Today was a BIG step in the journey.

I spent my Sunday afternoon in the studio again, trying to finish mixing “One For Me.” It’s almost finished.

Or so I thought.

An hour into the session, Mandi dropped by to lend a few “producer” suggestions. “I’m not crazy about the drums,” she says. “We need a new bass line. Don’t put that harmonica riff there; put it here instead. And you might want to track that acoustic guitar again.”

Oh boy. Careful what you ask for.

Feeling a little frustrated and overwhelmed that i have more work to do and perhaps go back to the drawing board on this one, we finished the session a little early.

“Do you like sushi?” Mandi asked.

“Live for it,” I replied.

“Then let’s go. My treat.”

And that’s how it happened. We feasted on yet-to-be-cooked salmon and tuna and yellowtail while having a bit of a heart-to-heart. I’m paraphrasing this part but our discussion culminated in asking whether she’d consider taking me on as a producer for my record. To which she promptly replied…

“I’m ready to jump in if that’s what you mean.”

And so we sealed it by splitting the last piece of sushi on the table, the ever-so-overlooked eel.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a producer.

Please don’t stop this train
cause I don’t want to get off
I’d rather stow away and starve
than be fattened at the trough
                  -nick daugherty

So when I started this project some 50 days ago, I thought, “Hey let’s have a reality show! Drag the camera (singular) around and tape everything! It’ll be sweet to look back on one day.”

Swiggity sweet as it may sound, I’m already overloaded with hours and hours of semi-interesting amateur footage of everything from some of my early concerts, band practice, small-wave surfing in Redondo Beach, Orange County pirate parties, and rockstar haircuts. That’s right, haircuts. At least I prefaced my “interesting” adjective with a “semi.”

I think that’s an adverb. It’s been a long time since I’ve diagrammed a sentence.

Spent a good deal of time today editing the semi-interesting footage together to create some sort of 9-minute amalgamation of the last month and a half of my life for your viewing pleasure. Editing video takes forever, and it’s even tougher if you have ADD.

If I smoked, this would be a good time for a cigarette. OK, I’m going on break anyway…
That’s just me trying to appear succinct. I know you’re busy out there.

DAY 49 - Mandi invited me up to a little place in North Hollywood to hear some great acoustic acts tonight. Thinking it was another bar with an open mic or something, I showed up with a fairly “ho hum” attitude, ready to stand around and drink a beer, nodding along graciously while other people played their music.

I could not have been more impressed with what I heard, and what I saw tonight.

First of all, walking into Kulak’s is like stepping onto a TV set. (Not the kind on your coffee table, but the kind where they film it. Dig?) There are no tables, just couches, and beanbags, pillowrests and even a couch-bed just off the stage. They film every act with six-camera professional studio quality; to watch the monitors, you’d think you’re in the audience of VH1 Storytellers.

No bar. No food. Just good music. It was amazing.
(Or to use my new catch phrase, swiggity sweet!)

For all the L.A. wannabes, you can perform here while your family back at home in the midwest watches you from the comfort of their computer screen. How awesome is that!!

You think I’m making this up? Check it out for yourself here.

If the venue was cool, the acts were cooler. The night started off with a hypnotic set from a group called the Wild Blooms (from Austin, TX y’all). I’ve never heard anyone combine acoustic guitar with techno beats, heavy synthesizers, flute, piano, and accordian all in one, but somehow they made it sound awesome. Check ‘em out. They’re hot.

Next up was a great acoustic singer/songwriter with very jazzy chops and some great hooks named James Hurley. He stopped in to play Kulak’s before heading to Europe for a 5-week tour in the UK. He’s got a great sound and he plays a Larrivée guitar, which if you know anything about guitars you know Larivées sound a little bit like Heaven.
Kacey jones, a veteran songwriter and producer from Nashville, and long-time friend of Mandi’s, finished the night with some of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard a folk singer tell in-between songs. You could definitely tell she’s a master at what she does. Kacey’s also got a new video called “San Francisco Mabel Joy” on CMT. Not too shabby huh?
Let’s see, what else, what else?? My brain is spinning right now…

Ahh, final story…

Halfway through the show, an older man walks in with his wife, whom I didn’t recognize. Mandi did. He’s turned out to be the Mr. John Braheny, author of one of the foremost books available today for songwriters called The Craft and Business of Songwriting. It’s a must-read if you’re ever thinking about taking a journey of your own…

Anyway, I got to meet John and his lovely wife JoAnn. They seem like such lovable, down-to-earth people. I’m starting to notice something about the music business — it’s not really all that big and scary. Just a community of people who all seem to know each other. It’s just a matter of finding someone who’s willing to introduce you around.

It’s all about making new friends. Everyday.

Here’s the link to John’s fantastic book. I highly recommend it.

This was a big night for me.

I’ve said it before, but it’s amazing how the universe opens up and things begin to unfold for you once you commit yourself wholeheartedly to something.

I spent most of my afternoon putting a demo CD together, complete with lyric sheets, music charts and everything. Even branded it with a cool CD cover (below). Why?

Because tonight I had dinner with a veteran music producer who’s worked with the likes of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, Oleta Adams, Columbia, RCA, Epic, and Prince Records, and even my new favorite, Amy Kuney.

And now she’s my new friend, Mandi Martin…

For three hours tonight we talked about life and music, Sam Cooke and birth of soul, Ray Charles and the blues, country, and rock’n'roll, working with Ricky Nelson, Brian Wilson, and Jimmy Buffett, and even being professional laugh-er for struggling comedians.

Mandi has this infectious laugh that can turn even the most grumpy scowls into grins. Not the “tee hee hee” type with your mouth covered. No sir, I’m talking about a full-blown belly laugh that can only come from deep within your soul.

And I needed some laughs after getting myself thoroughly lost yet again in Culver City — the most confusing of all towns in California.

No streets go straight. Everything twists and winds into each other so as to allow only the locals passage through their sacred city. Streets randomly change names, disappear, then reappear a block over. I think the civil engineer who designed this place was on some strong acid when he laid out the street system here.

Finally arriving after circling 2 blocks for 30 minutes, Mandi cracked me up with a big smile and a good belly laugh, and I knew I was in for a good night. She was very easy to talk to. It felt like we’d known each other for years.

Let’s just hope she liked my demo…

(Note to self: buy a GPS for your car.)

My friends Clint and Christina are taking a well-deserved vacation to Europe this week, and they asked me to doggie-sit for them while they were away. “Free food!” Clint told me, knowing just how to humor a post-college bachelor who hates to grocery-shop.

They have two of the most beautiful golden retrievers you’ve ever seen, Brandy and Rusty. Brandy’s the older one and she’s always got this smug look on her face like she owns the world and you’re just living in it. I can tell she’s missing her parents though, because she spends 90% of her day just laying around waiting for something to happen.

Or then again, maybe she just wants us to feel sorry for her. Either way, I’m not buying it. She’s getting fed well, two walks per day, in/out house privileges, and a doggie biscuit every day. What more do they want from us?

Rusty’s the young buck who’s still trying to find his place in the pack. He’s full of energy all the time and loves to antagonize the other one by nipping at her leg or plopping himself down right on top of her head while she’s napping. Rusty has these chew toys he loves to get all slobbery and then come drop right in your lap while you’re trying to work.

It’s great. I’m gonna get attached, I just know it.

I’ve been working on a new tune called “Something More,” and I think I’m keeping the neighbors up with my incessant “take1, take 2″ repetition — trying to work out the syncopated jazz guitar part in my head while singing a melody that’s got a different rhythm all its own. If I can make this work, it’s gonna be a fantastic tune.

Otherwise, I’m just gonna have pissed off neighbors.