Ephemera: What is it? Who does it? How’d It Get Here?

It seems that, over the past several years, I’ve spent my time doing everything but making records. Although I’ve been aching to get back into the studio, I’ve known that it wasn’t time—until now.

Many of you know that this past March, I temporarily moved back to Jackson, Ms to partner with my Mom in her journey through intensive cancer treatment. The treatment is nearing its end and has proven to be successful. Both of these things are, as you can imagine, incredible blessings.

I’ve returned (part-time) to Nashville to record a full-length project, do some teaching, and see my friends again. But I didn’t leave Mississippi before making a little gift for you—a gift which will hopefully commemorate the past while celebrating the hope of the future. This gift is called Ephemera.

I carefully considered several simple, conservative titles which would require little explanation…Jackson, Magnolia Epiphanies, and ContEmPlations were a few of our favorites. Then, in the eleventh hour, our Web Majesty Rebecca said, “What about Ephemera?”

After some extensive internet research, I was hooked! First and foremost, the letters “E” and “P” which appear first in Ephemera, perfectly predict the sort of project this will be. (For those who don’t know what an EP is, it is an abbreviation for “Extended Play” and refers to a project which is shorter in length than a regular 10-song record. 10-song vinyl albums used to be called LP’s which stands for “Long Play.” Wikipedia can probably tell you why this is the case; I, unfortunately, cannot.)

Ephemera is a simple, intimate projecct with only vocals, piano, and acoustic guitar. Most of the songs are originals, and will likely appear with full production on the next studio project. The remaining few are some of my favorite songs from other artists like Stevie Wonder and Carol King.

When I researched ephemera, I found the most fasinating—and relevant—definitions. For those who, like me, missed this word in vocabulary class, ephemera describes things which are short-lived and not intended to be preserved—like an old TV show which was broadcast before archiving was possible, a note written on a scratch pad, a special postage stamp created and sold for only a short time, or even a flower which is here today and gone tomorrow.

Many ephemera are collectors’ items, and some are junk. One of Wikipedia’s definitions for ephemera is “transitory.” (And just by the way, I’d love to meet the web-savvy wordsmith who is diligent and dedicated enough to write out an intelligent explanation on “ephemera” for Wikipedia.)

This particular Ephemera is a collection of songs which were written while I was learning about the ephemeral qualities our lives possess. We are here but for a moment. We might be considered collector’s items, or we might be tossed out with other unimportant matter. It’s up to us. But the best part is that God promises us much more than an ephemeral existence should we receive it.

On a lighter note, this project will only be around for a short while. As it is a gift to my fans and friends, it is meant to provide insight into the last several years of my life, while also offering you something special that will be replaced when the new project is finished.

I hope you enjoy listening to these new songs as much as I enjoyed creating them. I’ll tell you more about each one in the coming days.

Blessings and love to you all.

(Album Art – Grace Ellis Barber, Album Font – Jellyka Castle’s Queen)