Looking back over these past travel years has me gob smacked. I am in awe of so many beautiful souls that have crossed my path and become a part of my life. It's all happened very organically and the adventure has been driven onwards solely by the good graces of my guitar who has the very applicable name Grace.
In April 2016 I left my last full time abode in the french Alps with the idea to just tour music with no overheads. Working as hard as I could physically and mentally the decade previous to that decision had never allowed me enough financial freedom to really pursue the life of an artist.
The thought was simple: instead of trying to earn more and pour my energy into generating a pretty measly income I would take away all my overheads so I could accept and work towards the gigs I wanted and the time I needed to create. Now this came after a few years of renting a great studio flat in Morzine which I called home. For 4 months of the year during peak winter season it was exactly that. A home to come back to after nine, three hour full band gigs a week and countless hours traversing the mountains squashed in our trusty but frozen Sardinian tour van.
After a few weeks of sleep post season the tours would take me back to the UK and across Europe, between which I would make the upmost effort to visit family and friends all over Europe and keep my important relationships alive with the people I miss dearly.
So for the remaining 8 months a year I was never at home.
Forever grateful for what so many winters in the Alps has offered me, myself and my music had hit a ceiling. This was no longer a stomping ground from which to cultivate new music and grow as an artist. At least not quickly enough for my impatient soul. Those winters were like boot camp for true rock n roll. Learning how to keep 200 people jumping in a night club when your voice is shot, you’ve had no real sleep for 2 months and you’ve done yourself no favours by greedy accepting every tequila shot thrown your way. Equipment and van failures made most gigs a logistical puzzle but low and behold CAB Collective always pulled through. Even when the wheel fell of the van approaching a treacherous mountain pass somehow we managed the drive from Meribel to Chamonix in time to play both gigs and keep the crowd alive and hungry.
With the love of a beautiful woman I left my home in the Alps without any idea what was to come. I flapped around the UK wrestling with my zero income and all of the anxious self deprecation that accompanied my choice. I even allowed it to come between me and my great love and far too swiftly abandoned my healthiest and most honest relationship to date.
Little did I know that the spiral of emotional pain that followed would be the cocoon. My blinding desire to fix both our broken hearts was the fuel and a phenomenally cheap airfare from Naples to New York was the spark.
A heavy rucksack stuffed with microphones, cables and very little cloths weighed on my back. One hand carried Grace and the other tightly clung to $200 dollars in my left pocket.
That was all I had.
What happened next and if I’m honest what continues to happen for me; will be written much more elegantly in a book once I am still enough to cement my adventures. I do have a title already which has also become a song. One of many songs I’ve written throughout my adventures to date and my gratitude to these songs is unmeasurable.
My album is ready as far as the material is concerned. More than 10 beautiful songs inspired by this journey, chasing my guitar, my grace.
So when I sat in a basement in Ontario back in July 2018 and followed a prompt from my sister to write a song about going wild and getting back to nature, away from the world (had to quote DMB), I was finally ready to thank my journey. This journey in all regards has been my music and has become and continues to be my Grace.
I loved the song instantly and wanted to throw a music clip together to share it with all of you. Then I had the idea. So many moments and friends have been unforgettable that I can’t possibly stop to capture them all, all of you. Not whilst I’m still going and then; what if I don’t ever get the chance?
So instead of this song being mine I understood it wasn't possible without all of you. Its your song really, an ode to the best people in the world and the most incredible places I’ve ever seen. Hence the thought “Lets get everyone to send me a clip of where they are, where we met, someplace special to them or even just an average day at home or at work. That would be the best video for a song all about you” and surfing ;).
So this is my plea I need 20 - 30 sec videos of what ever quality of any place you are. Your face can be in it or not it doesn’t matter and all I will do is simply state the place in a title along with the clip. No names need to be shared but we will know. Me and you.
That would be the best way to celebrate and capture my last few years, my beautiful friends and epic adventures.
Big love amigos!
Johnny