We’ve officially been given the green light to record the next Allen Stone album!

We’ll be posting up at Sound Emporium here in Nashville for a couple of weeks end of this month. It’s been a LOOOOONG time since the band’s released new music, and I hope my unnecessary use of all caps and extra letters conveys an accurate excitement level. After all, you can’t see me doing my happy dance (arhythmic pelvic thrusting, FYI).

It’s a wonderful thing, having the music industry machine working on your behalf, with the obvious result being more people in the room and opinions flying around. We’re all delicate emotional flowers goddamnit, and we (read, I) need nurturing. I always tell young musicians that if management and label say something’s going to take a month, expect six. And this has been every bit the case with our record.

The thing is, if you’re signed or thinking of signing with a label, booking agent, manager, etc, your thing doesn’t really get off the ground unless everyone’s on the same page. Your manager could be genius, but if the label’s kicking rocks at the project, well, there’s no project. Your booking agent could be a gem, but if the manager’s routinely disappearing on coke benders, that’s…um…suboptimal.

It’s hard work lining up the right team. My experience with management and labels has been good across the board, thankfully. But people are people- we all move at different paces, communicate uniquely and only push forward when we’re ready. It’s not surprising, then, that a few dozen people take more time than, say, one. Meaning you, you sonofabitch.

So, relax. As an artist, patience is a virtue. You’ve written the best record in the world, own the most expensive leather jacket and are brimming with confidence and enthusiasm. Hooray for you! But keep that shit under control. I don’t know, take up tennis or something. Maybe start a daily newsletter, hypothetically. Absolutely be a voice in the room, but if you’re fortunate enough to have a team working your project, let them be people. Give them space to process, listen, and fall in love with your art. When it’s time to go, really time, then you’ll GO and your life will never be the same. But you need help pulling that off. Don’t alienate your team by being an over eager douche.

I’m thankful for:

-Red Wine

The cheap shit from Trader Joes, in particular. I’m nothing if not classy.

-The Allen Stone Beanie I’m Currently Wearing

It’s cold. I have big ears.

-Chicken Thighs

A third of the price of chicken breast, and WAY tastier.

January 6! It’s a vibe, ya’ll!