Plaid Dog Recording Project: Behind the Songs

Lake George

“Lake George” is about my returning to a place as an adult that I developed a deep connection with as a kid. Raised in northern New Jersey, I spent countless weekends in Lake George with my family and our friends, hanging out on the lake, camping, swimming, cliff jumping, tubing, water skiing, laughing uncontrollably, learning to love the outdoors and believing anything was possible. Then I “grew up.” The song is a reflection on how I felt as a kid, how I felt at the time of writing the song (April 2023), and how I felt about some of the ways my life unfolded in the interim. In part, the song is a reminder to myself that it’s never too late to change course and that I can navigate and design my life based on my own timeline.

New Friends

“New Friends” is about the excitement and thrill of making new friends. The song is meant to celebrate the idea and experience of making new friends and their positive impact on your life.

Over the past couple of years I’ve made a bunch of new friends both in Cambridge, Massachusetts and while traveling in the United States and abroad. I love the feeling of connecting with people, learning about their stories and paths, and laughing a bunch as we get to know each other and begin spending more time together.

I wrote “New Friends” after two made new friends instances occurred. I met Eric after I performed a living room show in a house he lived in in Somerville, Massachusetts. We quickly started climbing, surfing, eating tacos and going out together a lot. I met Mike & Hope on a plane about to take off from Boston Logan to the Azores in Portugal. We got along immediately and ended up hanging out with them during the trip!

Shout out to all of the new friends I’ve made over the past few years. You all have lightened my mood and lifted me up in ways you probably aren’t even aware of.

Note: To state the obvious, I love all of my friends. This song is just particular to the feeling of making new friends :)

October

“October” is about my experience meeting and falling for someone while traveling abroad and then navigating feelings over time once I arrived back home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

At the end of August 2023, I was rehearsing in the band’s rehearsal room in Arlington, Massachusetts. After taking a break to catch up with her on the phone I grabbed the guitar to keep rehearsing. Instead, I ended up writing this song over the next hour.

Don’t Be too Hard on Yourself

“Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself” is like a journal entry to my 27 year old (and current 28 year old) self. I was rather depressed and always beating myself up about where I was in life and where I wasn’t, things I’ve done and things I’ve not done. I was navigating my relationship, career, music, and everything else in life - all over the place mentally and physically.

I’m in a much better place now for various reasons. Overall I’m much less hard on myself and it feels better this way. Don’t be too hard on yourself!