Shinybass Journal Entry 10/02/25

‘Putting it out there’

There is a storied, not-so-secret society here in Nashville. I joined its ranks back in 2004, and although I haven’t felt the rumblestrip at 1AM from the left middle bunk (IYKYK) in a long time, I’d like to think I’m still allowed to attend the meetings. I am talking about the unofficial, unstructured, and mostly untethered group of people in town known as touring musicians. 

Touring musicians are not new. I am sure there were plates of BBQ and porta-potties backstage for the cats throwing down tasty kithara licks (No Freebird, please) in Ancient Rome, roaming the countryside, selling cassettes out of the back of their chariots. These musicians commiserated about all the things we do now: pay, food, paying for food, etc.   

When you first get out on the road, you will slowly meet musicians from other bands, check out their shows, admire their set up, and maybe have anywhere from 0-100 drinks with them after a show. Summertime festival season is the best for meeting and hanging out with anywhere from 3-10 bands on a daily bill. The whole process is very much like summer camp, where the counselors have left us unattended and we roam backstages freely, making lots of friends, occasional messes, and hazy memories along the way that we need to revisit at a later date, probably over drinks. And maybe sneaking out for a guitar change or to sing BGV’s. (That wasn’t me…)

I have friends from my first Nashville ‘bus’ that I am still in touch with, and all those touring people you hang with for a few years (eventually) all grow and mature and have families, and then the next generation of touring players comes to town, and my older friends and I look around and somehow have morphed into the ‘seasoned’ team. I didn’t say ‘old’ or ‘done,’ I’d like to think there is still rocket fuel in my tank. We have just seen some things, man. 

There is a laundry list of ‘suggestions’ I would tell a new player in town on the generally accepted and most efficient rules of touring, and one day I may publish that, but that’s not why I am here. I received a call yesterday from a friend who plays guitar and has made a great name for himself in Music City. I look at his socials wondering how he could be so busy. But he is. 

We were talking about my life now, and what I am working on, and he was asking about my new album. After a little back and forth on the process, he said, “Man, I am jealous of you. You just put it out there and don’t care.” That got me thinking. 

First, no one is jealous of the bass player. Second, he’s half right. I released my first (and subsequent) record under a pseudonym, simply because I read that Hank Williams and Stewart Copeland of The Police both released records under different identities. I suppose it comes with a bit of freedom built in; we can be anyone, sound like anything, and if it works, we’re a genius, if not, the public is none the wiser. Safe, right? 

What I found in creating and releasing these records were little slices of me I didn’t know I had. I pushed into a jungle with little more than a butter knife to clear a path. Luckily I had a guide in the process (thank you, Ben!), and jumped head first into the pool of uncertainty. What was there? A surprise. 

I had support. I didn’t get a bunch of ‘traction’ on the first record (the second is seeing a lot more needle movement), but I had people: friends, Romans, countryman DI users (that one is WAY inside) that lent me their ears. I had very honest feedback, which I love and cherish. Tell me straight so I can repeat the mistake. Which I did for the second. Not really. For the second, I think (hope) I matured into new territory. The next release will be nothing like the first two. (Hear that? It’s a collective sigh of relief.)

When I released these records, I did care. I do care. I didn’t think too much, to be honest. There were tracks that didn’t make the cut, so I do care to put out the best tunes within a certain writing window, so there’s that. Did I care what people thought about the record? Not personally, no. Once it’s out, it’s out. If one person likes it past me, my job is done. We all want this big success, however the happiness is in the activity, not the win. Anything past the activity is gravy. 

‘The activity’ – in this case writing, recording, releasing, and promoting my own records – has taught me a lot about myself and my solo writing process. I try to do better with each track, and push what feels like a ballon into a new direction each time. It’s still my balloon, but it’s going to stretch a little this way and that. 

And maybe music isn’t your activity. Let’s pick hiking. Just being outside is the win. Who cares if you don’t summit? But then one day you will. What will you see? Probably another mountain. But you’re out, and you’re hiking. That’s the win. 

I will say this about ANY new activity: Put yourself out there. Just do the thing. You will stumble, fall, twist something, and probably not do well out of the box. So what? Really. And are you worried about what others will think? Of course we are. But don’t. 

It made zero sense for me to make a record of synth-based relaxation music. Think about that. Much like no one wakes up and wants to be a country bass player, someone has to be slightly off to make a couple of records like this. I have never asked anyone, but I am sure my touring buddies were thinking ‘Yeah, but uh, are you going to play any bass on the record…?’ Fair. But no. OK, well, I played some on the second record. And the next one, yeah, a lot of bass. 

I hate corporate slogans that make sense. It’s like they want us to buy stuff or something. The one that is tugging at me: Just Do It. The irony is that you don’t even need their fancy shoes or clothes to be successful (but they hope you’ll think it helps.) At its core ‘Just’= Simply. ‘Do’ = Get off your ego kick and couch and stop worrying about what others will think. ‘It’=whatever you have been putting off for whatever reasons. To recap, simply get off your couch and push yourself into a new place.

And yes, go ahead and put yourself out there. You never know how many people just may actually like what you do. Still waiting on that one…

See you on Spotify!