EARTHTONES Volume One is more than an album — it’s an audio documentary of EARTHTONES STUDIOS, aka The Nest. From the very first track recorded there to the final version of NOTHAMPTON, this project reflects the full life cycle of a studio that was our home.

The studio played a major role in shaping recent albums of Jonny Lovelle and Novuh Kaine, and even though KHALFANI. isn’t featured here, most of SAPIEN. came together within those four walls. The space had a rare energy. Whether it was the tight, cozy room or the vibe we built together, something about it made artists feel free to create.

I’ve always been inspired by producers like Mustard, Kenny Beats, and The Alchemist — not just for their sound, but for how they presented themselves as artists. That mindset drove this project. It’s my first major body of work as a producer, and it’s the foundation for the world I’m building through music. To other producers — build a world around your style. Be versatile. Let your sound evolve with the artists you work with, but keep your identity strong.

I’d like to take a moment to thank some important people:

To the artists — thank you for the fun sessions and endless hours of creation.

To my parents — thank you for making me fall in love with music and supporting my path.

To Ella — thank you for being persistent in motivating me to complete this album. I was going to delete all of the files for the album back in March if it wasn’t for you. I love you pancake <3

To Jonny — you pushed me creatively more than anyone. Your consistency and discipline is something I’ll always admire. You were there nearly every session, and I’ll always remember that.

To Emerson — your organic talent and creativity keep me going. I’m proud of where we’re headed.

To KHALFANI. — thanks for grounding me, offering real advice, and locking in on our visions. We've already got 3 EARTHTONES tapes worth of music. 100 tracks by 2026 will speak for that.

And to everyone who pulled up — whether to create, film, offer feedback, or just vibe — thank you for being part of this. You really had to be there.

Track-by-track liner notes are available here on SoundCloud, as well as Bandcamp.

EARTHTONES Volume One

YEAME2 features artists Jonny Lovelle and Twohead. I don't have much to say about this track, really. It's a feel good, windows down type track with a very catchy hook. One thing I learned through the process of this album is that both Jonny and Twohead respectfully are cheat codes in their own right. The songs on the album would not be what they are without the presence of them both. With that in mind, you can only imagine that any time they get on a track together, it's going to be special. This is one of two tracks on the project that feature this duo, the other being *Say My Name*, which I feel like is the strongest one.

Pay attention to the themes I mentioned for *Baggage Claim*, as well as some of the ambient noises sprinkled throughout this track and immerse yourself into it.

YEAME2

Liner notes by Nesty:

New Waves is a proper introduction to all of the featured artists on *EARTHTONES Volume One*. When I had my Redford studio space in 2023-2024, this was the song we created on the first day the studio was open, right after finishing setting everything up. I didn't even have a proper mic stand yet. Everyone who is on the track was in the room for the entire creation of the song, and it was truly the first time everyone locked in together. The versatility of the different artists featured really shows on *New Waves*.

I take pride in the way I was able to bring people together in this space during its life span. Artists like Jonny Lovelle and Novuh Kaine might not have ever became as close as they are today if it wasn't for getting them in the room every Sunday (this was our weekly group session) and allowing everyone to challenge each other to become a better version of themselves than last time. It became a competitive environment and we all created some of our best work during that time. Everyone had a seat at the table, and we were able to keep on creating regardless of how many chairs we had that day. It was beautiful because it was a table that I had built and brought to reality, and I didn't even know its potential.

I'll save the other stories for their respective tracks, but for now, I hope you enjoy New Waves, the official introduction to my universe, EARTHTONES.

New Waves

Late to the Party was created during the back half of the studio's life. This track features Jonny Lovelle, Novuh Kaine, and for the first time on the project, Blu Maroon.

Blu is a close friend of Novuh and started coming up to the studio a lot towards the end. I like having him on the album because his voice is very unique and deep, which creates a really good contrast against artists like Jonny and Novuh, who tend to ride in higher registers.

This track is really an anti-party track. LIke, why would we invite you to the party if you didn't bring shit? Not only that, but you were late?! Now you want to eat my bean dip? Yeah, right!

Sorry, I was getting a little into it there. Nothing else to say, really. I like the effects I put on Jonny's hook. For the audio nerds out there, I used the Little Alter Boy plugin to mess with the formant. Before I had that plugin, I used AVOX Throat by Antares. I recommend LAB, because it's a one time buy.

This track is also the halfway point of the album. I like when albums are 7 tracks long because there can be a true middle song. It helps if you're trying to create a sharp shift in dynamic.

Late to the Party

Baggage Claim was created shortly after the studio was opened. It features artists Jonny Lovelle and Novuh Kaine. You're gonna see Jonny's name on every track on the album, by the way, and I hope you get used to his presence early, because it's the glue that holds the project together. Some of the most versatile and creative super glue, though.

This is the "only" track that features my own vocals (you can try to find my hidden vocals on other songs if you'd like but I'm not going to tell you what they are). I'm playing the role of a Pilot on a plane to a warm, tropical vacation. Jonny and Novuh are the first-class passengers on *Midwest Airlines* (a nod to Jonny and I's 2023 track of the same name) There is a rough theme or story for the album; not in the lyrics themselves, but if you think of the songs' themes it's kind of like a vacation -- and I think the project feels like one too.

I think what makes this song unique is it's a true lyrical extravaganza, yet the song feels more mainstream. There is no hook on the song, rather the two verses are introduced and split up by an interlude-type performance by the Pilot. For a while, this was my favorite track on the project (that has yet changed, but I won't tell you why).

Baggage Claim

Liner notes by Twohead and Nesty:


Twohead:
Creating "Say My Name" was like a fever dream. Late night. I honestly don't remember most of the session. We ordered a crave case at 3am. Thats how I knew nobody was leaving until the song was finished. Caffeine, white castle, music. Good times.

Nesty:
The crave case from white castle was really crazy. I think that session was the most connected I've ever felt to a piece of music I was creating. It was like there was no wrong that could have been done; I had full faith in every idea Jonny and Twohead had to contribute to the track. Both of them added key parts of production in the outro as well. Their voices play off of eachother so well, it's crazy.

Say My Name

Music Producer & Recording Engineer
Co-founder of Crowd Noise Entertainment @crowdnoiseent
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