Brent Houzenga, 26, is a visual artist (brenthouzenga.com) and drummer for the band Deep Sleep Waltzing. This week he releases his solo CD, "My Whole Life." See him at 10 p.m. Friday at the Vaudeville Mews.
When did you start working on music? I've been playing since I was 15, mostly in punk bands. I can play guitar, drums, bass, mandolin and harmonica, and I've been writing songs since I was 16. This album came together pretty quick. I've been doing the solo stuff for a while and was in kind of a writer's slump. I had a breakup in February and opened for Michael Miller at the Vaudeville Mews and together they opened me up. The next day I wrote the first song on the album.
How does making music compare to painting? Writing stuff is more about a moment or a thought. The best songs come through and are just there. I was reading my journal and my song "Soon," I didn't edit it at all. It was just done. My art is a little more tailored, sometimes it takes longer. But sometimes it just happens, too.
Are you planning to take the album on the road? I've been thinking about what to do, and hopefully I can tour the whole country for 2-3 months. I'd like to do shows with live painting and one-night art exhibits, stopping in towns and making art along the way. I know a lot of people in the art community, and no one really wants a one-night art show, because it's so much work to set up and take down. So I'm hoping the live painting and music will make it happen and let me network.
