I wanted to take a moment to tell you the story behind this album. It’s been quite the journey and now that it’s almost ready to bring to you all, these memories are really surfacing.
In 2009/2010 I was truck driving 14 hours a day 6 days a week so I had a lot of time to sit and think about things. One big thought that literally kept me alive and awake during those long shifts in the scorching hot or frigid North Dakota Winters was this 8 stringed Novax Guitar I had just picked up a year earlier. I would listen to Charlie Hunter and Garage a Trois albums on repeat over and over and try to wrap my head around what can be done with this “melodic drumset” type of an instrument I have dove into. For the first time, I felt like I had really found the instrument that I was meant to play. It really felt like I could say what I wanted to say musically the way I wanted to vs guitar drums or Bass.
Prior to the Novax, I started as a self taught drummer In grade school and high school playing at sporting events with my high school’s pep band. I also played in a Metallica/Nirvana type grunge/rock band called Endeavor. This was when I got my first blue pearl drum set. I got into acoustic guitar and singing after that when I was a junior and senior in high school and then in college I studied electric guitar and a lot of jazz and blues for 4 years. My college band Jarafuho was born out of that music school influence and newly acquired guitar skills, and of course from meeting bad asses Quinn Callens, Scott Kendall, and Corey Meuchel. We released an album “41:21” and also a DVD Jarafuho “Live at the Broken Axe” I really should post some snippets here and there from those great times and awesome people. Let me know if you’d be interested in any of that? I actually am working on an archive page for this website so stay tuned on that!
Anyway! I discovered Charlie Hunter and watched him play for the first time at Jazz Alley in March 2008 while I was living in Issaquah and teaching snowboarding at Snoqualmie pass. By the end of that year I found a Novax 8 string guitar sitting on eBay and had to get it.
You might be wondering by now how I even ended up out west. Well I did an internship at Victory studios for my Bachelors degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead and really fell in love with the Seattle area. I just had a feeling that the Seattle area is where I needed to be. Little did I know a couple years later, I would have to give up music for a while and get into the truck driving business for 3 years before moving back west.
So after leaving Seattle area after snowboarding season and truck driving for some farmers harvest, I bought the Novax 8 string guitar. I toured around the Midwest with a group called The Fillers the winter of 09’. We were based out of 1005 ….something avenue in Fargo, ND. This old huge cold house where many sweet memories were made. One of my best friends and one of the most talented songwriters I know, Jeff Meyer was the leader of the group along with another great songwriter and high energy fellow Joey Kuntz. Scott G. ripped leads on his telle. This was the first time getting to know the Novax and being a bass player for a band. This was such an amazing experience and can’t thank the Fillers enough for having me along for the ride. I love the music we played!
After that tour I went back to the Seattle area and found a cool little farm cabin up on Klahani drive in Issaquah. I would sit in there a shed on my Novax trying to decide if I would ever be ready to play a gig with the thing. I would attend Jams at Seamonster or just check out shows trying to find people to Jam with. It was during that time where I met Stephen Fogg, John Fawcett, Chris Stefanile, and Tim Symons who at the time had a band called The Special Purpose. Also one of their friends Brian Higginson was there and we quickly became good friends along with his wife Michelle. These all are great people and just wanted to thank you again for taking the time to get to know me. It was of course great to hear all your music. It was a pretty lonely and tough time in my life as I was going broke and found out I would be leaving Seattle once again. This time indefinitely to go truck driving and get back on my feet financially.
Really quick before the story goes on, I just want to say Thanks to my brother Luke for convincing me to come back to ND and drive for him . I was pretty devastated at that time since I had to give up Music AGAIN. I felt like my college degree was a waste at that point. BUT it’s one of the best things I ever did even though it was long hours and harsh weather environments at times to work in. I felt so down and negative at work for the 1st couple months. But I finally just got tired of living like that and realized why not just be happy or at least have a good attitude no matter what my situation is in life. After that I felt way better. At that time I was able to spend time with my family, newborn nephew Jett, and Grandpa Jim who would pass away late 2010. I ended up playing some bluegrass and country music on Saturday nights with my brother Adam Taylor, who by the way is one of the most bad ass musicians I’ve ever met. Danny Dwyer, Petter, Adam and I would play foot stomping tunes in dive bars as well as nice spots and played The annual old settler’s picnic. I ended up making Adam a music video for his song “My Home In North Dakota” Which turned into a tribute to my grandpa Jim. He got to hear the song but passed away before I had finished the video. So thanks Luke, love you bro and appreciate you giving me the opportunity to help your business grow and me to get back on my feet.
So between having the Novax guitar, looking forward to playing shows with Adam and seeing the rest of my family, and the thoughts and dreams of moving back west to a music scene once again, kept me between the lines of my old 1986 peterbilt double bottom oil tanker truck. I thought my trucking days were over, but there was more trucking in my life to come little did I know.
This time my return west was Bellingham! I passed through this place one time on my way to check out Mt. Baker. I really liked the vibe of the town and of course love Mt. Baker as I’m a big into snowboarding.
I was going to go back to school for a couple more years at Western to get my education degree to teach in a public school. In the middle of preparing my entrance auditions and figuring out financial aid, I was really not totally feeling it may be the right thing to do as I just was in work mode from trucking it seemed. The very next day I met Ryan Hare who was a teacher in town who wanted to start up his own spot. We decided to share a commercial space to teach out of. I used a lot of my $ saved for college to renovate 2401 Meridian St. into a teaching space and took an abrupt turn into being a private music teacher/musician. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I love being a teacher and really realized that when I taught snowboarding. Eventually my good friend Bryant Davis helped save the day and helped me purchase the old Piper Music building after Windworks bought the 2401 location. Bellinghome School Of Music was born in 2017 and would be the place where we recorded Live Collaborations. It’s also a place that has given me employment and peace of mind to take on a big recording project like this. Bellinghome is awesome on so many levels and proud of it to say the least. I’ve met so many awesome people through this venture and can’t thank everyone enough for being a part of it.
Lets rewind a couple years really quick because If it wasn’t for my homies in Snug Harbor, my album would not be the same, that’s for sure! Will Glazier and Sung Harbor took me under their wing as their new bassist in 2012 and that’s when I really took my bass playing to the next level and brought out the funk in me. I recorded on two of their albums. “This Is Snug” and “Right Here, Right Now” which a link to listen and purchase can be found under my discography page. Also wanted to mention my friends in Mr. Feelgood and the Firm Believers and that whole experience has helped shape my Novax playing style. Alexander Strum has some solid song ideas and we turn them into something special. A link to our full length album “Slippery Slope” is also on my discography page for your listening!
I always wanted to record this album featuring the music I’ve written on the 8 string even before I came to Bellingham, but never recorded it until 6 years after my arrival. The timing of it all worked perfectly because it just wouldn’t have turned out as great if I would have done it earlier. I decided to make it a collaborative album and have a different set of musicians on each track. A lot of them I hadn’t even met yet when I first wanted to do this album. Thanks for jumping into a spontaneous situation guys!
-Matt Ambrose
-Reid Immel
-Steve Jones
-George Allison
-Conner Helms
-Erik Snyder
-Justin Smith
-David Lofgren
-Jan Peters
-Frank Vitolo
-Jeremiah Austin
-Jerry Steinhilber
-Brent Storms
-Stephen Blair
Before wrapping this post up, I wanted to note once again all the other musicians and bands and family members I mentioned previously on this post that aren’t in this list…Also to my college professors, Glenn Ginn, Dan Phillips, Simon Rowe, and Tom Brandau. I was inspired by you all. You all have been my motivation, have kept me “between the lines,” and inspired me to never give up. After I started teaching in Bellingham, I kept driving trucks for a couple years to make ends meet. I drove for NW Liquid Transport and Lynden door on the side of my music and was finally able to “semi retire” in 2014.
Finally theres someone who never gets enough credit, whom is my girlfriend Katie Baumann. I can’t thank you enough for being there for me and supporting me through all of this crazy life the past 3 years of ours together. Its been busy but amazing. I’m truly lucky to have you and look forward to many more years of awesomeness to come. I Love you.
OK enough of the mushy talk. :) Help me celebrate! DECEMBER 7th 2019 Live Collaborations comes out and the release show will be January 18th 2020 at the Firefly. It will be a double album release show with A.guest who also is releasing his “All Along” EP. We’re super excited for this one and hope to see some familiar faces there!
Releases December 7th 2019! Pre-order now.