All Smiles

Congratulations Josh on your beautiful film’s premier last night. In Spite of Ourselves is a classic story, presented with warm grace. Josh, thank you for bringing me in to make the original score and being such an incredible creative foil. Gabe, thank you for putting it and us all together. And for your brilliant cinematography. Brittany, thank you for your valuable input throughout. Making movies is intensely collaborative, and scoring them hinges almost exclusively on clear communication once the palette and schedule solidify. I feel fortunate to have such awesome co-conspirators.






1. The Three of us outside Ojai Playhouse last night.
2. Gotta capture the roll.
3. An early spotting session from March, 2025.
4. Isaac let me use the Modest Mouse studio, Ice Cream Party, last summer while we were up there when I really started digging into the score.
5. See 3.
6. Same as 4.
7. Refer to 6. Thank you Isaac. 🤍

Ten years ago today I turned sober. I got lucky. It was like a switch turning off. I knew it was over. That I’d absorbed or dodged enough bullets for one life and I could never go back.

Whatever I have at this moment with respect to contentment and happiness exists because I stopped drinking. I love this life and am grateful I was somehow granted this second chance. A second life really. I love my family, my friends, and this existence in music. Every day. I owe them everything. Hard to believe it’s all real sometimes.

Magic is everywhere. We live in Eden, this impossible planet of water and wonder. If you’re considering stopping, it can be hard at first. It gets easier. My experience has been that it was the best decision I ever made. Brad Truax told me in 2010 around what must have been his sixth year of sobriety “being sober is the most surreal experience imaginable.” It stuck with me. It helped. Thank you Brad.

I’ve been through some dark times. There is always hope. The first step away from the darkness is the hardest. Then you approach the light.

📷 probably by Trevor Keen, Shreveport, LA April 28, 2016