Do or Die is about the danger of living in fear of being who you truly are and who you want to be. We all have a unique path - a life only we can live.  I hope everyone is brave enough to live in their light.   This is an acoustic version Jack and I did during our Covid quarantine.

Keep that mouth shut, afraid to shine
lack of love for self and time
no faith in body, suspicious mind
settle for your place in line

do or die, love, it may sting
dreams are made of uncertain things

ride the shadows silent stars
disguise the truth of who you are
wired for fire, scared of scars
keep your distance from the spark

do or die, love, it may sting
dreams are made of uncertain things

nothing ventured, nothing gained
spend your whole life, stay the same

Do or Die

Do Or Die

Demo track for a single that will be released on my upcoming EP

Golden
Warm to
Hold in
Rushing
Cold and
Keep some
distance
still you
golden

cover
when they
close in
shelter
tread on
broken
mended
still you
cover

how i got here
how i got here
how i got here
how could you know
how could you know
how could you know
what do you know
what do you know

Golden

I wrote this song about how lost it can feel inside depression.  The people you love don't know how to reach you, and you don't know how to get back to who you are.  You can feel swallowed up or far away or empty, and your loved ones are praying for you to come back to them.

This is a demo.  The full version released July 1, 2022

Come Up For Air

Come Up For Air demo

You think cool is (this)
ain't foolin the kid in the corner
he knows wonder
see those eyes 
see that shine
he won't hurt you
if you let him try

He ain't fakin (this)
the real thing comes on unexpected
makes you wonder
see those eyes
see that shine
he won't hurt you 
if you let him try

Wonder

Recording started two years ago, when the prospect of war in the first world seemed far-fetched, and War Bad seemed like a song about history. As the war in Ukraine continues on, this song reflects on the pain endured by all touched by war, especially the soldiers and their families. But there is a solution to the conflict, albeit idealistically hopeful - LOVE.

War Bad

You don’t know me
I don’t even know myself
Standing right next to you
You think I’m someone else
Maybe she swam away
The one you recognize
Caught in the undertow
Gone with the tide
...

I am drifting
A paper airplane on the wind
Maybe I’ll fly away
Never to be seen again
Floating through outer space
Only sound is my own breath
Wrapped in the cold black
Nothing of my head

Come up for air
Are you lost out there?
Come up for air
Or are you lost out there?

You don’t know me
I don’t even know myself
I walk these thoughts alone
In silence and in stealth
You can not get to me
In the darkness of my mind
Keep falling further down
Too deep to find

Come up for air
Are you lost in there?
Come up for air
Or are you lost in there?

Addiction, depression, anxiety, stress - we're all dealing with something.  We hide it, swallow it down, put on a brave face, even though it distances us from one another and makes us defensive toward each other.  Maybe if we stopped asking, "What do you know?" and opened up, shared a bit of ourselves, and carried each other, we could all find some peace and joy.

Watch Your Step is about my struggles with mental health, how it's hard to escape the nightmarish wonderland, and even harder to avoid falling down the hole in the first place.  There's also the reminder that there is someone rooting for me, waiting for me to come back to reality, and loving me even when I'm "gone."  I hope people struggling personally, or supporting a loved one, with mental illness can connect to this song and feel seen and know they're not alone.

Watch Your Step

Birthed from the womb of Covid Quarantine, MBUR emerged into the world with a scream! Blending
riff-based Jack White style with fierce Karen O attitude and music-induced trances reminiscent of Led 
Zeppelin, rock and roll emanates from MBURs soul. MBUR is fronted by Maja Burton, a native of Austin, 
Texas, whose penetrating vocals recall the smoky richness of Chrissie Hynde and the sweet strength of 
Ann Wilson. With commentary on topics such as mental illness, war, feminism, and being an outsider, 
MBUR’s profound lyrics are presented with an abstract coolness. If MBUR doesn’t make you want to 
stomp, scream, and bang your head, you might want to check your pulse.