About This Release

Every track on Beyond Reach has some connection to something being there, but just out of reach. There is regret, there is nostalgia, there is longing. There is grief for people gone, for feelings I will never have again, for chances that will not return. But I don’t think this is a sad record. It’s thoughtful, quiet. Some music you listen to when you’re up late, alone in your bedroom with only the light from some desk lamp for company. For me, Beyond Reach is one of those records.

In late 2023 I read Rick Ruben’s “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” book. It was a really great read and one of the things he talks about is this process of “finding seeds”. He suggests that a good way to make records is to approach it in stages. The first stage being trying lots of things without being precious of them. Without trying to make songs. Without saying “I make songs in this way and I don’t make songs in that way” etc. You just spread lots and lots of “seeds” and sooner or later some will sprout. The ones that sprout shoots are the ones you water and see if they’ll grow and what they’ll grow into. I did a version of that for this record. I spent months making seeds and not worrying about what they might grow into to. It was a really great process for me.

Track Listing

1. Threshold - 4:57
2. Meridian - 5:40
3. Lacuna - 3:33
4. Mirror - 4:25
5. Departures - 3:53
6. All That You Are - 5:12
7. You’re Not Broken - 3:36
8. Beautiful in Autumn - 4:27
9. She’s Sleeping Now - 4:50
10. Reverie (unhurried) - 6:26

Production Notes

• Inspiration: Rick Ruben and nostalgia-fueled daydreams.
• Recording: Home studio setup with Logic, Kontakt and some judicious use of a Telecaster with a lot of reverb.
• Mastering: Amaturly mastered at home by me.
• Additional Artists:
  • Kyleen King | Cello on “Reverie (unhurried)”

All That Your Are was originally released as a single, but some things I didn’t like in the original with performance and mixing were rectified here. This is the directors cut, as it were.

You’re Not Broken was originally released as a single, but is remastered here (by me).

Beautiful in Autumn was originally released as a single, but an alternate version of it appears here.

Reverie was originally released on the “Shadows From Your Light” EP but here it is slightly slower more etherial version than the EP’s version.

Credits

• Composed & Produced: David A McClain
• Mastered: David A McClain
• Artwork: OpenAI