Live Worship Set with my friends at World Vision

Wade in the Water (I Think I Know What You Started)

Always For Me

I Give Myself

Growth is good.  It's essential actually, but that doesn't change the fact that the process absolutely sucks sometimes.  I've found myself in one of those seasons.  I'm completely surrounded by so many amazing things, but in the midst of these blessings I am growing.  Some of this growth feels like fire burning my skin, when in fact it is burning away that which needs not be there.
This song is just a little peace of the process I'm in.

You and I: An Original Song by Zach Trandum (Featuring Sarah Trandum)

I have some pretty amazing people in my life.  God has richly blessed me with family and friends that have loved me enough to not only walk with me and rejoice in the good times, but to call me on my crap in the tougher times.  The single greatest, most amazing (and super hot) person in my life is my incredible wife, Sarah.  When I step back and look at the gift God gave me in her I am, quite literally, speechless.  And that's saying a lot because I like words lol.  This girl sharpens me, encourages me, challenges me, recharges me, along with so many other things.  And to top it off, just when I thought things couldn't get any better, she gave me a daughter.  Did I mention she's smoke'n hot? Cuz yeah, she is.  BONUS!!!!
Back in 2009, right when Sarah and I started dating, I was the worship pastor of a small church in Mount Vernon Washington.  Sarah would drive more than 2 hours to come visit me.  On one particular afternoon I was in the church neck deep in a songwriting session.  When she arrived I was getting ready to lay down a scratch track for my records.  Knowing that she's had quite a bit of musical experience and training herself, I asked Sarah to sing with me on the tune.  It took her all of 2 minutes to latch on to the melody, find the harmonies, and remember the lyrics.  I've been doing music for a long time and I still cant pick things up as fast as she does (kinda drives me nuts lol).
Well kids, this is the recording we did that day.  Nothing special at all about the production.  Its just the two of us singing live, worshiping God.  I sincerely hope you enjoy the tune!

A Lounge Called Leopard

Back in 2009 I was blessed with an incredible opportunity.  I had been on the hunt for a fun songwriting competition to take part in and came across Facebook Idol, which was sponsored by Sweatshop Studios.  I submitted one of my tunes and pretty much forgot about it for a while.  With online competitions I had, at that point, pretty much decided that most of them were a load of junk.

Well I soon found out that I had made it in to the top 15 of the contestants.  To make a long story short, while I didn't win the competition I was contacted by Sweatshop and offered a contract.
In a matter of months I found myself behind the mic in Katona, New York, at the incredible facilities of Sweatshop Studios, recording my own songs.  It was a dream come true.

After spending an amazing eternity in studio, we ventured out to a venue on the east side of NYC called the Sinsin Leopard Lounge (no, I don't know who named the place).  I was honored to perform there for a packed house alongside a couple of the other Facebook Idol finalists.  Such an amazing evening that was!!!

Here is a little snip from the trip.  The song you'll here I actually ended up re-writing with gospel lyrics, but i still like going back and listening to the old version every now and then.  This is "Cut Down" live in New York City.

Songs that Hit You: Nothing but the Blood (Featuring Julieanne Marie)

There are certain songs that hit you.  As you walk from day to day with the radio playing or your headphones in, marching along to your job, letting the sounds of your favorite band pump in to your ear drums, there will eventually be a song that, almost physically, punches you in the heart.  Maybe it's the lyrics that seem to be speaking directly to you and whatever circumstance you find yourself in.  It could be a haunting melody that moves you to tears.  It might be the ramped up energy of a chorus that boosts you as you push through the last mile of your morning run.  What song is it for you?

I had the honor of sharing the stage with a rising star, Julieanne Marie.  We didn't think we were going to have time to sing this song, but were asked to by the event organizer.  He'd heard us practice the music before things kicked off and I am SO glad he asked us to sing it as encore.

This is "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus".  What an incredible tune this is!  I don't want to say it's rare, but music usually doesn't strike me to my core the way that this song does.  I dig, and dig, and dig to find truly great music, great singers, and great songs.  This timeless song is an honest, outcry of the heart as it declares Jesus as the only source of life and strength.

I hope you enjoy this worshipful duet featuring Julieanne Marie (watch out for this girl!  She's taking off!!!)

Songwriting is a Muscle

Songwriting is like a muscle.  If you don't work it out its going to get mushy and weak.  With this in mind I try to spend time every day writing something.  That doesn't mean I'm always sitting down with guitar in hand or piano keys under my fingers.  Sometimes I just sit and write out lyrics even if those lyrics never get used.  Whatever it is I am working out that creative muscle.

Here is a little something that came of a creative writing session.  I wasn't actually planning to get anything much out of this particular session, but I grew rather fond of the sound I was coming up with.  Here is the rough draft of "Always For Me".


(If you listen closely at the end you can hear my in-laws wiener dog barking in the background.)

Trent Dabbs - Believer

There are a few resources I use to find new and interesting music.  Amazon Prime is one that I'm test driving at the moment and I'm pretty happy with it so far.  I also tap in to magazines like Relevant for some great insight in to new tunes.  Being as picky as I am when it comes to my music library I can be a bit hard to please but today Relevant pleased my musical pallet.

Check out Trent Dabbs album Believer.  The sound is definitely singer/songwriter, sporting an extremely raw and honest sound and all the acoustic deliciousness my little heart could handle. I'll let you be the judge, but take a look at Relevant's article and be sure to listen!  My favorite songs on the album are "Goes Without Saying" and "Here On Earth".

Believer - Trent Dabbs  (Via Relevant)

Nothing Can Cut Me Down (LIVED)

If you missed the show on 2.27, here is a little taste of the musical fun we had.

Mumford & Sons Evolves

 

"We felt that doing the same thing just wasn’t for us," Marcus Mumford says of the band's electric third LP. ~Rolling Stone

What happens when a band or artist evolves?  I don't think it's anything like those weird little monsters in that video game I played when I was a kid.  What was it called?  Pokeeman?  Ok, I'll be totally honest and admit that I am quite familiar with the game and still to this day might, though I admit to nothing, pick up the ol' Gameboy and go for a few rounds of animal cruelty (cuz lets be honest).  BUT ANYWAY.

It is truly something amazing when a group can take what they've been and transform in to something totally new.  In this case, it looks like Mumford and Sons may be doing just that.  Relevant Magazine has some great insight in to the bands "all electric" album venture. Let's check it out!

"Yep. Mumford's New Album Will Be All Electric."

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/slices/yep-mumfords-new-album-will-be-all-electric

Ain't Nobody Got It Easy Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors

 

About the Artist

For Nashville based, Memphis born Drew Holcomb, “music is medicine” and it seems only fitting that along with his band The Neighbors - wife Ellie (vocals, guitar), Nathan Dugger (guitar, keys) and Rich Brinsfield (bass) - the group will celebrate a decade long career with the release of their new full-length studio album Medicine.

Read More: http://snip.ly/y9uF

I'm So In Love With You (Acoustic rough draft)

Free Electronic Press Kits template from ReverbNation.com    

It's like bacon for your ears: music by All Things New

How much do I love this sound? Probably more than Hulk Hogan loves ripping shirts-------------------------------------------------------->





There is something that's so comfy and delicious about worship music that is, though very well produced, raw and honest.  This is a perfect example of the type of tunes I relentlessly search for and latch on to.  It also makes me want to play banjo and harmonica, neither of which you would want to hear me play right now unless you like bleeding ears and brain aneurisms.

Bottom line,
listen to the tune.  Buy their music.  If your ears were a mouth, it would be like listening to Oreo's dipped in peanut butter. (don't diss it till you try it.) Or maybe bacon. Everybody likes bacon.

Holy Relics: The Acoustic Guitar

His hands are tan; his cuffs have been upturned but not rolled, and the top three buttons of his black shirt hang open under his chin. His hair knifes out variously in a style best described as “subdued anime.”
Read more: http://christandpopculture.com/holy-relics-acoustic-guitar/ 

I'm So In Love With You

Sometimes I stumble across old songs I recorded samples of years ago and then completely forgot about. Well here is one of them.

Sell Music online at ReverbNation.com

Breath You In

Sometimes the best ideas for a song come from just singing, worshiping God, letting whatever comes out come out.  I'm not saying that this song is the ultimate achievement of my life, but it is intimate and genuine, and I happen to like some of the lyrics.  It's good when you like your own lyrics.
I will likely do some refining, but the songs message will stay the same.  God's presence is substance.  It's tangible.  Something to bask in, or breath in.  And the best part is that He wants to be near us just as we want to be near Him.
The chorus of this song simply says "Oh".  I believe that we sometimes just don't have words to express all that's on our hearts.  I didn't in that moment so I just let my heart groan.

With all of that said, I hope you are refreshed by "Breath You In".

I totes did this song one time, on video, for that show with the germaphobic bald guy

So I did an audition video a number of years back for America's Got Talent.  I love how the video turned out, but never actually got around to submitting the video. *virtual facepalm*

This is an original song that I actually got to record during my time with Sweatshop Studios, but never officially released the tune in the end.  I do plan on revamping this in the near future, but for now please enjoy the remnant of "Sanctuary".

A Re-refreshing

I believe I've already shared this song in a previous post, but I felt like sharing it again.
Sometimes it's good to go back and let certain things refresh you.  Today, this song is exactly that.  Yeah, I am that guy that goes back and listens to his own stuff over and over again, sometimes obsessively.  Today is a little different though because I wasn't listening with the intention of changing anything.  I was instead settling back in to the memory of the moment I sat down for what was supposed to be just another songwriting session but morphed in to an intimate time of worship.
As I sat here on my lunch break, letting the sounds pour over my ears again, God began to whisper away thoughts that I've given way to much authority to.  He was refreshing me all over again.

My prayer is that this song serves as a refresher for you as well.  I cross my heart, and promise to record a high quality version for you later.  Right now, you'll just have to put up with fairly decent iPhone mic quality.

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room (a John Mayer cover)

One of my favorite songs of all time in the history of everything.