(upbeat country music) - [Announcer] Ocean State Sessions, features performances by local musicians and brings you the stories behind the songs.

Coming up tonight.

♪ Coulda been something beautiful, fulfilling ♪ ♪ A new year spent inside a silent hospital ♪ ♪ I don't remember feeling this bad ♪ ♪ Took you for granted and the time we've had ♪ (relaxing music) (relaxing music continues) (relaxing music continues) (relaxing music) ♪ Listen here don't talk like that ♪ ♪ We could find a long way back ♪ ♪ Don't have to worry 'bout the things you say ♪ ♪ Let the heart figure out it's way ♪ ♪ Jumpin' puddles in my wingtip shoes ♪ ♪ It don't matter go wherever you choose ♪ ♪ Don't you worry about the things you feel ♪ ♪ Let the heart figure out what's real ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Though we know the day must end ♪ ♪ It's only where the pathway bends ♪ ♪ For all we know this trail we're on ♪ ♪ Moves up and down and well beyond ♪ ♪ Hoppin' rocks with your backpack on ♪ ♪ Don't let it hold you down too long ♪ ♪ If you worry about the things you lived ♪ ♪ It makes you blind to what future gives ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Where the wind don't follow ♪ ♪ Even though we know ♪ ♪ Where we have to go ♪ ♪ The path that we had chosen then ♪ ♪ Can change ♪ ♪ Can change ♪ ♪ You know it hurts when you talk like that ♪ ♪ A step ahead the whole way back ♪ ♪ It don't matter if the odds are bad ♪ ♪ Fall in love for the time you have ♪ - My first musical influence, I would have to say was like the 90's grunge era.

For my own music that had like a direct effect on how I write, certainly the grunge bands like Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, even with the solo stuff.

But I dived a lot into classical music as a pianist.

The methods of composition and arrangement shines through in a lot of stuff on how I approach my band.

(relaxing music) ♪ I returned from a long road beaten ♪ ♪ I returned from a place unknown ♪ ♪ I'd taken a chance on something ♪ ♪ And returned to this place alone ♪ ♪ It came from a life of living ♪ ♪ It came from a place of love ♪ ♪ She said it with kindness holding ♪ ♪ She said it with someone above ♪ ♪ She said boy I pray, that your heart will remain ♪ ♪ Your hope stays the same and you'll learn from the pain ♪ ♪ The boy you were and the man you will be ♪ ♪ Have a bargain to make, a wager to see ♪ ♪ What love will let go in order to take that road ♪ ♪ I'm here with intentions uncovered ♪ ♪ I've brought you my healing heart ♪ ♪ And aside from your fluttery glances ♪ ♪ You know, you know ♪ ♪ I've been marked by a life of mistrusting ♪ ♪ I've been weakened by a tested resolve ♪ ♪ In a world that seeks only the truth ♪ ♪ It shows, does it show ♪ ♪ She said Boy I pray, that your heart will remain ♪ ♪ Your hope stays the same and you'll learn from the pain ♪ ♪ The boy you were and the man you will be ♪ ♪ Have a bargain to make, a wager to see ♪ ♪ What love will let go in order to take that road ♪ ♪ Don't let it hold you back ♪ ♪ She said with smile ♪ ♪ Don't think that it's wrong to voice your heart ♪ ♪ Remember your soul is searching endlessly ♪ ♪ You can run from the choices given ♪ ♪ You can run from the paths they laid ♪ ♪ You can run from lust for that's taken ♪ ♪ But you'll never outrun the love you made your own ♪ ♪ Because life in fact is a riotous act ♪ ♪ With no going back for the things you might lack ♪ ♪ Because life you'll see is grasping at dreams ♪ ♪ While you're loose at the seams ♪ ♪ And don't know where it leads ♪ ♪ When love let's go ♪ ♪ Are you ready to take that road ♪ You can reexamine yourself, redirect yourself and start anew.

Being the same person, understanding where you came from.

The road is above all else hopeful.

But it speaks to the fact of the very industry that I'm in as a musician, where sometimes you have to give up things that are safe, things that feel happy, things that you're used to, in order to take that road that you feel destined for.

That you, that you yearn for, that you just can't get, you can't get past the feeling that you feel like you're destined for, something that's taking you down a road that seems dangerous and pulls you away from everything.

(gentle piano music) (gentle piano music continues) (gentle piano music continues) ♪ Shivering, something warm to take the nerves away ♪ ♪ Wondering if revolving to is a mutual ♪ ♪ You knew the way to get her there ♪ ♪ You can say what you want ♪ ♪ The truth is you're gone again ♪ ♪ You mean what you say then it's gone again ♪ ♪ You promise to stay for your love again ♪ ♪ Your conscious may shake but it's best not to break ♪ ♪ For the innocence sake ♪ ♪ But you're gone ♪ (melancholy piano music) (melancholy piano music continues) ♪ Coulda been, something beautiful, fulfilling ♪ ♪ A new year spent inside a silent hospital ♪ ♪ You're an angel, strangling your demon thoughts ♪ ♪ I never caused you to doubt but the blood won't come out ♪ ♪ And it's gone again ♪ ♪ You hope and you pray and it's gone again ♪ ♪ I promise to stay, but it's gone again ♪ ♪ It's always too late ♪ ♪ The pain that's too great ♪ ♪ For a heart with no chance to break ♪ (melancholy piano music) (melancholy piano music continues) ♪ Will you be with me everywhere ♪ ♪ Will you be with me everywhere ♪ ♪ Will you be with me everywhere ♪ ♪ Will you be with me everywhere ♪ (melancholy piano music) (melancholy piano music continues) (melancholy piano music continues) - My parents were music lovers.

So like I grew up on like Howlin' Wolf and like Journey.

So it's a pretty wide thing to be wrapping your ears around as a kid.

And you know, I played blues music and then that kind of morphed into country music and then back to rock and roll music and you know I play in a bunch of bands and tons of session work.

So it's just a matter of like trying to learn every day, you know what I mean?

But not learn too much, not to learn too much.

- [Producer] Why, what do you mean by that?

- Because at a certain, at a certain point to me, if you get, if it turns too mechanical, too mechanical, you kind of lose the juzz behind it I guess.

You know, like the, where it comes from, it's hard to pinpoint where it comes from, you know and if you kind of find, try to figure out where it's coming from, you might lose your way on your way to trying to figure out where it comes from, you know?

So I try to, I try to just do it and not analyze every bit of it, you know.

That's the plan, so far.

(relaxing music) (relaxing music continues) ♪ You only feel it when it moves ♪ ♪ Or when the tax man is sneaking up on you ♪ ♪ To take your money away ♪ ♪ Got a toothache and a new used car ♪ ♪ Auto pay is leaving auto scars ♪ ♪ Takin' money away ♪ ♪ When it's gone ♪ ♪ So long ♪ ♪ Scooped up by a strangers arm ♪ ♪ You're takin' all my money away ♪ (relaxing music) ♪ Half of my things, no that ain't even mine ♪ ♪ I found it waitin' unemployment line ♪ ♪ They were givin' money away ♪ ♪ Interest rates, an inch becomes a mile ♪ ♪ Then you got a snake in your wood pile ♪ ♪ Taking all your money away ♪ ♪ When it's gone ♪ ♪ So gone ♪ ♪ Scooped up by a stranger's arms ♪ ♪ You're takin' all my money away ♪ ♪ You're takin' all my money away ♪ (soothing guitar twanging) (soothing guitar twanging continues) (intense rock music) (relaxing guitar twanging) ♪ Half of my things, no that ain't even mine ♪ ♪ Found waitin' unemployment line ♪ ♪ They were givin' money away ♪ ♪ When it's gone ♪ ♪ So gone ♪ ♪ Scooped up by a strangers arms ♪ ♪ When it's gone ♪ ♪ So long ♪ ♪ Scooped up by a strangers arms ♪ ♪ You're takin' all my money away ♪ ♪ Takin' all my money away ♪ ♪ Takin' all my money away ♪ (soothing music) You know, I had, I had a bunch of one liners that I had come up with, with my friend Patrick Dalton and we just decided to throw it together and try and write the best Mellencamp-esque song we could.

And I hope we succeeded, you know.

- [Producer] Mellencamp-esque is a, you're trying to, what is that style?

Kind of describe that.

- Like red meat, rock and roll.

Just, just no, not a lot of frills.

Just kind of over driven guitar or just big, a big sound.

♪ One, two, one, two ♪ (soothing rock music) ♪ I don't remember feeling this way ♪ ♪ Took you for granted and the time we've had ♪ ♪ I don't remember where it all went wrong ♪ ♪ But I'm rollin' down the road like a highway song ♪ ♪ Easy to break or to change ♪ ♪ Took the time to find ♪ ♪ Well, runnin' blind on borrowed time ♪ ♪ Met a Sweetheart of the hurting kind ♪ ♪ Hard to believe I let you slip away ♪ ♪ Little by little, you were gone one day ♪ ♪ Hard to believe but the heart won't lie ♪ ♪ My sweetheart of the hurting kind ♪ ♪ Easy to break or to change ♪ ♪ Took the time to find ♪ ♪ Yeah, runnin' blind on borrowed time ♪ ♪ My sweetheart of a hurting kind ♪ ♪ The kind that waits for nothing ♪ ♪ Puts yourself last in line ♪ ♪ Always searching for something ♪ ♪ Legend to a hard knock life ♪ ♪ Easy to break or to change ♪ ♪ Took the time to find ♪ ♪ Yeah, runnin' blind on borrowed time ♪ ♪ My sweetheart of the hurting kind ♪ ♪ Sweetheart of the hurting kind ♪ ♪ Sweetheart of the hurting kind ♪ (intense rock music) Brand new wheels, basically you know, it's just kind of a story of, you know, I don't need to buy a new car because my special lady friend now has a new car so I by proxy have a new car as well.

That's, that's what that one's about.

- [Producer] Are there certain like lines in the song that kind of tell that story that?

- Yeah, you know, me having to take the bus and she comes up over the hill and white walls and cat calls when she drives and an ode to Chuck Berry with coffee colored Cadillac and I try and do my best little Richard impression, my quasi little Richard impression.

So just kind of a, a hodgepodge of all the stuff that I think is hip.

I'm trying to carry the torch I guess.

♪ One, two, one two ♪ (upbeat rock music) ♪ Me and my baby got some brand new wheels ♪ ♪ Coffee colored cadillac coupe de ville ♪ ♪ I cannot tell you how it made me feel ♪ ♪ When I seen her coming from over the hill ♪ ♪ Fill up the tank with some crisp dollar bills ♪ ♪ Me and baby got some brand new wheels ♪ ♪ It's white walls and cat calls when she drives ♪ ♪ Ridin' on the boulevard with her head high ♪ ♪ She seen me standin on the side of the road ♪ ♪ Tell me bus stops ain't in my future no more ♪ ♪ And that's (inaudible) comin' over the hill ♪ ♪ Me and my baby got some brand new wheels ♪ (intense guitar twanging) (intense guitar twanging continues) ♪ So they say money isn't nickles and dimes ♪ ♪ Put in the piggy bank we're out of time ♪ ♪ Throw the piggy to the (inaudible) ♪ ♪ And the nice one handing her a big spend ♪ ♪ With a ballpoint pen she sealed the deal ♪ ♪ Me and my baby got some brand new wheels ♪ ♪ Baby got some brand new wheels ♪ ♪ Baby got some brand new wheels ♪ ♪ Woohoo, baby got some brand new wheels ♪ ♪ Baby got some brand new wheels, come on ♪ (intense rock music) (upbeat music) - [Announcer] Go online to hear more music, meet the artists and more.

Visit ripbs.org.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues)