The Harbor Vale Story

Every song starts somewhere.

Harbor Vale didn't start with a record deal, a recording studio, or even a plan to make music.

It started with a song for my son.

As his first birthday approached, I wanted to give him something that would last. Something more personal than a card or a gift he'd eventually outgrow. Something he could come back to years from now and understand what I was feeling, what I was thinking, and just how much he meant to me.

So I wrote More Than Miles, a song about being a father from a distance, learning how to show up in different ways, and making sure my son never has to question how much he's loved.

I'd never written a song before.

I didn't expect to write another one.

But one song became two. Two became ten. And before I knew it, I had found a way to express things I'd spent much of my life trying to put into words.

That's how Harbor Vale began.

The song that started it

More Than Miles: lyrics and links · Read the story behind it

The person behind the music.

I'm based in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, and music is only one part of my life.

I'm a father, a technology executive, a veteran, and someone who's made plenty of mistakes, learned a few lessons, and is still working out the rest.

I've had some incredible chapters in my life, and a few I'd rather not repeat. One thing I've learned is that getting older doesn't necessarily mean having everything figured out. Sometimes it just means getting a little more comfortable admitting that you don't.

A lot of Harbor Vale comes from those experiences.

Relationships. Parenthood. Friendship. Loss. Starting over. Summer nights that you wish would never end. The strange feeling of looking around one day and realizing your life looks nothing like you once imagined, but there's still plenty to be grateful for.

Not every song is autobiographical, and not every story is entirely mine. Sometimes it's an experience, sometimes it's an observation, and sometimes it's simply an idea worth exploring.

What connects them is the desire to create something people can relate to.

I don't pretend to have all the answers.

I'm still figuring it out, too.

What's in a name?

A harbor is a place of safety. Somewhere you can find shelter when the water gets rough.

A vale is a low place between hills. A reminder that life has its valleys, and sometimes you have to walk through them before you can see what's on the other side.

Put them together, and you get Harbor Vale.

For me, the name represents the idea that even in life's difficult moments, there's still somewhere to find peace, perspective, and a reason to keep moving forward.

That's what I hope the music can be, too.

Music that follows the story.

I've never wanted Harbor Vale to be defined by a single genre. If I had to put a label on it, I'd call it cinematic, genre-fluid melodic music with Americana roots.

Some stories need the warmth of alternative country. Others want a big pop chorus, the groove of R&B and soul, the energy of rock, or something that falls somewhere in between. The sound changes because the stories change.

What doesn't change is the approach. Warm vocals, memorable melodies, honest lyrics, and production that gives each song room to breathe.

Every album has its own personality. Pick the cover that fits your mood and start there.

And with Still Figuring It Out arriving on October 31, that exploration continues.

But regardless of the sound, the goal has stayed the same: make music that feels like something. Music you can drive to, celebrate with, think about, or find a little bit of yourself in.

Music. Words. Stories. Meaning.

Some stories fit into three minutes and a chorus.

Others need a little more room.

As Harbor Vale has grown, so has the writing behind it. What started as sharing the meaning behind individual songs has become something more: a place to reflect on life, relationships, friendship, loss, second chances, and all the moments that make us who we are.

Sometimes those stories explain a song. Sometimes a song inspires a bigger conversation. And sometimes I just have something on my mind that feels worth sharing.

The music and the writing belong together, but each can stand on its own.

You don't have to know a single Harbor Vale song to find something meaningful here.

Explore the stories in three collections:

My hope is that something here makes you smile, brings back a memory, helps you through a difficult moment, or reminds you that someone else understands what you're feeling.

And maybe, somewhere along the way, you'll find a song that feels like part of your story, too.

How it all started.

I Never Planned to Make Music. Now I Can't Imagine Not Making It.

At the beginning of this year, if you'd told me I'd eventually have an entire catalog of songs available for people to listen to, I probably would have laughed.

Read the full story

Listen and follow

Explore the music, find your favorite songs, and follow along as the next chapter takes shape.

Follow on Spotify All Platforms Browse the Music