Songs to Play at 3 a.m. -- Online Liner Notes

It was way back in 1988, and I just got back home from a late night gig. Having still not come down from the adrenaline rush of lugging all my keyboard equipment back in the house, I got the guitar out and messed around with a tune.  The song was called “I Will”, and the lyrics needed some work, but at least I became calm  enough, after playing, to go to sleep. The time was a little bit after 3 a.m. Since then, I’ve always had a plan to get in a studio with some friends at the same exact time everyday to record an album. The title would be “Songs to Play at 3 a.m.”

 Time has a way of playing tricks on you. Perhaps your internal clock seems to be extremely slow or fast for some reason. Mine moves really slow. So we jump from 1988 to 2011, and I find the dusty lyrics to the song one strangely cool September evening.

 The idea to record a CD at 3 a.m. seemed interesting again. But people don’t buy CDs anymore. The market is too saturated, but luckily that’s not a large concern for me. Originally I wanted to do everything in the studio live, but that wouldn’t be feasible with no budget…as usual. So, why wait? The idea is there, and it should just be released out there. Perhaps someone, somewhere will find it, and hopefully also find it engaging in some way.

Songs to Play at 3 a.m. is a concept EP. All of the songs were written very early in the morning. As the title claims, they were also designed to be played during that time. Each song deals with decisions made in the wee hours of the morning as well. 3 a.m.: Entropy has to do being happy that someone is staying—and that surrealistic feeling early in the morning; Kill Some Time deals with wanting to hang out with friends after closing time; I Will is a song about being together; Gone, Gone, Gone deals with leaving someone unexpectedly; and Allowed is about an overwhelming sense of sadness.  These songs are best heard repeatedly at low volumes, unless you’re driving.  Thanks for listening, as always. -JCT