At the risk of perpetuating my image as your friendly neighborhood alcoholic (an image I've tried hard to rectify over the past five years), I'm packaging my 2021 as, in the words of Patton Oswalt, "a bracing shot of absinthe." Straight up, no sugar water drip. The underlying metaphor is that 2021 was a somewhat trying year, with a strong, rewarding finish (setting aside whatever misgivings you may have for anise/licorice). 

I floundered a lot for most of this year, Magikarp-style. Most of it was spent dialing in new medications and just trying to keep my head above my neck in the day-to-day. Apart from my day job, my priorities were just keeping my brain occupied in whatever way I could to combat irrational, anxious spiraling. This manifested mainly as hyperfixating on some video game to fill my evenings, each with an efficacy of about two or three weeks before reaching its nadir and I cycled to another one. It was a supremely unproductive and unfulfilling time for me, which I have been fairly open about with you all. 

But finally, after months of doctor visits, working with a therapist and psychiatrist, and biding my time like it was my job, something clicked in early or mid November. I established a more concrete evening routine of nursing my musical passions and managing my own expectations of myself. It's been a big thing, and it's permeated into other aspects of my life. I've been more confident at work, taking on customer relations and managerial responsibilities that used to absolutely paralyze me. I feel more at peace with myself and my place in the lives of others. And I have some actual life direction for what I feel is truly the first time. Maybe all I needed was a fine-tuned sertraline cocktail. 

I'm still working on carving my niche as a musician, and having some sort of presence apart from this online hovel I've taped together. I'd love to be even a humble Milwaukee-area mainstay or something. But for now, my only audience/sounding board has been you all here, and I can't thank you enough for supporting me, even if just from the sidelines, and even if you don't speak up. 

I'm anxious to have a new album/EP ready for you all in the near future. I've been working hard on it, as well as my own self-discipline of not giving anything away until it's ready. Getting away from that pressing urge for on-call gratification has been a healthy change in dynamic (an urge that has borne many of my miscellaneous song covers that I should have spent more than three hours on). I can't tell you anything much yet, but I can give you the title: 

"Mirror Bridge." 

My rate of progression on the recording of it has been very much expedited, especially compared to the circus production of my first album. Even then, I'm allowing myself a lenient timetable of a springtime release. But hopefully you guys will see it sooner. 

Thank you all for your support and friendship this past year. I'm kinda miffed that I still have another year of my twenties to get through, but hey. Patience was the name of the game last year. 

As always, and I hope you all know it without my saying it, but I love you all. Carry forth this year with a gentle touch.

First off, I believe welcomes are in order.  In the event that you've stumbled here on your own and not at my behest, my name's Mike.  I am primarily a pianist/vocalist, but like to think of myself as an amateur multi-instrumentalist.  Twice As Bright has been my primary musical project since it's inception in 2013.  I only wish I had more content to show for it, but that's really what crafting this site is all about, yeah?

Anyway, for the not yet acquainted, I warmly welcome you to my world here.  I'm ecstatic to see you, and hope I make it worth your while.

Those of you who do know me personally know that I have been hard at work on a new EP/album for about a month.  It's been a welcome change of dynamic from the slow burn of crafting the first Twice As Bright record.  I'm feeling much more confident in myself, and this new work has been the most creatively fulfilling thing I've done in several years.  I feel like I'm much closer to actualizing what Twice As Bright sounds like, and my identity as a musician. 

I am proud of that first record, but it was a debut effort in every sense.  Musically, it's all over the place.  I was trying on a lot of different hats, trying to be a lot of different people.  For every song on that album, I can trace back exactly which artist and which song was the prime inspiration.  It's an album that I will always love, but it's an album by somebody who didn't know who he was. 

Of course, all inspiration has its roots in those that came before.  But this past month has been a completely different experience creatively.  I know where my influences are, but they're not nearly as glaringly obvious.  A lot of that has come from the conscious commitment to following my musical impulses without thinking too much about them past that.  Micromanaging yourself is suffocating, and that plagued the first record terribly.  This new work feels so much more organic and easy-flowing.  Because of that, it feels so much more like me. 

And in a mechanical sense, I feel like I've discovered how better to approach things creatively.  I suppose it's similar to how one might write a novel.  I had the first working draft of this new EP completed in the span of about a week and a half.  I affectionately refer to it as the bones and muscle, as the concept and framework were intact in the form of rough demos cut together, forming a complete 25-minute piece.  I am currently finishing up the second draft, which involves additional workshopping of instrumental parts and crafting the overall tone, in addition to putting lyrics to the whole thing, most of which are ad-libbed in front of a live mic.  Call this the fleshing out, I guess. 

Then, having a naked form of a complete work, draft three will likely be just final detailing.  Clothing.  That means mixing, editing, re-recording anything that may need some cleaning up.  And hope to God I know when to stop and not to overdress it for years. 

Anyway, this is all a long-winded way of saying that I'm ecstatic about things to come, and my parallel focus is also going to be establishing an actual presence, online and otherwise.  So I plan on utilizing this site as best I can for that.  This may manifest as updates on my work, sharing cool stuff I'm listening to, or just the musings of an apartment-dwelling bandleader.

That's where you come in, dear reader.  Please feel free to share my page and music with anyone you think might enjoy it.  Music is my undying passion, and what fuels that passion more than anything is connection.  Connection to myself, and to others. 

I did not intend for this first post to be dissertation in length, so if you're reading this, you are amongst the most cherished of people who deserve all of your cookies to be fresh, hot and slightly gooey. I'm glad to have you. 

Eyes up. I'd love to share this journey with you.