The Chronicles of Shred

Twenty-five episodes ago, I started  The Chronicles of Shred  with a simple idea: Document the journey of rebuilding a music career from scratch after moving to Ohio. Along the way, this podcast became something more. I've talked about motivation, discipline, self-doubt, burnout, perfectionism, consistency, and all the mental battles that come with chasing a dream. But lately I've been asking myse...

This week I realized something that probably should have been obvious. I spent most of the weekend feeling like I hadn't accomplished much. My wife was in town, we took it easy, saw a local band, relaxed, and just enjoyed some time together. But when I actually looked back at the week, I had played a show with Red Reign, traveled, worked on a potential set list, practiced for upcoming shows, r...

For the first time since moving to Ohio, I got a glimpse of what comes next. This episode is a day late because I was on the road playing a show with Red Reign and L.A. Guns. By the time I got home, there wasn't enough day left to record and release the podcast. But honestly? That's a pretty good reason to be late. The show gave me more than just a night on stage. It gave me perspective. I...

For a long time I kept telling myself I needed one more thing before I could really start. Better gear. Better vocals. Better songs. Better preparation. Then I saw a band that changed something for me. Not because they were incredible, but because I realized the average person in the room wasn't obsessing over every detail the way musicians do. At the same time I was building my new amp system...

For a while I thought I had the plan figured out. Our new bass player in Red Reign was actually supposed to be  my guy  for a project I wanted to build before life took a hard left turn. I was ready back then. Excited. Already moving. So why am I sitting here now feeling stuck? This episode started as a story about timing and bands, but turned into a much bigger question: Do I actually want this l...

I didn’t fully understand what this journey was going to demand when I started. Somewhere along the way, discipline turned into pressure. Motivation disappeared. The algorithm got weird. And I realized making music is only HALF the battle now. In this episode, I talk about: ⚡ burnout vs consistency ⚡ building a modern music career in real time ⚡ why flexibility matters more than rigid schedules...

Episode 19 of  The Chronicles of Shred  is about rethinking the way I’ve been approaching all of this. Lately I realized I’ve been turning progress into pressure. Rigid schedules. Moving goalposts. Perfectionism. Massive to-do lists. Feeling like every missed task means the whole day is blown. Somewhere along the way, the structure that was supposed to help me started working against me. Then some...

Today almost broke me. I couldn’t sing. Songs I’ve sung a thousand times… gone. No pitch, no control, nothing. And for the first time, I actually thought: “What if I just can’t do this?” The weird part? I just came off a packed weekend — content, concerts, work… and instead of feeling inspired, I felt nothing. No fire. No drive. Just… flat. So this episode isn’t a lesson. It’s not polished. It’s j...

Most of us were told the same thing… “Just focus on the music.” If it’s good enough, people will find it. But that’s not the world we’re in anymore. There is more music being released every day than anyone could ever keep up with… and that changes the game completely. In this episode of  The Chronicles of Shred , I’m realizing something in real time: Making music isn’t the whole job. Getting peopl...

Episode 16 of  The Chronicles of Shred. I’ve been pushing hard. Practicing, creating, posting, reaching out… trying to stack everything into every single day. And I think I’ve been doing too much. Not in a “working hard” way… in a “spinning my wheels and burning out” way. In this episode, I break down what went wrong, why trying to do everything at once actually slowed my progress, and the shift I...

Episode 15 of  The Chronicles of Shred. This week I had a realization that surprised me. I went to see a band playing a great venue… tight, professional, doing everything right. They talked about having 75 shows booked this year—and instead of feeling inspired, I felt exhausted just hearing it. Then an opportunity came up to join a band. Good guys. Solid situation. But what they needed and where I...

Episode 14: No Permission Required For a long time, I was waiting. Waiting to be included. Waiting to be chosen. Waiting for the right people to say yes. And I started noticing a pattern… So this episode is about that realization—and what happens when you decide to stop asking. No permission required. 🎵 First single: "Pouring Rain" Target release: May 1 — The Chronicles of Shred is a re...

n Episode 12, I made a joke. I said once you hit 12 episodes, you’re not a guy trying to start a podcast anymore… you  are  a PODCASTER. I made that up in the moment. It struck me funny. But the next day, something felt different. That one shift changed how I approached everything — singing, guitar, content… all of it. And then my birthday weekend happened. Guitar shopping, overthinking, too many...

Episode 12 feels like a milestone. Most podcasts never make it this far. In this episode of  The Chronicles of Shred , I talk about momentum, why so many podcasts disappear after the first few episodes, and a story I once heard about backsliding that perfectly explains how progress in almost anything works like climbing a hill. The moment you stop moving forward… you start sliding back. Sometimes...

Everyone wants the breakthrough moment. Nobody talks about the invisible phase. In this episode of the Chronicles of Shred, I talk about the quiet part of building a music career — the part where almost nobody is watching but the work is happening every day. This week I talk about: • The "invisible phase" of building something from scratch • Why viral success is mostly a myth • Learning...

For the first time, I’m stepping back and explaining the full story behind this journey. From seeing First Kiss Records and wanting to be in a band, to the early bands, the fear of singing, the detours, the record deal years, and ultimately the move to Ohio that gave me a new runway. This episode ties together the threads that started decades ago and explains why I’m building this next chapter now...

Most people think they need more motivation. I used to believe that too. But motivation fades. Momentum rises and falls. And if you’re waiting to “feel ready,” you might never start. In this episode, I break down the difference between motivation, momentum, and process — and why building and refining your process is what actually creates sustainable growth. From going back to lesson one in my voca...

February 17th, 2026. Day One. This isn’t a transformation challenge. This is a 90-day consistency audit. For the next 90 days: • 7:30am training • Vocal block • Guitar block • Daily content execution • Nutrition discipline • No emotional negotiation I’m done being “almost.” This episode breaks down the rules, the fears underneath it, and why this matters for anyone rebuilding something in public....

Everybody wants results. Almost nobody wants discipline. In this episode of  The Chronicles of Shred , I break down what discipline actually is and why it has nothing to do with motivation. If you’re rebuilding your body, your skills, your career, or your identity… this is the foundation. Discipline isn’t hype. It isn’t suffering. It’s structure. We cover: Why willpower fails The difference betwee...

In Episode 6, I talk about the shift from simply documenting the rebuild to deliberately building the internal system that supports it. This episode isn’t about results yet. It’s about structure, conditions, and aligning the work behind the scenes so progress can actually compound. We get into how fitness, practice, studio learning, and content either compete for energy or reinforce each other dep...

After being at NAMM, playing a big show, and spending time in rooms that look like “momentum” from the outside, I realized something important: access isn’t the same as belonging. This rebuild isn’t happening because something failed. It’s happening because I want to build something that’s earned, repeatable, and inevitable. In this episode, I talk about: Why the “overnight success” myth keeps art...

At the end of the last episode, I said I wanted to talk about something harder. What happens when improvement doesn’t come fast enough to reward your effort. This episode lives in that uncomfortable gap — the space between showing up consistently and seeing results that actually feel encouraging. The phase where progress slows down, motivation fades, and it becomes tempting to quit without really...

The Payoff Isn’t the Point. We’re taught to believe that creative work only makes sense once it “pays off.” Views. Money. Validation. Arrival. But what if that’s backwards? In Episode 3 of  The Chronicles of Shred , I talk about rebuilding a creative life without chasing outcomes, setting personal guardrails, and learning to show up honestly even when progress is slow and invisible. This episode i...

Finding My Voice  is a continuation of starting over — but with a clearer focus. After relocating because of my wife’s return-to-office order, I found myself with an unexpected window: time to invest in my music career, build a studio, and reassess what I actually want to express. This episode explores how that disruption became an opportunity — and how years of working inside other people’s bands...

Rebuilding a music career after a major life reset-in real time. The Chronicles of Shred is a real-time documentation of rebuilding a music career after a major life reset. After getting married and moving to a new state, I’m starting over creatively — using the opportunity to be more intentional about how I write, record, release, and show up than I ever was before. Along the way, I’m learning ho...