This week has been long, but wow, it has been one of the most productive weeks of my life. Like many independent artists, I balance music with a day job, and that job has been running me hard. It takes a lot of mental energy, but I am thrilled to say the big news makes it worth it. My album Digital Masquerade is officially complete. Every single one of the fifty songs is written, recorded, mixed, and mastered. Done. Wrapped. Finished.
With the help of my partner Josh and my good friend Paul Beckermann, we narrowed it down to fourteen songs that will live on the official album. Paul and I also cowrote a track called What Does It Mean, and that one made the cut for the release too. I started this project in the fall of 2023, so it has been nearly two years in the making. This morning I even ordered the physical CDs, which felt like the final exclamation point.
The first single, Might Be Trouble, is already out in the world, finding its way onto playlists and picking up streams. That little spark of momentum feels so good after all the quiet hours in the studio. In the last couple of weeks I have also been busy making videos and visualizers. Some are for older songs, some for the new album, and right now you can check out Might Be Trouble and Staring at the Ceiling on my Chad Shank Music YouTube channel. The title track will hit streaming on October 20th.
Videos definitely take me longer than writing songs, but I enjoy it. It is like getting to stretch a different creative muscle. I live to create for both the ears and the eyes. Speaking of creative muscles, Monday 9/29 I am kicking off the fall semester teaching lyric writing tools and strategies with Berklee Online. Switching hats between artist and teacher keeps life full and interesting.
Now that the album is wrapped, the videos are rolling, and I am finally off from the day job for a minute, this weekend is reserved for yard work. I already tackled the rose garden in the sun, and now it is time to call it a day and collapse on the couch.
Thank you for being on this ride with me. I will let you know as soon as the album is officially out and ready for you to purchase online or grab on CD.
~ Chad