Songs and Sonics

Welcome to Songs and Sonics. I’m your host, Jeff Boller, main songwriter and performer in The Simple Carnival.

You’re probably wondering, “Who? The Simple what?” That’s OK, because I don’t know who you are either. And I don’t know how you found this site, but please make yourself at home.

So what’s this all about? Well, within these electronic pages you’ll find a smorgasbord of tales from the front lines of songwriting, music production, and working with bizarre objects that make grinding, belching, unwelcome noises (which can be, but are not limited to, actual musical instruments). We take a close look at the music making process. We do some audio show-and-tell. We talk to other artists who are doing cool things with sound. Mostly though, I hope that this blog will provide you with ideas and inspiration for your own creative endeavors.

“OK,” you say. “But who the heck are you, and why should I care?”

Fair question. I’m a 30-something singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist based near Pittsburgh, PA. Since 2001, I’ve fronted The Simple Carnival, a pop recording project that sounds like what might happen if Harry Nilsson and The Beach Boys collaborated on Sesame Street.

To date, The Simple Carnival has released three EPs and a critically acclaimed full-length album called Girls Aliens Food. I play all the instruments and sing all the parts on these recordings.

You can also see me make a fool of myself in an apparently popular homemade animated music video that I made with $7.25 in office supplies.

My music career has led me from writing and producing songs for other artists, to recording bands at professional studios, to directing video productions, and ultimately… to finding a 9-5, non-audio job which actually pays the bills.

So if you’re looking for advice on how write that hit song or make it big in the music industry, you’ve come to the wrong place. This is a web site about the creative process, not how to achieve financial independence.

Songs and Sonics isn’t so much a blog, as it is a set of magazine-length articles. Because of the time it takes to prepare, write, and format each article, I post… whenever I have free time, which isn’t very often! You can sign up for this site’s mailing list, so you’ll know immediately when a new article is online. (The mailing list signup form is located directly to the right of this text.)

Ever since the well-received Louis Philippe interview, I have been asked repeatedly who the next Songs and Sonics interview will be conducted with. I don’t discuss who may or may not appear in a future interview — only that it might be someone you’ve heard of. Or have never heard of. Either way, I hope you will find their words and music interesting.