This CD was recorded between 2009 and 2012 and was my first major solo project. Creating it advanced my musical abilities substantially, both in recording techniques and song writing.
I am reissuing this album with six previously unreleased which demos did not initially make the cut. However, upon listening to them again this year, I feel they are just as much a part of this album and a representation of that time period as the rest of the songs, and deserve to be heard and included for posterity. These demos have been left as-is with imperfections, to best reflect the time period in which they were birthed.
The title of the project, Parking Lot Manuscripts, was inspired by photographs I took in various parking lots in Greenville, Abbeville, and Charleston, South Carolina. Many times, the environments captured in my photography inspired a title, melody, or idea that eventually became the poems and songs in this album.
The songs and poems have been paired so that you can read a poem while listening to music, both of which should invoke a similar emotional reaction. I approached this project from many different perspectives; some of the songs were written before its paired poem, and vice versa. While most songs and poems stand alone, each open to a separate interpretation by the reader or listener, my hope is that in combining the two, you will enjoy a unique artistic experience.
This music and poetry marks an era of tremendous change in my life, and reflects my personal evolution during that time. I've lost friends and family members, experienced the highs and lows of running my own non-profit organization, studied music, art, science, and spirituality, and found inspiration through musicians and artists. All of these things greatly influenced this piece of work.
In today's world, I think it's important to acknowledge everything that has influenced us as artists, from our families and environment to the art we've been exposed to. There is so much we pull from creatively, and I've realized we truly are reflections of our many influences. I feel fortunate to be able to do what I love by taking part in this artistic process. I hope you will receive as much enjoyment reading this poetry and listening to this music as I have from creating it.
- Ian Morris
Thank you!
credits
released June 15, 2017
Poems and photographs come with the album download in the form of a PDF file.
Recorded,Produced & Mixed By: Ian Morris 2009-2012
Ian Morris : Keyboards,Beats,Guitars,vocals and string arrangements
Strings on track 7: Sarah Dean
Piano track 7: Bear Kilgore
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