Today’s singer has a great take on why music matters: “Music is an intensifier. If you are happy, it can make you happier, if you’re sad, it makes you really connect with your own sadness. If you are driving down the highway with the windows down, it can make your heart explode and feel free…”
He started as a street performer for about 3-4 years out on 3rd street Promenade in Santa Monica CA. That’s where he says he really developed the sound for his first record and honed his songs and voice.
In fact, it was after a particularly unsuccessful day of selling his records on the street that he returned home and wrote today’s song as a way of cheering himself up.
The song had the same effect of millions of others too! As his first entry into the music industry, the song was first released in 2011 as this debut album's lead single. It has since become RIAA-certified Platinum, for sales of over 1 million downloads, in 2011. It also entered the charts in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Today’s song is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. The feel good song has been featured as the theme song for Tricky Business. It also appears in the movie Pitch Perfect.
Today’s artist is always game to have fun at his shows, and Portland is a favorite stop, his most recent show was at the Wonder Ballroom in 2018. He'd planned to tour last year but the pandemic put all of that on hold. Which was fine with this proud papa who’s daughter said her first word in December…”dada.” The adorable video below is on his facebook page.
Fun fact: He’s also a poet and really kind of fantastic at the art of the spoken word.