Nirvana + Michael Jackson

My Home by Marc Allred & Family

Blog Archives

Where Your Demons Can’t Chase You

What my Virginia commute looks like in the Fall.

My Virginia commute in the Fall.

Every morning it’s the same.  I wake up, hit the shower, breakfast with some reading, kiss my wife and kids, say a prayer before I leave the house, and then I get on the road for my 30-40 minute commute to work.  And then it happens.  It’s subtle, but it happens every time – anxiety kicks in.  My mind usually wanders to future goals where fear and doubt start to slowly pour over me like cold maple syrup.  This has been happening for a few months straight now.  Sometimes it’s worse than other days.  But it’s almost always there, waiting for me on the road, causing my stomach to burn with anxious acid and causing my mind to hurt.  It has this weird affect later in the day where I suddenly feel like I’m walking on a slightly rocking ship.

This stress a...

May 2, 2014 entrepeneur No comments
Read More

6 Things To Know About This Week’s Show

Giving you more music, Q&A, and prizes!

I’ve planned a great show for this week!  With so many new subscribers to my blog I’m excited for so many new people to have a hand in choosing the songs I play this week.  I noticed a few things from these last two online shows that I want to focus on and I have a new prize in mind for this week.

During the last shows people had some great questions about music writing and performing and this really got me thinking.  I realized I have a lot of great stories and experiences to share on the subject so I want to make Q&A a bigger part of these shows, almost like a podcast...

April 28, 2014 live shows No comments
Read More

Live Home Show #2

Live Home Show – Acoustic

The first live show I did from home last week went so well I’m going to do three more!  The next one is this Thursday 24 April @ 9pm EST.  You can sign up below.  You’ll get access to my private show and be entered to win a free digital copy of Upstanding Youth’s last musical release, 3P One.  Here’s a brief description I did back in 2011 explaining a 3P.

What is this I hear about a free streaming concert, me choosing the songs you’ll play, and the 3P?

I’m going to stream a live acoustic performance from my home studio in Virginia and you’ll get to pick the songs I play!  You’ll be choosing from some of my original tunes, some of my favorite cover songs, and a bunch of songs from my glory days in Upstanding Youth.

  1. Everyone who signs up below will have a cha...
April 22, 2014 Music No comments
Read More

Vintage Store Horseshoes and Hand Grenades and a Jingle

CLICK HERE to Like the Fredericksburg, VA vintage store Horseshoes and Hand Grenades on Facebook.

Back Story

On Valentines Day this year, my wife Echo and I went to Fredericksburg, VA on a date.  We made a reservation at some slick back alley foodie restaurant and then went for a walk while we waited.  Fredericksburg is an amazing old town with great American history.  The founding fathers would spend time in this town discussing the future of the country while drinking at a local tavern, wars were fought here, and every store claims to have a belt buckle worn by a Civil War soldier.  Imagine a million antique stores on every corner, with Civil War re-enactment-type people running the store, and you have a general picture of downtown Fredericksburg.  I love it.

horseshoesandhandgrenadesWhile the wife and I w...

March 22, 2014 Jingles 2 comments
Read More

Orignal Song: Hawaii Is My Home

Download the song Hawaii Is My Home for free HERE!

Background on Hawaii Is My Home

Ever since I moved away from Hawaii I’ve been thinking about writing an anthem for those who’ve left the island where they were raised.  A lot of friends I’ve grown up with have moved away from the island for one reason or another.  For those who’ve had to leave, there’s a longing to return, to remember where you come from.  It makes you feel like nowhere can really be home and you’re like a tourist everywhere you go no matter how long you live there.

This song is for all the people who’ve been raised in Hawaii, but had to leave.  Hawaii will always be home.

March 17, 2014 Original Songs 10 comments
Read More

Songs on Demand: Saw Forever In You

For some reason, Brady Whetten and his wife Rachel never got a video of their wedding.  Brady has always felt horrible for this and wanted to make up for it.  He reached out to me and asked if I’d write a song, just for them, that he could use to put together a video of their marriage and present it to his wife on her birthday.  I was stoked and said, let’s do this!  He ended up looking like a total hero with his final present to his wife.  Good job bud.

Download this song for free: CLICK HERE!

Want Marc to write a song just for you? CLICK HERE!

March 4, 2014 Songs on Demand No comments
Read More

Original Song: Dance With Me

Download the song Dance With Me for free HERE!

Last year I spent a lot of time recording little snippets of songs ideas and riffs on my iPhone.  I didn’t really have the workspace or make the time to really work on them, but I decided to finish one of them recently and so below I give you my new song, Dance With Me.

Background

Growing up a teenager in the 90s, I was into the band Stone Temple Pilots (STP).  Their song Plush has a killer intro and if you play the riff a little quicker, it sounds like a common Hawaiian Hula-type riff intro.  I originally learned the STP version and one day while fooling around started playing it faster and my buddy and sax player from Upstanding Youth, Tim Goshi, started horsing around pretending to do a hula.

So I’ve always had this fun little riff in th...

February 22, 2014 Original Songs No comments
Read More

Songs By Request: Lost Without Her

Bryan Schardt is a soldier far away from his family right now.  He reached out to me and asked if I’d write a Valentines Day song for his wife Lesha.  I asked him to share some stories with me about his wife and he unloaded some great details.  So I give you, Lost Without Her.  Happy Valentines Day Lesha and Bryan.  Hope you love the song!

Download this song for free HERE!

If you’d like a song written for you join the Facebook page Marc Allred Music or follow me on twitter @marcballred to wait for the next #songsbyrequest to submit your request!  Or if you can’t wait, check my services page and order a Song On Demand.  Hope to share your story and song next!

Want Marc write to a song just for you? CLICK HERE!

February 13, 2014 Songs by Request 4 comments
Read More

Stupid Love #songsbyrequest

Back when my wife and I were dating, we lived in a town called Laie.  We were both going to college at Brigham Young University – Hawaii.  She played softball for the school and I played in my band Upstanding Youth.  We met, fell in love, and couldn’t spend more than 8 hours apart for sleep.  We were constantly together after we started falling in love.

malaekahanaLiving in Hawaii, you have more than your fair share of romantic and beautiful locations.  Our favorite spot used to be a grassy hill at a beach park called Malaekahana.  Late at night when the gate would be locked, we’d park my truck off the side of Kamehameha Highway and take the long dark walk to the hill...

February 4, 2014 Songs by Request 4 comments
Read More