Matt Pacheco

REFLECTIONS

The Early Escapades was an exciting time in my journey because it was my
true first go at releasing my singer-songwriter tunes as honest as possible.
I was at a point where I had been writing a lot of library music, experimenting
with tons of new sounds, but circled back around to playing my acoustic.  It
was an amazing feeling, like a huge breath of fresh air.  My voice had also
expanded and I had developed into a more seasoned singer.  I was able to
capture magical vibes with simple acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies in
early April 2021 (Secret Place being the 1st of the bunch - see above) which
sparked a rejuvenation that burned large enough for me to move forward with
the production of an album of tunes.  I selected songs very carefully but the
final album was a result of some old songs I've had, and some that were
developed for this album.  Others were recorded but saved for my subsequent
album "Mellow Dove," which I consider the next sibling to The Early Escapades.

Recording truthfully began in May 2021 and capturing magic was a beautiful
experience.  After a majority of the album was complete, I brought in my best
friend Nate Kristan to add his greatness on top with guitar solos and guitar
play.  He brought everything to the next level.  There was one day in particular
which he was extremely "hot" and we were able to record like 6 or 7 songs
something crazy like that.   Everything he was playing was just gold.  This
included his Destined at Dawn solos, Dripaway, Crosslegged and Mondays after
Tea.   You get to a point in recording where things start flowing so nicely and
you get in such a groove, it feels like you can make 10,000 more songs, it's so
hard to stop and cut off! But when you get 20 songs potentially for an album, you need to add some logistics in if you want to ever release anything.

 I had rough mixes of all the songs that were temporary, but I wanted them to be the best they could be, so I worked with Sam Carlson of Sans Serif Recording in New Haven for the mixes and mastering of this album beginning in January 2022.  With around 3-4 months of mixing and mastering  the 1st single Destined at Dawn came out in April, with 2 more singles to follow, Secret Place & Crosslegged, and then the full album was out at the end of May 2022.  Sam did a fabulous job enhancing essence and getting the songs to be where they needed to be, without sacrificing anything.

The Early Escapades represents a point in my life where I was able to incorporate themes of enlightenment, freedom, spiritually, dark desires, love and relationship, and soul-sucking suicide, and put it all in an album expressed through song.  I think it's one of the reason a lot of people resonate with the tunes as I intended to connect with a broader collective as we all share the human experience and struggle.  Life has highs and lows, and we must acknowledge that for our own healing and our collective ascension.  I'm so grateful I was able to complete this and grateful for all the people involved.  Nate Kristan, Sam Carlson, Rachel LaValle, Connor Croteau, Joe King, Alicia Napierkowski, and many more.