Throughout the past 2 years I would work on it from time to time for short periods but I could never quite complete it. I lost major portions of the record to drive failures and insufficient back up. Many songs on this record were tracked entirely, then guitar or vocals were re-recorded, and eventually the whole song was trashed and re-tracked. It seems funny now. It was hard to let go. It's hard to commit to the idea that your "work in progress" will be forever set in stone. I began to think I couldn't finish it. I felt like the boy who cried wolf, telling friends and the label it was near completion over and over. Well, I woke up about a month ago and decided I would give myself an actual deadline that would prevent me from further obsessing and a 2 weeks later it was done. The strange part of all this is, now that it is done, I'm not sure how to feel. It is my first attempt at making a solo record, something I am totally unfamiliar with. I know this, I will never make a record this way again. From now on, no second guessing or obsessing. Ultimately, I am proud of this record. I made something I like and it's time to move on. I hope most of you will appreciate it.

I have decided to call it "Bridge". I think the musical metaphor is appropriate because it is something new for me and it will lead me to another place as a songwriter, weather it be a better appreciation of my craft or the butt of another songwriter's joke. Either way, I'm on my way. I have a label in Europe (Bad Taste Records) that plans to release it in October.

Bands in this story

Lagwagon

Joey Cape