Goodbye 2022, the Year of Tears

Many of us will remember 2022 for its turbulence as the events of the year twisted and turned in ways we have not seen in decades. Over the course of 2022, we have seen Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, painfully high inflation, supply chain issues, a falling stock market, and the collapse of crypto empires.

Years from now, each of us will remember 2022 for different reasons. Some of us will remember it for the turbulence captured in news headlines, and others will remember it for more personal reasons.

One thing is certain, no matter who you are, you will take something from 2022 into your future as this year has touched everyone in some meaningful way.

Personally, I will remember 2022 as the year my dad died.

2022 and the Spring into Sadness

In February of 22, my dad started having severe health problems and I became responsible for his day to day care. Over the next few months, my life became occupied with coordinating medical appointments, checking daily vitals, and tracking various prescriptions.

During this period of time, life was like a stress filled roller coaster. There would be good days which would fill you with hope, and other days which would take it all away.

Unfortunately, in the Spring of 22, my dad passed away, leaving a trail of sadness behind and a void in my life which will never be filled.

After my dad died, I didn’t feel like doing music anymore, so my guitars sat quietly in the corner gathering dust. To this day, I find it hard to talk about this particular period of my life as it just feels empty and unremarkable.

The Slow Track to New Horizons

My dad’s passing left me in a haze of grief and uncertainty about the future. Everything felt different, but life went on around me.

As the weeks turned into months, I would occasionally turn my studio computer on to revisit and remix old session files.

Eventually, I started playing with session files from the “Find a Way” album, and the resulting mixes were highly encouraging. For years, I have been unhappy with the resulting mix of the “Find a Way” album, so hearing those tracks sound better really lifted my spirits. Slowly but surely, I started to become motivated to work on music again.

As the days passed into weeks, the remixes of “Find a Way” finalized and a collection of songs started to emerge. This collection of tracks would become the “New Horizons” album.

New Horizons is a Reboot Album

The end of 2022 marks the unexpected re-release of songs that I wrote and recorded nearly a decade ago. New Horizons doesn’t contain any new songs. Instead, these are old songs that have been given a second chance at life.

Four of the tracks for “New Horizons” are the exact same recording sessions that were done for 2014’s “Find a Way” album, but they have been remixed to better align with my current production standards. Two of the tracks are the from the 2014 “Find a Way” sessions, but have alternate vocal takes which I found in my 2021 rehearsal archives.

In addition to the remixed tracks, 4 of the songs have been replaced by entirely new Reboot versions from 2021’s “Longhorn” sessions.

Below is the breakdown of the tracks:

2023 will Lead the Way

I’m not going to make any goals for 2023. Instead, I’m just going to follow my heart and go wherever it takes me.

Towards that end, I hope to focus a portion of my 2023 energies on my grunge influenced Alt Rock project which has been behind the scenes for far too long. Over the years I have recorded at least 4 albums worth of Alt Rock tracks, and I think it’s time to share some of these songs with the world.

As for the Kirk Ray music project, I plan to release the remainder of the “Longhorn” sessions over the course of 2023 starting with singles and later as a compiled collection.

Ending Thoughts

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2023. If you actually read this far, I appreciate the time you took to get to know me better.

KR