My name is Tim Wildsmith, and we are The Lost Cause.

 

Lately a lot of people have been asking me about the new band name.

What does it mean? Where did it come from? Why use it now? ...All good questions.

 

I was never the "I want to be a rockstar" kind of guy. I was more of the "I want to be in a band" kind of guy. In high school I played guitar in The Flaming Penguins (yes, I know… I tried to veto it). I think we played two shows, maybe three. Freshman year of college I was in a band called Following Griffin. A couple years ago (in the midst of working on my solo career) I went on tour playing guitar with a band called Akita-Ken. And even after my first album came out under my name, I put together the Tim Wildsmith Band and toured around the country.

 

So the band thing isn't really all that new to me. It's my ideal way to play music.. with friends. I like to do a lot of things by myself, but playing music isn't one of them.

 

When I started recording A New Morning in 2007, I didn't have a band. So when it came time to play the CD release show I recruited Matthew (drums) and Jason (bass), because they were the guys who played on the album. I asked Craig and Jake to play guitar mainly because they were cool-looking guys (not joking). I never knew that we'd all still be playing together.

 

After a year or so of gigging the same songs, I started showing up to rehearsals with new material. And those songs became what you hear on Little Armor. For the first time in my life I was letting other people shape the songs before I put them over in the "DONE" pile. I didn't record them and then ask these guys to play them. I invited these guys to help me shape them. That right there is the main reason that we're using the band name The Lost Cause… because this album is fundamentally different because of these four guys that I share the stage with. It's as much theirs as it is mine. We are a band.

 

Sure, I write the songs. My face is the one we promote. I'm definitely the ring leader. But I can't take all the credit.

 

So releasing this album as Tim Wildsmith & The Lost Cause is simply a nod to these four guys who each played a huge part in making this album. I've found the perfect outlet for the kid in me who just wanted to be in a band.

 

I'm blessed that they share the stage with me.

I'm blessed that they put up with me.

And I'm blessed to be making music with four great friends.

I came home last night to find that my first run of CD's had arrived. Now I've never been pregnant (and I don't ever intend to get pregnant)... but this has to feel something like that.

 

For me this album's conception started two and a half years ago. It was right around the time that my last album was being released. Some bad things were happening, and I turned to songwriting to try to deal with my emotions. That song would become "Easier Said Than Done," and it was the foundation for Little Armor.

Between now and then my life has twisted and turned and dipped and dived all over the place. And as I navigated through the journey of life... I wrote songs.

So you can imagine that having a completed album in my hands is very much an overwhelming feeling. I keep trying to figure out how I shoved three years of my life into little little plastic square. It really feels like the end of a season. The album is done. But in reality it's only the beginning, because now it's time for everyone to actually hear it.

It's like I had my baby yesterday, and now it's already time for the first day of school. 

 

I feel like I'm not being very poetic and savvy with my words in this here blog. I think it's because I'm a little lost and overwhelmed by this whole thing. The truth is, I'm really proud of this album. I like it. And while I'm excited for you to hear it, it's a little bit terrifying to give it to you.

You only have to wait a couple more weeks to see what all my fuss is about. I hope you love it.

Hello Friends,

I was 16 when I went to Haiti.

I was there for only one day in the middle of a two-week trip to the Dominican Republic, but one day was all it really took to leave a lasting impression on my life. I can still feel the heat. I can still smell the air. I can still hear the people's voices.

Fast forward to Tuesday.

I was in the middle of a 15-hour mastering session for my new album when I read a blurb online about the earthquake. I mentioned it to Doug, but we spent most of our down time talking about Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, and the mess that NBC has on their hands.

The next day I started seeing death tolls that I simply couldn't wrap my head around. 100,000 people? That just doesn't seem real. My mind was immediately filled with memories of my one day there. And my heart was broken.

Somehow, figuring out who's going to host the Tonight Show in February suddenly seems like a huge waste of time.

I'm a musician. I understand my role, and I know that nobody wants to listen to me sing from my soapbox. All I will say is this: The world is much smaller than we think, and we can make a huge difference. 

Talk soon. - TW

 

In the CONNECT section of timwildsmith.com you can find a list of links to organizations who are working to make a difference.