Audrey Barnes' Album:
"Growing Pains"

I met Audrey in Los Angeles through one of our mutual friends from Michigan. Pretty immediately I had the opportunity to hear her perform at one of our backyard performances and her voice and lyrics blew me away. Not only did we get to work on some of her early singles together, but as she continued her journey as a performer, she asked me to play strings for her live shows and on several of her tracks as well. Throughout the past two years, we have developed a very close friendship and I have enjoyed seeing her grow as a talented songwriter and performer. This album is about her life journey: the complex nature of growing up in a world filled with war, school shootings, hatred and insurrections. It touches on the struggles of relationships, shattered promises, and heartache, while also expressing a yearning for a more compassionate world that addresses the profound issues and injustices we confront.

During the creation of this album, I dedicated many hours to meticulously recording each and every string part you hear, ensuring that each note was captured with beauty and emotion. It was a truly rewarding experience to be a part of this project, and I am grateful to Audrey for inviting me to contribute my skills and passion to her fabulous work. Because Audrey's voice naturally sits in a lower register, the process of recording the strings involved careful attention as I wanted to highlight her voice and support it, not overpower and shadow it. From setting up the equipment to fine-tuning the sound to achieve the perfect balance and tone against the vocal, each recording session was filled with creativity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to creating something special for her and the many producers who worked on this album with her. I am so proud of the work we accomplished together and thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a meaningful project.