The term "ethos" as used in the album's title refers to the morals, values and beliefs of an individual or an entire culture. The album seeks to communicate my ethos to the listener through an exploration of my personal experiences. This time around, I chose to experiment with a completely different sound--American roots music. I wanted to show that "black music" includes traditional Americana music. Thematically, the album wrestles with self identity, culture, community, relationships, adversity and perseverance. The term "son of a sharecropper" as used in the album's title is a reference to my being a descendant of black American sharecroppers in Colerain, North Carolina.

terry blade