For me personally, if seeds were sown in 2024, they would germinate and become viable in 2025. As the year comes to a close I find myself looking back with deeply rooted gratitude: Gratitude for the incredible local communities that embraced and rooted for me from Snohomish County to Seattle, gratitude for the amazing musicians and fellow songwriters who became my friends and collaborators on this journey of self-discovery and, last but not least, gratitude to my wife who made sacrifices so I could practice and develop as much as I have.

I never would have started this journey if it weren't for community. I had been away from music for so long and, up until this proverbial rebirth, I had hardly even scratched the surface of my creative output and potential. To say that I had self-doubt would have been an understatement. To be honest, I didn't believe I belonged on a stage, which seems absurd to me now.

2024-2025 were indeed special years. As I look toward the amazing things in the works for 2026, I keep asking myself if I am being carried from one wave to the next, or if this is just one continuous wave. I'm not sure that it matters. What does matter is that none of this would have been possible without the various sources of support, as well as the serendipitous friendships and connections that emerged precisely when they were most needed. I talked about this a bit on the Indie Rock Radio Podcast last year: It isn't just about me; it's about every single person who I meet along the way who inspires me through genuine human connection: the fellow songwriters, musicians and engineers, yes, but also the bartenders at venues who became my friends, open mic hosts, the kitchen staff, the patrons, the luthier who has kept my guitars in top shape (shout out Garrett Riley at Riley Guitars), the random person sitting next to me at the bar who shares his or her life story with me, all of it. It's part of the exact same thing: an interconnected web of human experience. All of us are truly in this together, even though we are easily deceived into division. 

2026: This will be a busy year for me musically. I have put the laps in for acoustic performances, yes, but now it's time for recording, not to mention shows in a full band format. January already has days booked out in the studio that I'm very excited about. There are also some amazing shows already booked. There are also some incredible musical collaborations that I am very excited about, a few of which I am excited to surprise you with.

It just keeps rolling forward. For those of you who have never had a creative blackout period as long as I have, my enthusiasm may seem a bit excessive, if not outright manic but, for me, going from 0 to 150 MPH really does feel exhilarating. In the end, it's largely fueled by gratitude and the community support plays no small part in that.

Here is to a wonderfully musical 2026. 

Much love!

-R