What the song means to me.....

I wrote and recorded this song in March 2020. I had been home for a couple months of planned time off already. 2019 was a great work year and 2020 was pretty much booked and looking good. I had updated all of my workflows and templates for work and caught up with work on the house I had been missing out on. I started to focus on music as my time was freeing up a bit. Then, it happened to us all, the chaos of the world kicked in with little notice. Gigs were cancelling daily and before I knew it my entire calendar had been cleared and remains empty indefinitely.

I had financial obligations, the fear of the unknown, and the general panic of the world all knocking on my door. I was not sleeping or eating well and the stress was building steadily. As I have, in many of my darkest times I leaned into music hard. It gave me something positive and creative to focus on. I made it my job 9 to 5.

The song begins with mystery and the unknown lurking, the calm before the storm. This is the jumping off point. Something is coming. Then it begins, the chaos. Holding on by my fingernails trying not to be thrown off. Taking twists and turns as the situation unfolds. Struggling with reality, denying what is happening, I can think my way out of this, if I just worry enough I'll come up with the solution. The bridge of the song represents my surrender to the situation. A breath of much needed air. I accept the situation we are in. I surrender to the worlds events and my life situations. If I fight it I will be destroyed. I don't have to like it but I know there's no amount of my stress, worry, or sleepless nights that can change the reality of the world. The symptoms I'm feeling are self induced. I can only change myself.

After a brief moment of this feeling it's back into the chaos for another spin. This is the cycle that I have been living in. Living on one edge or the other and often somewhere in between. The more I live in acceptance and surrender of the things that I have no control over, the more peace I have in my life. This is where I want to be.

If you've made it this far you probably have the patience to listen to a 7 1/2 minute song. If you did, I hope that you dig it and can relate to the meaning in someway or another.

Thank for listening, see you on the next song.

Diesel

Lyrics - Justin T Freeman & Philip Kay

Vocals – Serouj Guidanian

Drums, Guitar, Bass - Justin T Freeman

Lead Guitar - Roman Nemtsev

Thank you guys! This would not have come together without all of you doing your parts.

This one is personal. It is for my road brothers, sisters, and myself. This year has been beyond challenging for us. Our way of making money has been taken away and our lives have been altered. It has been hard. I struggled to find my bearings for many months. I wrote sad songs and struggled with anxiety and fear of the unknown. I am lucky and grateful that I have found my bearings (mostly) and have reached a relatively level and stable point. Others are not so lucky. I feel for you, I miss you, and I say this……..We are some of the strongest people on the face of the earth. We move mountains. We bring strength out of each other that wasn’t there before. We are like family. We bring happiness to people. We give them something to look forward to. We are strong. There is no one that works harder, plays harder, or has the endurance and fortitude to pull off what we can. We will be back. If we can get through all that we have in life and our careers so far we can get through this. You can’t bring us down. I love and miss you guys very much. I cannot wait until we are side by side moving mountains again.

This song tries to embody the thrill and excitement of being on the road with any production. The good feelings that keep us coming back and fills us with love for what we do. I hope it brings out some fight in those that are struggling and reminds all of us why we continue to follow this path. This is a war cry for out of work roadies. We’re coming back, and when we do you better watch out because we are going to be harder and stronger than ever before.

Please share this with anyone that you think might enjoy it or needs a lift in their road spirit.

Until next time, Justin

Lyrics.....

Coming in so fast

We can sleep when we’re dead

Where are we again?

One foot in the gutter

Others up on the stage

Live behind barricades

Boots on the ground

The smell of diesel injects

Hard to the core

Set it up send it out

Then onto the next

I love the smell of diesel

In the morning straight off the bus

It’s just a normal life for us

I’ve got my finger on the trigger

Watch your ass truss going out

Aint got no time to fuck about

All the coppers thrown

And the rigs in the sky

Systems standing by

Time to show everybody

What it’s about

Bodies crashing the doors

High voltage flows

1200 amps engaged

Anticipation

House light cue is a go

So let it begin

I love the smell of diesel

In the morning fresh off the bus

It’s just a normal life for us

I’ve got my finger on the trigger

Watch your ears she’s about to blow

It’s all just part of the big show

Makers of the myth

So let the show begin

Makers of the myth

Rolling like a force of nature

Makers of the myth

So let the show begin

Makers of the myth

Rolling like a force of nature

Aluminum overcast

And the backline is struck

Now hurry it up

Load in was fast

But we strike like lighting

Get me to the bus

Hammers and pins

Bus fires up again

Grinding in the back lounge

With not even

One more fuck to give

Shows in the bag

I love the smell of diesel

In the morning fresh off the bus

It’s just a normal life for us

The roads hum goes on and on

And my soul is up for rent

Aint got much time

Till we do it again

Aint got no time

Im coming through

Make a hole for rock n roll!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music and audio production by Justin T Freeman Lyrics, vocals, and video production by Philip Kay

~Philip Kay~

We have reached a point of perpetual societal imbalance which has exposed a vast gaping chasm between the haves and have nots.

This song expresses and acknowledges blood sucking economic tyranny as forcefully as we are permitted to show in public. Nosferatu is a symbol of these locusts. The parasitic creature who only takes, no matter if in excess, no matter the impact on its fellow life forms.

Nosferatu is a dire magnification of an uneasy world becoming fed up with the status quo. It expresses what a constant escalation of conflict can mutate into.

This piece is meant to disturb and provoke contemplation. It is meant as a lens into the analysis of unrestrained human nature. It ultimately asks the question of “just where to put the blade?”

Super special thanks to all the players. I can reach so much higher with such a great team on my side. Grateful to be working with all of you!!

Tap "info" on the bottom right to check out the lyrics

Please check out and follow these people. They are all constantly creating fantastic music for you to enjoy!

Players:

Justin T Freeman – Written by, Mixed, Drums, Rhythm Guitar https://linktr.ee/justintfreeman

Maria Kosma – Bass - https://emitytrap.com/

Roman Nemtsev - Lead Guitar - https://sliceofsorrow.com/

Aaron Cloutier – Vocals - https://linktr.ee/theaaroncloutier

Philip Kay – Lyrics - https://www.facebook.com/Prodigalwhisper

Graphic Design – Amanda Mullins - https://www.amandamariemullins.com/

Mastering – Audio Animals - https://www.audioanimals.co.uk/

Hey people! I'm super excited to release this single. It features my good friend Phil Kay on vocals. He has written some great lyrics here. Dig through it and see what it means to you. It's art and it's up to the observer to see the story they need to see. We are currently working on another project lead by Phil and I cant wait to get that to you guys as well. Thanks for listening to an extra long song (have patience and a cup of tea) and see you on the next one.

Sleep (feat.Eric Castiglia)

Hey friends,

This song is my personal comment on the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, and capitalism in general. It is not about satan or the devil, however it is about the underbelly and dark side of the topics discussed. Please don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the luxury of going to the grocery store, modern medicine, and amazon just like any good capitalist does. I just believe that a system defined by profit only points the shiny parts toward the consumer. There is no financial benefit to being transparent, honest, or fair. It then becomes the consumers responsibility to inform themselves as to what the nasty bits look like and mean to them on a personal level. I’m ok with this myself as I have a curious mind regarding these subjects and I like to know what and whom I am supporting. I’m willing to do the research and change my habits to be better in line with my ideals. I do believe that many are asleep on the issues. Pharmaceutical companies charging billions of dollars to a population that are sick and financially distressed, the food industry destroying forests and killing billions of animals at staggering rates, and billion dollar corporations selling us the latest throw away gadget, are some of the things that don’t agree with me. I do not have the answer, I wish I did. I do know that we can do better, but only if we are awake. Wake up or stay asleep, the choice is yours.

This is a jam. I had a lot of fun doing this. There was so much political shit going on at the time I wrote this. It was all so much to process and this is how I processed some of that. The artwork represents the tear and division that I see between the "sides". In my opinion, we're better together.

CONTENTION noun

con·​ten·​tion | \ kən-ˈten(t)-shən

1 : a point advanced or maintained in a debate or argument

This song is a tribute to my dog Pawko. He passed away a couple months ago. He was the best dog I’ve ever had, and I’ve had way more than a few.

He was wandering around Colonia behind the old Ed and Ted’s shop all skinny and thrashed some 15 years ago. Tonia snatched him up and he became part of our family. Dogroom became the name of my home studio because there’s always at least a couple dogs and a parrot hanging out in there jamming with me.

Pawko had dementia and as we were nearing the end he would constantly pace and turn in circles. It was fucked up. He was farther and farther away each day and we knew the inevitable was creeping closer and closer. While he was pacing around the house he would stop by the “Dogroom” all the time. Sometimes every five minutes. Every time he did, I’d stop what I was doing and greet him like I hadn’t seen him in a hundred years. I just wanted to give him whatever comfort that I could even for a brief moment.

We miss that guy so much, but I am grateful that he isn’t in any more pain or confusion. I know there are so many humans out there that are deeply connected to the animals they live with and I want to connect with them as I believe that the more people there are that can show unconditional love to a dog the better the world will be.

Thanks for listening. Let me know what you think!

See you on the next one.