"What You Got" Video
Streaming Sites
“This life aint easy, nothing here is fair, the lies they tell you are falling everywhere”
A few thoughts about writing "What You Got"
"What You Got" is about accepting yourself for exactly who you are and recognizing it takes time to figure yourself out. Life throws a lot of difficult moments in front of us and this song says to expect it and you will persevere. Heartbreak is a part of life, and when it comes you're going to need to pick yourself up and refocus by using your strengths. Lastly, you'll need to watch out for "the haters". They're always there and they want to bring you down.
"What You Got" was arranged to be a hybrid Acoustic Folk meets 60's Soul sound. It was originally written on an acoustic guitar using a finger picking pattern. I added in a drum and bass groove to give the track some "bump". Tim Freund laid down a nice drum beat and I added in a phat bass line. The track was asking for some solid roots vibe so I added in some Dobro riffs and Blues Harmonica chops. Then, to give it a little taste of funky 60's soul, I added in some saxophones and Hammond Organ.
A Few Thoughts about the creation of the "What You Got" Video
I worked with UK Creative Director Charlie Stopford who specializes in collage videos. I gave him a list of images that visualize the theme of overcoming personal struggle to find our strength. The collage seeks to show that personal struggle is inclusive of all humans. The pictures show a variety of races, ages and genders to accent this point. The images also display the grit and determination found in the workplace, sporting field and for people overcoming their disabilities. Charlie and I had a falling out on the final cut of this video because I wanted to include some images of people on the autistic spectrum. I believe they are humans that overcome adversity and deserve the same respect as everyone else in overcoming their personal struggles. He felt including them would be in very poor taste and show disrespect. I strongly disagree with him. What do you think?