As it turns out, Jonah and I became fast friends. Both he and I were going through major transitions at similar times. I was fresh into parenthood while he was at the end of a long-term relationship. We both needed some playful energy in our lives. So, after a few casual convos while walking his dogs, we started making tunes together. The first, an easy-going escapade about an ideal retreat, ‘My Island.’ We followed that with zero expectation hangs while creating tunes my then 2-year-old had instigated.

As the hangs continued and rapport developed, Jonah felt comfortable enough to invite me on what had become his annual retreat to Rhode Island to work on music. He noted he hadn’t felt overly inspired to do any front facing work and thought we could elaborate on some of the themes we were tinkering with on the “children’s” tunes. Joining us would be his long-time collaborator, Kevin Clifford, for percussion and our do-everything host, Nic Coolidge.

We arrived in Providence on Sunday night and got acquainted via Toki Highballs at Murmur, Providence’s new hi-fidelity listening bar. The owner (who had Philly roots!) played selects from David Bowie while we shared our experiences with paranormal activity. These conversations ultimately became the lifeblood of our trip with the themes of each convo providing a good chunk of the lyrics for the music being made. It can be intimidating arriving into a new setting without a plan, to make music with people you’ve never met before. But ultimately we left Providence with what feels like an entire record! (Put a tab on this story and be sure to ask me in the coming months, “What’s up with the tunes from Providence!?”)

Meeting new people and making music is exactly what’s happening at the UoC as it rounds out its second annual Heat Battle. We’ve also added a really cool card collection for participants to track their progress at uoc.cards! New friends are on the horizon as I’ve accepted Shwayze’s invitation to open for him on his ‘Nostalgia Tour.’ After making myself available for the Philadelphia (9/24) and New York (9/26) shows in September, Shwayze sent over his west coast dates for November. The cities are some of my favorites! I’ll be solidifying a one-man show to tell stories, host and run through some jams for what’s certain to be a good time.

Hope to see you there!

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Inspired by Marcus Smith’s determination to play a string of shows, a small group of artists participating in the U of C set up a live showcase at Bourbon and Branch in Philadelphia. The date aligned with the end of our 12 week semester so it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate all of our hard work. A few members flew in from across the country to join some of our east coasters and ultimately debut their music live for the first time! A major moment for me was seeing Charley (A2z) perform live for the first time ever. When I glanced over at his girlfriend to see if she was enjoying the show, she was mouthing all of his lyrics. It takes an incredible amount of courage to step on stage and Charley overcame common pre-show jitters to deliver my favorite set of the night.

This semester was a first for me as well. I finally started making beats! I’ve been interested in music production for a while but I’ve always been surrounded by extremely talented beat makers and producers resulting in me “letting the professionals do their job.” But I became increasingly interested in music production after the release of ‘Temporary Heaven’. I felt like I had nothing else to say. I had become a father that same year and a lot of my time and attention went towards parenting and processing the monumental life change. But this past semester allotted me the appropriate outlet to tinker. I could make beats without any expectation and share them with a group of people that remained relatively free of judgement and gentle with their criticism. You can listen to all of my sketches from this past semester here! (I’ll continue to update this link with various demos as well!). If you find any of them inspiring, feel free to give me a shout and maybe we can flesh out a song together.

Now as the temperature rises outside so do the degrees at the U of C. The Heat Battle has begun its sign up process with teams being selected on July 14th. If you’re an aspiring artist regardless of experience and looking for a place to start - this is it. The double elimination tournament pairs you with a group of 2 other artists and pits you against another team to see who can make the best song - voted on by our judges (one of which is me!). Winner moves on while the losing team gets thrown into the furnace of losing artists for their last shot at redemption. Ultimately this an incredible ice breaker and a fun way to meet other artists!

I recently spoke on stream that this group of aspiring artists I collaborate and share with during the semester has made the music making process fun for me again. After dealing with all that comes with self-promotion and social media, I’ve gathered a small group that allows me to return to what got me started in the first place - being a fan.

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Do you have any experiences

with a mentor? Is it something you actively sought out? Or was it a product of circumstance? Would love to hear about it in the comments.

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I sprinkled in some beats I’ve been making in the Discord throughout this conversation. I hope everyone’s as excited for baseball season and all it represents as I am.

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U of C currently has about 30-35 participating artists and producers from multiple countries. We casually released 3 albums ‘Spring Semester ‘23, Fall Semester ‘23 and Tripping Vol. 1 & 2 over the last few years - forgoing traditional releases in favor of digital collection. At the top of the year, we successfully secured distribution via Symphonic to help us expand our reach. This year we’ll be releasing a multitude of singles to allow us ample time to highlight individual artists - starting with ‘Happiness.’ The song features me and Ai-Que with production from Vegas’ Jon Baylor amplifying the long held belief within the U of C community that we must actively choose joy.

Recently, Marek Klippendichter of Eldoradio in Dortmund took the time to sit down with a handful of us to discuss our experience within the U of C. He allotted us 2 hours to share some perspective as well as a few of our favorite tunes we’ve made together thus far. You can listen to the entire show here @ 2pm est!

What I was hoping to convey during our interview ultimately was expressed by the participating artists. They mentioned the camaraderie. They revered the sense of belonging. They spoke about the trust and friendships that are built through collaboration. How the relationships they’ve formed in the space have turned into extended family by sharing the births of children and the loss of family members together.

The experience as a whole is highlighted in the recording of ‘Happiness’. When the semester prompted us to get a minimum of 4 people on a song to help break the ice, I did my best to get as many voices as possible on a call and response hook. Whether it was new fathers yelling “eating ice cream, playing games with my kids!” or adventure seekers reciting “outside mesmerized by the simplest things!” - it was clear the process was helping us experience that ephemeral feeling of happiness.

You can support the U of C project as a whole by following along on Unreleased. The U of C Discord remains free to join while deciding whether it’s the right space for you. I look forward to sharing more as U of C continues to reach its full potential.

til then, choose joy.

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Dave’s note: Are you afraid of death? he asked. Natural death, no. It’s inevitable. And my mother taught me how to die gracefully. What I fear is outliving life and missing out on that grand final life experience.

“Two Dads Talking is an ongoing conversation between me, David Roth, and my son, Asher, inspired by the sudden death in 1978 of my father, Paul Roth, the grandfather Asher never met. I missed out on the opportunity to have this type of conversation with Paul - a conversation between two dads, peers talking across three generations about family man stuff. If I had, I wonder if it would have sounded anything like this...”

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Dave’s note: I think the thing that intrigued me most about this conversation is the suggestion that in this day and age people are much more engaged with conspiracy theories than with conspiracy facts. What is happening right before our eyes in broad daylight and with cameras blazing is much more nefarious than the cloak and dagger theories about what people may or may not have done. The only conspiracy to keep US Americans ignorant and distracted is the conspiracy of the people, by the people and for the people. We have met the enemy and they are us.

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Dave’s note: After spending most of episodes 1 & 2 talking, I found it rewarding to spend most of this half hour listening to Asher speak of planned parenthood, the world-shifting alchemy of being a first time parent, and the primacy of the fulfillment experienced simply watching your 2-year-old run across the yard over any fulfillment that might be experienced on stage or in the studio. Good stuff.

Dave’s note: A lot of talk about my early dad days in this segment. Unlike you and Meghan, there was zero family planning involved between me and Beth. We were accidental parents. These were days with much doubt and trepidation mixed in with the miracles and wonder. In a later chat miracles and wonder should get more air time.

A note from Dave: “2 Dads Talking is an ongoing conversation between me, David Roth, and my son, Asher, inspired by the sudden death in 1978 of my father, Paul Roth, the grandfather Asher never met. I missed out on the opportunity to have this type of conversation with Paul - a conversation between two dads, peers talking across three generations about family man stuff. If I had, I wonder if it would have sounded anything like this...”

If you’re interested in eavesdropping on this unstructured series of conversations, let me know! I'd also love to know what topics you're interested in hearing two generations of dads discuss. There has been a tremendous amount of societal and personal change for both of us over our respective lifetimes, with fatherhood not only being one of those changes but also playing a pivotal role in determining how we've responded to other changes. So, there's plenty for us to discuss. If nothing else, this series will be a telling time capsule for me and my extended family. And maybe it will inspire you to have conversations you never thought you'd have with your fathers or sons.

Enjoy!

Last year, I was paired with Saumselig from Creglingen, Germany and Harbyn from Nottingham, U.K. Harbyn and I both had recently become fathers while Saum has two daughters of his own. So, when we converged much of the conversation was more about parenthood than rap music. We eventually shared musical references of songs we enjoyed as kids. I mentioned Sugar Ray - Fly featuring Super Cat.

We went on to discuss how it’s a wild time to be raising a child. Between the convenience of technology coupled with the real and exaggerated danger of the outside world, parents can easily be confused on how best to keep their child safe. Saum, Harbyn and I all agreed it was really important to allow children to explore. Not only does adventure develop confidence and a connection with the natural world but it leads to invaluable questions like “What’s this?” and “Why?”

Our agreement and nostalgia led to the making of ‘Roam’ - an ode to adventure no matter your age. In fact, I’m pretty sure Harbyn sent over the hook idea while he was headed out on a voyage of his own! Saum was quick to turn it into a combustible beat while I played the role of talking Harbyn into taking more risks. The song ended up losing its first round battle for being too cute. But Saum, Harbyn and I felt the sentiment was important enough to share with others.

The fatherhood discussion continues as I sit down with my own dad to talk through our parental experience as peers. The conversations allow me to revisit ‘His Dream’ from ‘Asleep in the Bread Aisle’ with a new perspective. ‘Two Dads’ will be shared via Substack starting September 24rd!

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‘Til then, keep roaming!

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‘The Year of Magical Thinking’ turned out to be a memoir recounting the death of Joan’s husband, John Dunne. I almost backed out halfway through as it wasn’t something I was trying to get involved in. But amongst the brave and brilliant descriptions of grief, she recalled conversations with John days before his passing. She reflected on how John seemed to be hinting at his death days before he died of a heart attack. In particular, John, an accomplished writer and literary critic, lamented feeling his life’s work had been meaningless. Because it was not of service to others.

This bit stuck with me for months. And after completing a series of shows this late spring, I returned home feeling a bit depleted. I reflected with John Dunne’s sentiment in mind. Is the work I’m doing of service to others? Is it of value? To whom? Would I need an impending death to help with an honest reflection? After all, the shows weren’t sold out and the cost of the road had become exceedingly more expensive. Why am I doing this? Yet amongst the ceaseless feelings of doubt and inferiority - creative impulses continued to sneak through the cracks and move me forward.

The latest impulse brought me back to the U of C Discord. As host of an online community of artists and producers, a chunk of the work includes encouraging the creative spark in others. That may be through playful conversation or games like Among Us or Catan or sharing an Unreleased verse of my own. As of recent, the community as a whole delivered their 3rd and 4th full length LPs in ‘Tripping Vol. 1 & Vol. 2’. We were excited to find some of the work highlighted on Apple Music’s editorial playlist ‘Flowetry’!

The playlisting is a tiny reward for a group of artists who have learned to create together without much expectation. It also increases the excitement going into our 2nd annual Heat Battle - a summer competition that randomly partners up members of the community to see which team can make the ‘best’ song. Although last year the spirit of the Kendrick Lamar x Drake beef spilled into the content of our competition with subtle affronts for entertainment sake - some stellar compositions were created! Check out this one by Marcus Smith & Que produced by FLX.

This year’s Heat Battle kicks off in August and is open to whoever would like to join.

The announcement of the ‘Heat Battle’ and ‘Tripping Vol. 1 & 2’ helped restore my spirit after the most recent tour. With John Dunne’s sentiment about service to others in mind I couldn’t help but recall all of the U of C members that came to shows up and down the east coast. How they mentioned they’ve never been more productive with their music creation. That it’s led them to new opportunities and new friends. That my work is of service. I’m comforted by that notion - and it fuels my continued commitment to growing a fun and productive environment we call the U of C.

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About then I received a text message from a friend, Billy, expressing his desire for a slight change in direction to his life’s path: tour management. His gig at Sellersville Theatre gave him experience in event coordination, and he was no stranger to touring having a band of his own. So, when he reached out about tour management - I decided to give him and the City Winery shows a shot.

“Billy’s excited,” Drew, our videographer, noted after our New York debut of the show. It was refreshing, since the realities of tour life are much less glamorous than what is displayed to the audience. “Yeah,” I replied, “it’ll be sad to watch it leave.”

But through long drives in the rain to New England and a hearty trek down south to Atlanta and Nashville — Billy’s excitement continued, asking me questions about certain songs of mine, albums and eras, inspirations and my favorites. His curiosity was a solid indicator for what other fans might be curious about - and set the tone for subtle changes to the set, leading to more focus on the story of how I’d arrived at this place in my own musical adventure.

From my sister introducing me to her high school friend intent on making it in the music business…to a fortuitous phone call the night I’d decided to back away from music and take my teaching degree seriously…to the flight to Atlanta to meet Scooter Braun, which lead to a record deal with Steve Rifkind rooted in nothing more than a rendition of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” at his SRC employee holiday dinner…the unlikely success of ‘I Love College’ and the equally unlikely discovery of producer Oren Yoel and the challenge we faced in building an album around a polarizing anthem in an effort to reintroduce “Asher Roth.” My story is one with many notable characters and plenty of unexpected results.

It turned out Billy’s curiosity about all of this was in tune with many others in need of something closer to their personal truth. Many of the stories fans told me after each show - about how my work had played a role in their friendships, marriage, birth of a child, personal growth, or provided courage to take a risk - were incredibly validating. I learned that my story about wanting a fresh start - spinning ‘Asher Roth’ into ‘RetroHash’ - is just as relatable as loving college.

When it came to the musical part of the performance, it was a joy to learn my audience was excited by newer offerings. Performing ‘Baby Daddy’ from the elusive side project ‘Tofer Dolan’ garnered a good amount of post show commentary. And ‘Tangerine Girl’ could have just as easily been the starting point of my reintroduction as The Greenhouse Effect Vol. 1’s “Roth Boys”. These were welcomed discoveries as those songs represent my experience in taking risks as well as big steps in working through a period of lost confidence.

I felt rewarded for my own ambitious step into the unknown — saying yes to a story driven show full of newer, lesser known music rather than landing on the obvious; and taking a chance on an inexperienced tour manager in search of something new and exciting.

I can assume Billy and many others felt rewarded as well, learning that our coming of age stories are much more aligned than not. I’m thankful to those who came out to support these intimate dinner performances as well as those who shared their own story with me. I was unable to answer the question “So, what’s next?” when asked in Chicago, but I believe my next story will be even better than the last.

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‘til we meet again,

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Stops like Nashville, Louisville and St. Louis - I haven’t been to in over 13 years! I don’t believe I’ve performed in NYC since 2014 and I can’t recall an Atlanta show after ‘The Great Hangover Tour’. That’s upsetting! At the same time I’m pleased I still hold an adoration for performance 17 years later. Since kicking off my journey with a few college friends moving to Atlanta in ‘08 with absolutely nothing guaranteed except our own excitement - it was enough to fuel the ‘Greenhouse Effect Vol. 1’ and the happy accident, ‘I Love College.’ The early success revealed the underbelly of a business I knew nothing about. Various snags and setbacks encouraged returning to the basics by releasing ‘Seared Foie Gras with Quince & Cranberry’ with longtime collaborator, DJ Wreckineyez. The stalemate with my record label resulted in free albums like ‘Rawth’ with Nottz Raw as well as ‘Pabst & Jazz’. I tried my best to operate within the creative confines of major label music business but ultimately I had to do my thing.

It’s through the continued support of listeners and readers that I’m able to step on stage almost two decades later. You provided me the courage to release ‘RetroHash’ and return home for ‘Flowers on the Weekend.’ It’s a journey that predates the disruption of streaming and the never-ending adaption to the demands of social media. Our interactions on those budding social media platforms gave me a willingness to connect with fans directly - leading to the U of C Discord once the pandemic hit. Collaborating with my audience led to the forever unique ‘Greenhouse Effect. Vol. 3’ and introduced me to Andrew (aka Heather Grey) who inspired ‘Why’s It So Grey Out?’ and ‘Temporary Heaven.’ My enthusiasm for artist development drew the attention of Logic who reached out to show his support. Our friendship ultimately cooked up ‘New Dessert’ which further promotes artist empowerment via Unreleased.

Reflecting on the path I’ve taken has been a trip. A story full of obstacles but guided by intuition. Trust beyond betrayal. Beginning again. Themes that aren’t overly unusual but worthy of reinforcement. I genuinely look forward to telling the story in song form throughout this beautiful month of May. I hope to see you there!

Happy Spring!

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My first experience with performance anxiety was around 10 years old. I was up to bat with the bases loaded in a relatively important game. It didn’t go well. Panic attacks became the norm that year. My parents moved us up the street to a new school district - leaving established friends and a school with a few hundred kids into a district with roughly 1,000 students in a graduating class — where I knew no one. At first it manifested itself as being unable to eat lunch for fear of getting sick in public. A trauma from 1st grade that resurfaced! Even though I eventually settled in and kicked the throwing-up-in-public-phobia I still bailed on my dad when it came time to perform a ‘rap’ he had written for our Little League baseball team. I was too embarrassed to rap it with him at the team picnic. It’s remarkable I’ve gone on to have any semblance of a career that requires stage performance.

My parents had different approaches to my anxiety. My mother was sympathetic due to her own battles with panic attacks. My father, a child of two Navy parents who moved often, was less tolerant as he was no stranger to being the new kid in class. One day my mom would let me go into school late. The next my dad would be dragging me to the bus stop by my jacket. Both approaches worked. But it was obvious I would have to get over my anxiety inducing fear on my own. Fear of rejection. Fear of failure. Fear of public embarrassment.

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Early gigs are a bit blotchy in memory. Everything was happening so fast and the excitement was so raw that even bad shows felt fine. It wasn’t until shows got a little bigger that I began to consider an audience’s perspective. This made pre-show jitters escalate into physical ailments. What if I suck? Eventually came a performance in New York City - where I did. My buddy, Jahphet, landed us a gig as a special guest on a Hannibal Buress comedy night in Brooklyn. Neal Brennan was there. Leslie Jones. Ilana Glazer. I felt totally out of place and inadequate. Professionally I was coming off a hiatus after clearing the deck with UMG/Schoolboy Records. I had recently put out RetroHash and the project wasn’t garnering much attention. So, here I was attempting to introduce new music to a city that hardly cared for my work in the first place. Nearly the entire audience made their way for the exit when I was announced as the special guest. It resulted in catastrophic in-show banter and crescendoed into pitchy performances of ‘Fast Life’ and ‘Tangerine Girl’ - tunes that are much more enjoyable when people sing along. By the end of the set the crowd of 10 people must’ve only been there out of sympathy — or just enjoyed the bloodbath. One woman shouting, ‘Asher Roth.’ I replied, ‘Yeah?’ ‘I know your mom!’

In the end, I survived. And the experience made me a better performer. Now I’m looking forward to upcoming shows at City Winery that kick off back in New York on May 4th. The nerves may even return as I’ll be trying something new. Performing in an intimate, seated venue as I walk through my discography chronologically - sharing stories similar to the one above. Episodes that give context to certain decisions and how specific songs came about. A lot of which I prefer not to script. At least this time I’ll know the nerves are excitement - and it’s very possible the audience will be feeling the same way!

Hope to see you at a show!

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We moved into a new house a little over three weeks ago. I underestimated how disorienting a reshuffle can be. Finding the right places for things. Prioritizing the kitchen over the bedroom. I still need a dresser.

I’m already beginning to feel restless. I need to establish new routines. It’s easy to view a move as a positive development but re-establishing healthy routines is challenging. Especially with a child’s nap schedule in mind.

I tread lightly because privacy in my personal life is important to me. But after becoming a father 21 months ago I’m only just beginning to process how the transition has affected me. There isn’t much time or attention left over for anything else after a day of being present for the fam. I haven’t written anything of substance in almost a year. My exercise consists of picking things up off the floor. I’m tired by 8 pm. Even though I thoroughly enjoy making up songs on the banjo with the my daughter - bonafide hits like ‘Ode to PB&J’ or “Who’s In The Mushroom House?” - I’m not sure I’m ready to fully pivot to a career in kid’s music :)

Although, I do have some shows at City Winery coming up in May that I feel pretty good about. It’ll be fun to go through my catalogue chronologically with an audience and talk about how songs came to be. And also give fans a chance to hear ‘New Dessert’. However, it’s easy to start daydreaming on a career beyond performance. I woke up the other day craving structure. A job that gets me up and out of the house each day to balance out how much time I spend in it.

Then I think about all the time I get to spend with my daughter. Going on walks to the library and smelling the rosemary bush, looking for dogs, dancing to ABBA and eating berries. I remind myself there’s nothing else I should be doing. This is it. Still I’m conflicted. Absorbing the reality of the new music business messes with the confidence I have in my abilities to provide for the household.

I remedy this uneasiness by creating structure around projects already moving. The U of C Discord begins its new semester on March 26th - meeting every Wednesday @ 6pm est for the next 3 months. (Last semester’s community project ‘Tripping Vol. 1’ is out now with Vol. 2 to follow shortly!) Mondays are for ‘Colonist & Conspiracies’. And I’m sure I’ll be sharing my baseball commentary within the Fantasy Sports channel. Still, the current industry landscape encourages your focus to be almost entirely on you. Endless self promotion. Understandably, a lot of my focus has shifted away from me. And as I circle attention back to creative pursuits - it’s easy to see how my motivation has changed. It’s a little scary to be honest.

But it’s also exciting. The new parameters around life require more discipline. They require better communication with my partner. They require core strength. They demand the structure I’m currently craving. And if done properly I might be able to be finished by 8 pm. I feel the presence of possibility coinciding with the first bloom of Spring. I look forward to checking back in on how I’m able to change with the season.

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I’ll keep you posted!

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This happens all the time, mind you. Two artists collaborate, rappers and producers record together and the songs NEVER COME OUT! It’s happened with me & Pharrell, myself and Pete Rock etc. etc. So, it’s an enormous testament to Logic for being down to release the recordings - and in an unconventional way! Bobby and I both share experience with major label music distribution - so we were eager to tinker with different ways on how to get the music to our audience. Typically when an album or a song is released by an artist we support - we’ll get a push from whatever streaming platform we have on our phones…maybe. Maybe we listen to it. Maybe in headphones or maybe right there through smartphone speakers. Maybe we like it. Maybe we don’t. Maybe we add it to a playlist we created to organize our favorite songs. Maybe we’ll listen to it again.

But wouldn’t it be more fun to get unreleased music directly from the artist you’re interested in? And the only way to hear raps no one else has heard before is to bake a white chocolate raspberry bread pudding. Then send video proof of you attempting to bake the dessert to the artist. It’s the first time you’ve ever baked anything! And even though it didn’t look good, it tasted ok. So the artist gives you a digital dap and mails you a 7’’ vinyl of Unreleased raps over Logic beats.

Some odd days later you receive a handwritten package in the mail that contains the vinyl. You’re excited because getting mail is exciting. And not so long ago you bought a turntable because vinyl music is fascinating and - how does it even work? A needle runs along a groove on a wax rotating disc and sound comes out? That doesn’t even make sense! So you take off your recently played Van Morrison vinyl and replace it with the 7’’ you just received in the mail for baking a dessert. It’s the first time you baked anything and now you want to bake more! Wasn’t that fun!?

Well, for those who didn’t think so - your time is now. Today I’ve made 50 signed ‘New Dessert’ vinyls available on retrohash.com. As well as tickets to a bevy of east coast shows at the local City Winery. We’ve paired our dessert with City Winery to bring a fun, intimate evening of storytelling this May!

I’ve been really encouraged by the participation in the ‘New Dessert’ baking challenge. It’s been a fun experiment releasing music on vinyl only. I doubt I’ll do physical-only releases forever as it’s always great to be able to listen to new jams on the move. But it’s been extremely valuable connecting with my audience and personally sending them the latest recordings.

If you’re interested in first dibs on future unconventional releases - you can stay up to date here. And, as always, our Discord is full speed ahead with daily conversations and collaborations. I look forward to seeing you while I’m out on the road. Maybe we can catch a baseball game together!?

Happy Ash Wednesday!

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It was our sixth consecutive show so we were all beat. Upon arrival we learned the venue didn’t have cymbals for our drum set. Typically, I’d stress. Yet I remember turning to Drew who delivered the news and simply replied, ‘Ok.’ Maybe out of exhaustion or maybe because tour doesn’t really start ‘til something breaks. But also because if worst came to worst I could perform a track show. However, these setbacks usually get resolved. Sure enough, 15 minutes before doors, a friend of the sound guy dropped off cymbals. We refer to these people as ‘angels.’

In averting a potential change in show, knowing Joey wouldn’t play ‘air cymbals’ like we joked, I poured us all a shot of tequila to celebrate our record of six straight shows to start a tour. This came right after receiving one of those montages Apple makes of your pictures and videos. It was of my one year old daughter sent to me by her mother. The video was tough to watch as I’d been gone for a week now, with 2 more to go and mostly dismissed on FaceTime as I’m not as fun on a screen. It was a bittersweet moment celebrating our safety and success on the road.

Cologne was the appropriate place for the support of a community developed on Discord to present itself. It actually began with Adam Cully, who I worked with on ‘Out of My Head’, joining us in Dublin. Then, Miha popped up in Berlin. Then accentuated by Saum and Harbyn visiting us in Cologne. (Louis, better known as Bear., would later join us in London with a gaggle of other U of C Discord members as well!) The cultivation of genuine relationships had brought honest rewards to the job.

Earlier this year, Saum, Harbyn and myself were partnered at random for our Heat Battle competition. We came up with a song, ‘ROAM’ - a note to our children about the importance of adventure despite possible dangers. Through the collaboration process we were able to develop a more personal relationship. Harbyn actually ended up spending with weekend with Saum and his friends in Cologne! But that’s their story to tell. ‘ROAM’ didn’t make it on this semester’s final project ‘TRIPPING Vol. 1’ but here’s a sneak peek for those interested.

I’m not sure why it took ‘til Cologne, Germany to really feel the impact of our Discord community. Maybe it was the distance from home. But artists I’ve met online have been showing up all year! Nova in Columbus, OH and Marcus Smith in Lakewood. Adam Jackson in Richmond, VA. Code Will in Dallas.

I reflect on the year with acknowledgement of getting back what you give. I know it’s rare for artists with certain achievements to reach back to others closer to the starting line. In fact, I recently had to let Logic know how much I appreciate him for giving me a shout and letting ‘New Dessert’ come to light. It just doesn’t happen often. In such a transactional world, I’m delighted to have been curious enough to support others on their journey - as they so clearly were willing to support me on mine.

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Happy Thanksgiving, <3

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After a seriously sweaty performance, I hung around to sign some merch and field recommendations on where to spend the evening. I took a couple photos in the public photobooth making Zürich’s find feel less special and reluctantly declined an invitation to travel deeper into the night for some German techno. I opted to stay with the group on foot, scoop some late night döner and get some rest for our Saturday and Sunday shows. As a result, Joey accidentally dropped his döner, Mac was in the mood for something else and Affro is a vegetarian. A reminder that eating as a group on tour is always a to-do.

A decent sleep and a subpar hotel breakfast had us on the road first thing in the morning. By the time we had reached Münster autumn had completely taken over. The city was covered in deep yellows which made it hard not to wander right then and there. Since our show was on a Saturday and Sunday’s show in Cologne was only 2 hours away we would have some time in the morning to walk around Münster. But first - Skater’s Palace.

Skater’s Palace was another example of Germany’s dedication to arts and culture. A skater’s safe haven straight out of ‘Tony Hawk 2’ also plays host to shows small and large. We would be hosting the smaller room for one of the more boisterous crowds on tour - resulting in my first crowd surf of the week. The green room had our entire hospitality rider as well as a washer and dryer. Our excitement, as well as the staff’s patience, quickly waned after realizing the dryer would take close to 2 hours to complete our load. We may have overstayed our welcome.

The late night laundry debacle didn’t dampen our morning walk, though. The yellows were as prominent as the day we arrived. A quick glance at the map showed multiple cathedrals and landmarks all within walking distance from our hotel. It seemed like around every corner was a cathedral more impressive than the one before. The Münster Cathedral, the city’s emblem, is a medieval cathedral from the 12th and 13th centuries! My favorite, however, was the Gothic Church of St. Lamberti. The iron cages at the top of the church once held the remains of the leaders of Münster’s Anabaptist rebellion during the Reformation!

Our walk through Prinzipalmarkt showcased Münster’s impressive reconstruction of the Gothic and Romanesque facades after the Second World War. The cobblestone streets led us past the Picasso Museum where we popped in with the expectation of seeing some Picassos. However, the museum only bears his name as the exhibition inside highlighted fun, pop culture marketing campaigns from notable artists. It was a pleasant surprise.

Although Münster is known for its cycling, we were able to cover plenty of ground on foot. The cobblestone and cathedrals coupled with full-on fall made for a perfect Sunday morning stroll. We did, however, lose our bearings on the way back in an effort to see more of Münster. It required us to jog a few blocks to not keep Affro waiting. A bicycle would’ve certainly come in handy. In two hours we’d be arriving in Cologne for our sixth straight show.

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With travel and show days combined on this tour, there wasn’t much time for anything else. A quick Google search for a close-by landmark is really all you get. The landmark that caught my eye was the Philosophenweg or The Philosopher’s Walk. It wasn’t far from our hotel so I took the opportunity to see what I could learn about the city of Heidelberg in the shortest amount of time.

It turns out Heidelberg is a student city. It’s home to the oldest university in Germany; and a prestigious one at that. The youth could immediately be seen and felt as kids of all ages rode their bikes through the streets and gathered outside popular cafes. While on foot, I eventually crossed a bridge over the Neckar River en route to Philosophenweg. It was on this bridge I almost lost a leg still getting accustomed to sharing the sidewalk with people riding their bikes with purpose.

I arrived at The Philosopher’s Walk to find it would be a decent, uphill trail through the mountainside. I learned that in the 1800’s, students were still referred to as philosophers, because ‘learning philosophy was a fundamental part of all students’ course of study.’ The path through the vineyards provided fantastic views of Heidelberg’s picturesque landscape which included the Heidelberg Castle.

The path was sought out by students and professors alike as a place to relax and ponder. Even a most famous Romantic poet, Joseph von Eichendorff, studied in Heidelberg and was deeply inspired by the landscape. So much so that the park above the The Philosopher’s Garden is named after Eichendorff.

After catching our breathe and taking one last look at the view we were encouraged to hurry back. Having already been running late for sound check I decided to break a cardinal tour rule in order to save time. I walked back exactly the same way I came.

When we arrived at the venue, Kulturfenster, I noticed it felt similar to a student center. The room we were playing in was tidy and lacked any signature style. Its size and layout seemed more appropriate for poetry readings and acoustic sets. Having just played a show for the Swiss that had certain sound restrictions - I was convinced we would, again, be too loud for the room.

Since Heidelberg was our third show in 3 days I decided it was too much effort to head back to the hotel. So, after sound check I lingered with the staff - mostly students - who’d be working the lights, sound and tickets at the door. I had to cut a meaningful conversation with our light person’s roommate short because early concert goers began to show up. They got a kick out of how easily accessible I was.

Once the show began I noticed something different. I could hear myself! In many smaller venues it’s common I end up having to scream over the sound on stage. But the student sound engineer’s familiarity with the room helped keep our sound in check - providing me the opportunity to speak confidently with our audience. The show was becoming a performance. A storyline through the the early parts of my career and how all roads led to the most recent project, ‘Temporary Heaven.’ I even began to understand my thread a little better - providing a more concise narrative for an audience whose first language was not English.

We made more space for the musicians to mess around and found designated moments to clap, yell and dance. I even asked the audience if any aspiring rappers were present. I invited a timid fan onstage for the open verse on ‘Spaceship’ - a moment usually reserved for rapper friends I know. This is where words no longer serve us. ‘Julez’’ impromptu rap was easily the highlight of the show for me. Slotting Heidelberg as an early favorite for best show of the tour.

I stayed late to hang with the crowd much like I had earlier in the evening with event staff. I learned a lot of long time fans were in the audience - including Julez who has been coming to shows for over a decade. He even brought a photo of him and his brother (who encouraged him to get on stage) for me to sign. The intimacy of the Heidelberg venue coupled with the pleasant surprise regarding sound gave me a boost of confidence heading into Berlin.

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