released November 15, 2018

Dream Your Own History
by J. Matthew Ward
(1) American Symphony
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, vocals, and ambience by J. Matthew Ward; drums by Alec Martin; piano by a generous anonymous dude; keys and organ by Reid Knighten.
(2) Escapist Concertos
Music by J. Matthew Ward. Lyrics by Sarah Orler and J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, vocals, and ambience by J. Matthew Ward; drums by Alec Martin; synth by Reid Knighten.
(3) Smoke in Your Eyes
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, and vocals by J. Matthew Ward. Synth and drum programming by Reid Knighten.
(4) Heartland (Long Time)
Written by J. Matthew Ward and Sarah Orler. Guitars, bass, and vocals by J. Matthew Ward; drums by Alec Martin; organ and drum programming by Reid Knighten.
(5) Dont Know
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, and vocals by J. Matthew Ward; drums by Alec Martin.
(6) Circle the Wagons
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, and vocals by J. Matthew Ward; synth and drum programming by Reid Knighten.
(7) Being Left in America
Composed by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars and bass by J. Matthew Ward; drums by Alec Martin; ambience by Reid Knighten.
(8) Trouble
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, vocals, and ambience by J. Matthew Ward; organ and drum programming by Reid Knighten.
(9) Out in the Sticks
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, and vocals by J. Matthew Ward; synth, drum programming, and ambience by Reid Knighten; breathing by James Wilkey. Dedicated to Candice Evans.
(10) Dream Your Own History
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Very excellent keys by a generous anonymous dude.
(11) Vital Parts
Written by J. Matthew Ward. Guitars, bass, and ambience by J. Matthew Ward; drum programming by Reid Knighten.
Produced by: Reid Knighten and a generous anonymous dude
Conceived, written, and recorded in a series of bedrooms. Recorded and mixed from February—November 2018.
Engineering, recording assistance, mixing by: Reid Knighten and a generous anonymous dude
Mastering by: Reid Knighten
Design and Art Direction by: James Wilkey and J. Matthew Ward.
Cover photograph by: John Ward
Studio dog: Forest
I would like to say an immense thank you to Sarah Orler for her contributions and for putting up with a tortured artist such as myself. Thank you for sharing my vision of a better future. Thank you to James Wilkey for designing excellent cover art based on my incoherent verbal sketches and for enduring with such patience and kindness my continual occupation of his bedroom as studio space. Much appreciation to Alec Martin for deciphering rhythms and recording drum tracks in the chaos of my guitar songs. A very special thank you to a generous anonymous dude for opening his home and his schedule to me, a total stranger, and working at such length with me to bring this project to life, especially the wonderful piano for the title track. An immense and infinite thank you to Reid Knighten who rose to the challenging task of recording and engineering many of the tracks and who mixed and mastered the entire record. Your patience with my continual re-recording and tweaking of a hundred minute details cannot be overstated. This record would not exist without everyone who contributed musicianship, recording space, and time to it and I am forever grateful to you all.