On the morning of Friday the 8th of May I boarded the Black Ball ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. Though I was enjoying my time in British Colombia's Capital City, I couldn’t stop looking out across the water at the United States of America. There in the distance was a place that I could see nothing but opportunity and after feeling it was time to stop wondering, I did. I had been warned of the diversity in the American people and I was very much looking forward to finding out for myself how their culture could inspire my songwriting. As soon as I had boarded the boat I was surrounded by American people and it’s sad to say that most of them were overweight. I was patiently in line to buy some food and I stepped one meter to my right to grab a nice healthy salad from the fridge and Olde Mate American was unwilling to let me back in my previous position… I just laughed to myself… really? Are you that desperate to get your hotdog and fries before I can buy my salad? Straight away it was obvious that I was heading to a place where arrogant people were plenty.
After arriving in Port Angles of Washington State I begun to drive through the Olympic National Park. The sun was shinning while the wind was smooth, before too long I was surrounded by serene beauty. Lake Crescent and its deep royal-blue water was just beside me as I made my way towards the western coast. After a couple hours of driving on the ‘wrong side’ of the road I could finally see and look out over the Pacific Ocean. This was rather mesmerizing as I had grown up on the other side & end of this great mass of water. I followed the coast for another hour or so and decided it was time to relax and set up camp at a place called Kalaloch. While reading a book in the basking sunshine with the roaring ocean in the background I looked up when someone asked me “What are you reading young man?” and there I met a friendly fellow named Bradley. We conversed for a bit as he was extremely impressed that I had come all the way from New Zealand and it reminded him of how much he had loved his time traveling 'down under'. As Brad nursed his cigar he gave me some vital advice of where and where not to go during my journey and for that I was grateful. As he continued on his way I was relieved to feel the faith that there are friendly people living in America, and I was very much looking forward to meeting more of them.
The next morning ‘May 9th’ I woke early and begun driving to Aberdeen. This was a place I had to visit as it is the home town of the most influential artist in my life, ‘Kurt Cobain’. I had listened to his music through my teenage years and always wondered what it was that made him feel the need to express so much pain and emotion through his art… well I found Aberdeen to be a grey old rundown town and it all made perfect sense when I drove through. Everyone seemed to wander the sidewalk staring down with a hood up or hat on… it really did feel depressing. I went into McDonalds for a spot of breakfast and I found myself sitting next to group of old loggers having their morning coffee...
“Now you owe me a favor from when I gave you work when you needed it… well my refrigerator is broken and I want you to fix it, don’t tell me anything about it just come by and look at it.”
Effortlessly eavesdropping… I was straight up 'shocked' with how these people spoke to each other… gee how hard is it to ask someone nicely? I finished my breakfast and headed for the comfort of the road.
That afternoon I crossed the Astoria Bridge and into the state of Oregon. The landscape slowly started becoming a lot like the Hunter Valley in Australia… Lush green bush coating easy rolling hills. I set up camp at a place called Anderson Park in the Vernonia Valley and it is here I begun writing this travel blog. Time to get some sleep…
Portland tomorrow!
I was woken early by the cool brisk deep valley air and felt very much welcomed to a new and yet to exiting day. I got back on the road early and made my way into the Oregon City of Portland. Here I had some work to do… My plan was to stay in Portland until I completed the CD replication & manufacturing of my new album ‘Cordial’. Phil (Bootleg Recording) and I made a plan to release the album to the North American College Radio Market. But It’s a Sunday so work can wait… I had arrived too early to check into my hostel so I got on my skateboard as I felt the urge to explore Portland. It wasn’t long until I realised why people call it the weirdest city in the USA. All sorts of people were wandering around… I headed for the Burnside skatepark for somewhere to go and as soon as I arrived I witnessed junkies supplying junkies with nasty narcotics and I concluded that this was not a safe place to be, so I continued on back towards the City Centre. The weekend markets were setting up so I thought it would be a good idea to get my guitar out and busk… It’s been a while since I have cracked up the courage to play on the street but I really am over caring… I’ve come way to far to be nervous about disturbing people and so I launched into it and everything went as smooth as butter. I handed out a few copies of The Drifting EP and some people were nice enough to throw me dollar or two. After I had finished an old man named Paul approached me while holding his guitar. He told me He had lived in Portland for his whole 61 years and I was honored to have met a true local. He showed me around the Markets, bought me a coffee and introduced me to some very friendly people. As the afternoon rolled in I headed back to the hostel and had my first shower in 3 days, haha.
As the business week commenced there was no time to waste, I had scouted out a CD manufacturing company called NWMedia and at their opening hour on Monday morning I was there offering my proposition. Sure enough Jeanne and Jonathan were interested in taking on my project and we got straight to work organising the album artwork templates. After three consecutive days of trial and error we had it looking exactly how I envisioned and the light’s flashed green for the design to go to the production plant. I ordered 200 copies of ‘Cordial’ and they were set to be ready for collection within 48 hours.
While waiting for my order I decided to take a day trip to Mount St Helens with a girl named Darian and a dude named Oliver. We were discussing over breakfast and I was surprised to learn it wasn’t very far from Portland. So we took the opportunity to go and see the aftermath of a great Volcanic eruption that took place in the late 1980’s and it was absolutely spectacular! Although it was overcast it was still very cool to be there… to see the how the hot molten rock had reshaped the landscape and altered lives of people living there at the time. The visitors centre contained interesting information that related the Washington State Volcanic Platue with New Zealand and Japan, both places I have been and come to love. It really is overwhelming to learn about the power of the Pacific Ocean and how similar the landscapes are that contribute to it’s border.
Upon returning to Portland I was informed that my 200 copies of ‘Cordial’ would be ready for collection the following morning. So the next day I went and collected my order along with several padded envelopes to commence a mail out to 93 college and university radio stations across the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Colorado. Phil Sawyers had been working extremely hard gathering contact details for particular people for us to send my music to in order to approach our desired market.
After addressing the packages for all 93 radio stations my hand was extremely sore… I haven’t scribed that much text in forever! But the time passed as it always does and the job was much closer towards completion. All that was left was to take all the parcels down to the Portland post office for sending and at no surprise of mine I was greeted with a ‘jaw drop’ from the postman at the counter… He was not expecting to begin his quiet Saturday morning pricing up 93 parcels! But I explained my situation… Told him that these are going to the same radio stations that launched bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, R.E.M, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins and recently the Lumineers… Slowly he saw reason in sending so many parcels and in the end wished me luck towards my endeavours.
Now the waiting game begins…
Phil Sawyers will hopefully be bombarded with emails expressing interest in our project. I’ve decided to roam the Californian coast until I’m hopefully invited into a radio station to perform and promote ‘Cordial’.
I’m feeling excitement fuelled with anxiousness… but honestly I’ve done all I can do… Please America! Listen… and give one damn determined dude a chance… It’s all I ask.
It was agreed that we shouldn't expect any response from the college radio mail out for at least a month and that I should try forgetting about it for now. So since leaving Portland I have been trying to direct my focus towards slowing down my mind to a pleasant and patient pace. The Californian Redwoods were a great place to start...
As I noticed everything getting more expensive, competitive and complicated. It was getting harder to find a suitable place to sleep in my van for a night. It felt as though there were many more authorities about maintaining ‘order’ and something they seemed to get a kick out of was stopping people like me trying to live cheap… yet your allowed to sleep on the street? are they encouraging me to lose my van and feel even more detached and lost in an oh so lonesome place?
Thinking along that thought train I begun to write…
“The appearance of the law...
It’s all another metaphor, they want to make us all poor…
They’re politely culling the population and deliberately distinguishing the distance between it’s different demographics.
The price keeps rising while the wage becomes more worthless, filtering out the one’s who do not have a choice
They say they’re caring for the homeless but there are more and more living like this
They’re intentionally increasing the numbers in poverty so people can feel as if they’re dying at the feel of their own fault
But they’re the ones who are killing you, why else would they make it all harder to do?
They say you can’t even sleep in your car… But It’s ok to sleep on the street?
I guess It's another country's way of dealing with society's sensitive and serious issues.
Representation of a third world nation in deliberate disguise it seems all truth is laced with lies…
If you’re not sold then don’t believe.
The greatest country in the world? If you’re talking geographically…
But demographically your capitalistic culture has created the most separated society ever
The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer..
That don't seem right to me.
They want more to be poor so they can feel better about being wealthy
Because deep down they’re only lonely
Material is coating their misery
Dependent on the variables maintaining a beneficial trend
You have nothing to lose
They just don’t know what to choose
Your emotions are real
They can’t understand how they feel
Wrapped up in fear of what will eventually make them like you
Weary and worried cause in the end that’s probably what the world will do.”
I have enjoyed spending time cradling the comfort of the coast, a place called Morro Bay has been the highlight so far. Upon arriving I was in need of a cup of coffee and a reassessment of my road trip itinerary...
I wandered into the visitors center. A very positive and enthusiastic woman named Sharon was working and I couldn’t have received a better welcome. Sharon assisted me in getting a performance slot that night at a local venue called the Otter Rock Cafe, this was beneficial as I needed to practice some new songs I have been working on. I was invited to stay with her family and this was very helpful because after a few days camping & hiking in the Big Sur area I was worn out, low on clean cloths and in need of a rest.
After enjoying some homely comfort I feel it’s time to keep moving because my feet are always itchy and it would also be unethical to overstay such a warm welcome.
So, I then decided to visit the music shop to purchase a battery powered busking amp and during the next part of my journey I will be traveling the Interstate Highway 15 north west bound for Denver, Colorado. I want to attempt performing on a street of a different town everyday for as long as takes me to reach the American Rocky Mountains.
I feel this will distract my mind for the time being as I look forward to hearing feedback from our recent radio station mail out.
Change of plans… as usual, I have changed my mind and changed direction.
It was a warm afternoon in the nestled town of Los Osos, finally the morning mist had burned away allowing the magnificent Morro rock to be seen standing bold in the distance. A stunning setting indeed for an early evening drive down the coast of California, so I packed up my belongings and started towards Malibu. I could no longer ignore my curiosity to experience the powerhouse of Los Angeles. Well that evening after my sunny coastal cruise I slowly came within the outer limits and before I could even comprehend I was surrounded by far too many other vehicles… My personal space had been invaded, cars and trucks were everywhere riding bumper to bumper. After thinking that this was certainly NOT what I signed up for, of course I took the wrong freeway because I was somehow in the wrong lane and it seemed impossible to change. Well I missed Malibu all together and ended up somewhere on Ventura Boulevard… With no more patience I simply pulled over wherever I could and that happened to be the parking lot of a storage complex. Tired, fatigued and vigorously frustrated I gave up fighting the day and tried to sleep. I woke at an early hour before the sun rise and the city was quiet, calm and in the smallest way, inviting. I slid on down to the control room and begun driving around the streets of LA. With a fresh thought train running I was able to navigate my way towards the coast where I found Venice Beach. While the dawn was breaking I went for a morning skate along the beach side boardwalk. A happening place it was, even at this early hour… Street sleepers were waking and shop owners were opening, I felt a very desperate vibe in Venice. Someone tried to sell me what he called ‘Vodka’ and I had to let him know that it looked more like urine… He took the hint and thankfully stopped humbugging me.
I then headed back to my van to park elsewhere, in no way could I afford an overpriced parking ticket. I moved north into Santa Monica and found an all day parking lot right next to the famous Promenade on 3rd Street. I grabbed my guitar and set up for a morning busk and It so happened to be the worst busking session I’ve ever attempted… No one gave a flying fuck and couldn’t give two shits if I was playing music or begging. I felt no sense of community, no sense of comfort, hatred was brewing for Los Angeles. I packed up then wandered for a while and I could see how plastic the place really was. Everyone was so absorbed by the 'rat race' of the cloning city life, I had to get the hell out of there. But of coarse It wasn’t as easy as just driving away, I was trapped right in the middle of a massive madhouse. With a mighty red rash beginning to spread from behind my right knee, things were getting tense, I knew no one and begun to feel I had nowhere to go… Alone and uncomfortable in the heart of California, I headed straight back to Morro Bay and smoked a big fat joint with my friend Stevo. He was able to inform me that the rash on my leg was indeed Poison Oak and that I was in for a rough fortnight.
Sure enough the Poison Oak spread all around my legs and then my arms… ITCHINESS beyond all belief! And every time I gave in and had a scratch, I was spreading it… AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!
I headed over to Los Osos and caught up with Sharon and I asked her advice regarding my Poison Oak situation. Sharon, David and Gayle were extremely kind and hospitable to my situation. Again, they gave me a place to rest in order to overcome the Poison Oak… Sleeping in the van with my skin in this condition was not very suitable. I spent an entire week with my wings down, I had become idle and worried about my whereabouts. In my boredom and frustration I begun searching for more ways to gain attention to my new album ‘Cordial’ and I was lucky enough to come in contact with Angela from Muddypaw Publicity. Angela is now officially commencing a three month media release campaign for ‘Cordial’ to build a public profile for the promotion of my music.
After recollecting myself and finally becoming focused it was time to start moving. To pass the time of the publicity campaign I have set sail eastbound along the Interstate Highway 40 towards Arizona.
Lets wait and see what lies beyond the desert setting horizon :-)
A Day at the Grand Canyon was first on the agenda after driving all the way from Los Osos the day before. I woke up to the sound of large diesel engines as the American Long Haul Truckers begun their pre trip inspections at the road stop I was lucky enough to find before the sun was completely set for the evening prior. It’s always a relief to come across a truck stop to park for the night, with other travellers around in sufficient numbers I find it easier to relax on into a good night sleep… and they are FREE!
I got moving early and made it to the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon before the heat of the day. A hike down the Bright Angel Trail sounded adventurous so I packed my backpack and begun the long repetitive switch back decent down into the Canyon. As easy as it seemed you can’t forget that you must have enough energy and supplies to make it back up, I had sufficient water and some ham steak to keep me going but I wish I packed a little more variety… I don’t really want to eat ham again after that day but nevertheless it had the nutrients and energy I needed to survive the extreme heat scorching beyond the minimal shade on offer. I’ve experienced summer’s in Australia’s Northern Territory and this day in Arizona very much compared.
All of the Grand Canyon Campgrounds were full that evening so after replenishing the salts the sun had sucked out of me I continued on North towards Colorado. By nightfall I made it a remote Arizona town called Kayenta and was far to exhausted to continue driving. This town had a very unsettling vibe and nothing felt safe about it… I would have liked to keep moving but after the extreme Grand Canyon Hike and many hours on the road, I really needed sleep. After being hassled for help by a rough looking person at the service station I was on edge… I found McDonalds, parked there and set up for a power nap. Not ideal but better than driving fatigued. I woke to the sun burning through my rear window and feeling very refreshed I ate some breakfast and commenced driving. I always love sunny mornings when on the road, they’re filled with possibility and ideas of how to try and make the most from the approaching day.
On this day I was going to make it into Colorado. A place I have long been wanting to experience. I’ve listened and learned from a lot of music inspired by the the mountains of Colorado and I wanted to gather my own inspiration. I made it out of Arizona while watching the mountains draw closer… It was like the desert was shoved upwards and the rich redness was consistent throughout the extreme cliff faces… I had finally reached the American Rocky Mountains. Both altitude and colour individualized this landscape from the Canadian Rockies. Mesmerized by the scenery I continued on into the town of Telluride. To my surprise the Annual Bluegrass Festival was gearing up and I was able to park in the campers car parking free of charge, little did they know I did not have a ticket to the festival and was quietly sleeping in my car. This was absolutely ideal as it gave me a free park in a freedom filled place for a week. After parking up I met two brothers from Denver named Jake and Alec, both very cool and adventurous individuals. We explored together over the week and learned from each others backgrounds and stories. Being from a Native American family their experiences were very interesting indeed. 
After meeting and watching many extremely talented musicians it was yet again time to keep moving. My first night out of Telluride, camping in the Colorado National Forrest I begun to feel the time to leave the USA was approaching. I was again on my own, giving into unsettling thoughts, everything was costing far too much money, I had a long way to go to get back to Canada… I started North at a fairly fast pace. Yellowstone National Park was a place I had always wanted to visit and lucky enough it was on the route I had taken north. As beautiful as it was I was starting to become less enthused from sight seeing, I guess I have simply seen and experienced too much in short time and my brain was becoming overloaded from it all.. or maybe it really was time to get back to Canada. The last two days driving north through Montana where slow and relaxing, a very baron landscape but nevertheless nice in it’s own way. I headed into the Glacier National Park and commenced the border crossing back into Alberta. Although Canada is not my home it was still warm to be back in the hands of a commonwealth settlement, far more comforting than the United States to say the least.
The USA felt to me like a land for the selfish man, unsafe, unpredictable but equally full of opportunity.
Enter at your own risk.