Novablog

Novablog #2 

Discovering new music, artists and songwriters takes intention and I've found that the excitement around this has never left me.   I've always looked to seek out the next cool song, killer band or guitar technique being played somewhere.   Recently I had the opportunity to travel to London and my first thought was checking out the music scene and seeing what I could stumble into while in this city.   There is literally so much going on that it can be a bit overwhelming. 

Well it didn't take long to see that Jeff Beck was performing at the Royal Albert Hall so that was a no brainer.   Being a life long guitar player, I was actually amazed at myself for not having ever seen him in concert.   The entire experience was just fantastic - the venue (check it out if you ever have the opportunity) was probably the nicest one I've ever been in for a concert, Jeff Beck was awesome and so smooth, effortless and cool to the bone.  Finally his band, all the players were top tier, diverse in every way and a total pleasure to watch and hear.  I've now built a playlist of his stuff and diving deep. 

Well I couldn't stop there so I decided next to find a small venue, singer/songwriter type listening room and found it at the Troubadour.   I heard about the days Dylan,  Simon & Garfunkel and even Adele had played so had to check it out...it was like going to a private party at a friends basement with an awesome act playing - Ashley Cambell & Thor Jensen.  Never heard of either so it was a total crap shoot and they killed it.   Great vocals, playing, total touch and subtleties rarely heard these days in music.   Left that night with some vinyl (yes, love my albums) and digging in now back in the US.  

Here's to the next adventure in music discovery out there, can't wait - Brian

Novablog #1 

      So excited that Travel Mercies is out in the world making the rounds! It was a long road. The bulk of the recordings were made in 2015 but were left undone by a confluence of circumstances. At the time we put it down, it was fully conceived and recorded. We just needed to get back to remembering where it started and what it needed to be complete.

     We’re two middle aged guys with families and jobs who aren’t trying to be cool or stay relevant, whatever that means. We are entertaining ourselves, exercising our gift for the language of music, communing and hopefully entertaining others while we’re at it. 

      I’ll be adding to this blog weekly. I’ve been inspired by Nick Caves amazing Red Hand Files. Check it out and subscribe whether you’re a fan of his music or not.   https://www.theredhandfiles.com 

      Besides being an incredible artist, Nick is an evolved and eloquent purveyor of the human heart. The exchange he has with fans of his music, and people who are moved by his musings inspires me weekly. I keep those inspirations dear to my heart these days. I don’t take any of these connections for granted. Maybe that’s a function of my age or the crazy times we’re living through. Regardless, I’m excited about opening this window and letting some fresh air into the room. Reach out to us at smokinnovas@gmail.com with any questions or comments about Travel Mercies or anything else happening in Nova world. Looking forward to hearing from you 

   -  Andrew

Travel Mercies  

Each one of the songs in this collection is a travel mercy, a prayer for the traveler. In the coming and the going, we are in the end just passing through - so many lessons life has to confer, so many lives within one lifetime, prayers for us all

- SN