Behind the 2nd Single: “Wings in Manhattan” (Dropping 12/15/25).

Believe it or not, I wrote and recorded this song almost 25 years ago on acoustic guitar, in and around 2003, before relocating to a really shitty part of the east coast, trying to pay off the rest of my credit debt I accumulated in Los Angeles (trying to “make it”).

Back then I was working at Sprint answering phones during the day, delivering pizzas at night, and then trying to earn money as a Physical Trainer at Golds on the weekend.

This was when “paying your dues” was just a thing we all did. And I wasn’t ay different.

To say I was depressed, was an understatement.

Growing up in the 80s, I was always pegged as either “quiet” or “moody.”

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I was diagnosed with something called General Anxiety disorder, that it all started to make sense. It turns out, I suffered from anxiety and depression at a really young age, but never got any sort of help (or real diagnosis) until decades later.

Looking back, it makes total sense. I wasn’t “quiet” and “moody.” I was dealing with the constant fight and struggle of deeply pressing down a fire, passion, and love for music that no family of mine ever really supported.

Music became my healthy escape.

While most, suffering the kind of childhood trauma and neglect that I did growing up, would’ve used drugs and alcohol to escape, I fortunately chose music.

But the struggle was real, and although I booked, played, promoted hundreds of my own shows, pre-internet, I couldn’t afford to keep pursuing it and not getting the kind of recognition I felt I deserved.

So like every musician living on the east coast did, I packed everything in my car and headed out west. ;)

I lived in a hole in the wall.

Living in Venice Beach, California during the time I wrote “Wings in Manhattan” I was living in a shitty, studio apartment in Venice Beach, California singing and performing on the strip. Hoping the trail of ants that made its way from the sink, to the ceiling, wouldn’t find a way to my bed.

Desperately needing money, I worked a ton of day jobs to try and fund the music I was making — playing various cafes and venues around town that paid little to nothing — every now and then booking a college gig that paid decent.

Wings in Manhattan first appeared on a live album I put out back in 2003. It was kind of this add on I wanted to make sure I had a way to capture, despite how ready or not it was for consumption.

As one can imagine, I wrote it in response to the horrors of what had happened on 9/11 when I heard all of these people were jumping out of the building to avoid getting burned. It’s not about any one particular person, but just a story of what might’ve happened to someone, and their family, having to go through what many did.

As heartbreaking as it was, I’m glad I had a chance to capture it in a song.

Back then, as well as now, my hopes is that this song could offer some sort of relief and support to all of the people who sadly lost someone on that horrible day. But also, maybe provide a bit of comfort (and closure).