Final Slate is raw, soulful blues rock built on gritty guitars, big riffs and songs written because they needed to be written. The name comes from my career as an executive recruiter. After rounds of interviews, the few candidates left are the “final slate.” I realized it fit my music too—the songs that survived the riffs, rewrites, bad takes and second-guessing to make the final cut. I grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois, started guitar at 13 and studied music at Lake Forest College. I’ve always loved songwriting most: finding a riff, melody or line and seeing where it goes. My debut album, Feathers in My Teeth, is 12 original songs drawing from blues and classic rock, exploring getting older, relationships, gratitude, temptation, resilience and enjoying the ride while it lasts. There’s no tour or manufactured rock-star persona. I have a career, a family and a regular life in the Chicago area. I just love creating.