💚 Everyone Knows This One

Songs that instantly turn a room into a sing-along.

Some songs don’t need an introduction.

You play the first few chords and people immediately smile. Someone starts singing the first line before you even get there. By the chorus, the whole room is in.

That’s the spirit of this album: Everyone Knows This One.

These songs span decades and styles, but they all share the same magic. They’re the songs that live in car rides, wedding receptions, late-night kitchen dance parties, and long drives with the radio turned all the way up.

For me, one memory captures this feeling perfectly.

I distinctly remember driving to 7-Eleven with a car full of freshmen after band camp, windows down, everyone singing Only Wanna Be With You at the top of their lungs while we went to get slushies. It was messy and loud and joyful in that way only teenage moments can be.

That feeling — joy, sunshine, a little grit, and more joy — is exactly what lives inside this album.

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Why These Songs Work on Ukulele

One of the things I love about the ukulele is how it brings songs back to their essence. Strip away the big production and what remains is the part everyone recognizes: the melody, the chorus, the moment where people lean in and sing.

And these songs were already built for that.

They don’t rely on elaborate arrangements. What makes them work is something much simpler: people know them.

Play the opening chords and suddenly the room is sharing an experience.

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The Lineup

This album is coming together one song at a time—I’ll be linking each one here as it’s released.

• Late in the Evening
• D’yer Mak’er
• Mr. Jones
• Baby I Love Your Way
• Dreams
• I Will Wait
• The Joker
• Build Me Up Buttercup
• All the Small Things
• Summer of ’69
• My Heart Will Go On
• I’m Yours
• Wonderwall

Different eras. Different sounds. Same result.

Everyone knows this one.

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Spotlight

Late in the Evening by Paul Simon

This one goes way back for me.

Late in the Evening was the closing number for a talent show my senior year of high school. I was playing baritone, and the whole thing was a full-on band-forward performance — horns, rhythm section, the works. It was big, joyful, and the perfect way to end the night.

I’ve always loved the storytelling in this song, and that bass line is just irresistible.

One of the most fun parts of this 100 Days of ‘Ukulele project has been learning to actually play many of the songs I’ve been singing along with for years. Stripping them down to ukulele reveals new details — rhythms, melodies, and little musical moments that were hiding in the bigger arrangements.

And this one still grooves, even on four strings.

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Inside The Becoming Era

Everyone Knows This One is the first album inside The Becoming Era — my current creative chapter exploring deeper musical expression through 100 Days of ‘Ukulele.

Each album in the project explores a different mood and musical texture. Some dive into pop reinventions, some lean into stripped-down intimacy, and others celebrate big anthems and shared sing-along moments.

This one begins with something simple and universal:

Songs we already know.

Songs we already love.

Songs that remind us music is often best when everyone sings together.