I’m happy to release the first “alpha” version of the song I’ve been working on for the last several month: “Bleeding Redwood.”

Bleeding Redwood is a song I chose to represent my most current songwriting style — longer, heavier and more complex than most songs on my debut album.  It’s a lot of the same, too, though — so to me it feels like a logical evolution.  Gone are more jangly songs like “Tiny Toon” “Outcast Probe” and “Throwing Away the Key” and in its place are more muscular, metal-tinted riffage, similar to that on “Diamond Sleeps Tonight.”

Now, I have to warn you, this is very much a work in-progress.  The middle bridge section still needs loads of work — for example, that the distortion on the bridge vocals isn’t right and that section comes in too abruptly, giving a jarring effect.  Guitar solos are not there, some rhythm guitars need to be done, and most importantly — I need to find a singer who can do this song justice.

On the other hand, though, when I listened to this rough mix I felt very relieved — this song is going to turn out as good as I was hoping it would be.  There were many moments in the last few months where I thought “this is crap.  It’s just not good.  It’s just not coming together the way I thought it would.”  But I’m through that tough middle-period in the creative process, the one filled with struggles and doubts.  There’s a lot more work left, but I can proceed more confidently from here on, as the fundamental building blocks of the songs are already there.

That being said, I am going to leave this song in this state for the time-being and work on other songs.  I’m planning to create an online archive of all my existing songs and recordings, and concurrently I’m going to start working on my next song “Hurt Cause Machine” so that song can further enhance the direction I’m pursuing with this one.  I’ll pick up “Bleeding Redwood” when I have a singer.

Oh, one more thing: special thanks to my friend Adam Lutz of Sans Souci Quartet for dusting off his gorgeous Modulus fretless 5-string bass to play on this song.

So — without further ado — my work in progress, “Bleeding Redwood.”   It’s rather long (11 minutes), so clear some space in your brain — and listen.

Bleeding Redwood (in-progress Mar 16)

You hurt so good
Like a weakling should
Bleed for me blue redwood

Silk white three-piece
On your perfect niece
Make sure you erase every crease

Blindfold my eyes before too late

Peel off my skin
Like a stick-on sin
Can you stare at my grin?

Crimson restraints
Underneath my armor
Will the scar ever mend?
Rust needle taints
Ever-growing riot tumor
Will it pierce to the end?

Or give away?

Army crawly ants everywhere
Sandy, musty crabs, they scare
Air rots, wind chills, shake my bones and hair

Fearsome weariness, they seize
Mind numbs, frost bites slowly freeze
Dreamers screaming stop hurting oh please

Parasites inside my veins
Raw hands scooping out my brains
When I rot, hold on to my remains

You hurt so good
Deeper than I could
Bleed for me blue redwood
Bleed for me till I’m good

Blindfold my eyes before too late

I’ve given my all
But still a cog so small
Witness the depth of my fall

Crimson restraints
Underneath my armor
Will the scar ever mend?
Rust needle taints
Ever-growing riot tumor
Will it pierce to the end?

Blood needle taints
Underneath my armor
Will the scar ever mend?
Release all restraints
Time to face my riot tumor
Will you see me to the end?

Till I give away?