Spring 2010. After years of keeping my music and poetry a secret, a friend heard my work and encouraged me to put it into the world. I kept it hidden because my writing held my real thoughts—and up until then, honesty had always come with social and emotional punishment.
Throughout my teenage years, my closest friends made me feel like I was the ticket—the way out, the one who could change everything. What they didn’t know was that long before that, my dream was simply to take care of my family. That pressure never felt like pressure to me. It felt like purpose. Like a calling to make people feel less alone.
Unfortunately, to nobody’s fault but my own, I spent half a decade chasing a version of life that wasn’t real. A facade that nearly killed me. I survived, but I lost everything. Friendships changed. Some disappeared entirely. And most devastating of all—I was no longer the ticket.
But nothing is lost when hope is present.
It took another half decade to rebuild. I got a job. Saved my family. Returned to music. Found someone who became my wife. Cleared debt. Saved my family again. And now, I’m expecting my first child…a son.
NittyGritty reminds me of that friend from 2010. His raw, unfiltered, and real approach to music reminded me why I started in the first place. It was never about hits, acceptance, or being the best. It was about being so honest—so vulnerable—that the people who feel lost might finally feel seen.
It feels like I woke up in 2010, but with the memories and lessons of the future. It feels like starting over.
I’m not perfect. I have a lot to learn and a long way to go.
But this is where I begin.
For my Wife, my Son, my family, and my supporters.
Welcome to Project Nostalgia.
Becoming August Wild 