Autopilot and intuition

Hello from Munich. Or at least that’s where I think I am. It’s hard to keep track at the moment.

What year is this?

Where am I?

These are minor details that don’t matter while on the road for a long stretch.

Time becomes warped.

It melts like hot wax and becomes a puddle of confusion.

It was only two days ago we were in Spain for four shows, yet all four of those have melted into one and seem like a lifetime ago.

I forget everything that’s behind me.

All it is is a long trail of magic and mystery.

Past and future entwine, with the present as the line between memories and dreams becomes blurred.

The shows themselves have been somewhat incredible.

Autopilot and intuition lead the way through the forest of songs and guide through the darkness and the shadows, Jolie’s voice serving as a beacon of light to signal where to go next.

The key is to surrender to it and glide with the wind and see where it takes us. Forget everything you’ve learned about theory and musical rationality.

Something else is happening here.

Sure, it’s okay to have some knowledge and know what to fall back on, but that is merely a safety net when a conjuring is taking place.

Trance takes hold and you are in another realm.

Snapping back and forth between reality and another unknown world.

A line is being crossed into uncharted territory.

And throughout the nights, I’m slowly learning a new craft as I open the shows.

My plan was to play an entirely instrumental set, but I quickly realised that people need a voice every now and then to serve as an anchor.

So, throughout the tour I crafted something that flows to my liking.

I always remember what uncle Gelb told me: Be careful what you sing about.

Don’t become the song.

Life has a nasty habit of doing that.

But anyway, where was I…

Next stop is Switzerland.

I hear it’s cold there.

I’ll find out soon enough.

And once this tour ends, I roll to the UK for a Giant Sand excursion with my Tucson compadres. Much more to come in May, too, and beyond.

But for now, I bid you farewell, from out here on the road, in a desolate hotel, somewhere in the midddle of nowhere.