There comes a time for every album where whoever created the thing gets to say a few words. No one’s buying CDs anymore, and streamed songs don’t come with liner notes, so here’s my attempt to bridge the gap.

This EP (I hesitate to call it an ‘album’, because that makes it sound much more put-together than it really is) is the result of decades of wanting. Wanting to be a singer, wanting to be a songwriter, wanting to be a guitar player. I won’t say that I’m good at any of them, but there’ve been a lot worse than me so I’ll just say that I’m competent. I started to get the bug to put something together in the last few years, not as a result of a global pandemic but just because I was tired of playing at something rather than actually doing it.

It’s flawed, obviously. There are flubbed chords, ‘off’ vocals and notes, a goofed vocal melody when I thought I’d try and be tricky with something at one point, there’s bleed-over from the guitar into the vocal mic. The lyrics have been written, adjusted, some scrapped and completely re-written at one point, and finally settled on or for. I try to think “Would any of my musical heroes say this?”; I inevitably come to the conclusion that they wouldn’t, but I’m trying to come to the point where I’m comfortable that I said it.

I could have done take after take after take and tried for perfection, but I’ve read too many books about Guided By Voices/Robert Pollard and came to the conclusion that rough and ready is good enough. Don’t waste time trying for perfection, don’t use “it’s not right” as an excuse not to get the song out there. Just do it, get it good enough, and move on to the next one.

I have to thank a bunch of people:

My wife, Karen, for all her love and encouragement and support. You’re the world to me, even if I’m not great at showing or saying it as often or as well as I should.

My family in Columbus: Mom, Ian/Michelle/Madison/Orion/Marshall, and Glenna. A lot of tragedy in recent years has brought us closer, and even if we don’t see each other very often it’s like no time has passed whenever we do.

Chuck and Laura – you’ve been family to me for so long now, I think it’s been longer that we’ve known each other than we haven’t at this point. All my love to you both.

The Roundabouts and the Mostly Acoustic Jam folks – you’ve all encouraged me and helped me grow, and I’m thankful to you all.

The Ypsilanti Alehouse – a great place for bands and singer/songwriters to play, a gem of the Ypsilanti community.

Barb, Carol, and Laura – thank you for your friendship, and for making work not suck.


All writing, engineering, production, and mastering are by Josh McCullough, so you know exactly who to blame. All songs were recorded using the following equipment (any deficits in song and sound quality are due solely to the writer/performer and not the equipment):

Microphone: Marantz MPM-1000 condenser

Guitar: Fender Player Series Acoustasonic Telecaster - Shadow Black

Amp Interface: Valeton GP-200 running a Fender Twin Reverb model, with and without distortion, compression, and reverb to try and cover up a distinct lack of skill

Strings: D’Addario Acoustic XS Phosphor Bronze .011-.052

Picks: Dunlop Tortex Flex Standards .73mm

Recorder: Tascam DP-008EX digital recorder


Josh McCullough is endorsed by the following brands:

None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not a single one. But he loves his Fender Tele and new Taylor 150e 12-string that may make an appearance on another album, if there is one……..