It was May 9th, 2020 during the beginning of quarantine here in the U.S. when I had recently finished and previewed a draft of new song of mine I was working on called "Stuck In Quarantine". Shortly after I was approached by Nik Whitcomb who eagerly encouraged me to put together a "sung from home" original album, that would feature a group of handpicked stage actors singing some of my unheard and newer pieces. The idea was to make it feel like theatre from home. Each individual recording their songs by whatever means they preferred or had available to them from home (As so to avoid the potential spread of COVID).
Coincidentally I didn't have a great pull of newer songs, and many of the old ones I didn't deem to be good enough. I mean after all, they were unheard for a reason ;). So I got to work writing new and exciting songs and drastically remastering old songs from lyrics to vocal arrangement.
Many of the songs you will hear in this album were written over several months following Nik's pitch of the idea. Some songs, heard before, have been remastered and rearranged with new orchestrations.
And all of them were mixed together by my dear friend Jay Srygley who was already swamped with many other projects at the time and throughout the albums development.
I hope you enjoy this collection of songs brought to life by an outstanding cast from acting ability to vocal prowess. I honestly couldn't have done it without them, nor could I have been blessed with a kinder and more uplifting collection of skilled performers.
credits
released March 6, 2021.
Vocalists:
Analisa Swerczek, Bailey Carlson, Jay Srygley, Katie Porter, Mackenzie Zielke, Marcel Daly, Nik Whitcomb, Roni Shelley Perez, Scott Van Den Top, Zhomontee Watson.
Mixed by:
Jay Srygley.
Put together by:
Nik Whitcomb & J. Isaiah Smith.
Songs, lyrics, composition, arrangements & tracks by:
J. Isaiah Smith.
