In July 2011, I went to Austin Texas to make a record. The Hold Steady was on a four month break, and I wanted to try something a little different. Earlier in the year, I had written a bunch of songs that
were outside of the norm for The Hold Steady, a little quieter and perhaps more narrative. I also wanted to gain some experience and insight into the process of making a record by working with new
people.

It was July in Austin. It was hot. Really hot.

I had enlisted Mike McCarthy to produce the record. I really admire his work and his thoughts on songs and recording. Prior to arriving, I had sent Mike acoustic demos of 23 songs. They were very rough
recordings, just acoustic guitar and vocals recorded live into my aptop. The songs had mostly been written in the first half of 2011, when I was experimenting with trying to write a new song every day.

When I arrived in Austin, we trimmed the list down to 14 songs and made simple but good sounding recordings of each of these, each live with just acoustic and vocal.  Then we talked about possible
instrumentation and arrangements. We listened to records. We conceptualized and talked about what we were hearing in our heads. We sketched out rough ideas

The next Monday, four musicians showed up: Josh Block, Jesse Ebaugh, Ricky Ray Jackson, and Billy White. Mike had chosen them, and he chose well. We said hellos and got to work. We moved quickly. I would show them the song and they would learn it, and quickly we were rolling tape. I sang the vocals live in the studio, something I hadn't really done before. I don't believe any song took more than three takes. These players brought a ton of enthusiasm and energy to the recording. It was really exciting to watch and hear them play together. We averaged a couple songs a day. By that Friday evening we had 14 songs tracked, including the vocals. We spent a few days listening and then did a few overdubs. We drove around in Austin, listening to rough mixes.

I left Austin three weeks after I arrived. It was still really hot.

When considering the songs as a whole, I realized that a lot of the songs deal with displacement, and people that are struggling while out of their element or comfort zone. A lot of the songs are about being alone. This is all pretty fertile ground for a musician that spends a lot of time on tour. It's also telling about the way we made this record, going to a friendly but fairly unfamiliar place to work with all new people.

About the songs, from my perspective:

The album opener “Apollo Bay” was inspired by a week I spent by myself driving around Australia.

“When No One's Watching” is a story about co-dependency and someone who almost successfully conceals their parasitic nature.

“No Future” is about depression, and the act of moving forward and going through the motions without feeling anything.

“New Friend Jesus” imagines Christ as a cool new buddy, offering salvation and friendship in a time of confusion.

“Jackson” is wondering about the whereabouts of an old companion, and fearing the worst.

“Terrified Eyes” is a couple's frightening realization that they are on a path to destruction, and that they are unable to get off that path, despite harsh consequences that they have already faced.

“Western Pier” is the first song I wrote for this record. It speaks of Jesus as a fair and honest judge, offering forgiveness and salvation to anyone, no matter how much they have sinned.

“Honolulu Blues” was very much inspired by Joan Didion's awesome novel Democracy. It is a song about profiteering and other unsavory behaviour that often takes place at the far reaches of all parts of our territory. It is also about the poverty and edginess amongst the natural beauty in many tourist destinations.

“Rented Room” is about the bleakness of living under someone else's roof in your mid 30s. The feeling of never being at home, even when technically home.

“Balcony” is  the story of a relationship that starts and ends with unfaithful acts.

“Not Much Left of Us” is a breakup song about a couple that can't quite break up for financial and survival reasons.

So, in a nutshell, it's heartbreak and faith and faithlessness and hope and hopelessness and love and booze and depression and Jesus. Business as usual, I guess.

I'm calling this record “Clear Heart Full Eyes”. It's a junxtaposed reference to Friday Night Lights, a TV show that excited and moved me and also happened in Texas. Further, “Clear Heart” signifies honesty
and transparency, and “Full Eyes” suggests experience. Thus, it's about being optimistic and open without succumbing to the weariness or doubt that comes with age and experience. To me, that is what it's all about.

I hope you enjoy the music. I am very proud of it.
Thank you.