courtesy photo
by Jacob Zlomke
To set fire to art is to wish it away forever.
As part of a writing exercise, Brad Hoshaw wanted to set ablaze the last three minutes’ work of music and lyrics writing. It needed to be exorcised, forgotten. But just before the flame hit the words, something caught his attention.
“Before I burnt the page, I glanced over it and plucked out the line, ‘Would you believe me if I said I was a liar? Would you believe me if I said I was a saint?’” the Omaha singer/songwriter says.
It was the sixth song he wrote during a weeklong stay at what he calls Sad Bastard Songwriting Shack (Song Shack for short), and initially, he didn’t think it had much potential, but found himself surprised with the final result.
The result was “Would You Believe? (Come On)” one of two new tracks he’s released along with footage of Song Shack and photos from his stay on his Fanbridge page .
Just outside of Sheboygan, Wis., about 60 miles north of Milwaukee, in a solitary beachfront cabin on Michigan Lake, Hoshaw spends a week each year unapologetically allowing his creativity to flow without filter.
In years past, Hoshaw’s weeklong songwriting retreat has been coordinated with songwriters from Sheboygan, New York City, Minneapolis, Nashville, Madison and more. These trips consisted of collaboration, group critique and communal dinners.
This year, however, Hoshaw made the trek to an empty cabin. Scheduling conflicts prevented a reconvening of like-minded musicians. Now, the Song Shack offered solitude, isolation and a new approach to a week of unabashed creation. Hoshaw said he wanted to use the opportunity to see how creative he could be while completely alone.
“When I go to the cabin, it feels like I’m going to visit the Muse in her natural habitat, rather than anxiously hoping that she’ll visit me in Omaha one more time,” he says.
While he says he missed the presence of songwriters who, over the years, have become his close friends, writing alone was an opportunity he needed.
“This year, I was allowed to follow any musical path to the end and discover for myself which ones led to the ditch.”
He admits the experience can be powerful. After three days of constant songwriting “without judging good or bad,” Hoshaw said the intensity left him burnt out for a day. He took that day to swim in Lake Michigan.
He writes on his experience this time around, and includes photos from the week, as well as a video tour of the cabin. With the video, he shares the two new tracks, penned at Song Shack, “Take Me Over the Edge” and “Would You Believe? (Come On).”
“Would You Believe?” is a soulful folk tune conjuring spiritual images of Jesus Christ walking on water, heaven, sinners and saints.
“I’ve always been a spiritually aware person, and I feel that many of the stories passed down through religious texts and leaders can teach us more about ourselves and our world in a deep and meaningful way,” Hoshaw says.
The song’s meaning, which he didn’t learn for himself until after it had been written, is intensely personal, to the point where he is uncomfortable sharing its individual message.
“It gave me chills when I finally realized what the song was about, and I don’t want to steal that experience from the listener.”
Jacob Zlomke is a Hear Nebraska editorial intern. He would like a week alone in a cabin, too. Reach him at jacobz@hearnebraska.org.