Creating Anew was a breath of fresh air for me – quite literally a new beginning. I released Anew in March 2019, and I’ll never forget the feeling of that day. After the grand journey of Formless Edge, I felt an urge to do something a little different with Anew. I wanted this album to be more song-based and accessible, while still carrying the depth and diversity of my long-time listeners. In practical terms, that meant slightly shorter tracks, stronger melodic hooks, and more vocals/lyrics that people could connect with. I set out to craft an experience that moves through every emotion and leaves the listener feeling satisfied, curious, and full of wonder. And yes, as cliché as it sounds, I wanted it to come straight from the heart.

It starts quite dark and minimal and gradually blossoms into light – mirroring the journey of overcoming fear and finding truth. The opening track “Remain” is a deep, moody piece that was directly inspired by my favorite quote from Frank Herbert’s Dune: “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer… Only I will remain.” From that point of confronting fear, the album shifts. The second track “Broken Sun” is my sonic interpretation of humanity facing climate change – a heavier theme – it has an urgent, almost cinematic tension to it as if something once whole is fracturing. Then comes “Breath of Shadows,” which is all about metamorphosis through desire. Fun fact: on that track I merged my own voice with a synth, creating this otherworldly vocal effect. I repeat these jumbled phrases, “I want it all. We want it all. You want it all,” which is like the inner voice of craving looping and looping illustrating how desire can consume us. As Anew progresses, it begins to soften and open up. Around the middle, with the song “Soothe,” there’s a turning point. “Soothe” is really a song about passion and surrender; it lets the album exhale into a more downtempo, lush space. From there, the emotional palette shifts toward release and acceptance.

I co-wrote “Winter Leaves” with an incredibly talented friend, David Peter Mellish, who plays acoustic guitar on it. It’s about death and the beauty of reaching a place of acceptance with it. It has this gentle, haunting quality and David’s guitar alongside my production just creates magic. Another highlight is “All the Light.” I wrote that as a love letter to Mother Nature. It’s a song about witnessing the destruction of the environment but choosing to see and create light in the darkness. Finally, the album concludes with “The Reveal,” which is actually my personal favorite track on Anew. I see it as the culmination of the album’s journey: the final transformation of emotion into life itself.

I have to mention the story behind the album title, Anew. I was agonizing over what to call this collection of songs. Nothing felt quite right. Big thanks to my brilliant wife Michele who one day casually suggested, “Why not call it Anew?” It was like a light bulb went off. Anew… of course! It fit perfectly, capturing both the fresh start energy of the music and the personal renewal I experienced during its creation. 

Another aspect I adore about Anew is the album artwork. My cousin’s husband, Daniel Beltrá, is a renowned photographer, and he contributed an astonishing aerial photograph for the cover. It’s an image of the Amazon rainforest from above, with one single bright white tree standing out amidst a vast sea of green. People often assume it’s Photoshopped, but it’s 100% real – an unaltered shot that Daniel took while on assignment. That lone tree among the forest felt symbolic to me: a beacon of uniqueness in a broad landscape.

TRACK LISTING:

1. Remain

2. Broken Sun

3. Eulogy

4. Breath of Shadows

5. Loose

6. Soothe

7. Red Horizon

8. Lives to Live

9. Infinities

10. Winter Leaves (feat David Peter Mellish)

11. All the Light

12. Abiogenesis

13. Noumenon

14. Me She

15. Flight of Flame