Songs of Devotion took a little over 2 years to write. Not because it was a particularly difficult album but because there were so many distractions in life. I attempted a live show which in all practicality worked wonderful and sounded great, however it was extremely hard to manage 5 people and keep steady musicians in the band during the one year it took to prepare. Kate, the female voice and co-writer for many songs on this album, had a baby and needed to dedicate more time to her family. The live show took on as many as 10 musicians over that year. I didn’t write much and couldn't seem to get things moving. Quite a few people were interested in the live aspect of Élu which led to a few regional magazine write ups. But what really peaked people’s interest was the new music, the music on this disc. Funny about live shows, it sounds good in theory and most A&R people want a band that can perform live which we did very well, but from a practical stand point, most opportunities lay in bunch of flakey promotional types that work for city government as well as the private sector who insist that Élu is a little too racy for family events and a little to calm for the bar and party scene. Where's Yanni when you need him. After 2 live shows and many broken promises the show was dissolved. All in all this was one of the better things to have happened. I proved that with dedicated people and time, lots and lots of time, Élu can play live. But my family, writing, producing and working a full time job takes all my time and my heart lays in the creation of music. This album was an extension of my life and emotions and I couldn't have done a lot of it without Kate who lent her abilities for the lyrics and voice on many of the tracks. Good luck Kate. Hope your family is well. The other people in my life that deserve my thanks are my wife Carissa (pictured on the cover), my two children Dylan and Deven, Steve Hewitt who gave me support, my best friends, Danny Winn, Marcelo Olivares and Brian Gonzales. The guys in the band who stuck it out no matter what...especially Don Shearer, Hyper Active Music Magazine, Allie Shaw, and those of you support Élu by purchasing this album.