Producer: Gregor Visconty

Salvation Army

From Moonshine's first recording.  See bio on information about Moonshine.

Moonshine one

The Sun (c. 1993)

My friend Rick Astley kindly recorded some of my songs at his home studio when I lived in London.

Confidences

My band Algae around 1998.  Opening for Goodness and the Delusions at the legendary Off Ramp in Seattle.  Band is myself on guitar and lead vocals, Scott Mchugh (drums), Tricia Davies Nearn (Bass and BV's) and Brian Taylor (guitar).

Algae Live

I guess I love you, but then again you've been with everyone I know (Live)

This song was recorded by my friend Scott Weiss in Seattle featuring myself on guitar and vocals and with the addition of studio musicians for bass and drums.  I then went home and added other instrumentation (flutes, backing vox, loops), which to me sounds sloppy but I like the parts so I leave it there.

The Lone American in London

This song I wrote on a hike in the pacific northwest to a tiny place called Oil City, up near the Hoh rainforest/Forks area.  It's played by my then band Acetylene, who was myself on guitar and vocals, Jeff Wood on bass, and Scott McHugh on drums.  The track was produced by Tucker Martine.

Which Way From Up

Oil City (Acetylene version)

This song was recorded by my band Like Lightning around 2010 by legendary producer Steve Fisk up in Seattle, Wa.  It features Harvey Danger bassist Aaron Huffman, myself on vocals and piano, Brandon Milner on guitar and Scott McHugh on drums. It ended up on the album "Future Tourists" that we released in 2017.  Lyrics: 
One day the barrier broke and
water sped up the Thames
The asphalt buckled, 
the statues on Chiswick walk
We left for dead 

We ran the desert but the
   desert came anyway
We ran like the devil but the
   desert came anyway

I put my spade in the ground,
buried my rusted parts
How did we get twisted?
The statues on Chiswick walk - 
Tin men with no hearts

We ran the desert but the
   desert came anyway
We ran like the devil but the
   desert came anyway

All that I think I understand
All that is thrown away
Backfires like a boomerang - 
It's all I can do not to run away from it
- with you

Future Tourists

Like the Devil

Very obscure recording, this is the only copy.  Recorded by my band Moonshine in around 1995 at Bad Animals studio in Seattle, WA.  Digitized from an old tape, as the 2" studio tape is lost and so are all the copies, so there's some sound quality issues for sure.  Moonshine was Jose Hernando, myself, Geoff Reading and Scott Smith.  Active as a band from 1992 till 1996 or so in Seattle.  

Jealous Living

Three Chord Pop Ditty

I wrote and sang the vocals for this, the band and some studio players made the music.  The band was Ars Poetica, featuring Brian Camp and Don Durham, active in Seattle in the early 90's.  

Blessed Silence

From my band Ars Poetica around 1991 or 1992.  I did not write the music for this, but I did write the vocals.  Recorded at Bad Animals (then Lawson studios) in Seattle by Ed Brooks.  Band was Brian Camp, myself and Don Durham, with a host of other studio players to make the album.  

Within As Without (with extended intro)

This track was recorded by my band Acetylene around 1999 in Seattle with Tucker Martine at the helm.  Acetylene was myself, Jeff Wood on Bass, and Scott McHugh on drums.

Parachute

Jezebel

I recorded this track on Garageband around 2011 or so, using the onboard mic of the computer and a casio digital piano.  Sound quality is meh but I like the song itself.  Lyrics:
Let me come over
Walk your dusty plain
She rode your horses
I want to loose the reins
Make you an offer
Promises I keep
We're fast awake now, lovely
She was wide asleep

What you leave behind you are the things that set you free
I know she broke you, it won't be the same with me
Wild horses, they could not drag me away

The painted ponies of your Carousel
Got stuck on the wheel and so now you feel unwell
And if you let your rider take you down the path
You'll get stuck in a canyon and you might not make it back

What you leave behind you are the things that set you free
I hope the wilderness won't keep you hidden from me
And if you let go of the reins and let me run
You'll find your way to the sun

Garageband Home recording

Carousel

Recorded be me at home around 2020 with Brian Emery on textural guitar and a bass loop from a jam with Brandon Milner years before.  Lyrics:
Corner girl how'd you find yourself in that folding chair?
Speak up girl, time to tell us how you got your little self there.
Was it someone's fault or just the way you felt inside?
Fight or flight, sugar inside, come to rely, can't distinguish day from night
And you weren't there this time, you weren't there last time anyway
Always with the doom that's looming instead of the room
you're sitting in, anyway

Hey girl, where's your halo?
There's nowhere else for you to go
He was late coming home and then he never came home, oh!
So take my hand I'm gonna give you what I know

You don't have to be alone tonight, You'll be alright
if you stay, if you stay
It's time to get out of the limelight and into the sunlight
anyway, anyway
And everything is so good ahead, the sky is open
wide, wide
And we are on an open highway, together on this ride

Covid 19 Jamz

To the new girl

This is a rockin' track recorded around 1996 at the legendary Reciprocal studios in Seattle by the also legendary producer/engineer Phil Ek.  Band was myself on vocals and guitars, Brian Taylor on guitar (and silkscreened posters), Tess Lotta on Bass and Scott McHugh on drums.

The Professional

Recorded at Brandon Milner's studio (and my house), this track was on our 2017 full length release titled "Future Tourist" by our band Like Lightning.  Lyrics:

I was born where the river runs
It carried me in a slow sleep
I could not wake up, never could have known
Never could have seen
The sun I'd find would be freezing

The elements press all around
They buried me, so deep
We want the sun, but let winter in
This we could not see
The sun we'd bring would be blistering

Are we on a rocket, about to fly?
Or on a carnival ride, about to fall out...?
You never loved her and you don't know why
Frozen raindrops in the summer sky

Slow Sleep

This a track from my band Like Lightning, recorded by Brandon Milner at his home studio in around 2010 as preproduction for going into the studio at Steve Fisk's later that year.  That version of Sugar in the Day ended up on our 2017 album "Future Tourists".  The track features some great bass playing by the late, great Aaron Huffman (of the 90's Seattle rock band Harvey Danger) as well as guitars by Brandon and myself, and drums by Scott McHugh.

Live Demos

Sugar In The Day (final demo mix)

Home demo I recorded during the pandemic.  It features Brian Emery on Guitar and Brandon Milner on Bass (he also provided the photo).  Lyrics:
There is a way out, through this shield
That binds me to this stereo field

Starting now, nothing from before 
We laid it down, it isn't ours to wield
Oh, this stereo field

The brush is dry, the fires are here
Through my bedroom window I see the fields ablaze
I'm not afraid
We've been here before and we've made our way
Never alone, home with you in your stereo field

The brush is dry, the rains haven't come
Through my bedroom window I see the fields and the sun
If I'm the only one, then there's no way out
Through this shield that binds me to this stereo field

This Stereo Field

This track is the first track of my band Like Lightning's record "Future Tourist" (on Spotify) and was co-written by Brian Emery.  Featuring:  Brandon Milner on guitar and behind the board, Brian Emery on guitar, myself on keys and vox, Ruth Keathing Lockwood (formerly of Ida) on drums, Aaron Huffman (formerly of Harvey Danger) on bass.

Cardinal Flyer

ARCHIVE:  I'm a songwriter from Seattle.  Represented on this page are examples of my songwriting, either from my demos and home recordings, or from the various bands that play/played my tunes.  Hope you enjoy!

The bands represented here are (see playlists if you want to hear just one band or another):  Ars Poetica (c. 1991-93), Moonshine (c. 1992- 1996), Algae (c. 1996-1999), Acetylene (c. 1999-2001), and Like Lightning (c. 2009-2017).  These represent the bands that I was the singer/songwriter for.  See comments on each track for more info about the bands and the recordings.  

My songs benefitted so much from the excellent ideas, parts, arrangements, melodic lines, beats, and so much more, provided by the talented musicians and engineers/producers I've worked with. It’s interesting to me at this point to hear how differently each band interpreted my basic songwriting.  

Some recordings sound great from a sound quality perspective, others were either recorded by myself at home in various stages of my learning how to record myself (so it's hit or miss for sure) or have sound quality issues arising from the fact that they are digitized versions of old cassette tapes, the original studio tapes having been lost over the years.  Also up here are various Christmas songs I've recorded at home for fun with my family.  

Photo credit for bio shot:  Brandon Milner

Steph Wicker

Pinned to spotlight

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