Yes! I am so honored to share this music with you all. "Embraced" has taken inspirations from so many people and places. Almost every song on this album has a collaborative musical element.

This album is 12 song journey through sound that I will describe as world, downtempo, funky, sultry, sensual, heart-centered, juicy, yumminess.

As I hope all of my albums will have a different (yet familiar) feel, "Embraced" is my first with this many varied collaborators. I feel the end result shows a diversity in styles/sounds/mixing techniques/production etc that sets it apart from my previous collections of songs.

A little story about how I put together this album.

I write around 30-40 songs per year. Some go out into the world, some get played live, some will never be heard. That being said, the process of creating a cohesive "album" is something I take a lot patience with. For example, "Embraced" has a song "Butterfly, the Metamorphosis, which I produced 6 years ago. I've played it for years, and enjoyed it the way I mixed it years ago, and for some reason, finally felt that it fit on this album.

When David "The Polish Ambassador" Sugalski and I started toying with the idea of a Jumpsuit Records album. I was extra inspired to put something together. His vision of a "collective" (more TBA) rather than a label, his approach to his music (sales, community, merch, EVERYTHING) is in complete alignment with my greatest vision. My previous three albums had all been collaborative with a single group (Quixotic, Rising Appalachia, The Earth Harp), and I thought my new Jumpsuit album could be a collection of many of my favorite collaborators.

One of the most enjoyable parts about Jumpsuit is it feels like a family. We love to work/play together (and I hope that all "labels" will check out this new model)

The original title for the original selection of songs was "Surrender". There's a LONGGGGG story behind that, but let's just say when life is collapsing around you, the only thing one can do is surrender.

It was Monday evening at Burning Man 2014. To say it was a "crazy/fun/any other adjective you see fitting" time is unfair to the monumental emotional roller coaster of Burning Man.

I was sitting with Android Jones and we were discussing the new album title and figuring out album cover ideas. Andrew and I have had the pleasure of working together for many years and I would like to credit him for being one of my biggest inspirations, greatest brothers/friend/life shapers a person could hope to have. As many of my albums have been birthed around Mr. Jones in some way (Seeing is Believing tour etc), it did not surprise me when "Embraced" was born that dusty Monday afternoon.

I needed to surrender, to be "Embraced". And that's how I feel; Embraced. By spirit, my community, my family, my peers, by life, and even though there are so many atrocities happening on our beloved earth, this music makes me feel embraced.

Every time I release an new album there is a rush of energy; a certain energetic release that feels like an "art birth" or something like that.

I think one of "the artist's" greatest hopes is that their work will stand the test of time. What makes something iconic vs. forgettable? Will people want to listen to this in 20 years, 50 years, 500 years? Who knows? But it makes my heart dance and that's good enough for me.

I hope this music inspires you to share your love with the world.

Love,

-David