There's a lot going on in there

10 random thoughts

With an index and middle finger he gave two firm taps above my right temple, a substitution to the expected greeting of a handshake. There’s a lot going on in there, taking the place of a simple, hello. Where the next person would have received a retaliatory gesture with considerable aggression, I felt complimented and noticed on a more encompassing level beyond the assumption that he had given the new record a listen. He had streamed it and was eager to share his thoughts. These last three weeks have been a remarkable display of support from listeners unpacking the layers presented in the new record. I am left beholden. There’s a lot going on in there.

In this moment the ol’ dome is filled. Where my desire is to formulate greater storytelling arcs for the sake of digestion, sometimes the randomness of thought offers truer insight and is more reflective of the actual inner process. Of my obsessions, organization is one. Bringing order to chaos. And I appreciate chaos, it offers the threads that are meant to be tied.

There’s a lot going on in there.

9 months.
As the moon passed between the earth and the sun, I thought of Dad. And as everyone looked to the heavens, I stared at the ground. I was passed a pair of glasses as we walked by a local watering hole on our way to take our son to the science centre. I peeked through the lens with one eye using more of my periphery than anything. Dad left in a literal flash of blinding white light encompassing the room. No phenomenon, celestial or not, could exceed that experience.

To rest is to train.
After 9 months of jiu jitsu I’ve popped out a rib, been concussed, twisted an ankle, hyper-extended my knee, pulled my groin, jammed my neck and following tonight’s class, sprained my thumb. I need to continue working on my defence. But I’ve learned that to rest is to train. Leading into this album release it was all cylinders firing. Substack campaigns, vinyl release show, music video, single releases, launching a label, producing Lachlan’s album…and packaging it all up to look pretty. As soon as that record dropped, I took a breath. To rest is to train.

Major label strategy.
With all the marketing money in the world do you know the one thing major labels encourage their artists do? Sit down and play the acoustic guitar on TikTok. It gets better; the strategy includes making sure they use the front facing screen camera, the beginning of the video should include the artist pulling their arm back after hitting the record button, jumping immediately into the first verse lyrics, the lower the production the better. The music video is dead. This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop making music videos and it does mean I’m going to play the acoustic guitar on TikTok.

Knuckle-tatts.
For Christmas my Aunt Jeannie gave me a crisp American hundred dollar bill to spend on something that would last. I walked into Carter’s Tattoo in Bowling Green, KY and got I A G L I Y D W across my fists.

I haven’t finished a book in over three years.
We were on the west coast and my brother-in-law asked if I had read The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Giving me the first and second books to the trilogy, I immediately took him up on his generosity and recommendation. I don’t want to say it ruined reading for me but nothing to date has come even close to the literary achievement of that series, and hence, kept my attention. I almost exclusively listen to Audible now and as far as picking up a book and finishing it goes - it’s been over three years.

Check-in on the Base.
Infant The Blake Berglund Show

Album cycles are non-existent.
At least for me. If songs are written to be relevant then there is no expiration date. You think anybody gives a shit how many months have gone by since Blood on the Tracks was released? It was written to be relevant and hence denies the album cycle concept. Bold decisions prevail.

The pursuit of Production.
Watching a concept album come together from an architectural vantage point, getting to guide a listener through a sonic landscape, creating the trails in wordplay and self reference. It is creating relevancy. The writer/producer makes for layers.

The Straight & The Narrow.
I’m still honouring paid subscription upgrades with a free double-vinyl. I just keep mailing folks the new record that come into this world. It’s legit the best way to support and keeps it real for both of us.

Levelling up.
The combination of receiving help and being all in on yourself.

photo by little jack films

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What’s Left of the Right is out. It is a very intentional album. It could have been self-titled. Navigating a love letter to the farm with the new context of Dad being gone has added a complexity that only life reflecting art can make. It’s a late rebellion unfinished by death. 40 year old Blake channeling 15 year old Blake for 8 year old Blake.

There’s a lot going on in there.