Music

The A. J. Darkholme Story

For those of you who know me best, you know that I've ALWAYS loved music and felt that pull toward maybe starting a band one day.

The thing is, I absolutely do not like singing in public. But I'm a good singer. Even in school and divisional choirs throughout grade-school, I couldn't look at my family (and my mom especially!) during performances, or I'd either start laughing or feel super nervous (haha)

As well, I started taking guitar lessons in high school about 20 years ago… but when the ADHD kicks in... it can be tough sticking with something when your mind is constantly running in a thousand different directions, and you jump projects and pursuits like a frog jumps lily pads in a swamp when his legs are on fire.

And THEN there was this time in Grade 6 or 7 when I was specially-selected to recite a poem I wrote, and in front of a packed audience, my hands shook so much they probably would’ve registered on a seismograph CITIES AWAY, let alone allowed me to read the page lol So not a fan of being on any stages.

And then it comes to life in general, I don't love living it through social media, so that's why a lot of my profiles look dead lol

So yeah! Over a long period of time, there were (and still are) a LOT of big obstacles, suggesting the musical dream should probably, maybe, be better-off replaced by redirecting that creativity into writing books and poems and such. Even designing logos and album covers and stuff for REAL bands. So I did. Half-living the musical dream from the sidelines.

But I'm a rebel.

And I didn't allow those thoughts in the back of the mind to tell me what I can and can't do.

So I made some music anyway! haha

Over the past 10 years (2015-2025), I turned my poems into lyrics, then from there, had a faint idea for how I wanted the music to go, and then got help from my AMAZING wife and various other fantastic sources to bring the lyrics to life in true song form!

Every song is (or will be) one of my 26 poems! The first album has 10 of them, and the others are coming soon!

So today, I'd like to share with you my first album, “Driftwood Doesn’t Drown” :) Listen to your heart's content and check it out on most major music platforms!!

(I highly recommend "O Captain, Dark Captain", "Self-Deception", and "Mind's Eye"!)

Hope you like it! Share it around! Especially to all the Emo-lovers you know! (As you know, I absolutely suck at this self-promotion/keeping-up-with-social-media thing lol So your help is much-appreciated! Thank you!)

With infinite gratitude,