And this journey I’m currently on doesn’t mean everything is great all the time. It has given me more tools, changing thoughts, and… drum roll… perspective.

Learning the difference between empathy and compassion is helpful. Seeing the difference between love and attachment is helpful. Knowing the importance of words and the power they hold is helpful – the First Agreement is “be impeccable with your word” in fact.

These tools help navigate this reality that we call life. It doesn’t mean we don’t struggle. It doesn’t mean we don’t feel like we’re slipping into old habits when a bad day or situation arises. It doesn’t mean things are magically OK for all eternity now.

And in all vulnerability and honesty and openness – that’s really hard right now.

It’s hard trying to undo decades of depression and self-hatred. It’s hard to surrender and go with the flow. It’s hard to be in the moment and not fall prey to intrusive thoughts and negative thought-patterns.

I’m working on it. I’m a work in progress. But sometimes I still have moments where I feel stuck, unworthy, unloved, unlovable, discarded, worthless. I sometimes feel like I’m going backwards – the whole “two steps forward, one step back” kind of thing.

Thankfully, when those feelings stop in for a visit, they don’t seem to camp out in the living room of my mind for weeks or months on end like they used to. But they still stop in periodically.

About three years ago I had someone tell me that I absorb things like a sponge. I feel what others are feeling (or the closest I can imagine to what they’re feeling.) And when you read about a kid getting shot for ringing the doorbell at the wrong house, a kid getting shot in the back of the head while playing hide and seek, kids getting shot at a birthday party, daily mass shootings… shit fuckin’ sucks.

Last year, a friend lovingly explained to me that you have to feel it and then let it go. But that sponge analogy makes the “letting go” part seem difficult and damn near impossible sometimes. Not that holding onto it helps at all – I get that logically. But I feel things for longer periods of time that seem “normal” (whatever “normal” is.)

It can feel dark and hopeless at times, even when we can have so much to be grateful for. And people who have never dealt with depression many times don’t seem to understand that.

Yes, I can be well aware that people love me while still feeling unloved and unlovable. I can understand that I have many friends that care and still feel alone and discarded. I can know that people value me, my presence, or my perspective and yet still feel worthless.

Trying to undo decades of depression isn’t easy, and results aren’t immediate and overnight. Like I’ve said before – work in progress.

But for anyone reading this far or going through similar things or having similar thoughts or struggles, I want you to know:

You are not alone.

You are loved.

You are valuable.

You are worthy.

I hope this helps someone. Thanks for reading. Much love.

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Este Sábado!

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Yes, I’m trying to learn Spanish on Duolingo. Yes, there’s a show this Saturday. Those two things may not be directly related, but through this blog post, I guess they are now.

This Saturday (May 6, 2023)!

Towering Above (loud… rock… fun… we don’t know what our style is.)

Forest Haven (metal!)

The Bishop Box Test (I’ve only heard one song so far, but I got a grunge rock vibe from it; looking forward to seeing them.)

Location: The Sanctuary in Montgomery, AL

Facebook event is here.

Here’s a video of me saying a lot of what I just typed out…

And… here’s a video of Towering Above playing at Shagnasty’s Grubbery and Pour House in Huntsville:

Hope to see you this Saturday!

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Thank you for listening

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I was going to say this post was not about music, but instead I’ll say it’s not mainly about music. Yes, I’m a musician, and yes, I appreciate when people listen to my music, so thank you for listening. (I hope you enjoy my music.)

But many times it seems that listening is a lost art. Or maybe the word “skill” would be better suited for that sentence.

A new friend told me something a couple of months ago: “people just want to be seen and heard.” We were talking about conversations that delve into philosophy and politics more specifically, but I think his words go even further.

A while back, I was hanging out with another friend, and I opened up about some personal thoughts and feelings; when finished I said, “Thank you for listening.” She replied, “You don’t have to thank me,” but I responded, “But I want you to know that it means a lot.”

About a month ago, I was on a digital meetup with new friends in other states, and I thanked them for the same reason. They listened to me. They allowed me to express what I needed to express. I felt seen and heard.

Last summer, I had a moment where I felt seen in a way that caught me very off guard (in a good way.) It’s weird trying to convey such a powerful feeling with words because language is so limited, but it’s generally the best tool we’ve got.

In the past year, in the inner work and shadow work and my personal journey, I’ve really come to more deeply understand the importance of being seen and heard. I think I have always been a good listener… recall might not always be the best, but I think I’ve got the listening part down pretty well.

There are many times in my life where I haven’t felt seen or heard – a bit ironic as a musician and actor, but a truth nonetheless. I saw the same sorts of things happen to my mother at times. At those times, I felt anger because I felt she was disrespected.

I’m a different person now than I was then; I’m slower to anger, and I have a higher level of awareness. I pay closer attention to my energy and notice more intently if people are amplifying or depleting it. I make a conscious effort to be more present and less distracted. I try to ensure that I’m listening to understand rather than waiting to respond.

Obviously I’m not going to claim perfection – I’m a work in progress – but I’m actively trying to be the most authentic version of the person I want to be. And I want to be a good listener because I think that’s important. I want to feel seen and heard and loved, and I’m going to do my best to be that for others. I want to be in the moment and show love, and I want that to extend to the people around me.

Listening is important. Listening is an act of love. I hope you feel seen and heard and loved.

Thank you for listening (and reading, watching, supporting, loving, and all the wonderful things you do for others.) Much love.

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Upcoming show announcements!

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Hey! Get those calendars out and plan to come hang out! I’d love to see ya!

May 6 at the Sanctuary (Montgomery, AL) – Towering Above, Forest Haven, The Bishop Box Test

May 18 at Kru (Montgomery, AL) – Acoustic show featuring me and Anson (from V8 Death Car and Haploid)

June 8 at Dothan DanceClub (Dothan, AL) – Acoustic show featuring me, Anson, and Nervis

More shows are in the works, so updates will be coming soon.

Many thanks to Chris Eckels for helping make stuff happen! Many thanks to Forest Haven for being awesome! Looking forward to meeting and sharing the stage with The Bishop Box Test! (I keep typing “text” instead of “test” and having to correct it. lol.) Many thanks to both Anson and Nervis for letting me join in the #sadboi acoustic fun times! Many thanks to Gloria Aitken for the incredible May 6 flier!

I probably missed someone (or a few people) in the above thank you list (I’m always paranoid about such things) but I am very grateful for the incredible friends and musicians and supporters and loving people in my sphere. For real. Much love.

Thanks for reading, listening, and being awesome!

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It’s been 8 years…

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[photo by Towering Above guitarist J. Slickwood.]

Last Friday, my new EP Everyone Is a Moon hit streaming platforms. (Before I go any further, many thanks to all of you who have listened and all who came to the show last week. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.)


I saw a comment on a post about the EP where someone said they felt sadness in my work, and it seemed to surprise them because, according to them, I seem like a happy person.

Compared to when these songs were written, I am in a much better place. But I spent many years hiding depression and putting on that public happy face even when I was a wreck inside.

It’s been 8 years this month since I first went public about depression and started seeking help. It’s been 4 years since I re-started therapy for the same reason.

I’ve always had a tendency to use my music as a form of emotional release, whether full band or solo. I’m a late 90s/early 2000s emo kid at heart. Sad songs have always felt more real to me, relatable, authentic. (They still do.)

At this point, I’ve embraced the #sadboi descriptor for my music. My songs are very personal and yes, tend to be sad and emotional. They are authentic.

For the past 8…ish… months, I have been doing much better. I feel like a different person in many ways. I’ve experienced more peace and calmness and have had fewer bouts with depression. I’m not saying that I’m cured – I still have moments; they just don’t seem to last as long (thankfully.)

But going back to that comment, many people that seem happy are struggling. If you look at comedians, there is a huge swath that deals with depression. Search “comedy and depression” and see all the articles that come up.

I’ve seen an image posted several times over the years that says something like “this is what depression looks like” and it’s pictures of smiling celebrities that either ended their own lives or fell into addictions that did it for them.

How many times have you seen the comment “check on your strong friends”?

So I guess my overall point in this is to encourage you to just… be kind. We never know what another person is struggling with. Even those who seem happy may be hiding inner turmoil. Yes, check on your strong friends. Spread love. Be kind. Seek help (no shame in that; end the stigma.) Find the beauty in the world.

Thanks for reading. Much love.

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‘Everyone Is a Moon’ out now!

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Check your favorite streaming service to hear the Everyone Is a Moon EP, which is out today!

I put together a YouTube playlist with the four studio versions followed by the four live versions if you’d like to use that to listen. But it’s also on Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp, etc…

I hope to see you at the release show tonight!

Thanks for listening! Much love!

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‘A Darkness Follows’ (live version) video

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While the Everyone Is a Moon EP hits streaming services on Friday, here is a live version of the 4th song, titled “A Darkness Follows.”

You can hear live versions of “The Fiction of Closure,” “Nice to Be Needed,” and “Moonbeams” on my YouTube channel (subscribe while you’re there! Also, do the same for Terrible Master Films please.)

Also… Monday marked the three-year anniversary of the release of Carry the Wounds. It’s available on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Tidal, etc..

Let’s see… what else…

Ah, so… when Carry the Wounds was released, I performed that night at Goat Haus Biergarten in downtown Montgomery, AL. And for the release of Everyone Is a Moon, I’m going to do the same. So please join me this Friday evening at 6:30pm for a live performance.

Aaaaaand many thanks to Shannon Heupel at the Montgomery Advertiser for including this Friday’s show in his list of 10 things to do this weekend and for the kind words:

“Montgomery has musicians and singer/songwriters. Montgomery also has actors, writers, filmmakers and photographers. Fortunately for all of us, we have the amazing Josh Carples, who is all of them in one.”

I think that’s all for now. I hope to see you Friday evening! Thanks for reading, listening, and being awesome. Much love!

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