A first effort — the mountain to climb, just to see what’s on the other side. I was afraid to release music. The fear of rejection and failure sat on me like an elephant. I waited, and complained, and postulated all about how I should go about it. But at some point enough has to be enough, otherwise you’ll wake up as dead as a post with songs and stories you were created to share sitting right next to you in the casket. Hard drives are terrible tombs for art. So there I was, staring down the later part of my twenties, wanting to share what I was making. Where to begin? I picked a pseudonym to give myself boldness, I wrote a new song to give myself energy, and I prayed. By the time it was said and done, I had three songs to give. Attitude was that song I used to give me boldness — a kick down the door and “speak it over yourself” salute to someone close to me going through a hard time. California’s Gold came next — a folk story about a young woman with a hard life, and how she got out. Finally All These Things That I’ve Done, a cover of a pop song that reads more like a Bob Dylan epic — a necessary addition to sum up the feelings and ambitions associated with this release. And finally, the name Neon Dream — pulled from California’s Gold — a place we can all find ourselves if we aren’t intentional to live how we’re made to live.

Credits: JOSEPH BONES Music & Production. DREW LAVINE Mastering.