This February is hard but it cannot last forever. When it snows on your birthday, maybe you should move to Reno.
Good morning and happy last day of the shortest month of the year. And thank God for that! After my birthday on the first of the month, things go downhill pretty fast. That’s true at least in the northern states, where each day seems like a Groundhog Day repeat of gray skies, bitter cold, and feeling like it just won’t end. I’m sure I’m not the first person to think about moving somewhere warmer this time of year. And that was my inspiration for our new single, “Reno.”
To be fair, I’ve never really been to Reno — I drove through once, but that doesn’t count for much. (And actually it was snowing in Nevada that day!) But in the song, Reno is a metaphor for taking a chance, placing a bet on something better for yourself, even when things are darkest.
This year I took my own advice and got out of Dodge (well, Brooklyn). I work remotely — which means I can technically work anywhere — and I got the chance to stay for a month in a beach house in Puerto Rico. It’s 83 degrees every day, the ocean is so loud I sometimes need to close the balcony door, and I take my coffee breaks on the roof deck in the sun. If you ever get the opportunity to spend February in the Caribbean — do it!
In the music video below, you’ll see me walking on the beach in front of my place. I thought the ukulele and Hawaiian shirt were a good contrast for the winter theme in the song. It also made me feel like I was in one of those corny Elvis movies in the ‘60s. To add to that feeling I followed a super helpful YouTube tutorial on getting a VHS look in the video edit. I also created a slow-motion effect I learned from Coldplay’s “Yellow” video. (I experimented with that technique a few years back when I had an impressive beard.)
I bought the Reno drone footage (at a very affordable price, thank you, sir!) from a freelance photographer who also works remotely. Pretty cool to think people are able to collaborate nowadays over extremely long distances. Or how I’m able to write to you all from New York City, or the Tropics, to wherever you might happen to be right now. The Internet might eventually be the downfall of our civilization — but it’s hard to complain with a view of the ocean!
I hope you enjoy the video. Here’s looking forward to March, spring, baseball, and placing more bets on ourselves.