In late 2006, two very gracious friends of mine surprised me with a plane ticket to Europe, providing me with a monumental opportunity to feel another breeze and lay beneath another sun. The trip changed my life. And, because this gift was given out of the complete kindness of their hearts, I felt mine shift and soften as their Big Hearts made mine grow.

This song is my very humble way of saying, Thank You.

Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Big Hearts, track #1 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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BIG HEARTS
by tyler stenson © 2007

Heaven knows I’d wait to feel another breeze
And to lie beneath another sun;
Deep down in your love.

Big Hearts are filling up the hemispheres.
Big Hearts are warming up the coldest years.
They’ll lie beside me forever more
Because Big Hearts make mine grow.

It’s growing everyday
And softly resting miles away.
I swear Heaven was exploding there-
It was filling up the air.

Big Hearts are filling up the hemispheres.
Big Hearts are warming up the coldest years.
They’ll lie beside me forever more
Because Big Hearts make mine grow.
Big Hearts are Full Moons and Northern Lights.
They come full circle-
They defy science.
Big Hearts are freight trains that push me along
They hold onto the tracks even when the wind is strong.
Big Hearts are factories of Godlight Beams
That just get brighter as the daylight completely recedes.

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Although I first heard the phrase Whistle Stop in a poetry class in 2004, it took me two years to really understand its meaning and write the song that did it justice. In the years to follow, I’ve recorded many versions but here now, in 2011, I’m proud to bring a recording to the table the stands bold and does not whisper softly the things that it wants loudly to be.

Below is a video discussion of the behind-the-scenes background of Whistle Stop, track #4 on my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspirations, the meanings behind the song, the songwriting process, the recording experience and much more. Enjoy.

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WHISTLE STOP
by tyler stenson © 2006

It’s the end of the line-
Your train rolled through the time
And now all your Graces
And your Legacies stand.
Don’t whisper softly the things
That you want loudly to be
-Be like a wave.
-Leave impressions on the sand.

Because that whistle stop is coming strong
And big machines are hard to stop.

So, I’ll leave behind use-to-be’s
And in that horizon, we’ll leave to the dirt roads
Regret and Disdain.
Every sun is going to fade
But in the morning rays
I hear a songbird singing your name.

Where it stops I can’t say
But those warm summer days
Roll by like cars on a train.
And people everywhere are looking back,
Crying on their hands
And on their knees
Because it’s the end of the line.

Your train rolled through the time
So I’ll say Goodbye to the people you know.
Don’t whisper softly the things
That you want loudly to be-
My, how your legacy glows!

That whistle stop is coming strong-
It shows no signs of slowing down for this town.
That whistle stop is coming strong
And big machines are hard to stop.

THERE ARE MANY VERSIONS OF THIS SONG:
Orange Chrome Sky (2006)
See That Gleam (2008)
Another Gleam (2011)

In the Spring of 2004, I took a poetry class at the University of Oregon where we were assigned to write a descriptive poem about a childhood memory — my mind jumped immediately to the oldest memory I have of my babysitter’s backyard in Lander, WY.

In reality, I was a child playing on a broken down riding lawnmower; however, in they eyes of a younger me, a child lost in a daydream, it was a chugging John Deer tractor and I was an important farmer/cowboy, responsible for keeping the crops alive, feeding hungry mouths and corralling the cattle before the dust storm.

Written in one sitting, this poem-turned song is one of my most prized creations and I proudly dedicate it to Lisa, the teenager that answered the call of duty all those many years ago and accepted a humble hourly wage in exchange for Babysitting the Cowboy.

Below is a video discussion of the behind the scenes of my original song Babysitting the Cowboy, track #13 off of my new album Another Gleam — a revealing look at the inspiration, the songwriting process, the recording experience and more. Enjoy.

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BABYSITTING THE COWBOY
by tyler stenson © 2006

My memories are a series of backyard cul-de-sacs
That smell of fresh cut grass and juniper.
Wyoming sunsets burned and
Crickets sang their hearts as the sky turned orange
And mother called us in from the day.

In one particular backyard
Sat a stagnant John Deer tractor that remained
Green all year round
As it rested quietly in the shade
Of the Bellevue Alley shrubbery
(No more than ten feet from the fence line).

A younger Me could turn the ruins of
Once Great Machines into a dream.

This useless tractor was fully functional
In the eyes of a younger me-
Those eyes saw fearlessly a cowboy
With buckles and leather and mouths to feed
And dried up fields that desperately
Need a farmer’s touch.

A younger Me could go and do great things in the shade,
While the rest of the yard was green-
How it glistened in the sunlight.

Lisa. Please watch over me;
Write it down in your memory that I-
I was a child lost in a daydream.

She would say Only boring people get bored.
So, today I’ll be plowing a field and
Corralling cattle before the dust storm.
Disintegrating are the chances for our lunch break-
There is too much work to be done today and
The cattle won’t milk themselves.

——

There are multiple recorded versions of Babysitting the Cowboy to be found online:

Orange Chrome Sky
Live at Mississippi Studios
See That Gleam
Another Gleam

I will be releasing a new album Another Gleam on Friday June 17, 2011 — this is a complete re-recording of my album See That Gleam from 2008 — you’ll want to be there to grab your free copy of the much improved album.

TYLER STENSON w/ THE DRUTHERS
CO-CD RELEASE SHOW

WHERE: Someday Lounge
WHEN: Friday June 17, 2011 @ 9:00pm
DETAILS: $10 at door (gets you free copy of both bands’ new album)

Someday Lounge, PDX
125 Northwest 5th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209-3811
(503) 248-1030

BUY ANOTHER GLEAM!!

I’ve recently been in cahoots with the guys behind Beavers Without Borders, a stellar organization that’s in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, sending Oregon State University athletes to foreign countries to build homes for less fortunate families abroad. They’ve been using my music in their wonderful videos and I’m truly honored to be a part of it.

Last week we got together and shot some footage to preface their trip to Macedonia. They used my song Leave Oregon as the soundtrack and the video below is the result of the collaboration.

Beavers Without Borders | Macedonia ’11 Intro

I originally came into contact with the Beavers Without Borders team because of their video trailer for their past trip to Guatemala — they used a song by the hip hop artist Madgesdiq (that I helped write) called World Without Walls. You can hear that collaborative song and see the Guatemala trailer below.

Beavers Without Borders | Guatemala ’11 [Official Trailer]

If you know anything about me, you need to know that I was once an intimate piece of a wallet company known as db clay. Although it was my brother’s baby, I was a co-founder of the business and for a couple grueling years, we spilled blood and tears alongside one another as we grew into men.

What started as handmade Duct Tape Wallets (together, we handmade and sold over 30,000 wallets), eventually grew into a fashion-forward wallet brand that was sold in over 500 retail shops around the world.

Everything seemed to be going swimmingly until October 15, 2008 — due to the catastrophic economic downturn and other forces outside of our control, we were forced to prematurely shut the doors to the dream.

That disheartening event spring-boarded me into a full-time career in music, so I view it as a blessing in disguise; however, my brother never lost sight of the end goal. He pressed fearlessly forward, took his lumps and has recently risen to fight another round.

That said, he has just initiated a fundraiser via Kickstarter.com to re-launch the company — not a fundraiser but a pre-order campaign — you pay for wallets now, he gets the ball rolling, you get wallets sooner than later.

Please watch the video below, read the info and get yourself a wallet or 17. Every bit helps.

NOTE: My brother and db clay have made me the man I am today so this is personal. Your support is much much much appreciated. Thank you.

PRE-ORDER YOUR WALLET HERE

A NOTE FROM MY BROTHER…

HELLO EVERYONE!
My name is Garett and I’m a Wallet maker. Thanks for visiting my Kickstarter page and hearing my story. With your contribution I hope to relaunch my company db clay with a new collection of designer Wallets I’ve titled LINE 0.0 (zero point zero). I have the ideas, the relationships, the next product line designed and the business infrastructure in place — I simply need help financing production for my next batch of inventory! See below to preview the new product assortment and click on the links to PREORDER your very own unique Wallet from LINE 0.0. Thanks in advance for supporting my project – I love db clay sooooo much.

ABOUT DB CLAY
db clay is a universal product design co that I founded in Portland, OR. My primary focus over the years has been making and selling Wallets and my approach has always been to improve my processes and innovate with each new iteration of product. My latest batch is the most minimal to date and although I have been in the Wallet business for more than a decade, LINE 0.0 represents a fresh start for db clay and me. The intent is to create a collection that is uniquely designed, timeless and made of high quality materials (no more Duct Tape!). Wallets have been around seemingly forever, but a db clay Wallet is different than the rest, as they often spark human interaction each time you pull ‘em out. “Hey, where did you get that Wallet?” db clay has been starting conversations like this since 1998.

WHAT IS LINE 0.0?
LINE 0.0 is a light, compact, slim and new Wallet body style produced by db clay. I designed this 4-pocket beauty to be as little as possible while still functioning as a Wallet should by carrying your daily essentials: ID, a few cards, cold hard cash and some misc items such as a public transit pass or a cute picture of your puppy. Overall, I was aiming to minimize back-pocket bulk but I also made it small enough to fit in a grab and go clutch or a fancy handbag too. I invented these Wallets for YOU to enjoy, but keep in mind, they also make great gifts for all the great folks in your life. Friends, family, coworkers, significant others, clients, etc.

To begin, LINE 0.0 will come in (5) different exterior designs for you to pick from if you choose to back this project — see designs previewed below. Once you have made your contribution of at least $35, you’ll be able to select your favorite individual piece of Pocket Art… or scoop up the whole set for $175 while you’re at it! Disclaimer: to be able to begin production we need to sell at least 500 units of each design in order to meet our manufacturer’s minimum requirements… so please help spread the word!

HOW TO HELP/PREORDER
I’m excited to get LINE 0.0 produced and db clay up and running again. So here is where I humbly ask for your help!! I have personally handmade about 30,000 Wallets in my life and creating stuff is in my blood. I am dedicated to this project and to you, the community that supports it. I aim to Kickstart db clay in 2011 with the introduction of LINE 0.0. Following this campaign I plan to keep things simple early on, and then over time, I have plans to incrementally regrow db clay into a much broader line of products, accessories and mobile applications (yes, even software!). With your favor and backing of this project, I’d like nothing more than to continue on this journey. By pledging a minimum of $35 you can join in on the fun along the way!

Again, thanks to all in advance for your contributions and support!

You may or may not know it, but outside of my musical endeavors, I’m kind of a web nerd on the side. Yep, I build websites to stay afloat while I pursue music as a career and it has been kind to me for the most part. As one of my proudest projects, I launched TylerStenson.com about 4 years ago and it has been a labor of love ever since.

While most people go to Go Daddy for their urls and web hosting, from day one, I’m proud to say I’ve used BlueHost.com for all of my web hosting and they’ve really truly never disappointed. I call them the hostest with the mostest.

DISCLOSURE: I am an affiliate of Bluehost. I am compensated for referrals.

I woke to find that my site was down the other day and after giving them a phone call, I found that my IP address had randomly decided to change. We’re not exactly sure what happened but the guys on the other line at BlueHost were extremely knowledgeable and helped me figure out my web woes.

Call it an endorsement but BlueHost.com is the best web hosting option out there. They’ve served me kindly for 4 years and at under $7 per month, I’ll be with them for many more. Thank you BlueHost for all that you do!!

DISCLOSURE: I am an affiliate of Bluehost. I am compensated for referrals.

Track #3 off of Long Before the Wheel is a mysterious gypsy tune about a very strange encounter I had while touring through San Louis Obispo, CA — simple show at the Cal Poly campus that turned into a full moon hike through Poly Canyon with a group of strangers.

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THAT MOON
by tyler stenson © 2010

Just before the summer,
I was playing my guitar
When a boy came from the audience
And motioned toward the stars.
He said it was a full moon
And It’s all the light we’ll need
For walking Poly Canyon … it’s a site to see.
He said, We’re walking Poly Canyon,
Come along, it’s a site to see.

So, we rose up in a clearing
That was filled with all these shapes
From all the heads of all these architects
That never grew tired of learning
Of Nature and Her systems
And how man can live within ‘em
And how the two can live as one
Just like it was long before the wheel and before the gun
-I wonder how they lived before the wheel and before the gun.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even God’s way to say:
Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.

I looked up at the two mountains
With that moon high up above ‘em
And it looked much like a pendant
Dangling from the neck of a woman.
With so much beauty there to offer,
There’s that much more to lose.
I said, This might be a stupid question
But do you suppose we’ve landed on that moon?
Oh, please forgive my stupid question,
But some would argue, that we’ve never touched that moon.

Scotty handed me a cig
And I burned it to the ground
And in the dirt, I turned those embers
Into something like a ghost town.
Then a man came out of nowhere-
He was the law but fair.
He said, On such a night like this,
You know it pains me,
But I have to ask you to leave.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even God’s way to say:
Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.

The sign said that the Lions
Would be hunting men like us
And that the Snakes had a taste
For human heels just above the dust
But that moon was all we needed
To be giants on that day
And to walk among the comforts
That no evil thing would dare to come our way.

That moon was brighter than day
And who knows, maybe even God’s way to say:
Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may My moon make you feel 10 feet tall.

Hey, I know by the looks of it
You’re human and you’re small
So, may that moon make you feel 10 feet tall.

Track #2 off of Long Before the Wheel is a bittersweet ballad that was written for a special few — Scotland Barr and Kipp Crawford.

As the video and song suggests, Scotland passed away in September of 2009. When I heard the news, I began to write a song in his honor based on his song called Spanish Dust. Midway through writing the piece, in November, Kipp passed away tragically and, because this was a song for Music Men, I thought it highly appropriate to include him in the tribute.

I will never claim that I knew either of them extremely well but our brief passing in time had great effect. I will always remember them for their talents and their contribution to the Portland music community and beyond.

Read more about Scotland Barr
Read more about Kipp Crawford
DOWNLOAD DAFFODILS NOW

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DAFFODILS
by tyler stenson © 2010

Who was September
To decide it was time
To pull your pen from the page
That drew out your line
Since 1965?
-Long before your time.

May your fields be pure gold
And yellow like the loveliest sun.
May we hear your bones
Singing at the top of their lungs.
May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

Oh, then November
Would not be outdone
And dimmed that bright old smile
From an Ashland Son
That burned since ‘78
-Then all at once faded away.

May your fields be pure gold
And yellow like the loveliest sun.
May we hear your bones
Sounding out the beat of a drum.
May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

I for one, hope you found your Sun Years
And finally laid your eyes on some Spanish Dust.
Your words fill up our Paper Dixie Cups,
In a cheers to you,
One of the few who knew love.

So, may all your fields be pure gold
And yellow like the loveliest sun.
May we hear your bones
Singing at the top of their lungs.
May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

May all your fields be songs and daffodils.

DOWNLOAD DAFFODILS NOW

In honor of my new EP Long Before the Wheel, I’m giving away my full length album Bittersweet Parade for FREE — all I ask in return is that you spread the word far and wide and at least consider buying Long Before the Wheel when it’s released on October 2nd.

SAMPLE MIX:

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As always, thank you endlessly for your support. Please enjoy this free album to the fullest and be sure to tell everyone you know about the deal you just got (post this link on Facebook, Twitter, mySpace, etc). Pass it on.

DOWNLOAD BITTERSWEET PARADE HERE OR BY CLICKING ON THE IMAGE ABOVE.