The journey has begun!

Our little man on the globe keeps moving. And so do we. Last month was full of wonders and mysteries. Project TRAVELER started unfolding itself like a beautiful flower in spring. Besides playing dozens of live shows with different projects (I was young and needed the money), I finally got the lyric videos done, as well as the production trailer and a couple of new single covers. Song number two – Longest Highway – launched on the 31^st of May and I couldn’t be prouder of this song. Once again, I can’t express my gratitude for having been able to work with such talented people.

Yes, it takes time. And yes, a project like TRAVELER may cause sleepless nights, stress, and fear. But that’s nothing compared to the joy a musician feels when his/her new song is out, and people keep telling him/her how much they love it.

THAT’S what it’s all about!

As the great Wayne Shorter once said: It takes courage to be happy. And hell, it does! I am starting to realize more and more what it’s all about. And the answer is: it’s not about spending 8 hours a day in front of my computer, writing e-mails and dm’s, setting up my website, e-shop, e-mail list, social media schedule, content, working on my brand, comparing myself to others, reading about TikTok stocks, the music business worldwide, listening to podcasts on that same subject and researching, researching, researching. It’s not about trying to land the best deal possible, either. It’s not even about becoming or being a rockstar, I guess. Yes, this is all part of the path an independent artist must go through, and those times we are living in aren’t particularly the best times for musicians. (Although I know a bunch of people who would disagree here).

But the point is: All this stuff soaks up SO MUCH time of a musician’s life, that we tend to forget how it all started and why we are doing this …

So, what is it all about then?

The answer is simple, at least for me.

What matters is only: I want to play music until I’m done here. Either my own stuff or music by others, either by using my hands or my voice, either in the studio, live, or in the classroom. It doesn’t matter, really. I am a nerd, and I had a blast writing almost 400 pages of score for TRAVELER, spending 1 year producing, and now playing those songs live. And I need to remind myself every day that everything else I am doing just serves one purpose: my musical journey, my inner balance, and my mission. And to be able to provide for me and my family and live a happy life with my beautiful woman and our future kids. Fuck the rest. I’ll play the guitar.

That said, dear fellow traveler, let us take a closer look at the new song, shall we?

I still remember writing the chorus melody back in late 2016, early 2017. Back then I would have never imagined being a pop rock musician, which was why I was singing the melody just with “Nah nah’s”. It would take almost five years for me to come to the realization that the chorus of a pop song should be having “real” lyrics. Walking in circles in my family’s beach house in Greece – it was summer 2021 – I finally left my comfort zone, tapped into my courageous heart (*sigh*) and came up with the lyrics of the chorus. This particular song takes courage and a sense of lightheartedness to perform. Focusing on the strong vowel “a” and the lyrics being about freedom, nonconformism and wanderlust, I had to push myself to sing it “right”. And being in a state of constant fear myself – something I am working on currently – it was not easy to deliver. It wasn’t until adding the backing vocals to the chorus (Thank you Elly!) when I felt: Okay, now we’ve got it. Her beautiful voice gave the song not only the finishing touch, but also what it needed to be actually done. My vocal performance alone did not suffice, I think. The presence of a female entity was super important; this song is about breaking free, living life at its fullest. It is the divine feminine that symbolizes birth, life, and beauty, as well as the sense of home, return and safety.

I think we caught the mood.

A big shout out once again to Marios Laz Ioannidis (MLI music) for making so much happen here! All those little details, a bunch of extra vocals and guitars and a kickass mix, shaping this song into a 70ies road trip classic. Love it!

I wrote this song with California in mind, one of the few places I sing about on this record that I haven’t actually been to. While writing it, I thought I’d make it there „in time“ (a.k.a. before the record would be released), but it seems my L.A. trip won’t happen before early 2025. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always felt a super strong connection towards the West Coast. I’m super curious to find out if I actually caught its spirit with this song.

After all …

“I feel like a desert wind

Like an eagle flying to the West

God bless the USA!”

I was unhappy in the museum called Europe for many years, trying to figure out a way to leave and start a new life on the other side of the Atlantic. Years of anguish, sleepless nights, panic attacks and this strong, dreadful feeling of wasting time. It was not until 2019 and after three trips to the States, with two of them being quite long, that I started realizing: besides the fact, that the quality of life is unbeatable in Central Europe, music-wise it doesn’t really matter where you are nowadays. Times have changed. I began to accept that my dream of leaving and starting a new life across the salty pond might just have been a dream. The States I had been in love with were the States of the 70ies, maybe 80ies. Back then, when the Dollar was strong, and you had a chance to „make it“ in the music business. Before the internet. Before the flood of mediocrity and the age of AI-„musicians“ who never actually played an instrument in their lives, celebrating their viral moment on TikTok.

I don’t know man, it’s complicated. I’m not the type of person who gives up on their dreams. Maybe it takes to abandon reason for madness sometimes. Maybe you should just DO it and watch and learn. But I’m turning 32 in two weeks. I need something stable. I need to be able to take care of myself, my woman, and our future kids. I need to invest in a sustainable career. I can’t just „leave“. Not anymore.

And this causes a decent amount of fear sometimes.

Maybe that’s why this song is so important to me. People keep telling me how uplifting this song is. Well. Thank you for that! This means I did my job right.

’Cause …

“You and me, we’ll be forever young and free.

There’s no way back, no way back.”

Well. Thanks for sticking around, my friend.

I’ll see you very soon with Page Three of the Travel Diaries, looking at our next song “Oh, Oh, Oh! (Looking for Distribution)”.

Also, if you want to know more about project TRAVELER, how everything started and who I am, I invite you to subscribe to my E-Mail list. There is plenty of subscriber-only stuff going on over there and I’d love you to be part of this!

Cheers

Jannis

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PS: I thought I’ll add some personal notes at the end of each blog post, giving a short insight into my own journey right now. So, here it is:

My current diary pages (May 2023)

• I started getting in touch with myself again. I feel the ice melting and getting into a meditative state, slowly but steady. I may have been meditating those last couple of years again (after a long break) but I almost never achieved a state of calm and peace. Let’s see!
• The second live show with Jannis Raptis & His Fellow Travelers was pretty good! There is still a lot of work to be done, but I’m positive.
• The production trailer is on YouTube, and I LOVE it!
• The first lyric video is on YouTube, and I think it’s great.
• My long-distance relationship will end in one week!
• I gained belly fat, and I don’t like that.

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You like what you see and hear? Or you hate it, but for whatever reason, you still want to buy me a cup of coffee? I highly appreciate this!