On Saturday, May 30 I was honored to win some awards at the 35th Annual Iowa Motion Picture Awards along with my bandmates in No Lights Tonight. These are the awards we took home:
Award of Excellence for the Chasing Rabbits music video
Award of Achievement for Editing - Chasing Rabbits (solo award for me)
Award of Achievement for Direction - Chasing Rabbits (solo award for James Wismer, our director)
Award of Achievement for the Stuck At One music video (solo award for me)
I'm looking forward to making more music videos for No Lights Tonight's upcoming songs as well as my own. Stay tuned!
In December, I had the opportunity to play at the Ames City Auditorium--a great stage with great sound where I've attended several shows over the years. I got video of the whole set thanks to my long-time friend and collaborator Ramsey Boeckholt, and board audio thanks to Craig Kaufman and Brian Dodson.
I've started posting the full set to my YouTube channel track by track. I'm only three songs in at the moment, but the first two are brand new songs that I debuted at the show. Find the full playlist here and check out the new songs below.
My new EP 1915 is out now – listen to it wherever you stream music, or purchase it from this website or Bandcamp.
The process for writing and recording this album was quite different from anything else I've done; let me tell you about it.
Two and a half years ago, Kelsey and I purchased an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, which had been our dream for many years. The house (built in 1915--big thanks to Kelsey for the idea of using this as the album title) needed some work, and during this process we were getting our old house ready to sell. This meant my studio equipment would be disassembled until we could move into our new house and build a new studio. I knew I needed to find a way to stay creative during this time, so rather than fighting against my circumstances, I came up with a challenge that allowed me to lean into them: pick six spots on the new property, write a song in each one, then record the song in the exact spot it was written. And get video of the entire process.
There's something odd and magical about walking into an empty farmhouse. The energy is fresh in the sense that you don't have any memories associated with the space, which gives you a clean creative slate to work with. But at the same time, you also know that there are over 100 years of memories buried in its bones, memories that are not yours, memories of love and loss and wonder and horror and all of the small, big, heavy, and light things that make up a life. And here you are, forcing yourself into this lineage, bringing your own hope and baggage.
I guess what it comes down to is that I wanted to document all these thoughts and feelings in music, music that I would have the opportunity to create in a new environment untainted of memories or connotation, to just sit down in a room and see what the house had to give me, without overthinking it. I chose acoustic guitar because the pastoral setting pretty much demanded it, and I forced myself to stick with the first thing I started playing in each spot. Sometimes what came out surprised me; sometimes it felt expected.
I wrote the songs quickly in the spring of 2023 and began the recording process in August 2023, using free weekend days to haul the studio equipment around the property, set it up, and track each part. Some of the songs were recorded in a single marathon recording day (Stuck At One, Jouska), others over the course of a couple of days (Let Me In, Oubliette), and others were slowly chipped away at over many months (To the Dawn, Steal Us Away). For all of them though, I was forced to plan ahead and set aside a majority of a day to record, rather than follow my usual process of recording in short bursts over a long period of time. I also needed to have the parts written in advance as much as possible, which isn't normal for me.
I finished recording all the tracks in October 2024, after Kelsey and I had been living in the house for several months, and did the final mixing in my new studio. The music was finished in April 2025, and since then I've been working on the videos for each song, which I will release each week over the next five weeks. The video for “Let Me In” was already released last month:
Making this album was a refreshing, fun, and fulfilling experience, and I like to think that comes out in the music. I hope you enjoy it.
All songs written, performed, produced, and mixed by Tom Hummer.
My new EP 1915 will be out on September 5, and the first single from the EP, “Let Me In”, is out today.
I'll get into more detail on the writing and recording of the album once it's out, but in short, I wrote the six songs on the album in six different places at my new house while it was empty and being renovated, and then went back and recorded them in the exact spot where I wrote them over the course of the following two years. I filmed the whole process and will have an accompanying video for each song that shows me recording the song at the place I wrote it.
Here's the video for “Let Me In”, which you can listen to wherever you stream music:
I recently contributed a track to the Flavor Basket tribute album, which you can listen to and purchase here.
Flavor Basket is an Ames musician who tragically passed several years ago, but left us with a large and singular body of work. It's great to see so many Iowa artists coming together to pay tribute to his music, and it's an honor to be a part of.
The last few months have been a lot of laboring over the new studio and not as much music as I would like, but I'm still finding time to record my EP in bits and pieces and play the shows that come up.
Last month The Han Solo Project played at xBk Live in Des Moines opening for Bit Brigade, which was a lot of fun. Next month we'll be playing at 80/35 Music Festival. Be sure to get your tickets and join us if you haven't already!
The studio build is coming along well. I finished the drywall and texturing last weekend and will start priming and painting tomorrow, so I'm hoping there are only a few weeks left before the space is usable. Here's a picture from before the drywall went up:
Last week I found time to finish what I'm calling “The Stairwell Song” from my upcoming EP (the song will probably be titled “Let Me In”). I wrote it on this little landing on the stairs over a year ago when our house was being renovated, and it was exciting to go back to the spot and hammer out the recording over the course of two days. I've gotten to play the song live at the last two solo acoustic shows I've had too. I tend to be more of a studio rat, so I'm not used to playing songs live before I've recorded them--it's a nice change of pace. I'm eager to do the final mixing for these songs in the new studio and for everyone to hear them. I'm aiming to release the EP this fall.
I’ve been out of sorts for a while, as it’s been about 7 months since I tore my studio down in preparation of moving to a new house. After several delays, we’ll be ready to start moving later this month, and start the construction of a brand new studio space in our shed. I’m pumped.
In the meantime, I’m working on a new EP which I’m recording in different places around the new house, based on the rooms in which I wrote each song. It’s a drastic change from how I’m used to recording, as I have to set aside big chunks of time to move the studio equipment around the house and make sure I’m getting decent sounds, which leads to more time spent setting up than actually recording. As frustrating and disruptive as that can be, you put more care into something when you have to go out of your way to plan time for it; I’m realizing now that I had gotten into a bad habit of trying to get recording done in short bursts between other things, which makes it feel more like an obligation or inconvenience. When you plan ahead and set the expectation with yourself that you’ll spend a half day doing something like tracking one drum track, you feel more dedicated to it and learn to love the process again.
Other Projects
Back in November, The Han Solo Project had the privilege of playing at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines to support the Iowa Wild’s Star Wars night. We had a great time, and even debuted a new song. Once the new studio is built, I’ll finish writing the new Han Solo Project album, and hopefully that will be out later this year.
YouTube Channel
I haven’t been able to post any cover videos since July, but last month I posted a video discussing my favorite albums of 2023. I plan on doing more random music discussion videos like this as ideas come up–if there’s ever anything you’d like to hear my thoughts on, let me know. Please subscribe to the channel if you haven’t!
I also released the music video for “Wringer”:
I’m working on shows for later this year, but for this spring I just have a couple of acoustic shows lined up. I’ll post more about those when I have the details sorted out.
Welcome to my new website! You can now buy merch and music directly from my site, and sign up for my mailing list. I'll be sure to keep the Shop updated with my latest inventory.
A few months ago I had the pleasure of playing at xBk Live in Des Moines, opening for Ax and the Hatchetmen. xBk is a terrific venue, and thankfully I got video of the whole show (thanks to Ramsey Boeckholt for filming and editing):
I've also finished some more cover videos from Pixies, Nirvana, Pavement, and Radiohead:
I'm currently setting up shows for the summer and fall, working on some more cover videos, and writing a new EP that I expect to release this fall. Be sure to sign up for my mailing list if you haven't, and hopefully I'll see you at a show later this year!
On June 3rd I released a new single, Wish You Would. I created a video for it similar to the ones I've been doing for cover songs, so that you can see more of the recording process for my original songs. It was fun and challenging to do--generally, my writing and recording process is very non-linear, and I tend to go back and add and remove and re-record things several times before landing on a final mix. This approach forced me to think ahead more, record each track in one take, and really decide what each layer would be in advance instead of figuring it out as I record it.
Here's the video and a link to the track on Spotify:
Whew, the last year has certainly been a whirlwind. On one hand, it feels insensitive to want to get out and play music for people again when there are so many more dire things going on in the world; on the other hand, a little relief and normalcy may be just what people need (when it can be provided in a safe and mindful environment).
And like many other musicians, being cooped up for the last year and a half has given me plenty of opportunity to create, and I'm eager to get out, see everyone again, and bring some of my recent projects to the stage. Here's a recap of what I've done since early 2020:
Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I posted an update, and a lot has been going on. I hope all of you are staying safe and healthy during this crazy situation--I've been lucky enough to have stayed at home for most of the last two months, and will continue to do so until things are safer.
I'm sure it's no surprise that, while stuck at home, I've been working on a lot of musical projects. The new Han Solo Project (which has been delayed due to the pandemic) is getting wrapped up, I have a couple EPs in the works (more information about those in an upcoming post), and I've had the opportunity to collaborate on a track with my friend and fellow Iowa musician Bryon Dudley.
Bryon is a member of Strong Like Bear and also does some solo work. During this quarantine situation, Bryon has taken the initiative to create a variety of noise/ambient collaborations with other Iowa musicians and has been compiling them into a covid album. I love getting to work with other musicians, and I've known Bryon for several years but have never had the opportunity to work with him on something creative like this, so I jumped at the chance.
The story of this particular track is that Bryon sent me a raw kick drum track and a track of guitar noise, and essentially gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted with it. I added a couple piano layers, some vocals, and a distorted electric organ, and this is how it turned out:
It was great to collaborate with Bryon on this and help make a track that I certainly never would have made on my own. Be sure to check out the rest of his covid collaborations if you enjoyed this one!
Tomorrow, June 7, my new album Real Life will be available for streaming.
This album features a lot of local musicians and family members who have never appeared on an album of mine, and it means a lot to me that they were able to contribute to it. I'm eager to hear what you all think of it!
Along with the new album, I've been playing more shows and have a couple more scheduled for June:
I hope to set up some more solo shows later in the summer out in eastern Iowa.
Earlier this year I had the privilege of playing at the Ames Music Walk, a 3-hr set that spanned a little bit from my entire discography, some new songs, some new covers, and some songs from other bands I play in.
Speaking of other bands I play in, back in March the fourth Han Solo Project album was released:
To top it off, for May the 4th we played the first ever Han Solo Project show at the Maintenance Shop in Ames. It was a great time, and we got some video of the whole show (although quality is a bit rough):
My two new EPs, Dedications (Originals) and Dedications (Covers) are now available on major online stores and streaming services. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this project!
On November 23, I'll be releasing two EPs: Dedications (Originals) and Dedications (Covers), which will be available on all major streaming services and online stores.
The 11 songs on these EPs are the result of the Kickstarter campaign I ran a while back, and while the people who paid for the songs have had them for a while, I'm excited for the rest of the world to hear them.
Here is the track list for the two EPs:
Dedications (Originals)
Trite Riddles in E Minor (for Jake Jackson)
Giraffe Girl (for Ria the Giraffe Girl Supreme)
Second Thoughts at St. Peter's (for Brett Hubert)
Countdown (for Heather Hosch)
Dedications (Covers)
All Night (for Ian Fredericks) [Originally by The Dodos]
Cretin Hop (for Jeff Thieleke) [Originally by Ramones]
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (for Rick Maples) [Originally by The Smashing Pumpkins]
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (for Amy Bowlin) [Originally by Pearl Jam]
Big Bird (for Drew Allen) [Originally by AJJ]
Slob (for Jeremy Nifras) [Originally by Weezer]
You Make My Dreams (for Brandon Beem) [Originally by Hall & Oates]
Each cover was chosen by the person it's dedicated to, and the originals were written for the people they're dedicated to with some thematic input from that individual. I had a lot of fun making these songs--it was a unique project from a writing and recording perspective, and having all of the Kickstarter backers involved in the process made it even more rewarding for me.
Sadly, stores and streaming services would not accept the cover songs with the dedications included in the title. I will maintain them in the titles when I post them to my website, YouTube, and Bandcamp, but unfortunately there was no way around that.
It's very fitting to me that these songs will be released the day after Thanksgiving--I'm very grateful for all of you who have supported me and helped make this project a success. Thank you all!
Wow, it's been far too long since I've posted here, and a lot has happened in the last eight months.
To start, on December 23, 2016, Mike and I released another Han Solo Project album, titled The Darth Album. Listen here:
In January, 30 backers and I successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign to get Dystopian Blues pressed to vinyl. I'm currently finalizing the artwork, getting the album mastered for vinyl, and working on the other rewards (art prints, original songs, and cover songs). For those of you who didn't catch the pre-order, I'll be selling copies from my Bandcamp page once I get them.
Last summer I also released the music video for Desert Life. Watch it here:
I was also interviewed by Mark at the Mad Sounds Podcast about the nature of being a DIY musician and sometimes one-man band:
Currently, aside from the Kickstarter rewards, I am recording my fifth LP, which will be out in early 2018. I'm also working on albums with a few other bands, and you can likely expect another Han Solo Project album by the end of the year.
My new album, Dystopian Blues, will be available on Friday, May 6th for streaming and purchasing online. You can listen to the album in advance over at the Deep Fried, Certified blog.
The new album will be very different from my first three, with very little vocals and not much guitar. This weekend I'll add Dystopian Blues to my Discography page with an explanation of its meaning and influence.
This week, my long-time friend/drummer/collaborator/partner-in-crime Mike Bal and I released a new album as The Han Solo Project, titled The Force Hits Snooze. All the songs are about Star Wars.
Feel free to listen to it on Spotify, or purchase it on iTunes, Amazon, or wherever else you prefer to listen to music.
I recently did an interview for the blog over at Iris Records. We talk about some background on the new album, influences, lyrics, etc. Take a look and go buy some records!
Feel free to give it a listen and give me and let me know what you think about it by sending a message to my Facebook page, or leaving a comment below.
My new album will be released digitally on Monday, May 18th. The album is called Sexism Sells, and you'll be able to find it on iTunes, Spotify, Rdio, Google Play, Beats Music, Amazon, and Tidal. You will also be able to stream it for free from my website. I'll be seeing about a physical release later in the year, so I'll be sure to post with any updates on that as they come.
Here's some info about the album:
Tracks:
I Want You To Die
Traitors
She Is Utter Silence
Reminds Me of the Chain
Everyday Evil
Sexism Sells
Ode
Desert Life
Nature Is a Suicide Bomber
I See Rivers Forming
I Still Want You To Die
All tracks written, performed, produced, mixed, and mastered by Tom Hummer, except:
Drums on tracks 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 performed by Mike Bal
Artwork by Tim Bolar and Tom Hummer
Special Thanks: Kelsey Hummer, Frank Hummer, Catherine Olsem, John Hummer, Pat Hummer, Dan Hummer, Sandra Hummer, Craig Groehn, Mike Bal, Jake Jackson, Abbie Jackson, David Cox, Tom Keinert, Darren Hushak, Quinn Eggink, John Van Roekel, Ryan Martin, Tim Bolar, Ian Anderson, Coleman Jackson, Sam Jackson, Chris Covell, Wes Fuhrman, Jeremy Nifras, Rachel Johnson, Bryon Dudley
w album, Dystopian Blues, will be available on Friday, May 6th for streaming and purchasing online. You can listen to the album in advance over at the 