MUSIC
Runaway (Can't Hear a Thing) (2024)
Runaway (Can’t Hear a Thing) was a track I originally wrote for an EP that never ended up being released. The idea behind it was to create something slow and sludgy—a riff packed with heavy, bending notes that gave it that weighty, dragging feel. But as I started recording, I realized the bends weren’t hitting as hard as I wanted. I kept asking myself, “How can I make this riff heavier?” That’s when I grabbed a slide, and suddenly the sound I’d been chasing came to life. It had this grimy, crushing vibe that fit perfectly.
The lyrics for this song are tied to a strange experience I had while staying at my cousin’s supposedly haunted house in Winnipeg. One morning, as I was waking up, I heard a voice ask, “Where is Craig?” It caught me off guard because I knew I was alone in the house. At first, I thought I might be dreaming, but as I got up, I heard the voice again. I walked around, but there was no one there. My cousin had already told me stories about weird things happening in that house—objects falling off shelves or moving on their own—so this encounter really stuck with me. The strange part is that Craig, the person the voice was asking about, is my cousin’s brother, and he lives all the way in Ontario.
This track ended up being a mix of eerie, personal inspiration and my drive to push the limits of heaviness in my music. It’s a song that feels heavy in more ways than one, and it’s always been a unique part of my catalog.
Let’s Go Downtown EP (2024)
Let’s Go Downtown! was my way of paying tribute to the raw, gritty energy of early ’70s punk and garage rock from Detroit. I wanted to create music with ugly, overdriven guitars and a relentless, fun energy—beer-drinking, bar anthems that were a break from the darker, more serious themes I had explored in previous releases.
There Goes My Baby was a track I’d written a few years earlier, drawing inspiration from Aerosmith classics like Toys in the Attic and Draw the Line.
The song Another Day in Paradise was inspired by the wild, hard rock sounds of ’90s Iggy Pop, Marilyn Manson, and Alice Cooper’s The Eyes of Alice Cooper. It tells the story of a chaotic night of partying that ends with waking up in a ditch, trying to retrace your steps—a full-blown ode to losing yourself in the moment.
The title track, Let’s Go Downtown!, was written with a specific vision in mind: a song you’d hear as the sun sets at Minnedosa Rockin’ the Fields festival. It’s my tribute to classic Canadian rock bands like Streetheart and Tom Cochrane, with anthemic energy and a feel-good vibe.
Ride On was the last track I recorded for the EP and the first time I ever included horns in one of my songs. My friend and songwriting buddy, Wes Lipischak, played all the horn parts, and they sound fantastic. I remember writing the music late one night, shutting everything down to sleep, and then getting an idea for the melody and lyrics. I couldn’t let it go, so I got out of bed and recorded it in the middle of the night. My raspy, late-night voice on this track gave me an extra bite. It’s a nod to the big, arena rock anthems of Alice Cooper, like Guilty or Department of Youth.
Shake This Whole World came about when I bought a brand-new bass and started jamming a fun, groovy lick. I was deep into a David Bowie phase at the time, and the solo has a definite ’70s Bowie vibe.
With Let’s Go Downtown!, I wanted to let loose, embrace the spirit of ’70s garage rock, and have some fun. It’s high-energy, unapologetically raw, and one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve ever worked on.
Ghost Rising (2023)
Ghost Rising was my attempt to create the best EP I had ever made up to that point. We always strive to make our latest work the strongest, but this release felt different. After taking a break, I wanted this EP to open new doors for me, including the chance to play in more cities.
The first song I wrote for the EP was Lit Up And Out of Line. It’s in drop C, and I went for a heavier edge inspired by bands like Saliva’s Survival of the Sickest era, Jerry Cantrell’s solo work, and Alice Cooper’s Brutal Planet. Once I finished that track, I realized I had an EP in me, and the rest of the songs came together surprisingly quickly—everything was written in less than a week.
At that point, I also recognized my mixing skills weren’t where they needed to be for these tracks to sound their best. So, I reached out to Fat Puppy Studios in Sri Lanka and my friend Ashane mixed and mastered the EP. The results blew me away. Shane’s work elevated these songs to a whole new level and helped me better capture the sound I was going for.
Prison was my take on writing a fun, party song—my version of Mötley Crüe’s Girls, Girls, Girls. It’s fun, raunchy and makes you want to drink beer.
Stuck in a Memory is built around a riff I wrote as a teenager but had forgotten about for years. One day it popped back into my head, and I knew I had to build a song around it. It’s still one of the most challenging tracks we play live, but it’s always worth it.
My favorite track from the EP has to be Ghost Rising. I collaborated with Dave McNabb, known for his work with Ash Halo and Vikings. Dave transformed the song, taking it from something reminiscent of early Ghost to what I can only describe as a “goth stripper anthem.” The slight touch of auto-tune on my vocals, the massive drums, and the pulsing, EDM-inspired guitar line brought this song to life in a way I couldn’t have imagined.
Ghost Rising felt like a turning point for me, both in terms of sound and production quality. It’s an EP I’m incredibly proud of and one that represents a big step forward in my journey as a musician.
Insomnia (2021)
Insomnia was my first instrumental track I had written in a long time, and I wanted it to stand out as something special. I approached this song with the mindset that every single note mattered. I remember refining every melody, making sure each part felt deliberate and full of detail.
The inspiration for this track came after I watched Wheat City Hardcore, a documentary about Brandon’s punk scene in the 1990s. You can find it on Amazon Prime, and it’s definitely worth a watch. In the film, they talk about a band called A Few Penny Short playing a reunion show at the North Hill Inn. During their performance, I noticed the sound system had green tape wrapped around the PA speaker stands, which caught my eye because I recognized it! At the time, I was working at Ted Good Music, and I remembered receiving that exact PA system. It was such a cool, full-circle moment to see it in the documentary.
The track itself came together really quickly over a couple of nights in late December. The first night, I laid down all the rhythm parts, and the second night I focused on the lead sections. The name Insomnia reflects the restless energy of the song. It’s supposed to sound like the kind of thoughts that flood your mind when you’re lying awake and frustrated that you can’t sleep. For me, this track captures that wandering, chaotic feeling perfectly—it’s how my mind sounds during those sleepless nights.
Goodbye (2021)
After cranking out several EPs over two years, I wanted to try something completely different—something outside the styles I’d been working with, like rock, metal, and acoustic music. This track became an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and explore new sounds.
The beat for Goodbye was actually inspired by Eminem’s Like Toy Soldiers from his Encore album, blended with the melodic energy of INXS. It was an interesting mix of influences that gave the song a unique vibe I hadn’t tapped into before.
Around this time, I had just bought a Shure SM7B microphone, and I was really excited to experiment with it. That excitement led me to write big, layered harmonies to test its dynamic range and see what it could do. That’s also why Goodbye is a bit lighter than some of my previous tracks—I wanted the vocal dynamics to really shine.
This song was all about experimenting and breaking away from what I’d done before. It’s different, and that’s exactly what I was aiming for. It reminded me how much fun it is to take risks and try new things in music.
Concrete Jungle (2020)
Concrete Jungle was my attempt at creating the heaviest music I had ever written up to that point. When I started working on this EP, I was in a very dark place mentally, and I think the music reflects that authentically. My main inspirations for this release were Alice Cooper’s Brutal Planet and industrial metal artists like Marilyn Manson. Interestingly, the title track, Concrete Jungle, was written before the COVID pandemic, but looking back, it feels oddly prophetic in how it captures that isolated, dystopian vibe.
Loaded Gun was meant to be absolutely relentless. I’m a huge fan of Alice Cooper’s Dragontown album, and the last track on it, The Sentinel, always stood out to me as one of his heaviest songs. Loaded Gun was my attempt at creating something equally intense—my heaviest song yet. It was also the first time I tried screaming vocals, drawing inspiration from Marilyn Manson’s raw energy, Alice in Chains’ haunting harmonies in the pre-chorus, and Dio’s soaring power in the chorus.
This EP was the final chapter in what I’d call my first big push as a musician, starting with Scars on the Ceiling and spanning two years of writing and releasing music. Concrete Jungle felt like the perfect bookend to that era. Even now, the title track is a favorite to play live, with its Alice in Chains-inspired chorus that’s just so satisfying to perform.
Concrete Jungle remains a deeply personal record to me, representing a time of heavy emotions and growth. It pushed me creatively and still holds a special place in my live sets and in my catalog.
Spearhead (2020)
My intention with Spearhead was to write big, anthemic rock songs that blended some of my favorite influences into something uniquely mine. With this EP, I wanted to push boundaries, experiment with different sounds, and create tracks that felt larger than life.
The inspiration for this EP came from all over. I imagined what it would sound like if Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Rush, and Filter came together, and that idea guided a lot of the writing process. You can definitely hear the 80s Rush vibe on Don’t Believe Everything You Heard. Around that time, I was also listening to Soundgarden’s King Animal a lot, which probably seeped into the EP’s darker, more introspective tone.
One of my proudest moments on this EP is Your Last Temptation. It features one of my favorite riffs I’ve ever written—a heavy, driving part that always gets me fired up to play. I also tried something ambitious with All Is Fine, which was my attempt at a big, epic track in the vein of Comfortably Numb or Silent Lucidity. I wanted it to have a soaring, melodic guitar solo that made you feel like you were traveling through the stars, paired with a huge, anthemic chorus and strings for added depth.
Another standout for me is I’ve Become the Thing I Hate. This song is inspired by that moment in your early 20s when you look at your life and wonder if it’s headed in the direction you hoped for. Unfortunately, the story I tell in the song reflects when it doesn’t. I wrote it in an open tuning, but honestly, I have no idea what tuning I used—it was one of those moments where I just went with what felt right.
Spearhead was an exploration of big ideas and big sounds. It’s a collection of songs that challenged me to think differently about my music and take some risks, and I’m really proud of how it turned out.
Path of a Vagabond (2020)
Path of a Vagabond was originally meant to be part of a full instrumental album that I worked on with a friend for nearly two years. These songs were a huge part of my journey in learning how to mix and produce music. Before releasing music under my own name, I played in a band called Engines of Creation, where I focused on instrumental guitar music inspired by Joe Satriani. I released five EPs under that name, doing all the mixing, mastering, and programming myself. For me, Path of a Vagabond represents the peak of my instrumental career.
One of my proudest moments on this EP is the guitar solo in The Sky Is Falling. About three-quarters of the way through the song, there’s a solo that I’ve always considered one of the best I’ve ever played. Another standout for me is Through the Eyes of a Golden God, which was a bit experimental. It’s in an odd time signature, features Middle Eastern instruments, and is this big, slow chugger with a unique vibe.
Domino Effect was inspired by bands like The Scorpions during their 80s heyday, as well as Buckethead, Ozzy Osbourne, and of course, Joe Satriani. It’s got a mix of influences that really shaped the track’s energy. As for the title track, Path of a Vagabond, it originally had the working title I Can Hear You Calling Me. If you sing those words to the melody in the chorus, it fits perfectly—it’s one of those little details that stuck with me.
This EP felt like the culmination of everything I’d learned and achieved during my time making instrumental music. It’s deeply personal and full of moments I’m incredibly proud of, both technically and creatively, although I don’t believe I’ve ever played any of this EP live.
The Acoustic EP (2020)
The Acoustic EP was my way of stepping outside my comfort zone after releasing heavier records like Scars on the Ceiling and Day of Reckoning. At the time, I was feeling very lost in life, and this EP became a reflection of that confusion and search for clarity.
Till Death Do Us Part was inspired by watching a relationship crumble right in front of me. It was heartbreaking to witness, and that emotion poured into the song. On the other hand, Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em was a more lighthearted track, written about my experiences during a phase of heavy weed smoking. I wanted to write something fun and anthemic, not to be taken too seriously. The vibe was heavily influenced by Full Moon Fever-era Tom Petty mixed with late ’80s David Lee Roth.
Set Me Free took a different direction, blending a Bryan Adams-inspired feel in the verses with a touch of country and even a little bit of Ghost’s melodic edge. It’s a track that showcases a mix of influences but still feels true to the acoustic vibe I was aiming for.
This entire EP was also heavily inspired by Kiss Unplugged, which has always been one of my favorite releases. I loved how they used big drums alongside acoustic guitars to create something fun and high-energy, even in a stripped-back format. That’s exactly what I wanted to achieve with The Acoustic EP—a raw but dynamic collection of songs that offered something completely different from my usual sound.
Day of Reckoning (2019)
Day of Reckoning was a deeply personal and therapeutic release for me. With this EP, I set out to push myself creatively and refine my songwriting craft in a way I hadn’t done before. I spent countless hours walking the streets of my neighborhood, listening to mixes on headphones I had done, and obsessing over the smallest details trying to get everything just right. Even though I had very little training in mixing, I gave it everything I had, working with what was available to me at the time.
For years, I considered Day of Reckoning my best release. It holds a special place in my heart because it felt like such a leap forward in my music. The title track features one of my favorite riffs I’ve ever written—one that came to me right after watching The Dirt, the Mötley Crüe movie. That energy and inspiration really set the tone for the song and the EP as a whole.
I’m especially proud of the last track, Breathing Alone, which I think of as my Alice in Chains tribute. The harmonies in the intro were my way of honoring their influence on me, and the song’s haunting tone felt right for the story I was telling. It’s about someone I once taught who turned out to be involved in horrendous crimes. Writing it was my way of processing the shock and disgust of that discovery.
This EP came from a place of working through some very traumatic experiences that had left a lasting impact on me for years. Writing and recording these songs helped me let go of some of that weight and gave me a way to channel those emotions into something meaningful.
Day of Reckoning wasn’t just another project for me—it was a way to heal, grow, and push myself as an artist. It will always stand as a milestone in my journey, both musically and personally.
Scars on the Ceiling (2019)
Scars on the Ceiling was my very first EP I had ever done under my own name with vocals, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the project where I started to figure out who I was as a solo artist and what I wanted to say through my music. Every track was a learning experience, but it was also the first time I really let myself dive into the creative process alone.
The songs on this EP came from a real and honest place. At the time, I was dealing with a lot—trying to make sense of things after finishing university, navigating challenges and figuring out how to put those feelings into music.
Looking back, I can see how much I was experimenting with my vocals and just following what felt right. The title track, Scars on the Ceiling, was a breakthrough for me. It was the first song where I thought, “This is my sound.” That realization gave me the confidence to keep going and keep creating.
Scars on the Ceiling isn’t just an EP to me—it’s the starting point of my journey as an artist. It may not be perfect, but it’s real. I’m still proud of it, and I hope people can connect with it in the same way I did when I was making it.