First and foremost, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who checked in on me during this insane start to the year. I’m very fortunate that my neighborhood in Los Angeles did not need to be evacuated and was far enough away from the immediate danger created by the Eaton Fire, Palisades Fire, and what seemed like at least a dozen smaller but also scary fires. More than a few people I know, including good friends and long time colleagues, lost their homes, their studios, and everything they own. Many more people have had their families, jobs and livelihoods affected by this absolute devastation. That said, watching this city come together has been a much-needed source of hope in the eye of this disaster. If you’re already helping, thank you. If you have the means and want to do something, I highly suggest that you contribute to any GoFundMe created by someone you know personally or any reputable charity involved in this massive recovery effort. The SCL has also created an extensive list of resources for anyone that needs help or wants to help. This list has been well-vetted and most likely includes a few organizations that you already know. If your budget is tight (totally understandable), please feel free to share this information to boost the signal.
Prior to everything literally going up in smoke, I had a pretty strong finish to 2024. Alexx Calise had me on another episode of her podcast where we discussed passive income for musicians. Topics included royalties, synch placements, digital merchandise and other ways to make money besides playing shows and selling records. Check out the episode below!
Another positive in December was the release of the new Conflict One Zero single, “Deserve.” Just like “World War Me!”, it’s me on all the instruments including vocals as it’s another deeply personal song. Many years ago, I had a producer explain to me how the most universal themes in great songs are always personal, and he summarized it by saying “Don’t tell me about your life – tell me about mine.” I’m pretty sure most if not all of us have been in the place that this song is coming from, so have a listen on Bandcamp or your platform of choice and let me know what you think.
Finally, I secured my pass for The NAMM Show next weekend in Anaheim, so hopefully I’ll see some of you there. Many thanks to my friends at Wolff Audio and Its Raining Films for the support. I highly recommend that any fans of consoles and analog gear stop by the Wolff booth if you’re going to the show next weekend. My “Ave Maria” collaborator, violinist Lisa Grzanka, will also be performing at the Ultimate Jam Night on Friday, so I’ll be there as well. Lisa and I have something else in the works that will hopefully be out in 2025. More on that later.
Here’s to hoping we can make 2025 better than it started. Everyone continue to take care of yourselves and each other!
DAN HEGARTY 