THANKS | Tiera Suggs

Damn.
So, I’m not comfortable with photographs of myself. I don’t have too terribly many of me, and the ones that I do have are normally of me holding a guitar on a stage at a bar.
I knew that we could use some press photos, and I’d would be more comfortable with them if I could make a big project out of it. If they were cool, and not just pictures with my face in them, then I’d be more inclined to use them, right?
So, Tiera came over to the house and played perfectly along with our shenanigans. I had ripped up several years worth of small notebooks. I always carry a notebook around in my back left pocket, and they seem to pile up over the years. Jack and Dan and I (oooo and Em helped too!) decided to use a leaf blower in the house to blow the paper about for some fancy pictures. And Tiera made us feel right at home doing so.
Tiera has a great eye for shots, and a great eye for edits. I wanted something natural, said so, and she went right back and shifted things into that theme. If you need photos of anything, Tiera can probably find a way to make even your best plans better.
Hooray for Tiera D Photo. Your photos are plastered inside our little CD case.

THANKS | Jason Dutton

Jason runs the open mic where I first shared songs in Columbus. He made a good and supportive environment, without making things too comfortable. I admire the way that he would cordially inform people studying in the south room that it would become an open mic in a few minutes. So get out while you can.
I like the songs that Jason writes, and how he performs the songs that he doesn’t write. For a while, I thought that he wrote a Weakerthans song about a cat. I have since listened to the original song; it sounds like a bad cover of a Jason Dutton song.
Jason was always encouraging, when I would walk up on Tuesday nights from my first dorm on Ohio State’s south campus. As I start writing new songs over the next half year, I’m looking forward to stopping back in more often to see what works and what doesn’t.
Thanks Jason, and thanks Kafe Kerouac. Thanks for welcoming my into Columbus a few years ago.

THANKS | Varun Chandrasekhar

We recorded most of the album with Victoria Butash, but Varun helped us out during the final bits of the process. He got all of the extra goodness, thanks to his access to the Mershon Studios at OSU. He recorded all of the bass, pedal steel, horns, and strings.
I also got to see his senior recital. Wow! Jazz guitar music!
Varun cheerfully led those sessions to put the icing on the cake, and could be lighthearted and fun while he did so. 
Thanks much to Varun. I still love hearing your obsessive takes on jazz composers that I didn’t know the first thing about.

THANKS | Glenn Davis

Glenn was not involved in almost anything having to do with the record before it was all but done. He played a house show that we hosted for Friendship, and we were both surprised that we hadn’t met before then. He asked if I had any music to share, so I sent him the first bounce that we got back from mastering.
Glenn took the time to really sit down with the tracks and offer his honest feedback on a few small changes. And a long walk and a conversation made me feel more comfortable with the role that songs fill in my life. I’m happy that he reached out, and flattered that he spent his time listening in.
Looking forward to the new Way Yes record. And looking forward to another walk along the Olentangy.

THANKS | Rob Bodary

Cousin Rob shipped me a USB flash drive full of music in a bubble mailer from Michigan to Ohio when I was in high school. In it, I found a bunch of Decemberists, Bon Iver, Das Racist, and a bunch of other artists who have seriously made a mark on what I listen to today.
From playing video games to writing passive aggressive songs about Bodary family Christmas and getting all of the cousins to sing the chorus, I’m thankful for who he’s been and who he will be to me.
He played bass on a few songs. But more importantly, we hung out the whole weekend. We ate food at Catalinas and Exotic Latino Grill. We saw a movie at Gateway. We walked around a lot. We learned and listened to songs. And he took a lot of selfies and arranged them into a collage to remember his trip. I hope he’ll post that below.
Rob does comedy up in Chicago with The Storefront. And he’s a mental health professional. I admire the balance he’s got, and I’m looking for ways to do the same.

THANKS | Robert Dunne

We had the pleasure of playing Rob’s personal music festival, Dunnefest, a few weekends ago. We met through Michael Dause, a pal and musician friend from my short time at Belmont University.
Dunnefest is one of a kind. Rob’s a sound and EMT guru. He’s got a bit of land out in the middle of nowhere Michigan. You can swim in a river in the morning and see the milky way at night. So, Dunnefest is the weekend where all of the family and friends descend upon the grounds, RVs and tents pop up, and bonfires go all night. Food and drink is plentiful, and all of the music is earnest. That’s a whole thing to talk about in person.
Anyway, late in the game, we forgot that we needed the sound of a van door closing to end “Uncle.” I made a post on Facebook, and within a half hour, I had eight or so recordings of Rob’s old VW bus (named Lucy).
Thanks so much to Rob for welcoming us into his family, and giving Lucy a chance to sing.

THANKS | Michelle Ewert

Michelle was one of the first friends that I made in Columbus when I came to Ohio State. She made the artwork on the front and back of the CD. The CD is worth buying just to get a closer look at it; it was super particular about printing so that he hard work would shine.
I gave her a few ideas, and she took it from there. And I’m so happy that I have the originals at home, ready to move into little frames and hang out on the walls.
Michelle is wicked smart, super into bugs, and open and encouraging as all get out. Thanks for the good times in the dorm room, pillows and blankets across the floor, with as many friends as would fit.

THANKS | Alex Blumenthaler

Alex was one of Dan’s hired guns from music school (he had all the hookups). We had met before during my freshman year I think, but I didn’t know much about the kind, tall man who played bass. After working with him for the record, I can now confirm with certainty that he is tall, kind, and plays bass well. We’re rehearsing for the live show tonight, and I’m sure he’ll take to it as naturally as he did when we recorded in the lil booth in the Mershon studios.
Here’s to you, Alex Blumenthaler. May you continue to be tall and kind all the days of your life. May your bass tones always be sweet, and may you never lose your bow ever again.
 

THANKS | Victoria Butash

I’m not sure what to say about Victoria. I met Tori at King Avenue Five at an open mic that Jack Doran convinced me to go to. That night, I shared a few songs, Bridge among them. She saw something in me worth fostering, even when I couldn’t get all the words right.
Victoria is the muscle behind this record. She spent 72 hours with me in Oranjudio over two weekends. She spent dozens and dozens of hours mixing after a difficult move to Canada. She spent hours and hours on the phone with me, discussing what we liked, didn’t like, and were frustrated about. We butted heads more than anyone else over the past year and a half. And the album wouldn’t be as good if we hadn’t.
The biggest thanks to Tori. She’s relocated to Austin, Texas now after a brief stint in Vancouver. Say hello if you’re down there. And reach out to her if you need some engineering/mixing/producing/emotional supporting. She’ll have your back, and kick your ass into gear if you need it.

THANKS | Jack Doran

If you play music in Columbus, there’s a chance that you probably know Jack. I met Jack at Kafe Kerouac during the winter of 2015. I had just started going to the open mic there on Tuesdays; he said to let him know if I needed any keys or drums. Cue the montage of basement practices, hashing out songs I had never intended for anyone else to play on. Then our first show on August 14th at Victory’s downtown, as a two piece: me on acoustic guitar and vocals, Jack on drumset. It was my 21st birthday, and we played with Battlefield Collective and Lou Kestella. It was a strange night, and it was a good night, and Evan and Stephanie were kind enough to provide a lil birthday shot of whisky.
Jack plays with Steven King, Zoo Trippin', Keating, and maybe more? All are worth attention. You can probably find him at Kafe Kerouac in a hat that says “The Band.”
We lived together for a year, and while we had completely opposite schedules, we’d seem to find ourselves in long conversations at least once a month. Those were nice. We don’t live together anymore, but I’d still like to seek out those conversations now and again, on purpose this time.
His keys are everywhere on this record. Months ago, he sent me a recording of him playing keys along to an early version of Seagulls. That song would have died a quiet death if he didn’t send that voice memo. Thanks for that, Jack.