This piece originated in the winter of 2023. I got into writing a series of instrumental pieces based around horn parts – the collection of songs that I file under the name Dokie Okie. Eventually, I’d like to produce the songs properly with a full band and live horn arrangements, but for now they all exist as MIDI demos.
I brought this one together and included it on the March collection after shooting video on an elusive snow day at my home in Port Orford. The snowfall only lasted about 20 minutes, but being a desert child, it was magical nonetheless. As soon as the snow started falling, the house started buzzing – in fact, I believe it was my brother’s first time seeing snowfall. I grabbed my camera as quickly as I could and ran around shooting from every room and window around the house. Once the fall stopped, I got a few more shots outside.
I wanted to cut the video to some music and felt this track fit, so I did a little bit of arranging, condensed the track, and put it together in the month of March.
We’re not quite out of summer at the time of writing this, but I look forward to the change of seasons and the next elusive snow day.
From the March album – originally written Fall 2023
“Acaso” came together during one of the most emotionally intensive periods of my songwriting life, built around a piece of music I’d been playing with for years. It was 2014 when I returned to the states after over a year of traveling abroad – this was a piece I’d begun playing on the road but finalized and decided to dedicate to the San Gabriel Valley suburb where I grew up. I called it “Temple City Theme.” Here’s a recording of the piece I did with my friend Stephen Reed (of the brilliant band Xinxin) on drums:
The Songwriting Challenge
“Acaso” was written in fall 2023 during the first round of a new songwriting group led by Tim Bulster (of Tiller of The Moon – check out The Songwriting Mind episode with this talented musician). We committed to eight weeks of writing a song per week, recording demos and sharing them with the group. This became the first of four challenges we’d complete between fall 2023 and winter 2024.
Here’s “Acaso” as originally submitted to the song-a-week group:
(Original demo recording)
Back in 2017, my childhood home in Temple City had been sold and my parents separated at long last. The anchor that had tethered a broken, unhappy family was finally cut loose.
“Acaso” became my reflection on that time and process – from a free life on the road to returning “home” to serve my family through this transition and see them through to the other side. Eventually leaving to find new homes where the search and quest to claim spaces for ourselves continues.
Here’s the version released with the collection of songs “March” performed live in my living room.
Video:
The unknowns been good to me Much better friend than certainty I traveled long and I traveled far Found myself across the world Now I got a call I been waiting for It’s time to go back home
Hey it’s okay To finish what you started It’s run its course I know we’re all exhausted Don’t fret we’ll be alright This days been coming all our lives No more tears no more fights Just step through the door Gotta go back home For the last time
At home I got a role to play Our folks are going their separate ways It got so bad they can’t speak Their voices move through me It ain’t fun but it’s gotta get done If we’re gonna move on
All packed up and I’m the last one out Last chord needing cutting was this house Where we were born where we grew old What stood between us and the cold This broken home is all we’ve ever known But it’s time we close the door We’re gonna find new homes
Every video, every recording and every day is a fresh experiment. From the album “March 2024” available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. “March 2024” is a collection of songs that reflect my life and travels. Recorded across various states and continents, the sounds and images for the album cover a span of six years and 11,000 miles. https://linktr.ee/ericprincessdragon
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