“Just Be” was finished in 2016 just after taking my first solo trip to Nashville. I remember sitting on my friend Sydney’s front porch on a beautiful November afternoon, soaking in the inspiring week that I had there, and noodling on a 12 bar blues.
Earlier that year I had finally moved home to Santa Cruz from LA. The years that I lived in LA were long and hard, and when I finally made it out, I wanted nothing to do with the music industry. I just wanted to play gigs and not have to pay the venue to do so.
Upon arriving in Nashville, I immediately noticed the stark contrast between cities. Both music towns, both industry hubs - completely different cultures. Everyone in Nashville was… nice. The vibe when I walked into a writing room with strangers was oddly comfortable. There was a sense of drive and hard work without the energy of busyness. The overall pace of life just felt so much more sustainable.
The lyrics in the first verse are country cliches: “Front porch,” “Dirt Road,” “Cherry Wine.” I wanted it to be obvious that I was talking about Nashville - or just the southern lifestyle in general. I finished this song just days before the 2016 election (eeeeeeee) and so in the second verse I used Hilary’s campaign slogan, “Stronger Together.”
I wanted to write about the importance of taking the time to accept each moment presently, instead of being in a constant desperate search for your place in the industry (or society). At 22, this was a very forign concept to me.
Back in Southern California
Running in a rat race
I was learning how to relax and let go of “the grind” & survival mentality.
I ain’t going back there
Oh, that’s a bed I made
So I’ll sip on some of what he's got
And call it a day
I still travel to Nashville very often, and I do love the city, but I am so happy to be living in a place (Austin, TX) where local music and live shows are the main focus, as opposed to the industry.
We wanted to take a laid back, casual approach to the recording, so we did this whole thing in one take - no overdubs. We even left Wayne’s count in to make the track feel more raw. It's a fun, dirty bar blues jam. I probably listen to this one the most on the album.
