Wake Up carries a strong environmental theme, shaped by my earliest experiences in the wilderness. As a boy, my father would take my brother and I deep into the wilds of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and southern British Columbia. Those trips taught me to respect nature and gave me a lifelong appreciation for the land. It’s disheartening now to see how the planet is being treated, and that sense of loss echoes through much of this album.
I also grew up during the Cold War, when the threat of nuclear conflict between the USA and Russia was a constant shadow. That fear — and the hope for peace — continues to influence my songwriting.
Some of the songs on Wake Up were written here in Thailand, inspired by what I’ve seen and felt around me. They reflect themes of dislocation, inequality, and poverty — reminders that the struggles of humanity are deeply connected to how we treat both each other and the world we live in.
