Broken

Sometimes it takes a long time to tell a story. I first wrote a version of this song back in 1993. It was horrible. Fast forward to 2023 and a more mature version of me was able to help that kid from '93 get his thoughts together. Thus, this is a co-write, of sorts.

With rust in my joints and a very different perspective of the world I sat down and rewrote about 60% of the song. I switched the perspective from 3rd to 1st person and also stripped away all of the gender references to focus on the intimacy of me-and-you.

I freed up the narration to drift so that you (the listener) can decide who says what to whom.

Oh, and I added a chorus. Something the original never had. Still no bridge. Sorry music purists.

This demo was recorded in June of 2023, when both past and present me were finally happy with the story.

That Night and the Morning After

It can be hard letting go. No matter who or what it is you're trying to let go of.

Fade Away

No one writes clown ballads anymore.

In August 2024 I texted myself a lyric, "Just outside Saginaw, we ran into a clown."

I'm not 100% sure where the line came from but thankfully it came with a chord progression A# > F7, so I knew how the song should sound.

And then it lived in my head. For more than a year. I let it brew and just let the story evolve naturally, from being sung. Most often that was while out on dog walk. I'd sing the lines I had and then would slowly build on them, adding lines and verses a little bit at a time.

About two or three weeks ago, it had finally coalesced into a nearly complete song. The trickiest part at the end (at least for me) are the little connective words. When to use them, when to drop them, etc.

This song is called Circa 1963, because that's where the story starts. Some of you may be too young to remember a time when children's TV entertainers were often clowns. Sometimes literally men in makeup and big shoes (like Oopsie or Bozo) but also performers who sometimes dressed up and just clowned around (like Mr Dressup or Captain Kangaroo).

This song isn't about any one of them, but is a tribute to all of them. It contains things both real and imagined.

This demo was recorded this morning - Friday, September 12, 2025.

Circa 1963

We all have people in our lives who go away sometimes. I don't mean those who die, but rather those who move away somewhere. Sometimes we see them again. Sometimes we don't. This song is about all the little curves in life that we negotiate by ourselves while those people are off on their own adventures.

The Multiplicity Blues (Left for California)

The REAL Team Niagara Song

Bio
Chris has been performing in the Niagara region for over 20 years, playing in bands such as Tin Cup Saloon, Soul Syndicate, and Superfluous to name a few. Gracing the iconic stages of Toronto, like the Horseshoe Tavern, and has played at the Ottawa Jazz Festival and New Vr Show while touring Southern Ontario.
The Echo Theory Project has evolved significantly by embracing the Singer-Songwriter approach. The music is now acoustically driven and has become more personal, giving the songs a raw vulnerability that helps to connect with audiences. Recently, it has been described as Canadiana.

"This project is something I have been working on for years. It has become the sounding board of my own musical ideas without limitations,"

Broken

The Echo Theory Project

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