You + I

'Illumination' is the first song I ever wrote. 

In 2017 I had just bought my first guitar and I had no idea how to play anything up the neck, so I messed around until I found chords that I liked. With a pen to a paper I began writing words that fit a theme of space, the universe, and love. Floating, gravity, atmosphere, heaven, etc..

After about 100 words I narrowed it down to about 20 and the song was written in an hour. I never felt something like that before. I had no idea that Illumination would take me on a journey of songwriting and music creation that would continue 6 years later. It's quite wonderful tapping into that zone. The process of creating a piece of music and song lyrics that you feel with all your heart were truly MEANT TO BE created. 

Illumination is a love song describing the feeling of weightlessness when it comes to loving another person. I wrote this song with no one in mind but hoped that someday I'd find the person that I wrote about in the song.

I released 'Illumination' on July 11th 2023, the birthday of the love of my life. I hope you guys enjoy :)

Lyrics

We’re floatin’ through the atmosphere
Free from space and time
No gravity can pull us here
It’s you and me tonight

Heaven knows we’re worlds apart
There’s light years in your eyes
But when your hearts shining like the sun,
The universe aligns

And oh I feel it in my soul tonight
A million constellations
We’re shooting up into the sky
Light me up illumination. 

In our flight were far from home
But I’ll be your Northern Star
 So close your eyes
Take my hand
Hold your breath
And count to 10
And fall into my arms

And oh I feel it in my soul tonight
A million constellations
We’re shooting up into the sky
Light me up illumination.

Illumination

I wrote 'Gone' with a friend of mine over a Facetime. She sang a short line of a song she had made up for her 5th grade talent show. 
The lyrics were, "he said to me...stay with me."
I ended the Facetime and within 30 minutes I finished the song.

There’s a quote from How I met your mother that I always think about.
In a moment of vulnerability Ted says to Robin,
“When you date someone it's like you're taking one long course in who that person is, and then when you break up, all that stuff becomes useless...I guess I just liked the idea of putting all of that knowledge to use.”

Relationships are weird. Because they’re either forever or they’re not.
And when they end…all of that stuff kind of fades away.

You think to yourself: What am I supposed to do with all of this knowledge? These memories we shared together, these little moments in time that suddenly seem like such a waste.

I guess they make for good songs.

Lyrics

Memory lane
Just sits in my brain
All the times that we would drive down the interstate
The better days are far behind
And dreams that we had
Are just tossed out the back
And thoughts of us just staying up late and sipping lemonade and singing in the rain are running through my mind

But she’s gone
She’s already gone from the melody
Just one more sad song in my memory
Been wasting my time on your love

But she’s gone
She’s already gone away from me
And now I’m thinking back to when she said to me
“Stay with me”
But now…

How can I just pretend
That you and I could just be friends?
I’m sick of missing it and thinking you would stick with it
through thick and thin
I figured it would pass with time
But the same mistakes I made of waiting everyday for you to love me are waving’ goodbye

But she’s gone
She’s already gone from the melody
Just one more sad song in my memory
Been wasting my time on your love

She’s gone
She’s already gone away from me
And now I’m thinking back to when she said to me
“Stay with me”
But now everything’s Gone

Gone

I wrote 'Monday' during a panic attack in Guatemala. 
I was up through the night plagued with thoughts about the future. I was in pain from my inability to change my life. I was mad at the world for forcing kids to be adults and spend most of their days, years, and lives working and not living.

Where is this all going? Why are we all here? Do we really all just give up on our dreams for a paycheck? 

My producer at the time was going through similar feelings with the direction of the music industry. I talked it out with him, wrote him a verse, and he hopped on the song.

Lyrics

Do you ever wonder where we come from?
Is the future something that we shouldn’t run from?
I was so high and I came back down
I was all smiles then I came back ‘round
Do you ever notice how we always feel like we should always change things?
Are the influencers making us crazy?
I’m alright but I feel left out
Where did everybody go when their Dreams went South?
I’m taking off Monday
‘Cuz I’ll be making it someday

Man the industry it sucks sometimes
Everybody out here telling me lies
Like Do you want a pub deal?
Man I like the music
We can make it big time
But I know the truth is

Everybody’s in it for the money and the streams
Tryna make a dollar off another kid’s dreams
Tell ‘em no thank you
I don’t wanna do it
Does anybody out here
Even like music?

Im taking off Monday
Cuz I’ll be making it someday


Do you ever wonder where were going?
And is finding out Better than Not knowing?

It’s Almost 10 but I’m so clocked out
I can’t get the taste of shitty coffee out of my mouth

Do you ever worry Should I be working and building habits?
Or is my mind really playing (all these) tricks silly rabit

Truth is I would rather sing
Than sit up at my desk waiting for the phone to ring

I’m taking off Monday
Kuz I’ll be making it someday 

Ooo
(Man, you’re never gonna change. Never feeling like you go the right way)
Do you fear life too?
(Yes I do)
Do you fear life too?
(Yes I do)

Ooo
(Man, it’s hard to say. Never knowing what I’m doing all day)
Do you fear life too?
(Yes I do)
Do you fear life too?
(Yes I do)

Monday

SHIVTI

Shape of You

Dropped another cover of a Shawn Mendes song! There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back. Let me know what you think!

There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back (Cover)

Official page of GELF. Permission to vibe.

Gelf

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