The Beard Police is the nom de guerre of Patrick Shaw.

The making of this collection of songs is the culmination of a lot of different things, events, and motivations. I have been writing songs from almost the time I developed any proficiency whatsoever on the guitar. I'd probably be a much better guitar player if I put more time into learning and practicing other people's songs, but for the most part I sit and noodle on my acoustic guitar with my dog Chloe (the pug) on my lap until I hear some riff or chord progression that inspires a song.

I've been dabbling in home recording since 1991 starting with a 4-track cassette interface and then graduating to an 8 track digital format (zip disks) around 2000, but for a good number of years between 2001 to 2013 I didn't record much of anything. However, in 2013 I received a Mac Air as a gift from my very generous sister-in-law Nicole. What a gift!

I had periodically read about the different DAWs out in the marketplace, but had never really had a computer to give it a go with. I started dabbling with Garageband just using the computer's microphone and quickly realized the power of the tool. Within a couple months I bought my first interface, a Presonus product that came with a mic stand, headphones and a condenser mic and I was off. About a year later I traded interfaces with my son Ty and started using a Focusrite Scarlett product (could now use line inputs, though I didn't really mess with that yet, because I still didn't have a quality guitar amp or any pre-amp gear). Speaking of Ty, in the past couple years it has been fun geeking out with him about the different music we are into at any particular time (The National, Father John Misty, Neil Young, Jason Isbell, My Morning Jacket, Wilco, so many others) and guitar videos on Youtube. He's gearing up to make his own music as well, and I expect it is going to be really good! In the past 2 to 2.5 years I recorded a bunch of demos just using all the software in GB for the guitar and bass sounds. Many of these demos are here: soundcloud.com/thebeardpolice. I was learning more about recording and making better sounding demos (highly recommend Home Recording for Dummies), but I wanted better sound quality so I sprung for a Universal Audio Apollo interface. I also acquired additional mics over the years (AKG C214, Shure SM57, and was recently gifted with a Sennheiser MD421 by my co-workers when I went on leave permanently from the Coast Guard in April) and bought a pawn shop special bass. Meanwhile in October 2015 I joined a band which finally motivated me to buy a quality amp (Fender Deluxe Reverb). Playing with those dudes (Jason, Drew, and Carter) also got me to tighten up my playing and singing (I think?). I actually practiced with purpose instead of the incessant, mindless, noodling (which is good too, I think?) I more often do.

I started going back and re-recording my previous demos with the improved interface and using amped guitars vice the amp models in Garageband. What a difference in terms of presence and sound quality! I finally started to think I might have something I could release. Still had to do something about the drum tracks though. I bought a drum machine back in the late 90s, but never really learned to use it. My musical theory knowledge is extremely rudimentary so I am left to do most of what I do by ear. In the past couple years, I finally got to the point where I could program my own beats, but it is so painstaking and trial and error for me I still haven't gotten to the point where I do much more than program a loop that keeps me in time. Essentially a click track. I've also used quite a few loops in GB but for my songs in other than 4/4 time, I'm stuck with writing my own loops. The arrangements were lacking the dynamics acoustic drums provide, and the variation a skilled drummer can provide. In my mind, after the vocal, the quality of the drum part goes the furthest in making a rock song complete and vital. Enter Jim Cooley and Gaetano Nicolosi. I'd been pen pal-ing for at least 3 years with Jim who I know through the Coast Guard. It started with me asking him to put some sax on City Made of Gold, but then he told me he also played the drums. Sweet! The drum patterns he came up with for Graphic Novel are great and really propel the song. Additionally, he mixed and mastered the track. In addition to sax and drums, Jim is also a great bass player, and plays a bunch of other stuff too. Check him out on Soundcloud (soundcloud.com/jamescooley). He's been involved in a number of projects in groups and solo over the years. Just a very musical, great dude. I found Gaetano via an add on Craigslist. Check out his website (gaetanonicolosi.com). The guy is a pro, and though I've only talked to him on the phone (he's an Italian now living in Ohio), my impression is he is a great dude as well. The ability to collaborate over the internet is such a cool thing and just opens up another opportunity to exploit what is in my head and get that much closer to realizing it (never really get there, but get closer anyhow). Finally, after initially releasing these tracks on Bandcamp, I was contacted by Ilya Karmanov. He is an aspiring mixing/mastering engineer and he offered to help me sound better. He subsequently mixed/mastered All Things Considered, City Made of Gold and Run and Hide. As this release sits, All Things Considered, Graphic Novel, City Made of Gold, and Run and Hide, sonically, standout. I am very pleased with Ilya's work and highly recommend him (soundcloud.com/ikarmixing). He is responsive, knowledgable, and professional. I'm slowly, but surely going to work on getting more songs remixed/remastered.

I have to go back and give a special acknowledgement to my father-in-law Jeff Hill. He has listened to many of my recordings over the past 20+ years and has always been an enthusiastic supporter. He also dabbles (there's that word again for the hat trick) in home recording. Also, very luckily for me, he builds great guitars and has bestowed a couple of them on me. That, along with different gift certificates he and Jane have given me over the years has gone a long way in me building up my gear collection. However, the biggest help has always been his encouragement.

Big thanks to my wife Heather as well. She has been generous with time and also given me critiques that have motivated me to strive for more and better performances.

So I wanted to release something before I retired from the Coast Guard officially at the end of June. While my production ability is 'demo' quality at best, this collection realizes that goal and is a start. There will be more music to come.

I think my influences include John Frusciante, Jimmy Page, Beck, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire and many others. I don't know if any of those come through in my music. If anyone comes up with words (nice ones) to help me describe what I'm doing hit me up via Soundcloud.

Any keyboard players that hear themselves in any of these songs hit me up. For example I hear piano on Run and Hide. Want to play on it? Let me know.

Gear I used: Jeff Hill (Hillcaster) Strat and Telecaster, Fender Strat, Reverend Double Agent OG, Blueridge BR-180, Squire J-Bass, Fender Deluxe Reverb Limited Edition (Weber Blue Dog Speaker), Universal Audio Apollo Twin, Shure SM57, Shure SM58, AKG C214, Sennheiser MD421, Boss DD-3, Truetone Jekyll and Hyde, Truetone Clean Boost, couple different pairs of headphones, and Garageband.

Double click the individual tracks for additional information.

Recommendation, computer and phone speakers are crap, listen with headphones.