Yesterday was an experience to say the least. My sister, Victoria Chii, and my good buddy, Taylor Long, came along with me to hang out all day in Wonderland Studios with my producer and friend, Eric McKinney (also Highway Sisters’ producer). It’s always a great environment there in the studio with Eric, so I’m not too surprised that genuine emotions are able to freely flow there. I didn’t expect to get overly emotional, though. We all joked and had a great time, and honestly had that light-heartedness not taken place yesterday; I don’t think I would’ve made it through the song. It felt different from playing it live, and I think that’s because there’s a certain level of realness that has to be realized in one’s own mind to see their pain and healing come to life in that way. Eric laid the groundwork for the song beautifully, and I was taken back when I heard what he had done prior to me recording final vocals. We made it through about 7 takes before I finally broke down. I had been recording video with my phone all day so that I could make this condensed version of the whole day, and I had plenty of footage of me singing the song to my full potential. I decided that I should add the footage of how I really felt as well. It’s not pretty. I did cry, and fully broke down, then tried to brush it off with a big smile. Cuss words were thrown out, and I thought about cutting them out, but that would be an edited version of what really happened. So, I decided to show all of it.
Tonight, I’ll be at Love Goat in #AustinTX. The show starts at 8pm and will be about 45 minutes. The all original set will be recorded live, and I’d love for anyone in the area to come be a part of it. When I sing “Harm Nobody Else” tonight, I hope I make it through it. I thought I had gotten to a point having played it live so many times that I could push through. But, after yesterday, I’m feeling those lyrics again as if they’re fresh. This is huge for me to actually feel these uncomfortable emotions. I hope that people will truly see that it’s ok to tell the truth. If not to the whole world, say it to yourself. Bad people get away with very bad things, because their victims are too ashamed to expose a secret that shouldn’t be a victim’s burden to begin with. I think change, and saving lives begins with starting the conversation. #HarmNobodyElse