About

About Harbor Vale

Songs about life, love, second chances, and all the little moments that turn out to be the big ones.

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 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.

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.

Some stories feel like pop songs. Others need the warmth of country, the groove of R&B, the energy of rock, or something that falls somewhere in between.

The sound changes because the stories change.

No Looking Back and Windows Down lean into melodic pop, with songs about moving forward, enjoying life, and making the most of what comes next.

Under The Summer Sun takes a more country-inspired direction, while Not My Circus explores R&B influences.

And with Still Figuring It Out on the way, that exploration continues.

Since the first releases in 2026, Harbor Vale has grown to seven releases and 61 songs, with more on the horizon.

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.

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 seasons of life that were incredible and others I'd rather not repeat. I've learned that growing older doesn't necessarily mean having everything figured out. Sometimes it just means becoming 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.

More than the music.

Harbor Vale is an independent, self-released music project. No major label, and no expectation that every song needs to sound like the last one.

This website is also becoming a place to share more of the stories behind the music.

Why certain songs were written. What inspired them. What I was thinking about at the time. And occasionally, some thoughts about life that don't fit neatly into three minutes and a chorus.

If a song makes you smile, brings back a memory, helps you through something difficult, or reminds you that someone else understands what you're feeling, then it's done what I hoped it would.

I'm glad you're here.

And wherever you are in life right now, I hope you find something in Harbor Vale that feels like it was written for you.

Listen and follow

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