Because I’m not quite busy enough (sarcasm), I’ve started thinking heavily about Break’s Over, an ongoing recording project I’ve been contemplating for the last couple of years.

The more I obsess over my guitars (and that’s quite a bit these days), the more I think it’s time to learn about the equipment I have and how to use it properly while I continue to practice. There is a LOT to learn on both fronts.

What follows is the beginning of an intermittent diary surrounding the creation of this project. Hopefully, it will help provide what Robert Fripp might describe as “the pointy end of the stick” that keeps me moving forward.

I really am at Square One as I embark on this journey. So, why not document how things go?

Let’s begin.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2026

19:36

I’ve been talking up Break’s Over to more than a few musician friends over the last couple of years. Yesterday, for no apparent reason, I decided it was time to put the plan in motion. I’d like to start recording in February of next year. This gives me the time to take care of several things before I get started.

Step 1: Pre-Pre-Production

Everything has a beginning. For Break’s Over, this is it. I want to plan to start planning before diving in headfirst. “Slow and steady” is the operating motto for this project. I need to decide upon what needs to be decided upon.

I’m calling this pre-pre-production.

In November 2003, my band The Sheltering Sky began work on Valley of Shadows, our first album. That is the first of many things that shouldn’t have happened.

Simply put, we weren’t ready. We didn’t have a drummer. We didn’t have complete commitment from everyone in the band. I had zero idea of how to make the most of my gear. Yet somehow, we managed to record ten songs. Call it a fortunate clusterfuck.

I’m proud of the music, but both the recording engineer and mixer should’ve been fired, because he didn’t know what he was doing. I have no issue with finger-pointing here, because I see the guy that botched the job in the mirror every day.

That’s not gonna happen. Not this time.

Slow and steady. Step by step.

What’s with the title? It’s an inside joke I have with myself. The first time I took up guitar, I played from c. 1997 until 2007. When my band and the follow-up album (I was gonna call it The Jungian Compass) collapsed, a wave of depression led me to quit making music altogether. I needed a break, so I took one. Fifteen years later, I started playing guitar again. The break is over. But I have no desire to form another band. It’s a pain in the ass. Still, I’ll be operating as The Sheltering Sky.

You’re keeping the band name? What’s the difference between that time and this one? The last time, it was band, band, band. This time it’s all about me. I call it the Trent Reznor approach. Trent is Nine Inch Nails. He just calls in whomever he might need to help create the music. Many others besides Trent have done this. I’ll be joining them. I am The Sheltering Sky.

What else is different? So many things:

• There is no band. Like I said, it’s me and whomever I might need on any particular tune. More often than not, I’ll be the only one on the track.
• There is no album. Just an open-ended series of recordings. When three or four are complete, I’ll just offer them up to streaming services and give them away. This benefits me in a few ways. 1) There is no deadline pressure. Songs are done when they are done. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. 2) No formal scheduling means not having to lock others into a specific part of the calendar. When they have a free minute, they can contribute. No worries. 3) I can take the time to learn about new instruments and technology as I go along. There’s always room for new adventures.
• Redundancy is encouraged. Since there is no album, I’m free to record the same song as often as I want in as many ways as I want. New arrangements can make things exciting! For example, I wrote a tune called “Trouble Looms On the Horizon” for Valley of Shadows. It’s one of my favorites, so I’m going to re-record it. It’s a metal-driven tune, but I’d like to hear it in a variety of ways. In “the studio,” with help from a friend or two; an “unplugged” version where I do everything myself; and live with four or five friends in a single room. Simply put, I’m free to use my imagination. And that goes for any tune.
• There will be no concerts. This gives me one less thing to worry about. Running a band is like herding cats, making it a gigantic pain in the ass. Why apply the added pressure? It you’re curious about the music, you can have it for free.

Like I said, slow and steady.

Do you have any music to record? As a matter of fact, yes. They’re in various stages of completion, but they do exist. Full compositions and a few interludes. They just need plenty of practice and my decisions on whom I need to help out, if anyone.

What instruments will you play? As of this moment, guitar, bass, piano, a little synthesizer, percussion, and a little programming. Needless to say, it will depend on the song. So I have more than a little practicing to do.

I should go do that.

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your music reviewed, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com