“Game of Mystery” Emerging in Spring with a Groove

This A side ties with the B side “Times Waves” with the first lyrics,

“…I don’t know if you can hear, Time of love is getting near

Is there really time for us? Plenty of time, get on the bus…”

The chorus is easy to sing along with: “I love you!”

Music and Lyrics by Billy Clayton

Billy Clayton (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar)
Robyn Saxer (Keyboard, Vocals)
Anthony Roselli (Drums, Vocals)
Mike Flactiff (Percussion)
Chad Hoffman (Bass)
Talia Ortega (Flute)
Jeff Steinmann (Lead Guitar)
Gillian Piper (Vocals)
Charlotte Ellis (Cello)

Recorded at Avalon Digital Recording Studios, San Luis Obispo, California.
Engineered by Kip Stork, Brian Aunger and Billy Clayton. Mixed by Billy Clayton, Mastered by Griffin Breshears

Single Cover Art by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

Artwork by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

Apologies as the tracks are still being processed through Reverbnation at this time. Once they go live, they will be available for download soon thereafter! In the meantime, you can listen and subscribe/follow on YouTube/Soundcloud (and here on the website of course!):

Thank you for listening!

Robyn for the

Zen Mountain Poets

Sound Waves of “Times Waves” Released!

Dive into the sound waves with this mesmerizing artwork by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

Music by Billy Clayton, Arranged by Zen Mountain Poets

Billy Clayton (Rhythm Guitar)
Robyn Saxer (French Horn, Keyboard, Vocals)
Anthony Roselli (Drums)
Mike Flactiff (Percussion)
Chad Hoffman (Bass)
Talia Ortega (Flute)
Jeff Steinmann (Lead Guitar)

Recorded at Avalon Digital Recording Studios, San Luis Obispo, California.
Engineered by Kip Stork, Brian Aunger and Billy Clayton. Mixed by Billy Clayton, Mastered by Griffin Breshears

Single Cover Art by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

The interlocking synergistic groove of this instrumental may create rippling sensations like waves, inspiring dance and movement, or contemplation and excitement! Featuring French Horn, Flute, Guitar, and Keyboard solos that interweave throughout the piece.

Apologies as the tracks are still being processed through Reverbnation at this time. Once they go live, they will be available for download soon thereafter! In the meantime, you can listen and subscribe/follow on YouTube/Soundcloud (and here on the website of course!):

Want to see us soon? Talk to us about booking a show or house party! [email protected]

Until next time,

Robyn for the

Zen Mountain Poets

Joyous Spring Equinox!

InJoy Free Downloads of “Grow” and “My Love (my story in sight)” today only!

Artwork by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

The songs are apropos to inner and outer growth, paralleling the new growth emerging in this season.

After 3 years of cultivating and tending the seeds of these songs, we’re gratified to bring them to you with these splendid recordings!

Then, in two days, we’re releasing two more songs!

These teaser videos by Anthony Roselli bring some flowers as Spring gifts along with the new music…

Stay tuned on Reverbnation for the release of “Game of Mystery” and “Time Waves” on 3/22!

Thank you for listening to our music!


Springing into Spring,

Zen Mountain Poets

New song “Grow” is released today

Robyn gathered the seeds of this song during a four day vision quest with the hand drum heard on this recording. Then she brought the chant to a ZMP rehearsal and Chad Hoffman set the basis for the band’s arrangement, a reggae style bassline.

Releasing songs on Imbolc feels particularly potent. Sparking the inner flame and witnessing the sprouts as these songs bloom into beautiful manifestation.

Lyrics by Robyn Saxer, Music by Chad Hoffman and Robyn Saxer

Robyn Saxer (Vocals, Keyboard, Hand Drum, Tambourine, Melodica)
Billy Clayton (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar)
Anthony Roselli (Vocals, Drums)
Gillian Piper (Vocals)
Mike Flactiff (Percussion)
Chad Hoffman (Bass)
Jeff Steinmann (Lead Guitar)

Recorded at Avalon Digital Recording Studios, San Luis Obispo, California.
Engineered by Kip Stork, Brian Aunger and Billy Clayton. Mixed by Billy Clayton, Mastered by Griffin Breshears

Single Cover Art by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

Enjoy more music and videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel

Lyrics:

Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it

Growth and change can be so strange (Grow into it, grow out of it)

The cells themselves they rearrange (Grow into it, grow out of it)

When we grow in time we know (Grow into it, grow out of it)

All of life is ebb and flow (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Who am I, oh who am I? (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Child of Earth and child of Sky (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Let me fly, oh let me fly (Grow into it, grow out of it)

I’ll share my gifts, I won’t be shy (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it

[Instrumental]

Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it

Growth and change can be so strange (Grow into it, grow out of it)

The cells themselves they rearrange (Grow into it, grow out of it)

When we grow in time we know (Grow into it, grow out of it)

All of life is ebb and flow (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Who am I, oh who am I? (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Child of Earth and child of Sky (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Let me fly, oh let me fly (Grow into it, grow out of it)

I’ll share my gifts, I won’t be shy (Grow into it, grow out of it)

Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it
Grow into it, grow out of it

New songs released on 2.2.2021

“My Love (my story in sight)” (B side)

“I consider it a meditation on self love, contemplating the interplay between self and higher self.

“I started experimenting with imagining the love songs I heard on the radio directed towards myself. With so many songs written for others, I wanted to write a song about loving my self, and this philosophical stream of consciousness poem emerged.”

Robyn Saxer, songwriter

During Daylight Savings Time in 2015, a unique gathering of ZMP occurred we called “Bandage.” It was a mystical multi-dimensional experience in the Wizard’s Den during which this song came to life.

Billy Clayton was playing a chord progression on acoustic guitar and Robyn started singing words and a melody (now the harmony on this recording).

Love your self <3

Lyrics by Robyn Saxer, Music by Billy Clayton and Robyn Saxer

Robyn Saxer (Vocals, Ukulele)
Billy Clayton (Rhythm Guitar)
Anthony Roselli (Drums, Harmonica)
Mike Flactiff (Percussion)
Chad Hoffman (Bass)
Talia Ortega (Flute)
Jeff Steinmann (Lead Guitar)

Recorded at Avalon Digital Recording Studios, San Luis Obispo, California.
Engineered by Kip Stork, Brian Aunger and Billy Clayton. Mixed by Billy Clayton, Mastered by Griffin Breshears

Single Cover Art by Timo Beckwith and Billy Clayton

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
I once thought I knew all the songs,
Now I find that I’ve been wrong,
Where have you been for so long?

Verse 2:
My unrequited love for you
Shines through my heart for you.
I remember, I remember you.

Verse 3:
In the nostalgia of my thoughts,
I imagine there’s a better start,
But I can’t part from you.

Verse 4:
If we are one,
Spinning round this great bright sun,
Why are you the only one I’m thinking of?

My love, my love,
Where can you be
Inside of me?

(Instrumental)

Verse 5:
When I look in front of me,
In the mirror through the shadows I see,
This life belongs to me.

Verse 6:
In this experiment called humankind,
I forgive my state of mind,
Why have eyes been so blind?

Verse 7:
When I feel the wind on my face,
I trust I am in nature’s embrace,
I am part of universal grace!

My love, my love, my love, my love, my love, my love, my love, my love!

New Music is Coming Your Way!

Zen Mountain Poets will be releasing two singles at once every couple of months leading up to the release of a full-length album. This is inspired by the 45 RPM vinyl singles with an “A side” and “B side” back in the day.

It’s our aspiration to release the full album on vinyl, CD, as well as online. The first two songs, “Emily’s Song” and “Mysterious” were released on 12/21/20. They’re available to stream and download at http://reverbnation.com/zenmountainpoets

The next two studio recordings to be released on 2/2/2021 are “Grow” and “My Love (my story in sight)”. We’re grateful to bring these songs of comfort, inward reflection, and self love to you on Imbolc, the cross-quarter between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Lyrics written by Robyn Saxer, and creative collaboration on the Music by: Chad Hoffman and Robyn Saxer on “Grow”, and Billy Clayton and Robyn Saxer on “My Love”.

Available first to download and stream at http://reverbnation.com/zenmountainpoets at 2:22pm, and then available on all streaming platforms!

Local San Luis Obispo artist Timo Beckwith takes our band photographs and generously offers his mesmerizing designs for our cover art. Explore more of his astounding artistry at http://beckwithdesign.com



Check out the teaser videos that Anthony Roselli made, featuring Timo’s art and samples of the new songs on our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTwTkuojN9WEMiEN49RKS5g

Hope you and yours are staying well, and wishing you ease and balance all ways.

With fond kindness,

Robyn Saxer

Zen Mountain Poets

“Mysterious” Solstice Release!

“Mysterious” is released today as an entrancing foray into the mysteries of life and universal energies. An epic improvisational masterpiece, the rhythm tracks for this song were recorded in one take, with soloists layering their creativity thereafter. May this piece accompany you on the longest night of the year with its ambient magic!

Download at www.reverbnation.com/zenmountainpoets

With Love,
ZMP

Releasing New Recordings Next Week on 12/21/20!

Greetings of the Season to You and Yours!


2020 has been a wild roller coaster ride, and we’re grateful for your continued support!

We’re delighted to let you know that next week on the auspicious day of the Grand Conjunction and Winter Solstice, December 21, 2020, we’ll be releasing two of our newest recordings! Tune in on Reverbnation to enjoy the latest from ZMP!

We’ve been continuing to gather safely, playing music outdoors and live streaming shows (these photos are from our live stream performance last week). We also continue to dedicate a lot of time to the mixing and mastering process of our complete album, and we’re learning a lot along the way!

We miss performing live for you, group hugs, and touring on the bus most of all. Billy’s wise words from “A Game of Mystery” ring so true these days:

“Appreciate all these gifts, Navigate as it shifts.”

A big virtual group hug from us to you!

Love,

Zen Mountain Poets

Robyn’s Reflections on the Red Dirt Tour 2017

As the dragon eats miles with wheels,
we are seasoned by places and steeped in communal time,
edges overlapping
state lines crossing
Frontier lands expanding
As we manifest our anticipated dream

From the Mojave desert to the swamps and the mighty Mississippi, from the powdery white sands of the gulf coast to the red hills of Oklahoma, our eyes witness the landscape.  Large semi trucks rattle and hiss, cows clutter in stalls, refineries glimmer, familiar brands reappear at truck stops, the map cannot tell how sight deepens into the complex process of moving and processing all that becomes human life in the post industrial age.

So much magnificent water. Rivers and bays are now the vehicles for transporting barges full of products and our waste. Still, the trees stand in the swamps and maintain life and beauty. Egrets perch and hawks soar, Ravens blessing us with their presence and a feather.

My heart is sore from opening with joy of the adventure, compassion for the sensitivity of my dear friends, learning to let go of resentment when I feel like I’m “doing more” than other people, realizing we all have our part to contribute and grateful for the deepening teamwork and threads of communication, even when the lessons come the hard way. 


The band’s sound has evolved as our coexistence coagulates, our groove is more confident as we share the shows with hundreds over the internet. Local characters in the bars like Virgil, Jeff, Grace, Rowdy, RJ, Harry, Katie, “loudmouth”…make playing music worth it, even if only a few people are there on a Monday night… southern yells can count for triple!  We know we have touched people with our music, so in some ways we have already reached our destination.

The Dragon makes for a fine home, sheltering us day and night. People see him/her on the road and their eyes shine with delight! The bus hums steadily on the interstates, a grind and a jump into and out of gear, pulsing stops and a shudder before coming to rest.  Perhaps this is all his/her dream to see the country? We’re glad to oblige, and Billy, Nick and Anthony have taken the wheel and the steps on the pedals and clutches to steer our music into places across the country.

Pretty epic when I think about it.


Though the miles can feel monotonous, the countryside and culture changes so much every several hundred miles, and it’s such a great way to travel when we can move around and have our own space and not have to be confined to sitting all the time!


It may be epic to be on the road, but it’s also humbling when your pockets are empty and you have to pee on the grass next to the asphalt. Comfort is found even in the white and orange lights of rest and truck stops and the intermittent whining hum of the interstate.

Fireworks, cracklins, tumbleweed…

After Thanksgiving the soundtrack in rest stops becomes Christmas…in Winslow AZ they start even earlier with the annual parade the week beforehand. Fry bread, hand crafted art, herbs, and balloons, bubbles, and toy guns!

 

 

 

 

 

Anthony took the wheel to bring our drivers up to three, he also bought us Pizza hut in Sonora…on top of playing drums on a shaking stage in Houston…

Nick live streamed our shows to hundreds of people, and stepped up to the bus driving plate with confidence and ease… becoming an electrician while the bus was on the move so we could have power to charge our phones and play music through a speaker…

 

 

 

 

 

Kai Lana and Robyn made a delicious medicinal soup outside of El Paso while the guys got the dragon moving again after he needed more fuel…a blessed occurrence considering we may have gone down the road and gotten stuck, but luckily we figured out we’d run out of fuel at the Xpress filling station…

Billy created bunks for all of us to sleep in, taught the gentle road wizardry of dragon driving, unloaded equipment and ran sound for most of our shows…

 

 

 

Jeremy climbed in and out of the belly of the beast to unload equipment, played Pokemon with passion, kept us going with the jams, and navigated the ways even through illness…

Kai Lana held space with grace, taking photos and videos, uplifting our spirits during the shows, shared advice on the road, and helped us sell much merch…

Dis the tripod slept with all of us, showing us how to get rest on the road, and showed the love by refraining to eat our stuff. She met her match with Daqs and the dogs at Emily’s house in Florida, making friends and getting her fill of running and play. Such a sweetheart, she’s growing into the ultimate road dog.

I learned how to surf the dragon while cooking and making coffee…balancing pots of boiling water in my hand and moving with the bumps and curves!  Though I’m not tall enough to reach the pedals of the bus, or strong enough to maneuver without power steering, I was able to book shows for us that turned music into money into fuel for the journey.

The experience of witnessing a father-daughter reunion and sharing Thanksgiving with friends and relations new and old was worth it; making it all the way to Florida for special moments and Billy schooling us at the pool table!

 

We have all gotten our “sea legs” as the majority of the days we’ve been driving and riding the waves of traffic and rivers of interstates and highways; the worst day was being bogged down in the swamp of a standstill in Louisiana …it took us 12 hours to go 300 miles…

We’ve been time traveling as we cross state lines, from Pacific to Eastern, most shows we arrived on time, except for Houston, but we still rocked the White Swan!  (Note to self: never drive West on I-10 the Sunday after Thanksgiving!)

I’ve learned that giving away without expectations is of benefit to all and so it benefits the one who gives, and to trust that we’re all doing the best we can.

I’ve learned that grief comes in many forms, that something small to one may be something big to another. Choosing kindness and gentleness can be difficult in the moment when time and tempers feel short, but these moments together are really all we have. This point in space and time will never be repeated in the same way. So I’m going to strive to choose kind words and gentle actions, especially with those I love. What benefits one benefits one another.


Being in a traveling band is so much more than just playing music together, though it’s being in the service of music that moves us. We have all contributed to manifesting this dream, like feathers on a wing supporting flight. We have depended on each other, given of ourselves, and trusted in what is possible. We may have lost some things along the way, through tears, missed words, passed opportunities, or egoic pride, but that just leaves more space for what we have gained in love, understanding, compassion, and collective consciousness.


The landscape is as vast, wild, varied, and manmade as our hearts. We have traveled uncharted lands across both.

 

 

 

Thank you for reading these words I wrote while we were on tour!  <3 Robyn