Mountain Thief On the Making Of “Long Lost”
What inspired you to write the lyrics/music for "Long Lost?"
Like a lot of songwriters, the music usually comes first for me. You spend time with the guitar and hopefully find something interesting, then, if the moment's right, words start to come. If you're lucky, it works and you've got a song on your hands. That's how I write at least, it's very instinctual. With “Long Lost,” it was exactly that, the moment was right and the song came.
Was there any challenge that you encountered while making "Long Lost?"
As far as music videos go, it was pretty simple and straightforward, we just had one shot to shoot. Sam, the DP on the shoot and Austin, the first AC, are old friends and we've worked together on countless projects, so our shorthand with each other made it easy.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
I'm a filmmaker, so my favorite moments were working it all out with the other guys, talking and discovering how we were going to shoot it, then watching each take back and seeing what we had. The most fulfilling part of the process is the collaboration. The thing itself is almost secondary for me.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I started in metal music, that's how I learned to play guitar, by writing the heaviest thing possible. Over time I discovered other types of music like Explosions in the Sky and the later years of As Cities Burn, and that stuff really changed everything for me. The possibility of what music could be and how it could evoke a feeling was a huge revelation to me. Eventually, I gravitated toward acoustic and lyric driven music, and that's when I started to pick up the nylon string guitar and which eventually led to the style of playing I've settled into. I also still have a great love for the music my dad introduced me to as a kid, namely, AC/DC, Rush & Styx.
How do you continuously grow and evolve as an artist?
I think the key is to just live and experience life, you know. It never helps to try too hard or to be too hard on yourself. I've learned to let go of the notion of sitting down and creating something just because it's been a while since I have, and just take life as it comes and capture the inspiration when it reveals itself, and hopefully it'll continue to.
