About a year ago, my friend Jordan approached me with the idea to produce an album for him. His songs were all written on either acoustic guitar, banjo, or ukelele and had never been realized as full-band productions, but that's how he wanted to capture them: with drums and electric guitars, and maybe even cellos and woodwinds and groups of people singing together. He wanted to see what would happen when we mixed his calm crooning voice with chaotic rock and roll.
So we decided on a budget and started working. Jordan played all the drums on the record, I played the guitars and piano parts, and we had friends join in for everything in between. We spent hours and hours writing parts and melodies, demoing ideas, laughing at our mistakes, and recording his music. It was a lot of work on a very small budget but I'll never forget how much fun we had making that record. We were both very proud of it.
If you're close to anyone in Lubbock, TX, you probably already know that Jordan's life ended tragically and suddenly last week. His death has left a hole in the music scene, the art community, his church, the local coffeehouses where he played, the thousands of people he interacted with, and especially his family. We are all grieving his loss, but none of us can understand the weight of what his parents, two sisters, and extended family are going through. In response to that grief, my friend Ryan and I are putting together a very small way to help.
With the support and cooperation of his family, we are releasing a two-disc compilation album entitled "Depth Perception," named after the last song Jordan wrote, shortly before his death. The compilation will include both of Jordan's previous releases as well as demos, outtakes, jokes, and other unreleased material including the title track "Depth Perception," which is a true story about a man who sings during his final moments on earth and his first in heaven.
To order a copy of "Depth Perception," please provide a donation of any amount at this Paypal link. No Paypal account is required for donation. 100% of all proceeds will go directly to the Watts family, who is dealing with unexpected costs at this time. They have not asked me or Ryan to do this, but we are of the opinion that Jordan's family shouldn't have to spend a dime on funeral expenses.
His life ended too soon, but I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to capture a piece of his expression. Please partner with us by giving what you can and passing this along.