Hello from the Highways

Let’s Go Deep (2024)

People can only meet you as deep as they’ve met themselves;

And the day can only greet you as deep as the gratitude felt.

So step inside where you cannot hide,

through the locked doors of the rooms that you abide, and see

I am you, you are me

Let’s Go Deep

Autumn Leaves with MARIE; and Rachel Harris Viramontes (2024)

Usually when I start writing a guitar part, I immediately start hearing a melody and lyrics, but not so with this one. I wrote this little guitar part in probably 2012, and for some reason, I could never come up with something to sing to it. A couple years ago in 2022, I felt inspired to send it to my niece MARIE; (her artist name), and in less than 24 hours she sent this song back to me, lyrics and melody all written by her. It's about her mom, my sister Shelley, who passed to the next realm in 2016. We just got back from a family reunion where we asked my cousin, Rachel Harris Viramontes, to do this song with us for the family talent show. I had sent the song to her the night before at midnight, and this was our first run-through. It felt like gentle, precious magic, and I hope this will be the first of many. I LOVE YOU BOTH. Thank you for sharing your voices and hearts.

Autumn Leaves with MARIE; (2023)

Here is the professional recording and lyric video, with original song description:

11 years ago I wrote this guitar part, and uncharacteristically was never able to put words and melody to it, but it's stuck with me.

7 years ago Shelley passed to the next realm.

1 year ago I sent the guitar part to Shelley's daughter, and she wrote these lyrics, melody, and harmonies.

1 month ago we recorded it on the 7-year anniversary of Shelley's passing.

Today on Mother's Day we are honored to share Autumn Leaves with you. 🦋🍂

The Pickle Queen Opus (2023)

This is The Pickle Queen Opus. It's a song all about my sister Shelley, who did in fact love dill pickles more than anyone I've ever known lol. The first part of this song is about a few of my favorite memories with her: off-roading in the Arizona desert, parasailing in Hawaii, and being pulled by the family boat on a tube at Saguaro Lake. The next part of this song is about a dream I had shortly before she passed to the next realm, where my grandmother, who she was very close to, came to me and walked with me down a dirt road. She led me to the edge of a tropical forest and bid me to go into it towards a golden light, but she could not come with me. I didn't understand what the dream meant at the time, but I was shortly about to find out. 7 years later, I still miss Shelley dearly, but as the song says, I believe she is spinning, floating, and flying again.

Thank you to my son Joseph and her daughter MARIE; for doing such beautiful harmonies and backing vocals. You made the song.

Video clips from Pexels and the beautiful artistic ones at the end were shared by @scenic_alchemy on Instagram.

America Needs You (2023)

It’s time for a highly activated and engaged citizenry. We need a country “of the people, by the people, for the people;” not of the corporations, by the corporations, for the corporations.

The Trucker Song Sing-Along (2023)

Trucking is a lifestyle that’s not made for everyone, but for the ones that it is, it’s a beautiful thing. This song is a tribute to all the truckers out there, and all the workers and families that support them. Thank you to my sons and my niece for singing with me.

Stranded At The J (2022)

Every trucker was forced off the I-80 in Wyoming on New Year’s Day 2022 from Mother Nature’s wind and snow. As I stepped out of the truck at the Flying J, the lyrics started streaming, and I finished them while I sat in the Denny’s. Thank you to my son for editing this video for me.

The River And The Forest

This is a love song to nature and being able to connect deeper to yourself by connecting to the ecosystem around you. I love trees, I love running water, I love being in the wildness and the wilderness. Thank you Gaia, God, Goddess, Godx, Higher Power for letting me be here to experience it. I was terrified to get back into the studio to record this after many years away from making music, and even though I was recovering from a bad cold, I knew I needed to just do it. I’m so glad I did. Thank you for listening.