The Logan Ledger

Here Comes An Album I've Been Waiting For!

2010-02-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

What's up everybody? It is currently 9:10am on February 26th. I still haven't gone to bed yet from the previous day. Why? Fiddle.

It's not a big deal though. It's not often I stay up all night, but in the last 12 months I have spent a lot of time touring in a van and driving all night and I have become conditioned for this kind of thing. I can't do it all the time. Just when the situation calls for it. I joke with my friends about being solar powered. When the sun comes up, I always get a second wind that lasts me through the rest of the day. And I'll sleep good tonight.

This whole experience has built another house on Memory Lane. This is the sixth time I have been in a studio and for those of you who know me, you know that I'm a studio rat. I love the creativity that happens in there and it is especially nice when you are accompanied with talented individuals who understand their craft. Out of all the times I've recorded before, this experience has definitely been the one where every time I thought I knew what was happening, God changed the plan. But of course the end result... I believe this to be my strongest record yet.

Since being here, I have seen and done so many things that have had nothing to do with my album. It seems that God keeps putting me in situations where he wants me to serve others. In the process, my album is still close to completion and I'm pretty sure that most of you will be pleased by the sounds. I've waited over a year to finally release a full length album, and now it is right around the corner.

Since I arrived, the family I have been staying with has been going through multiple family crisis' and any one of these things on their own would be bad enough, but at this point they are all piling up, and it has been wearing down on the members of this family. The father is a Christian single parent trying to raise two early-teenage sons and is experiencing attacks from all different angles in his life. For the sake of this family's privacy, I will spare you the details but I can tell you that they are going through a horrible ordeal, and though at times I feel like my presence here is insignificant, I'm glad that I can at least help them with what I can, and pray with them. I hope that God uses me to encourage them.

The engineer on this project is Doug, an old friend of mine from back in my teen years who spent a great deal of time building a studio career in Times Square, New York where he worked for one of the most historic recording studios in the industry. God led him out to Arizona where he is taking that experience to help artists out here get their music out fairly inexpensively with a huge "label" sound. Because he is not charging the price that his experience and time are really worth, he is also supplementing his income as a subcontracting pool table technician. While I've been here, Doug has had four studio projects going at once while sitting on several pool table projects, while recently finding out that he was going to have to move out of his house to a new place! He works really hard and does very well at what he does, but I worry for my friend as I am afraid that he is going to burn himself out. I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to help him. While he has been working on my album, I've been helping him move as well as helping with the pool table work.

One of Doug's friend's, is a young lady who works at a convenience store next to the studio. She is not a follower of Christ (YET), but has really been backhanded by the circumstances in her life. She has struggled through drug addictions as a teen which resulted in some permanent physical conditions that can sometimes completely hinder her from living a normal life. For a few months, Doug has gone in and bought coffee there and has talked with her and struck up a pseudo friendship with her. When I got a chance to meet her (during a coffee break), she explained to Doug and I how she was getting out of a harmful roommate situation and had gotten an apartment not far from the studio. Her problem was that she didn't have anyone to help her move. She only had just a few boxes but some were fairly heavy. Doug immediately spoke up and volunteered us to help.

That's what I love about Doug. Doug is sincerely a man who, if there was only one apple left in the world, he would choose to feed someone else rather than himself. You are all my friends, so I confess to you, that in my flesh I do not always display that kind of mercy. It's definitely something the Lord is working with me on. So as you can imagine, my flesh rose up and then sunk inside when I heard Doug say that we could help her move. In my mind I said, "I just met this strange girl at the gas station next door and now I'm getting dragged to go help her? I've got music to record! I don't even know her. It's not my problem." Then I thought about Jesus sending his disciples in two's. I figured if I went, then it would give accountability as well as maybe just hurry the thing along. Isn't it ironic how flesh can work sometimes? We find ourselves occasionally saying, "I don't have time to help this person! I have to attend to my music ministry!" She called her dad, and then Doug and I drove over together in Doug's car to her dad's house where we got to help both of them move a few things over. In the process, I got to tell the father where I was from and what I was doing in Arizona, and even got to share that I was a Christian. Since then, Doug and I have seen this girl when we go to buy a coffee next door and each time I look for the small windows of opportunity to share the light of Christ. I've been able to share about my wife Shanon and the benefits of a stable Christian marriage. Hopefully the memory of the two musicians next door lending a helping hand will just be one of the many things that God uses to draw this young lady into the Kingdom. Pray for her. Her name is Lauren.

When I arrived here, Doug informed me that the violinist that he had planned on bringing in for the album had torn a ligament in her hand and was not able to play. I found myself praying and praying for God to send someone to fill the role. I had no budget for this, and everyone who played on the album volunteered their time, so I was looking for a skillful player who would be able to work within our not so vast budget. The girl who had torn her hand was Heidi, a full time violin player here in Phoenix. Her life is her instrument. She as well was not a Christian, and I found myself praying that God would heal her hand and allow her to come play the music so that she may hear the message in the music and come to know Jesus as her Savior.

One morning I was getting ready to leave for the studio and I was praying for just that when she called Doug on his cell phone and told him that she was able to play her violin that day. She had not been able to play it since Christmas. She had been able to play for a few minutes and said that she would come by the studio to see us. I was excited and was happy to meet her. I gave a few songs to listen to with the lyrics and chord sheets. My prayers continued. She later came back into the studio after feeling that her hand was getting stronger. She had been playing for longer times each day and was ready to track. Unfortunately, when she did, she felt that her hand was getting sore and we had to reschedule. Shortly after, her doctor insisted that she get back into a hard brace again. This was disappointing to me, but my faith hasn't wavered. Her hand IS getting better, and I hope that the copies of my music that she now has will encourage her while she is down. Heidi is an amazing person. Pray for her.

So now what? Well Doug put an ad onto Craig's List for a skillful violin or fiddle player who would be willing to play on my stuff in exchange for some free studio time. Enter in Scott Jeffers. Scott is one of the best fiddle players I have ever had the chance to play with. He lives here in Phoenix and plays in a band called Traveler that mostly plays a blend of fusion and world music. He is quite well known to this local area and had a very impressive demo. Mr. Jeffers came in last night at about 1:30 in the morning and played fiddle on my song, "Image." He is a first class musician and an extremely easy guy to get along with. Scott did a fantastic job and after he was done we got to sit for a while and talk. I really enjoyed our conversation and I hope to be able to call on him again the next time through.

So now today we are tired but the end is finally in sight. We finish mixing today and the mastering of this project starts tomorrow. I'm leaving Arizona and going back home to Tennessee on Wednesday to be reunited with my wife and to enjoy some time off for her birthday. Keep checking back for more updates on the new album, release dates, and stuff like that.

God bless you all and thank you for your prayerful support.

In Jesus,
SL

Time To Recharge

2010-02-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since my last blog. I apologize to the people who followed a lot of my adventures throughout 2009. It was such an experience for me last year to be able to tour around and play my music. I spent the better part of four months on the road last year, recorded a EP, moved to Tennessee, and got a single on some radio stations. Not bad for my first year as a solo act. God is great!

Now we are a month into 2010, and I am writing this from a house in Phoenix, Arizona. I arrived hear yesterday, and today I start recording my first full length album. Some Christian brothers I know operate one of the nicer recording studios in this area called Fire Power Music. They have felt led to give to my ministry by flying me out to Phoenix and giving me free recording time. They have brought on a whole cast of extremely talented session musicians to play on the album, and I will be here for exactly a month. This is time I plan on using wisely.

This is going to be a time of my life for a recharge. I have felt that God has been laying on my heart that this is going to be a great time of spiritual and ministry growth. A chance to do nothing else, but record the music He has given me, and to pray... a lot. To spend a good amount of time each morning in His word and to seek His face. To grow closer than before. To know Him more intimately. Then through His power, guidance, and blessing, record an album that will glorify Him and through music draw many to His throne.

Today and tomorrow we are laying down the rhythm tracks. I'll be tracking my guitar and vocals before everybody else comes in and does their thing. There are violin players, a sax player, horn section, background singers, etc.

I'm looking at a 10 song album which will feature the three songs from my EP that came out last summer as well as 7 other tracks. When I get back to Tennessee in March, the album will get duplicated and then we'll talk about a release date. I've been burned before by giving out release dates and then not being able to deliver and those days are over. I can assure you though that my goal is no later than this Spring. It's all in God's timing anyway.

Phoenix is beautiful. The people here are extremely friendly, the landscape is breath taking, and it is surprisingly not that expensive to live here. For all intents and purposes, it is reasonably similar to Tennessee. Keep in mind, I used to live in Maine. A lot of things seem cheaper now.

In the upcoming days and weeks, I'll be posting A LOT of YouTube videos from the studio. Stay tuned! :)

Goodbye Maine... You're Not That Bad

2009-09-30T11:25:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how fast the mental climate can change in our thought process when placed in different circumstances. I, for example, have grown up in the state of Maine and have lived there all of my 31 years. Ever since the age of 12, I have been waiting for my time to leave and move south. I have never been a winter person, I don't particularly find the cost of living feasible, I do not agree with the political mindset, and most of all as a performer the opportunities to do what you love are few and far between. Still though, on this last day in Maine, walking on Crescent Beach with my wife, I found myself shedding a tear. I felt the overwhelming change that was about to transpire in our lives as I watched the waves roll in and I realized that this was going to be the last time I saw the ocean for a long while. Now that I reside in Tennessee I am very excited about the new chapter in my life. This is my dream coming true. I'm not touring here anymore but rather I'm living here. That's a huge blessing. The ironic thing is that when I look at this picture of our last day in Maine my heart starts to bend just a little. I think of the ocean and the tranquility it can bring when you just sit back, close your eyes, and listen. I think of my wife and I having our traditional weekly picnic on Crescent Beach eating the Maine exclusive "Italian sandwich," made famous by Amato's Sandwich Shop. I think of our families left behind and the relatives that I haven't seen in a while that I wish I had gotten the chance to say goodbye to in person. I think of the many friends that I've been blessed with and my heart breaks that they are not here in Chattanooga with me. People may say that you can always make new friends. While I believe that to be true, I also know that the friends that I have are the kind of friends that I have been investing my heart into for years. Those kinds of friendships do not develop over night.

I think another reason why I miss Maine a little is because, while hating it growing up, I haven't minded it as much over the last several years and I owe that all to my wife Shanon. My relationship with my wife taught me to bring new association to the things of Maine. I think of Fall time in Maine when her and I first started dating and started our tradition of apple picking together each year.

It was because of Shanon that I stopped thinking of the county fairs as hokey and enjoyed walking around hand and hand with her looking at farm animals and riding a ferris wheel. The best Saturday in the world was spent in the summer time at Old Orchard Beach having a picnic with her and going wake boarding in the ocean, then sitting down with some pier fries and the best fried dough on the planet. It was a chilly night in November of 2003 when I proposed to her on that beach. We were the only ones there.

Could it be that we are in unfamiliar territory with very few people that we know and that is why I am reminiscing as much as I am? More than likely. I know that we are embarking on the adventure of our lives together. I was grateful that we were able to drive around and visit some of our favorite places in Maine before leaving the next day. I hope I have the same feelings for the northeast when we return in the summer next year.

It will take a while to adjust but we know that the Lord has led us here and we are trusting that He will help us settle. I feel like a child standing at the beginning of a long road and I'm not sure what is at the end of it. I can't see the obstacles and the gate is shut behind me. I also know that my Father has taken my hand and has lovingly said, "Let's go."

Andrew Peterson wrote these lyrics and my wife and I listened to this song as we drove away from our friends and left Maine in the still quiet of the night...

"Sarah, take me by my arm
Tomorrow we are Canaan bound
Where westward sails the golden sun
And Hebron's hills are amber crowned
So bid your troubled heart be still
The grass, they say, is soft and green
The trees are tall and honey-filled
So, Sarah, come and walk with me
Like the stars across the heavens flung
Like water in the desert sprung
Like the grains of sand, our many sons
Oh, Sarah, fair and barren one
Come to Canaan, come
I trembled at the voice of God
A voice of love and thunder deep
With love He means to save us all
And Love has chosen you and me
Long after we are dead and gone
A thousand years our tale be sung
How faith compelled and bore us on
How barren Sarah bore a son
So come to Canaan, come
Where westward sails the golden sun
And Hebron's hills are amber crowned
Oh, Sarah, take me by my arm
Tomorrow we are Canaan Bound"

Good Bye Maine....

A Big Storm, A Healthy Mouth, NC, And Upcoming Tours

2009-09-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I hope everyone is doing okay. Right now I am writing this from my new place in Chattanooga where we are getting slammed right now by a huge thunder storm. It is a sheet of rain and hail outside with very loud thunder, very bright lightening, and winds up to 60 mph. In Maine we would be pretty impressed by this.

Yesterday I had my first ever surgery. It wasn't anything huge. I had to have a wisdom tooth removed. Still though, it was a little nerve wracking as I have never had to have a medical procedure done before. It went very well though, and I was surprised how quick it all went down. I laid back, they gave me an I.V. and I was asleep in minutes. I actually dreamt a little, and then before you knew it, they were waking me up and telling me that it was all over. I was surprised that they were done already and also at how alert I was afterwards. According to the nurse and the paperwork that they gave me, I was supposed to stay pretty knocked out for the remainder of the day. To be honest I felt great. I had no more pain and I was alert for the rest of the day until I went to bed regularly that night. I do have to remain on a soft food diet for the next few days and I'm already tired of yogurt. I need more soft food ideas. The good news is that there is no more pain! God is great. Now if I can avoid any more surgeries I will be a happy camper. Thanks for your prayers.

The storm is quieting down...

Now that the medical obstacle is out of the way I have started working on the whole reason I moved here; the music. I've been spending today networking with some other musicians in the area. Today I got to meet Chris Sorenson who himself was a New England performer who decided to move to Chattanooga a little over a week ago. He plays in a band called Even Song Rising who according to him just recently signed with the same label Phil Keaggy is on. He is also a pastor and is starting a church plant here in Chattanooga. Very nice guy.

I've also been booking some local shows in the area as well so keep in eye on the site for upcoming dates. I hope to see all on the road soon. For my folks in the northeast, don't worry, I won't be away forever. I've been given some invitations to come back and do some touring in the area so keep checking back for New England dates as well.

If you live in a place where you can buy a gallon of Mayfield Brewed Sweet Tea, DO IT! It's awesome!

Now it's sunny outside. Storms move fast here!

Love you guys!
SL

A Few Snags Along The Way

2009-09-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Through out this year I have made a few different trips to Chattanooga, TN. Usually I have been touring and using Chattanooga as a base camp when I wasn't playing. Each trip I have taken has always been uniquely different. The first time was filled with awe and wonder. I was seeing TN for the first time and I was taken by the state's beauty and the amount of opportunity this area brings for an artist. I will remember that time for the fun I had discovering the area with my road manager Ken and percussion player John. On the second trip I took my long time friend Jason with me and introduced him to the area as well. At that point I started becoming more aware of my surroundings and I became better at navigating around the area. This time has been vastly different. I came down here for the purpose of not only playing some shows but also finding a house for, my wife, Shanon and I to live in. I brought my father with me as he wanted to check the scene out as well. This trip has been very different when you look at some of the snags along the way. Along with the snags though you also need to see the blessings that have come with them. God has definitely shown his hand at work.

I won't take you through the long detailed story of this trip but I will give you a few key points and ask for prayer.

I have a place in Chattanooga and am now a resident. I'll be heading back to Maine in a week to drive a moving truck down here with Shanon. Pray for that trip.

For the first time in my life I have to get put under the knife tomorrow as I have to have a wisdom tooth that broke some time ago cut out of my mouth. For those of you who have ever had extreme tooth pain you can probably identify that one tooth can bring you down to the ground. Several days ago a dentist here in Chattanooga tried to extract the tooth but after 8 Novocain shots could still not numb the area enough where I didn't feel the pain of him tugging at the tooth. He finally sent me to an oral surgeon who took x-rays and said the only way the tooth was getting out was to cut it out. I realize that this is a pretty standard procedure for many. My problem is that I have never in my life ever needed anything done by a dentist or doctor like this. I received check ups as a kid growing up, but once I became an adult I never saw a doctor unless I had to. I never had to and therefore haven't seen any.

Something you may not know of me is that I'm also kind of a needle phobe. I hate needles almost to an irrational fault. Tomorrow I will be given an iv and put to sleep while they cut this tooth out. I ask you again to pray for me. Ask God to give me the strength I need to make it through the procedure. Yes I AM a wimp.

Lastly, my road manager, Ken, was recently burglarized. Someone broke into his home while he and his wife were gone and literally took everything they have. Almost nothing is left. Everything from Ken's music gear to his photography gear, to their lifetime collection of DVDs are gone. Nothing was left behind and they were not insured. Pray that God would give Ken and his wife Melissa strength at this time and direction on what the next move is.

I will tell you that through all that has transpired while I've been down here over the last few weeks, I have seen God work through everything and continue to see him working in all things. I thank you all for your prayerful support. Please continue to pray for my wife and I, and those who have been a part of my team.

I'll write more after my operation. Give me a few days to shake it off. Then I'll give you the 411 on some cool things happening with my music and we'll get this thing back on track.

Love you guys,
SL

Back To The Blog And Back In Chatt

2009-08-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

Well I know that it has been a long time since I blogged and I know some of you have been emailing me wondering when I was going to wake up and start typing again. Over the last few weeks I have been in a period of a lot of transition. I just rolled back into Chattanooga, TN last Friday and officially made it my home on Saturday. Yes... I now live in Chattanooga, TN.

I haven't had Internet for over a week or I would have been keeping you all up to date on my travels so far. I currently am sitting in the greatest coffee shop in the world. Many of you who have followed my blog have seen me talk about Chattz in Chattanooga. I'm sitting there as I write this, drinking my favorite Chai tea, and getting some work done.

My wife, Shanon, is currently back in Maine and we'll be moving all of our stuff here in just a few weeks. In the meantime, I'm getting things prepared in our new place. I love our new place!

I got the chance to play in Bowling Green, KY this past weekend at Rolling Hills Community Church. That was my second time there this year and I really have enjoyed and connected with that fellowship of people. Pastor Ryan Smith is a great man of God with a huge heart and a lot of vision.

Today is one of the first days that I haven't been on the run and now that I'm able to just sit down at Chattz, I'm starting to process the fact that I live here now. I'm no longer in Chattanooga just as a tourist or a northeast performer on tour. I'm a resident.

Not even a year ago, I was in Maine, performing in a band called New Mercy Morning, and working for a Christian rock radio station. I knew then that God was telling me that it was time to leave everything behind and step forward to the next part of my life. After a couple of tours and a lot of bridge building it is done. I'm looking out through the windows of Chattz at downtown Chattanooga and realizing that this is home. After 31 years in Maine, now THIS is home. If anyone ever says that a walk with the Lord isn't adventurous, I tend to disagree.

I have a lot of cherished memories from Maine and will always try to get back atleast once a year. Maine has it's share of great talent and an abundance of Christian radio, but for some reason, the ability to work full time in music has never been afforded to most people. If God calls you to do this full time then you need to be in a place conducive with that calling. Fishermen can not catch fish in the desert. They have to go where there is water.

I'll be updating the blog again on a regular basis. More videos will be up soon from the shows down here as well as some more "Waking Ken" videos if I can sneak into his house. :)

God bless!
SL

Updates, Hot Weather, New Tour later this Summer, and a New Single!

2009-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Sorry I haven't been as aggressive with the blog lately. This really hasn't been a "tour" as much as it has been another step towards moving to Tennessee. I can honestly say that, at this point, I really am living with one foot in Maine and one foot in Tennessee. I didn't come down here this time to necessarily tour the whole mid-south but more to play a few shows in the area and continue to transition to Chattanooga. Therefore, there has not really been a lot to talk about. I know many of you have been waiting patiently for some new videos and such, so I apologize for the lack of. It's just that I've been doing less tourist-like activities and more "just living here." I mean who really wants to watch videos of me going to a laundry mat?

For those of you who love to follow what I am doing through YouTube and watching all of the different places I go, do not worry. I'll be heading back out on tour August through September. I'll be playing in Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, etc. This will be a great tour and I'm really looking forward to getting back out on the road and doing some actual traveling. Tentatively, I will be bringing a 3 piece band with me for the first part of the tour and I'm excited to liven some things up. Personally, I will also be getting things prepared in Chattanooga to finally move down weeks after.

It cracks me up how I keep hearing from people back in Maine about how cold it has been. It has never gotten any lower than 80 while I've been in Tennesee but back in Maine there has been an onslaught of 50 degree weather and a lot of rain. So much for enjoying the beach.

Lastly, I'm extremely excited to say that my new single, "Representin," has officially been released. I hope that radio stations everywhere will pick up on it. The song has a great message and a cool groove, and the recording quality on this new EP is the best I've ever had. It's great production and I hope that everyone will pick up a copy of the new EP.

It's been humbling and kind of surreal to go to a digital radio distribution site and see my song listed with other artists such as Skillet, Tammy Trent, and Addison Road. I hope that stations hear it and play it. Coming off of thirteen years in radio I understand that the opportunity to get your single played on Christian radio is usually slim to none. That's why we see so many of these "crossover" artists.

Quite honestly it's going to take you guys to help. Call your Christian radio everywhere and request "Representin" by Scott Logan. It's out there and availalbe to them. We just need them to play it.

Talk to you all later,
SL

Chattanooga, Riverbend, I Love The South...

2009-06-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

After a long trek across the eastern side of the U.S. I rolled into Chattanooga around dinner time Thursday night. I brought my friend Jason with me to show him around Tennessee and we both managed to get about 4 minutes of sleep on this trip. This is the farthest that Jason has ever traveled and the excitement was so great for him that he couldn't sleep not matter how hard he tried. The funny thing was that the excitement was so great for him I couldn't sleep either as every time I started to doze off he started talking again. I'm happy he is here with me as I know that this trip will do great things for him. Jason and I have been best of buds for almost exactly 10 years now, and now we have another story to chalk up on the adventure list.

Right now in Chattanooga they are having their annual music event called Riverbend. There are several stages set up along the riverfront and the whole area has been sectioned off. Each night they have a national headliner playing on the main stage. On the other stage they have an assortment of indie cover bands playing. It is pretty difficult to walk down there as this event draws thousands and thousands of people each year. If I was living here right now, I don't think I would consider the festival to be quite as intrusive considering I would have the other 55 weeks of the year to quietly enjoy the riverfront. I'm glad that I will still be here when it is over so that I can just sit back and relax on the pier after it is all done, though I do plan on checking out Riverbend on Tuesday night when Steven Curtis Chapman is in town!

Just in the last couple of days I have been reminded of all of the things I love about the south. I've been taking Jason to all of my favorite Chatt' spots. The people here have been abundantly friendly, and the weather, though slightly overcast, has been warm. Today is sunny and on it's way to being really hot.

Tonight I'm performing in a little coffeehouse in Athens, TN. This is very exciting for me as my new CD is now available and this will be my first show with it on the merch table. I hope to see all of you Athens and Sweetwater friends of mine there!

Keep close, video is on it's way!

Blessings,
SL

The Studio, New CD, NMM, and Back In Chatt

2009-05-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody,

Sorry that it has been a few weeks since I last blogged. I've been in the studio making use of the time I've had in Maine. I've been recording at Studio 19 in Portland which I am willing to go out on a limb and say that it was the nicest studio experience I've ever had. I've been blessed to be able to work with Dan Merrill who is a fantastic producer and engineer and I'm more excited about this project than any other I have done before. Dan has a great understanding of what I want to accomplish with my music and was the perfect fit to produce my album. I've been able to work with amazing musicians including my friend and bass player from New Mercy Morning, Scott Anderson, Nate Morrison on drums, Darren Whitney on sax, Dan Merrill who did some guitar work and background vocals, and of course you all know John Ferreira who plays live with me on percussion.

The EP comes out on June 2nd and will include the songs, "Representin', "Color", and "There Is A Love." Later on in the Fall, I'll be releasing a full album which will include everything as well as a few brand new songs I'm still yet to perform live. This album is different than what I've done before. It is a great blend of rock, pop, and R&B.

I've had a few people ask if I will still be making any of the old New Mercy Morning material available. For those of you NMM fans who are still out there, yes, I will still be selling both New Mercy Morning albums at the shows. As a matter of fact the price is dropping from $12 a piece to $8! There will also be a package deal where you can buy both New Mercy Morning CD's and the new Scott Logan EP for $20! Great deal, huh?

Finally I will be departing Maine after this 5 week stay to return to Tennessee next week. I am so excited to head back to Chattanooga. There are some great shows lined up in June throughout TN and in between the concerts I'll be heading back to some great churches there to lead worship. I hope to see you "volunteer staters" when I return in June. I'm glad I've got a new CD for you all!

Those who followed my blog and YouTube channel before know how excited I am to roll into Chattanooga, hit up Chattz for some Chai tea, see the rolling hills surrounding the area, walk on the Tennessee River, see Nashville again, and give you more great quality Waking Ken videos on YouTube! Speaking of videos, for those of you in the northeast I will be posting some more videos of Chattanooga and my adventures on the road in June so make sure to stay tuned to my YouTube channel in the next few weeks. This will be an exciting trip as I will be bringing my dear friend and former New Mercy Morning bandmate, Jason Clark. Having J and I together on the road will make for some great stuff, I'm sure!

I'll be bloggin' on the road starting next week. Pray for me. I'll see you in Tennessee!

In Christ,
SL

A New Tour Already

2009-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't been back in Maine for more than 5 days and I'm excited to see another mid-south tour come together!

I got back in Maine on Sunday after playing show & tell for a week with my wife taking her all around Chattanooga and Nashville. She loved it too and we are both excited about moving to Tennessee later this year. For those of you who came out to the shows in TN you may remember me talking about how I was looking forward to having her join me later on the tour. I can assure you that it was a wonderful embrace!

While I'm in Maine, I'm looking forward to playing some local shows in the area. Technically they will only be local shows for a little while longer, so I hope that those of you in the northeast will be able to make it out to the shows this summer in Maine and New Hampshire. Pretty soon my performances in the northeast are going to be few and far between. It kind of feels like the end of an era, but with the lack of places to play up here this era has been fading for a while. Everything has a season, a beginning, and an end.

I'll be leaving to hit the road again on June 4th. I'll be kicking off tour #2 in Athens, TN at a coffee house called Java On The Square on Saturday, June 6th. I have been told that my belief that Chattz in Chattanooga having the best chai on the planet is going to be shaken as this place makes something called a "Tiger Chai." The gauntlet has been laid and the challenge is on the table. Let the chai games begin. For those who are interested, I'll be performing a full set that night and show time is at 6:30pm.

I'll see some of you at the show Friday night at The Vineyard!

God Bless,
SL

Final Thoughts On The Road

2009-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's raining today. I look outside my window here in Chattanooga and see the dark clouds over head, the water drops running off of the roof and down onto the window. I can hear the soft peaceful sound of the rain all around me. For me it is also a rainy day metaphorically. This is my last day in Tennessee for a while and I'm sad to leave. On the other hand, just as the sun is supposed to come out later today, so will it rise again for me. I can't wait to come back.

All of my life I have always wanted to leave the north. It isn't anything to do with the people there. I have some great friends back in Maine and I have some very fond memories as well. I just have always had my heart in the south. Many people in the northeast do not understand this. Many have never left the borders of their state let alone their city and have never seen the beauty that lies in other parts of the world. Some will even put you down for suggesting that there is a world outside of the bubble. Maine is a very odd place like that. It really is just that sometimes... a bubble.

As a musician, a songwriter, and a performer I have always wanted to take my craft and use it full time. The problem is that the northeast, specifically Maine, has never been music central. If a person feels wholeheartedly that God is calling them to be a fisherman, than they need to leave the desert and move towards a body of water. It is the same for me. As a contemporary Christian music artist, if I'm seeking a full time career in the music business, I need to be where the action is. It is certainly here in Tennessee.

I've learned so much while being on the road. I have certainly been able to add to my experiential knowledge of the business. I have been able to meet a lot of great people, and I have been able to already make Tennessee my home. I have also experienced my greatest spurt of spiritual growth. I think that tends to happen when you really let God take control and fully rely on Him for every need. Many claim to do this, but I will tell you that when you walk away from stable week to week employment to follow a calling with no idea where your next income will come from and all you can do is trust God that He is going to provide because He is the one who told you to step out, that is where you see your faith in the "unseen" strengthen, and the more that you see God come through in big ways, the easier it gets.

When I wrote my first blog on tour about the rolling hills and the emotions and memories I was feeling at the time, I talked about how my dream was coming true and that I knew I was home. I can tell you that those feelings are only stronger now. I've been living my dream and I've been able to make Tennessee a home for myself. At this moment I feel so blessed that I have been able to experience this life, and I will tell you that it is all because God called and I followed.

I see all around me people who have so much potential and are very gifted with talents that God has given to them. They have passions. They have dreams. They have callings. The problem is they also have fear. They are afraid to leave what they know. Many will hide under the umbrella of "waiting on the Lord." Waiting on God is a great thing, but when He called the Israelites into the promise land, He didn't make them magically appear there like they were getting beamed on Star Trek. They had to walk forward in faith and leave behind all that they knew and journey through the desert for 40 years. During that time, they had to continually walk in faith that God was going to provide for them, They never would have seen the promise land unless they had walked there on their own two feet. Too many of the Christians I know, lose out on their God given dreams by choosing to stay in Egypt. They have excuse after excuse why they can not leave and I believe that great things can come by just stepping out and walking. If it isn't the direction that God is calling you to head in, He will surely close the door.

This particular tour will always hold a special place in my memory bank as it was my first. It was also the bridge builder I needed to move down here later this year. I love the people of the south. From Joe the drummer waiting tables at the Rain Forest Cafe in Nashville, to Eric and Chase making the greatest Chai tea in the world at Chattz in Chattanooga. From Ed and Tiff at the local bank cracking jokes and making banking fun, to the older woman at a Rite Aid Pharmacy who welcomed me here on my first night. From Pastor Brian in Sweetwater to Pastor Roger and Harry in Crossville. From Jonny Lang to Phil Keaggy. From the home of no cell reception, Murphy, North Carolina, to the fun folks in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and to everyone else who has supported me on the road, I say thank you. You were all contributors in the dream coming true.

I can't wait to come back to Tennessee in June. The tour in June is going to be great and I can't wait to see some more new places. Hope you guys can make it to the shows!

God given dreams come true if we are willing to follow Him.

God Bless,
SL

GMA Footage... Long waits, Lang, and Keaggy

2009-04-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Here's a couple more videos for you. One is the time I spent at GMA and the other is some more fun with "Waking Ken" as well as some live footage in North Carolina.

Here;s another video...

More videos coming later!
SL

GMA... The Good..The Bad...The Ugly

2009-04-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hey again,

I was going to write something last night after I got back from the songwriter's showcase at GMA but since it was almost 5:00 in the morning I opted to get a few hours of sleep and hit you with a fresher mind. I also wanted a chance to process all that I saw. I wanted some time to really formulate my thoughts about some things that I wasn't quite sure about.

First off, let's just say that if are a Christian indie musician and you are looking to plug into the Christian music scene on a full time basis there is a lot of good that can be had by attending GMA. It is full of indie and signed artists just walking around and networking. It is full of every music business profession and it is a great chance to meet some people. I got the chance to finally meet some people that I have admired in the biz for awhile.

As a guitar player I, like everyone else, have always greatly admired Phil Keaggy. What a blast it was to finally meet him and chat with him. He put on a CLINIC during the showcase and got a standing ovation. Phil rocked out a Les Paul last night and captured everyone's attention.

I was especially excited to see one of my current favorites from this generation of guitar players when Jonny Lang took the stage. The most disappointing thing was that they never gave Jonny the time to actually play on any of his own material. Instead he joined everyone on stage for a grand finale jam session.

The best part was right as Jonny took the stage, Phil Keaggy walked out behind him and wanted to jam. It could have gone way longer and NOBODY would have minded. That audience was treated to one of the great GMA legendary moments as Phil Keaggy and Jonny Lang stood face to face trading riffs. Phil would do something amazing and then Jonny would whip out something amazing. Each time the audience went nuts.

That moment alone made things so worth it for me besides the fact of having the opportunity to meet with these men and also do some networking with them.

There was something about the night that bothered me though. Some may think that I may be trying to be to "spiritual" about it but I will let you be the judge. I have heard from other colleagues of mine in my old radio days and from other artists as well that GMA continues to become more secularized. Maybe I'm too old school for my age but I was disappointed in the song selection of the night as, and I am not exaggerating, about 90% of the music that was played by the performing artists were secular covers. The only artist that stuck to his own material was Tobymac who opened the night up. Last night I heard everything from Bruce Hornsby, to Eric Clapton, to Diana Ross, to Whitney Houston, to Gladis Knight, to Stevie Wonder, to George Harrison.

Now maybe you "experienced" GMA members can help me out here, but wouldn't one think that the big annual event that is supposed to celebrate GOSPEL music, and be a Christian music convention would focus more on faith based music? I understand that many Christian artists use secular covers during their concerts to draw in a secular audience so that they may bring the gospel message through their originals and their messages, but was this an evangelistic event? This was a convention for Christian artists to get together and celebrate what it is that we do. To network, build others up, and to learn from those who have come before us. Why are we playing George Harrison?

I could rant about this a lot more and I'm sure there are many out there that would accuse me of missing the boat or not getting the whole picture. Over half of the Christian rock scene is "crossover" music. So many people are afraid to be called Christian artists. Why? Remember a day when we used to sing, "I'm not ashamed to let you know. I want this light in me to show. I'm not afraid to speak the name of Jesus Christ"?

What are we afraid of? Are we not called to go forth and speak boldly to the world? This industry has changed so much, but God hasn't. His expectations of those whom He has given talents to has not changed. Are we going to be a generation of musicians who can come back to our Master saying that we invested the talents that He has given us and we have doubled them or are we going to come back with nothing because we were a generation of silent musicians who were to caught up in trying to double dip into two different markets so that we may fatten our own wallets.

Believe me, I'm not putting down everybody and I'm not saying that God isn't using certain artists to make an impact in the Kingdom. There are many Christian artists out there who are bringing the gospel to the lost and encouraging the believers and I am not saying that all crossover acts are lukewarm believers that God is going to spit out. Let's make that clear. I'm just saying that over the last few years I am seeing a rising generation of Christian bands and artists who are continually making it very difficult to see what side of the fence they are on.

In these days I challenge all of us to represent our faith in all aspects of our lives. In the jobs we have, the words we say, the thoughts we think, the activities we participate in, and the songs we write.

By the way, Lang and Keaggy were awesome. :)

In Christ,
SL

A Conga Player & His Face Cream

2009-04-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

All I'm going to say is watch some more fun that we are having in Tennessee.

Knoxville, Nashville, and FINALLY A Video!

2009-04-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

It is 3:00am. I just played a show in Knoxville, Tennessee for a great audience that packed the house. This was a really exciting time for me as my conga player, John Ferreira flew down yesterday to join me on tour for a while. Many of you in the Northeast know John if you have seen me play and know that he is an awesome player. Not only am I glad he is hear because of his talents, but I'm really glad that he is here 'cause he is my friend. Thanks again to all who rocked out with me in Knoxville and thanks to Pastor Mark who taught a great message.

For the record this whole tour has been about stepping out in faith knowing what God has called me to do and watching Him deliver on those promises. My tour schedule has been in question for a few days as I still needed a few dates for next week. Finally after a lot of waiting I will be performing in Nashville twice next week including a show at one of the biggest churches around, Christ Church. My understanding is this is the church that many of the Christian artists attend in Nashville including names like Amy Grant and The Gaithers. I'm really looking forward to this show!

And Finally A Video!

And Another!

God Bless!
SL

Tobacco Is Wack... Gross Funny Story

2009-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

The other day I was at a Bi Lo grocery store, picking up some odds and ends. My road manager, Ken, had taken his wife over to a nearby Old Navy and was going to come back by and pick me up.

While I was waiting outside of Bi Lo, I was just leaning against the wall, enjoying the warm air, and watching the fine people of Chattanooga pass by. A gentleman walked by and asked me if I had a cigarette and I told him that I did not. He said thank you and moved on.

Now this man was not dirty and was fairly clean cut. He was wearing a flannel shirt, untorn jeans, and work boots. Once he said thank you, he started to walk over to a public ash tray that was sitting on one of the outside Rubbermaid trash cans. I thought to myself, "He's not going to really do that is he?"

He then says to himself, "Man I need a cigarette," and then reached down into the ash tray and pulled out a small stubby cigarette butt, stuck it in his mouth and lit up what was left of it. He walked away with a look of great content.

I feel like this could be really used in one of those anti-tobacco commercials that we see on TV all the time.

It was pretty gross.

A Twister.. A Twister... Auntie Em, Auntie Em

2009-04-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

I played in Crossville, TN again last night for a Good Friday service at Calvary Chapel Crossville. All I have to say is that this little fellowship of people has won my affection in a big way. It broke my heart to have to leave when the night was over.

Calvary Chapel Crossville portrays exactly what a church family should be. It is a church of people who invest their time and lives enriching the lives of the other members of the fellowship. These are people who legitimately care and if you are a visitor to this church you will feel so welcome you may never want to leave either. I really connected here, and I hope to go back when I tour again this summer.

A Kind Of Funny Story... My First Tornado-ish experience...

One of the truths about where I come from in the northeast is that many to most people there are scared to death of tornados. Perhaps that's why they never leave there, because is it extremely rare for a tornado to hit Maine. So many times I have heard the Maine locals say (in the classic Maine accent, "I would never move south. They get those tornados. Why would they want to live there?"

My own mother is a classic case of this. My father is from the midwest which is an area that gets a far heavier tornado season than where I am at in Tennessee. He has always told us of the tornados he experienced growing up and has always treated them like no big deal. My mother always called him crazy and said, "I could never do it."

Yesterday, Tennessee got slammed with some big storms and a lot of tornado watches and warnings. As I was on the road with my road manager and his wife, we were listening to the radio to all of the announcements of which counties had warnings and which had just watches. They said that Bledsoe county was under a warning until 4:30pm. We were just minutes away and were heading right through Bledsoe to get to our destination. The clouds were really heavy and the rain was pretty intense. Much stronger than what we averagely see in Maine.

Around that time, I received a phone call from my mother. She was in a total panic over what she was seeing on the national forecast. She had been reading of some of the damage that the storms had left in Arkansas and what they were doing in TN. She told me of her findings (which were what we were listening to on the radio), and then when she heard where we were, she continued to ask me to go back.

I felt bad as I knew that she has always had such a deep fear but I also knew that we were almost out of the storm system and were heading in the opposite direction. The storms were heading east and we were heading west. While she was on the phone, I could barely hear her. The rain was so loud and the cell reception was all of a sudden going from full bars to no bars in a second. I told my mom that I could know longer hear her and had to go but I know the call got cut off. Seconds after I hung up, hail started to fall really hard on us. My road manager, Ken, was driving and he immediately pulled over as the wipers on the fastest speed could not clear the window. Everyone else pulled over as well. There was a bridge shortly up ahead so Ken crawled the van up to it and stayed there for little. It slowed down and we continued our trip. Within minutes we were in the clear with blue skies and even some sunshine. No tornados.

Now I laugh when I think of what it must have sounded like on my mother's end. There she is in Maine, scared of tornados and talking to me on the phone, sharing with me her feelings. Then all of a sudden she hear's the storm noise and hear's me slightly yelling to hear myself saying, "Hello...(noise)....hello (noise)...hel...mo...(noise)...can't..he....ou.. (silence)." I'm sure she was a wreck for the next 30 minutes. I called back when I had reception and she sounded like she had actually been through a tornado. I guess it sounded a lot worse than what it really was. Bless her heart.

Happy Easter,
SL

Coffee & Snow?

2009-04-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday, it's my day off, and it's snowing?

I guess considering that we just left the month of March I can't complain too much but I really hoped that one of the things I would not have to look at again after leaving the northeast was snow. This morning I woke up to spitting snow. It spit snow all morning in Chattanooga.

In Maine they have a saying that if you don't like the weather just wait a minute and it will change. To be honest, I've never really found that to be true. Generally it's just always cold, and then it Summer it rains a lot. That saying seems to be kind of true in Chattanooga in the months of March and April. Over night it can get as low as the high 30's and low 40's. In the day it can be as high as 80 or as low as 50. One thing that everyone here as assured me of is that the heat is only a few weeks away.

On another note...

Krispy Kremes can not stand up to Dunkin Donuts. As a matter of fact I have determined for myself that in the drive thru coffee/donuts business that KK is a midget compared to Dunks. I am a coffee person. When I'm at home in Maine, I get a cup almost daily on the road and I usually get it at a Dunkin Donuts. I have always heard people from the south brag about Krispy Kremes. Everytime I have gotten a coffee from KK, it has never been right. It's not very good, and everytime it's been served with defects. The first coffee was in a paper cup with a hole in it so I got coffee all over myself. The second time they gave me a cup with a clear plastic soda top on it for a straw rather than a thick plastic sip cover. Now some of you may be giggling right now saying, "Man, this guy is picky," but I can't help myself. I take my cheap drive thru coffee serious.

Tomorrow I'll be playing in Crossville, TN and I'll be returning there on Friday too. Hope to see some of you at the shows.

God Bless,
SL

The Real Home Of Fried Chicken

2009-04-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this from Bowling Green, Kentucky. It's my first time here and I gotta say that southern KY is just as pretty as anywhere else I have ever seen. Very green. If you are a lover of old farm houses than this is the place for you. Tomorrow I am playing at a church called Rolling Hills Community Church. I'll be leading worship and playing my own stuff.

It's been very productive during the days that I haven't been performing. I've been able to lay down some tracks as many of you have heard. Today I had a photo shoot, so you can count on seeing a fresh look to all of the websites at the beginning of next week.

In some really great news, I have been given a radio servicing deal. What does that mean? It means that this summer, my new song "Color" will be getting pushed to 700 radio stations across the world. When the final version gets released this Spring, make sure to call your local Christian radio station and request, "Color!"

Thanks you for your prayer and support!
SL

Haste Is Not A Virtue Here...

2009-04-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

It really is true. Nobody is in a hurry in the south. I learned this very quickly at a Walmart Super Center. In Maine the cashiers just scan stuff at blurring speeds sometimes. Many times they have to rescan an item because they move so fast. Not the case in Tennessee. I didn't buy that much stuff but it made me laugh how long it took the cashier to scan all of my items. He would slowly run an item across the laser scanner. Then he would pick up another item, look at it for a moment, then scan it. Then he would look like he was pondering something really heavy. Then finally he would start scanning stuff again. I've been seeing this at every retailer I shop at.

In other news, I had an awesome time last night performing in Sweetwater, Tennessee. I want to personally thank any of you who came to the show. The house was packed and the audience was a lot of fun to perform for. I learned something that I never knew there. Apparently the word "crap" is considered a really bad word in Tennessee. It's kind of funny. People in the north use it all the time. My family uses it regularly, my pastor and church family use it, and my friends use it. It makes me kind of chuckle because there are words that they use frequently here in the south that in the northeast we consider to be offensive slang or vulgarity, but here it's no big deal. It's amazing how different cultures can be just in our own country.

Finally, I planned on having some video available for you until I realized that the cable that connectst the camera to the computer was left back in Maine. No worries. It is being shipped to me tomorrow so I'll have some tour footage both on stage and off stage for you during the beginning of next week.

AND FINALLY... I just added some new music to my MySpace page. The New Mercy Morning music has been removed. It's a new song that I wrote for my wife, Shanon, a few weeks ago called, "Color." I won't be finishing up and releasing my album until I get back from the tour, but this is something I did on a rainy Chattanooga evening. I hope you enjoy the song. I'll be releasing a better produced album version in a few months.

That's all I got for tonight.

Representin',
SL

A couple thoughts on the road...

2009-03-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

A couple things that I can say from being on the road...

*Don't travel without a G.P.S.

*The food at the Queen City Diner in Allentown, PA will live with you forever and not in a good way. (BTW, would you really order calamari or something called Grilled Baby Beef Liver at a grease diner?)

*Just because you don't always see them doesn't mean the highway police are not watching!

*People in the south don't eat hummus.

*Chattanooga has some of the friendliest people in the world.

*I don't care where I am. I still think mullets and mutton chops are not cool.

*If grocery stores are really going to sell actual pig's feet and pig's ears, please make sure that it still doesn't have pig's hair attached to it in the package.

I'll post more thoughts later..
SL

The Rolling Hills In Virginia

2009-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hypothetical scenario. Seven months ago you are hanging out with me at a New Mercy Morning band rehearsal. After practice you and I go out (with John & Jason), head to Applebee's, order the oriental chicken salad, and then in some conversation you tell me that in seven months I will be a solo artist on the road, going on my first national tour, and looking at the mountain terrain of Virginia at 4:00 am in the morning. There is no way I would have believed it.

But despite my doubt, there I was sitting in the front of a van that my road manager Ken was driving, watching the rolling hills of Virginia pass by as I head off to see my life's dream come true. I'm a touring singing/songwriter.

I was wearing my headphones listening to my MP3 player. The music was set to shuffle and anything and everything was playing. First a John Mayer song, then Disciple, then Wang Chung... wait, how did that get in there?

I was having some time just quietly thinking to myself about all of the things in my life that had brought me to this moment. I thought a lot about the old band, and my very dear friends in it. I thought about all of the day jobs that I really didn't want to do but did anyway 'cause I had to pay the bills. I thought about the church families I have been a part of and the folks at my home church of Still Waters Christian Fellowship.

I watched the scenery pass by and even in the gray of night, everything looked so beautiful. Every farm on every hillside looked perfectly landscaped and even the ones that were old and worn looked like a postcard shot, covered by the mountains and trees. I was in the south again. A place where my heart has never left.

At that moment, we drove down at a slope and I saw a breathtaking shot of mountain scenery, with beautiful farm lands, surrounded by lilac bushes and my MP3 player started playing the beginning of Copperline by James Taylor. If you have heard the song you might agree with me that the beginning is a very moving piece of music. Though I've never been to Virginia or Tennessee, I knew at that moment with great certainty... I'm home.

Time To Hit The Road

2009-03-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

Well I'm leaving in two days to head for Tennessee. I'm going on my first national tour where I'll be on the road for 5 weeks. It may not be a 6 month long Third Day world tour, but hey you gotta start somewhere. My first gig away from the northeast will be in Sweetwater, TN at a Calvary Chapel. Back when I played in New Mercy Morning we were supposed to play there in 2007 but that never got off the ground. It will be a lot of fun!

I'll be keeping everyone up to date on my whereabouts on tour and the fun I'm having on the road. I'll be traveling with my road manager Ken Williams and in the second half of the tour John Ferreira will be joining me as well. Many of you know John from seeing him play congas at the local shows in Maine.

I want to just say a special thanks to all of you back home who have supported me through the years and especially over the last 3 or 4 months. This thing is finally taking off and it wouldn't be possible without your loving support and prayers. Stay tuned into the website for more updates.

Ciao for now,
SL