On Valentines day of 2026, I packed my life into my Subaru Outback and left my home state of Vermont. I drove 10,000 miles through 33 states in 5 months. I stayed with old friends and strangers and slept under the stars and on pull-out couches. I shared my music with countless people, met musicians from cities all over the country, and made friends with people whose paths I never would’ve crossed otherwise. Before I left home, I challenged myself to write a song for every city that I visited, and that is how my second album North Star was born. 14 tracks, each one about my experience in one of the cities I stayed in.
The period of time between the release of my previous album, Roadside Attraction, and the release of this one has been wholly unlike any other part of my life. This album, as much as it is about this road trip, is also about growing up and into yourself. These songs reflect that unmooring and exciting tension of learning about who you are when nobody is expecting you to be who you’ve been. It’s a reaction to having my identity challenged in new ways and having to justify my dreams to myself. While my specific circumstances are unique, after playing the album through for family and friends, I think having to rediscover one’s guiding light as you age is an universal experience. I hope that anyone who feels like their own north stars can be elusive will listen and take away that there can be joy in rediscovering the hopes and dreams that make us who we are. The process is the most important part; it took me 14 songs to fully understand that.
I recorded all of these songs live in my hometown of Hartland, Vermont at Damon Hall. The album was only about a week and a half removed from being officially “finished,” and I had one chance to get everything perfect. This did not happen, if you can even believe it. There are moments when I drop words or even whole phrases. There are a few times where I get so into the music that I think I can execute a new vocal run. Sometimes I do! Sometimes I don’t :( There are a few times where I’m getting choked up looking at my friends in the audience, especially towards the end. I’m a perfectionist so at first I thought it was a fault, but in a world where art is constantly threatened by the “perfection (yuck)” of generative AI, I love that this performance is distinctly and truly human. I really, really love it and I hope you will as well.
Here you can see the lyrics to each song as well as some of my thoughts about the experiences that inspired them, and the writing process. Some people prefer to not have all this background while they put their own meaning to new music, so if that’s you, rock on. There is nothing here that is integral to understanding the story. But if you’re like me and like seeing getting the behind the scenes details so to speak, I hope you enjoy reading these <3
There are so many people I need to thank for helping me create this project:
JB Mithcell, for drawing the album cover and for listening to every song at every stage, especially the ones that didn’t make the cut.
Ashleigh, Helen, and Robin, for the conversations that inspired my perspective. And for loving these songs like I do.
Mom and Dad, for everything. Duh.
Will, for keeping me humble.
Liam, Ember, and Emma for letting me “Ken” them with song drafts all summer.
David Baldwin, for recording and producing the project!
Doug Linnell, for running sound at the live show!
Hartland Community Arts, for sponsoring the project!
Everyone who came to the show!
All my hosts on the trip and every person who bought me dinner somewhere along the way
And of course, thank you grandma for your turn of phrase. I hope you like it.