A seasoned composer, producer and bassist, Spears steps forward here not as a virtuoso guitarist, but as a curious explorer of the instrument—
Being the owner of Wayfarer Records, I get a front row seat to our amazing artists and their amazing music and musicianship. Being in Nashville, you are surrounded but so much talent. In business I strive to know alittle about everything so that I can at least be able to communicate with a person about a particular thing. From college on I’ve been a bass player. Composing and creating in the computer environment, I got good at writing and creating midi track, mainly using a midi controller (synth or piano) to play chords and riffs. I’m not an out right sit down and play a tune guy, but I know chord structures and can play them into the computer. I then can edit till I get what I want.
As you know, I like to challenge myself. Understanding bass and playing guitars are 2 different things. I’ve always have had a few guitar to “plink” around on. So, for this album, I want to try adding guitars to the songs. I totally understand the pressure of making something listenable especially when we have so many fantastic artist whose main instruments are guitars and most of my friends are world class players. So, keep it simple was my moto for this and that works well with the “Ambient” world of things.
I think I captured my essence on a pop, ambient, guitar essence. The inspirations for this album came from my fortunate travels as a photographer and all the amazing experiences I had seeing different parts of North America .
Track One “Across the Plains”
Here I wanted to capture the beauty and joy of just driving thru endless vastness of flat wilderness of the midwest and Big Sky. Being thankful I wasn’t traveling via horse and buggy. Watching the cloud dissipate into beautiful sunsets.
Track Two “Timezone Lounges”
We all at some point travel via the airport. We you are lucky enough to do it alot you get to see that the is a travel culture. People just lounge around waiting on the next flight. Some people mingle, talking life and travels, others are nervous with anticipation, while others treat it as their passing apartment to eat and get some computer work done.
Track Three “Shadows Of Castleton”
Castleton is a mountain spire in Utah. It’s famous for being tall and skinny. I was contracted out to document a videographer and a multiple submitter of Everest. I assumes we would shoot from the parking lot since most of the work would be via drone. Well that wasn’t the case we needed to climb a one mile 45 degree mountain to get to “basecamp”. I’m a couch potato, so, I’ll leave it there. I thought I was gonna die. Took me 4 hours to get 3/4 the way up while everyone else did in a few hours. All that to say. Was a killer experience and kinda a religious one to see this amazing structure and surrounding landscape.
Track Four “Back Porch Morning Coffee”
This is my attempt to just recreate that feeling of sitting on a back porch weather it be in the mountain or the beach. That early morning sit with coffee is just a peaceful time to contemplate.
Track Five “Desert Sunset Shimmer”
In my travels I’ve been fortunate to goto the Bonniville Salt Flats. I got to shoot during speed week the people try for world land speed records, and for fashion and stock images. The hard sand is always changing looks as the sun travels across the sun. When low in the sky, the red and blues, change the color of the sand and as the air cools, the radiant ground heat can be seen. Another time in red rocks near Vegas, I captured a pic of the moon setting behind the mountain, there was a line on cloud under it. These clouds were just sand floating from the heat cause the ground heat was keeping them suspended.
Track Six “Lullaby Breeze”
I think this capture that feeling of laying in a hammock or sitting on the beach or on a mountain cliff, just observing the surrounding world.
Track Seven “Riding the Dragon”
Tail of the Dragon is a road famous for its 318 curves in just 11 miles—is America’s most thrilling destination for motorcycle riders and sports car enthusiasts.
Winding along US 129 where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Cherokee National Forest, this iconic stretch offers a pure driving experience: no intersections—just you and the road. I had hear of it, and then found myself on it with my wife while exploring around the area. Of all days, a motorcyclist had crashed and cut hi leg to the bone. We came across him and got him in my car and it was a test of my driving skills to go as fast as I could on the world renowned section of road. We got him to a hospital in Knoxville, TN in about an hour and he got taken care of.
Track Eight “Mahone Bay Memories”
Being highly involved with Istock Photos, I was involved with alot of online chatrooms with other photographers. After being involved with one of the groups it was evident that they were every tight nit and close, but have never actually met in person. I suggested that they all converge on Nashville and we could all meet, hang and shoot picture. It was a thrill to watch these close friends meet in person. One of the Photographers was from Mahone Bay Nova Scotia. He organized a shoot and hang for his area. My and I traveled to there. We got a cozy air bob on the bay and then we were treated to some amazing photo sessions featuring the life of Fishermen. Also, on this Track I ask my good friend Stephen Davis to play guitar, I’ve been wanting to work with him.
Track Nine “When Trees Become Mountain”
If you go down that conspiracy theory rabbit it does make a compelling argument that kinda breaks the mind of possibilities. This probably my favorite track
Track 10 “Chasing Dusk”
When shooting pictures, the right place at the right time sometime is achieved by planning. So, perfect sunsets sometimes are luck sometimes planned. There is a rushed energy to get in the right spot before the sun goes down…Being in nature after the sun goes down and the night slowly takes it place, It’s just peaceful.
This is my 10th album and is a great mix of mellow to cool groove all with a nod to the ambient world…… also, Wayfarer Records Artist Gray LeGere played drums on this album….