My Life through Songs, Pt. 1 “Big Boy Hours”
Fitting that the story begins with the first song I ever sang, which was dedicated to my mother’s memory. Back when I was 19 in early 2016, I recorded this acoustic piece on my iPhone using Garageband. There are so many ways to interpret this piece but for me it touches mostly on how people’s spirits stay with you throughout your life.
the original art for stuck inside my dreams
“Mama, won’t you leave my head, you’re stuck inside my dreams
Mama, won’t you leave my bed, you’re stuck inside my dreams”
She had a beautiful spirit and was an early music educator. It is an honor to follow in her footsteps as an educator as well. It was released as a single on bandcamp, and now can be found as part of “The Adventures of Evan Sky and the Hipster Cult”, my debut mixtape.
This song was just about the second song I ever wrote and sang. Even as I write this at the age of 27 it still rings true. At just 40 seconds it is short but to the point.
“I hope I never become an adult, becoming adult’s a nightmare to me
Haven’t you ever thrown your life away, throw your life away for money
I’m gonna sing some meaningless words these meaningless words don’t mean anything
I thought they sounded well put together well put together unlike me.”
I wrote this at the age of 19. It deals with how when most people grow up, their life quickly turns into a meaningless quest for money. I was deeply conflicted about my pursuit of music as a career but quickly realized that having a life full of meaning and passion is far more important than wasting it away for money. My ADHD was addressed in the last line.
This one was initially titled SCCC theme song after my alma mater Suffolk County Community College. This one covers the social dynamic of the community college life and reflects on my experience. I was far too advanced for the classes and programs I was in, and often felt extremely bored at school. I felt like an odd one out though as school quickly became the center of many of my peers lives’
the original artwork for community college
“Tables full of kids in their 20s doing middle school’s hard work,
Suffolk County Community College is the center of their earth.”
Not to the fault of any of the amazing musical faculty there (it was an amazing program, and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone in the Suffolk County NY area), but financial limitations stopped me from going away to a 4 year music program. I did end up graduating and can now look back fondly on what was a tumultuous time in my adolescence.
This song was a very literal story about a dream I had. Obama said “hey, here’s a brand-new guitar” and I was like “oh cool thanks Obama.”
“Obama Gave Me A New Guitar, (8x)
In my dream.”
I remember the moment it was conceived very well. I was sharing my dream with my friend over some then illicit and now perfectly legal substances, and he said, “That would make a great song”. I almost immediately, went home and wrote this. The rest of the lyrics are up for interpretation, but it was not written with any political intentions. I’ve always wanted to do a re-release of this, but I fear people will take it the wrong way in today’s political climate. Let me know what you think.
This little folky waltz I wrote about the terrible dynamic I had with my parents at the time. There was a time where I was grounded for 6 months (at the age of 19) leading to me moving out and telling them off. As much as they tried in their own way, our personalities did not click, and I would very shortly after writing this one would move out of my parents’ house (that story is for a later blog post).
“I’m sorry I’m trying to fix things again,
I’m sorry I’m dying to be your best friend.”
I think it applies in any toxic/dependent situations. I was also very silly and wrote alligator tears instead of crocodile tears, and did not realize until like last year (this is my Lil Yachty cello moment). A version can be found as part of “The Adventures of Evan Sky and the Hipster Cult”, my debut mixtape.
The title track of my first EP Big Boy Hours (it’s out there somewhere, I dare you to find it)
It encapsulated my teenage antsyness (if that’s a word) and desire to go hang out with my friends and drink beer and leave town, etc. It’s a very silly dramatic teenage crisis song.
the original art for “big boy hours”
“feels like i'm in a tv show all day, i know that it won't matter anyways,
everyone i know's out drinking beer, holy shit forget about this year”
I was also pining over someone at the time, and being stuck at home, with no car, (also grounded), at the age of 19 was incredibly frustrating. Writing this song was an escape from the mundane sitcom of being grounded but trying to find myself as a young adult and musician. Can be found on Early Sky ’16-17 on my bandcamp.
I wrote this in a lounge watching a couple that really needed to “get a room”. They were being very publicly icky, and I thought of short-term relationships associated with college life, and decided I wanted nothing to do with that.
“i would hang around but i don't got the time to waste on your short-lived relationships, come back when you know that it's time to quit, we'll get high, so high, you'll forget his name and start another guy”
Anyone who knows me knows I favor long-term loving relationships with true connection and love over little flings, and this song addresses that. This is another lost one from Big Boy Hours, can be found on Early Sky ’16-17 on my bandcamp.
This one is one of my favorite early ones. I wrote this for my extremely short-lived band “Tiger Woulds”. Consisting of two of my good friends from high school Logan Brennan on bass and mixing/production (Label of Goods, Eyeshield, Nazca Plate) and Max Hanks on drums (Young Steve, Nazca Plate).
The t-shirt design for my first run of T-shirts. Limited to 20. Designed by Logan Brennan.
“Why follow me? I'm here all alone. Deeper in my own thoughts than you'll ever know. And I'm so fucking awkward, too awkward for hello. Go back into the worlds we'll never know.”
I walked on the beach alone and a cute girl started following me but like far enough behind that I felt too awkward and depressed to start a conversation with her. Truly the beginning of the awkward surf songs idea. I wrote it at a dark time in my life but I’m so happy it happened. Can be found on Early Sky ’16-17 on my bandcamp.
