The Same Brand New Moments: the Stories Behind the Songs (Part One)

"The Same Brand New Moments" is, on a surface level, a hodgepodge of topics and musical genres. In many ways, the "album-ness" of this collection of songs is questionable. Ultimately, however, all aspects of this album are representative of me.

Apart from a few exceptions, I wrote these songs in a practice room at Texas Christian University my second semester of freshman year (Spring 2023). Over that summer, I recorded all the songs at Grand Canyon University. And now, you can listen to the whole album on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, or from wherever you stream or buy music. What follows is a glimpse into my motivations for writing these songs: my moments.

Departure (I'll Go)
a song about leaving

This, the first song on the album, is one of the aforementioned exceptions: I actually wrote this song before my spring semester. I actually wrote it even before I moved into my freshman dorm. This song, for me, is about leaving for college.

It was the week before I left Arizona for Texas with my dad to drive all my stuff out to school. I sat down at my keyboard and was just playing around with different chord progressions and GarageBand sounds. The next day, I had a song. That is still the quickest I have ever finished a song. I found the piano part simple and meditative, and the words were just a pure expression of what I was feeling at that time. When I made the decision to enroll at TCU, it seemed so clear, but when I got closer to actually going, I saw everything that I'd be leaving behind and I began to question my choice. These were my feelings.

Now, as a proud Horned Frog in his junior year, I can safely say I made the hard but right and God-ordained choice. Change is always a little (or a lot) knee-knocking, but through God's grace, I was able to grow through it. I made TCU my home away from home, I kept my relationships with some really good Arizona friends, and I found incredible relationships with people at TCU. It is truly still difficult to be miles away from home and I still sometimes think I'm crazy, but my God does still love me, so whatever my next departure is, I'll go.

All Year Long
a song about friends

I had tons of fun writing this one! I don't think anyone could've predicted me rapping, and some might still argue I shouldn't rap, but here we are. My main priority for this song musically was to explore—to do something different than my "norm." And yes, this song has the same vibes as Fireflies, but no, it's not the same (it doesn't even have the same chord progression). The genesis of the song was the loop behind the rap. The high pitched voice singing the title? Yeah, that's a clip of me singing from 2010 with a couple effects thrown on it. I wrote the music around that. 

I love my friends, both old and new, so I knew if I was going to write a song about moments in my life, I have to incorporate all those times just chilling with friends, whether it be at school, at my buddy Miguel's house, or in my college apartment. To me, "summer" in this song is all the time to just be with those people. So, the idea of summer lasting all year long, is possible. Through all my busyness, I strive to make time to be with my friends to do nothing important. That in it of itself is important enough. I am very grateful for my friends.

If There's a Heaven... There's a Heaven
a song about loss

In December of 2022, my grandfather, who I have always known as Papa, received his ultimate healing after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was a truly incredible man who lived a truly incredible life walking with such faithfulness and humility. He was an example to everyone who knew him and I was grateful to have him around as a big part of my life for so long. 

The pain of loss is real, but I didn't think I could write a song as insightful and true to what loss is as my uncle did. Here's what he said about this song that he wrote:

Too few know a man like my dad. Even fewer have the privilege of walking with one for more than 40 years. And precious few are able to call such a man “dad.”  

I wrote this song in his final weeks, as I wrestled with the process of moving my faith from head to heart (and vice versa) in such a moment. 

The conclusions... God is good, heaven is real, cling to truth. 

There’s real vulnerability in admitting those doubts that can creep in, but more importantly, there’s real faith in the comfort found in the truth we know to be true. 

Special thanks to my uncle, James Gottry, for letting me record this personal and profound song.

Promised
a song about praise

Worship music has always been a big part of my life inside and outside of the church. Bob Kauflin, the Director of Sovereign Grace Music, said that a good worship song should be easy to learn and hard to forget. I agree, so as I tried my hand at writing a worship song, I followed the formula I'm used to... with my own flairs here and there. While there are CCM songs that are more technical or poetic, perhaps even more interesting or cool, I love the simplicity and clear purpose of this kind of worship music. 

There are many great worship songs out there about the promises of God and how he keeps all of them. I wanted to write something that spoke to that as well, but also spoke to the power and love of the God doing the promising. It's a beautiful thing to know all things will work out for the good, and we know that God keeps all His promises that are in the Bible, but how much more comforting it is to know He can promise that, because He knows everything that will be!

The starting point for this song was Psalm 16:5-10, from which is much of the chorus. That scripture was my grandfather's testimony to God's faithfulness. In that is the great promise of the gospel, that, if we believe in Him, God will not abandon us, but instead provide a way that our sins may be forgiven and we may have life. And for His great character and all His promises, it seems only fitting that we praise and bless His holy name.

Special thanks to my dad for tracking drums on this one!