Apocalypse Inside My Head

Why are people psychotic?
I've always managed to date crazy women. It's my curse. They start out great and you think you have something real but then the surface erodes and the true colors emerge. I've been single a long while now. My on again off again love is off again and it's not ever coming back. Felt like I've watched life collapse upon her over the years and the frailty left is unimaginable. Her mind is broken and the basket case that was in front of me wasn't the person I once knew.
Sad isn't it? Alone again. It's my go to special move. At least I'm content with a bottle of tequila and a vape full of sweet nothingness. My mind wanders into the realms of dark reasoning and I notice that the cold black sheets of rain are at least warmer.
I'm not beaten. I've accomplished much this year so far and I've cut a lot of dead weight in my wake.
I've met someone new and I try to be open minded and positive but people always let you down. It's proven over and over.
I'm not buzzed enough to deal with this bullshit but...
Today is another day.

Into The Reaping

Once you have a near death experience everything changes. I cannot see anything the same. I realize there will never be enough hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, or months in a year. Life rushes by and you reach out and feel it like wind through your fingertips. It's fleeting yet the most beautiful moments always escape us far too soon.
I'm expendable. I'm humble in that realization. I'm humbled by the sheer magnitude of the ever fleeting moment. I'm a speck in a colossal debris field and I only found myself once I allowed my ego to wither and die.

Winning at Life

The crane flies south. Feel the cold creeping up on the bones. I merely turned around twice and summer was over. Shameful that time goes by so quickly now. The grey in my beard distinguishes between who I once was and how much life takes from us.
Cooling temperatures are great for the woodshop and there's no shortage of work therein. I'm feeling the creative seepage and I will embrace some new art projects as time allows. 3D sculpting studies are what's my main drive currently.
I'm losing weight. 61 lbs to be exact in the last 6 months. I feel better but I'm not done yet. Living by the numbers is what's hot on the streets apparently.
Fattening fast food is everywhere! Good food that is healthy is hard to come by at reasonable prices. The body is s temple right? I'm a pharmaceutical waste bin mostly but I'm better. Stay positive. Stay lifted. Trying to occupy my time with more fruitful endeavors is favorable.
Being in a relationship helps me I think. To edify each other and adhere to structure is nice for a change. I find myself not wanting for anything or anyone anymore. Seems different this time around and maybe it's because we're both more mature. To me it's evident that I'm no longer searching out the adventures of "the chase" nor courtship in general. The damaged but not broken clause rings true even still and leaves room for improvement as a daily chore. The dating game is lame. People are twisted up in knots and sex is a first kiss. Generally I find being a hermit to be a satisfying way of being prudent in making the most of a day. Can't feel like a waste as time ever so quickly slips away.
I'm not a success nor a failure. I'm somewhere in between. I'm grey. No longer black or white. It feels good lost and found and lost again.

Choose Your Poison

Tequila, Dos Equis, and tranquilizers usually do the trick. Whatever numbs me out and makes me forget about the bullshit for a few minutes.
Recently I reconnected with an old flame I've dated on and off for the last 16 years. It's definitely had a positive effect on my depressive state. I feel alive again. It's good to have someone in your life that attempts to get you on a deeper level. Maybe this is the turning point? Feels light and airy like a cocktail of benzos and bourbon.
The aromatic smell of a beard full of cigar smoke and whiskey. Makes me want to chop lumber and destroy pretty things.
Learn from your parents mistakes and always strive to disappoint them every chance you get.
It's Wednesday. It's too early for a drink but I need one.
Keep your head up kid. The stars are up there.

Ascension

Writing has always been a part of my life. I've not sat down to write in so long. This year nearly ended everything for me. My life, my dreams, my hopes, my world. I am very lucky to still be on this side of the dirt today. STEGO put out it's sophomore album “Void Clear Light” on Nov 8^th. It was put on the back burner while I spent the year trying to adapt and overcome the vast health problems that had put me down. Music and art have always been the cornerstone of my very being. 

The thought of not being able to do it anymore was daunting and depression set in. I was in the hospital for 27 days and the man who saved me was a younger cardiologist named Sean Rhuland. He thinks outside the box and knew my plight was dire. Being born with mitrovalve prolapse only complicated the case yet he worked so hard to get me back to my old self but healthier. The 27^th morning broke and I arose from the hospital bed scarred but smarter.

 I was hardly functioning and wrestling amidst the demons attempting to adhere to the medication and a new lifestyle. Sobriety was not and remains a concept that is fleeting and adept at hitting below the belt. Succumbing to my many vices has turned my life upside down so many times and I have failed everyone in my life more than once. To admit that was the first step toward the light.

Since that time my awareness grew and I could see past the daily routine of numbing the feelings and being stricken with the pain of regret like black sheets of rain drowning the memory.

All a person can do is put one foot in front of the other and move forward.

To relearn everything you thought you already knew has been both frustrating and beautiful. Stumbling toward the horizon with eyes on the prize. The irony worn upon the disaster I left in my wake.

The Downtrodden

It's been a long while since I had anything good to say. The start of 2014 had me thinking I was sick with the Flu and it turned out to be Atrial Fib with RVR that led to Congestive Heart Failure. Not what you want to hear when you are uninsured and have no means of income at the moment. 27 days in cardiac unit and progressive care unit left me feeling institutionalized. Needless to say I'm applying for charity through the hospital for bills there and the cardiologist. No our healthcare system isn't broken at all right? It's pathetic.

Now I am dealing with medications that make me loopy, dizzy, and light headed. Blood thinners require a regular weekly visit to the clinic for blood work until we have it regulated. I've had to put life on hold for the past few months and that means everything including music and art. The positivity isn't all gone though, things could be much worse.

It's a slow and tedious battle to get back to normal these days but I've not lost the will to want to get better. A healthy lifestyle means no booze and no cigarettes any longer. I've adjusted to eating right and caring for myself like I should have been all along. When you live hard it tends to begin to show the older we get. It is not going to get any easier if we want to stick around this place for long.

STEGO is holding back the release of the new record 'Void Clear Light,” I feel we shouldn't release until we're ready to be playing out live. Our new bassist Greg Williams is working out really well and we are rising from the ashes as a whole new unit.

I'm still available to build cabinets and do artwork and I am taking special orders for cabs. I'm not storing inventory due to lack of space in the work shop.

In retrospective I have no regrets and it's looking up now, so it's time to swing for the fences again.

Destroy Erase Improve

You gather speed and roar out into the wind with the sun flowing down like rain. It's a beautiful day for an accidental awakening. Transcendental awareness through meditation and psychedelics is a powerful tool. Finding who you really are at the core of your being is essential to growth and empowerment. Others will try to shape you and point you in a direction they see fit. It's at this time you must break away to find your own path of the most resistance. Spirituality can be found without a pulpit and those looking outside themselves rarely find it. Therein the pineal gland lies a gateway to the metaphysical and the third eye. Healthy diet and cutting out fluoride can help this gland to shine bright like a transmitter to a higher state of sight. It's truly like your own personal connection to what seems like other worldly dimensions. That which can separate us from simply being human and can enlighten us with the knowledge that will set us free.

Summer Time Rolls

Adopted a year after I was born by an elementary school teacher and a black smith. They had my brother 5 years later and a family bloomed. Mom was very religious dragging my brother and I to different churches when possible looking for her perfect fit. My dad was a great man forced into being a closet drinker by those holier than thou types around him. He had a problem for a while. This doesn't make me love them any less or appreciate all they have done for me. To me it's always been about taking the good with the bad. You cannot heal unless you understand how the pendulum swing works in tandem with variable matter moving at a slow vibration. 

I met god but he never had anything to say to me. I chose agnosticism and embrace open-minded thoughts about this world. These days I find myself drinking too much and pondering the fleeting epiphanies of my days here on this ball of clay. 

I've never ever felt like I fit in anywhere. As mom likes to say "you're just being different." It was never on purpose, it just happened. I'm proud of what I do even though I am still a starving artist/musician. Personally I think I'm doing the best work I've ever done. My home town still looks down it's nose on me as the art committee scoffs again. Nudged out of participating in First Friday's Art and Music festivities month after month. Ignored by my peers in the music community for not joining in and jumping on the coattails of those that have gone before me. I do not apologize for going against the grain. Take it or leave it, I am who I am and I do what I do. 

The progress of STEGO's "Void Clear Light" album has been impressive. To cut it in Muscle Shoals is truly an honor and I cannot wait to press it and share it with the world. 

Being adopted may have led me to believe in abandonment but I was graciously chosen by 2 amazing people. I've put great thought into finding my birth mother. She may still live in Birmingham, Alabama. I feel time is slipping away as I reach my late thirties and I wonder if I should have chosen a different path years ago. 

We cannot rewind to go back and change things but we can heal and move forward.

Haunted

Funny things that happen at strange times make you think in depth about coincidence. My drummer, Justin Keef and I tonight on the phone conversing about the new record and it's haunting quality. I attribute it to the crazy year we had in 2012 but is there more to it? I've recently been in a dark place myself as I think about my emotional state. The anniversary of my fathers death seems to overshadow the start of each new year and lately I've felt a solemn lonely feeling. It's almost a feeling of dread with a side of insomnia and bouts of feeling manic. As focus on art and music have really been stealing my attention I've cut many people away from my life. The vindictive games people play tire me and I just as soon as work by myself or with my bandmates. These days the time flies and time well spent is ever so rewarding as I feel I'm truly growing both as a musician and artist. The time I spent amidst the bayou writing has intertwined with the new material with a voodoo so cryptic. I feel my thoughts are fleeting as I've not been to sleep yet and I embrace insomnia yet again.
I have been having these strange dreams when I do sleep. I wonder who she is and what she wants with me. Perhaps another remnant of a repressed memory or someone in my future? I guess I'll have to wait and see.
Be safe my friends and be kind to each other.

All these Great Answers for all these Great Questions

I remember when I was young being on road trips. You'd look out the window and see a distance light across the horizon with a yearning in my gut to know just what it is. Today I think that feeling still lurks in many ways and shapes the creative process. Much has changed since our youth and like a tree we have our scars weathered and worn. Thinking about the ones we've lost a long the way and how our hearts carve themselves into new shapes. Worked over by what we've gone through yet we learn and become wise. The child like innocence is something that diminishes but only if we allow it. I am not a very religious person but I believe that music and art have saved my soul. I still get that feeling of joy when that beautiful moment happens when you stumble upon that idea. Seeing it as a real living breathing form on canvas or disc and being able to see, hear and feel the growth. This journey is not anywhere near an end it really begins again each day and I am humbled by the enormity of it. What would I be if the path had gone another way? I fear that answer and search not for the weight of knowing. As I edge up the ladder to being 40 years old, I see things with such clarity and calm. The simple beauty in a moment has lent it's importance. When I started this blog I didn't intend it to have so much personal reflection but in a way I am glad it does. Be well and remember that life is short so do all you can with the this time. Take the pieces and build them skywards.

Reasons why...

I get a lot of "why do you have so many different projects and bands?" The answer is anything but simple, but I'll try to explain. Even though I write a lot for all my endeavors, I am not wanting just one band to be a "variety" band. I would not want Fly in the Ointment to be electronic or acoustic. I would not want The Antikythera Mechanism to have guitars or anything other than just keyboards. Spineless was truly all over the map and was a versatile unit made of great people with great parts. This is the reason that Stego is so raw sounding, it just is how we sound live down to single guitar and single lead vocal. It's not just a preference but each project; just like pieces of art, have a special vibe and individual idea. I pick the vein and we're off. I'm just glad to write music that is honed down to whatever the projects call for. To be a better song writer everyday is my goal no matter what the inspiration.

Southern Weather

Amidst the cold snap and all the rain I find myself writing and pondering the months ahead. The love of music and the desire to push the limits of what I can play drive me forward. Stego has had a tremendous start to the year with so much radio support and new fans. Many new bands have shown us so much kindness love over the past few months, it's amazing. We trashed our old set list with the exception of a few choice covers and “Comet Scar,” bringing a whole new flavor to the table. It's been exciting. With videos in the works and a new EP being hammered out, the guys I play with continue to reward me for my efforts. I think I am writing the best music of my life right now. Big thanks to Krankit Radio out of Boston and WVNA 105.5 The Big Dog in Muscle Shoals for airing us on their stations. Your support has been so fantastic! We are truly humbled!

Ease over to https://www.facebook.com/cthomaschandler and like my solo artist page. You can find Stego as well here: https://www.facebook.com/StegosaurusRocks

We made it out of the Dark.

2012 was a turbulent year full of darkness with bits of light only penetrating every so often. So much self realization, reflection, and growth. Music and art are quite like therapy.  Without such times of out of the box thinking I'd be lost. We find ourselves in the darkest places at times and survival being what shapes us as human beings.
I've watched my trio Stego shape shift from a project into a full blown band. Justin Keef on drums and Jon Carrasco on bass have become a great rhythm section and the creativity is running over. I have also had a wonderful year writing for the 1st acoustic based album in a decade. To be surrounded by such good people that push you to be all you can be is so amazing.  I am very fortunate.
Many new pieces of artwork are up in the portfolio as I dabble further with 3D and Zbrush.
There is much to do in this new year and I will update as much as possible. Stego is back to writing and a new EP is in the works. It's exciting new material that we cannot wait to share with you.
I hope you all find what you're looking for as we start a new era in all of our lives. Thank you so much for reading and the support!

Happy holidays

I'm always surprised by the way time flies, especially as we get older. Time with family is always fantastic, even with those that look down their nose at you. I always tell myself to remember it's those kind of judgmental types that ruin the whole barrel. Life is short and I've been fortunate to have been blessed with the outlets of not only music, but also art. I believe if there were more who could express themselves this would be a much better world. Be kind to one another we're only here for a short period of time. Be safe.

My musical inspiration as of late has been all over the map. Here's a few things that have been stoking the fires beneath my feet. Starting with Sucioperro from Scotland and ending with Biffy Clyro from Scotland.
Suciprerro



The National



Interpol



Dry The River


 
Millencolin


Biffy Clyro

Coffee, Cigarettes, Pencils & Notepads.

The morning gives a new direction on writing sometimes. A clear head can definitely achieve a higher level of clarity on revision of the free writing from yesterday. Ideas come through that you didn't see before. Two new songs are taking form when I usually work on just one at a time. The capo lends a freshness to “untitled song 2” and makes me think Bob Mould. This is probably not surprising to those that know me well, Mould has been a huge influence on me over the years. It's very tempting to flesh some of these ideas out with more instrumentation even though I want to keep this record strictly acoustic and minimal. Reverting to more of a southern rock kinda sound “untitled song 1” comes across as a bit more agitated and rabid than any other composition on this record. Perhaps it's time to spill a different angle on this mellow project. “Ships in Bottles” and “What's For Sale” remain the most popular so far but I am willing to bet one of the new ones may take precedence. 

My writing partner Meshuggah.

 

Truly great band I grew up listening to still making great music.

The Descendents

The Free Reign

I've been using a tablet for about 6 years. The freedom I have working on a Wacom Intuos tablet has never been this easy. New technology and new programs can help you build your skills and attention to detail. Too many times I start a piece of art and I find myself lost to the actual vision. It's like writers block; yet you know the general idea. It's searching for what would be acceptable to others at times. Putting too much thought into your viewer's mindset can be the downfall of your creativity and your open mindedness. Working in 3D layers allows me to build a scene that is like my own mindset couldn't piece together. Whenever I streamline this process while staring at the blank canvas I find the print is robust and exactly what I want. So many great artists out there sharing their work and their workflow tips and tricks is fantastic. Always something new to learn from and gain a new perspective. Cheers.

Amazing stuff.

http://www.danielconway.artworkfolio.com/gallery/317018

Skin Deep - speed painting by Daniel Conway

Expect this to have many different digital artists from all over the globe. It's amazing the work they do!

Timelapse Digital Painting - "Bayonets and ideas"