From the rolling green hills of Northeast Oklahoma… Twenty-something years ago, a twentysomething kid uprooted their foundation in Tulsa, OK, packed up their synthesizer hopes and drum machine dreams, and headed for the Pacific Northwest. David Terry would go on to perform with a slew of indie-rock royalty and to tickle the Late-Night airwaves at the behest of Conan O’Brien. Everything that came before is the story of Aqueduct’s Power Ballads. “After 20 years, I’m stunned at what an awesome opening chapter Power Ballads is in the Aqueduct catalog” says Terry. “Assignment #1: Heart Design” makes a profound opening declaration, may just be my most favorite song I’ve ever written” he continues. “It kicks off a golden one-two punch straight into the bubblegum butt-rock adoring anthem “Growing Up w/ GNR.”” The jams keep coming, built on an eclectic blend of mood and style. All the sounds that define Aqueduct - piano, Rhodes, drum machine, and synths - are present. “I can pick out and name each synth in the mix, instantly transporting me back to my days scouring eBay and Pawnshops for cool keyboards.” The subsequent Aqueduct albums would be an evolving journey of new recording experiences and collaborations, but Power Ballads stands as a document of a singular effort, a snapshot of one brain working in a particular space and time. As with much of Terry’s creativity, the notion of Aqueduct began as a rumination. His journey into the pop culture lexicon took its initial form via the collaborative alt-rock band Epperley. While still in high school, the band inked a national record deal with an LA punk label, released two albums, had songs placed in film and TV, and made a cameo in the 2000 Sundance jury prize winning film The Tao of Steve. Through advances in home recording technology, that band collaboration evolved into solo experimentation and fully realized self-produced demos. A sonic departure, he held these new creations close. While on an early-days west coast tour, Terry found himself longing thru the van window. “I remember catching sight of the California aqueduct, and something about the word AQUEDUCT, excited me, moved me on a subconscious level” he says. “The gravity of the name, the movement of a life-giving resource from a place of abundance, did not occur to me until much later, but the Aqueduct sound has an infectious beat that can physically move an audience. The songwriting themes so universal and relatable, that they connect with the listener on an emotional level.” All roads lead to the Emerald City… The first Aqueduct single debuted in the summer of 2001, followed by the regional release of Power Ballads in 2002, and subsequent national release in 2003. That year would prove pivotal for a few reasons. After playing several shows in Norman, OK, Aqueduct was noticed by fellow Okie band The Starlight Mints. As fate would have it, The Mints were on tour opening for Liz Phair and The Flaming Lips. Phair was suddenly called away to open for Radiohead, and Aqueduct was tapped to take the newly available first slot at The Pagent in nearby St. Louis, MO. The friendship with The Starlight Mints grew, and on their suggestion, Terry reached out to Barsuk Records in Seattle, WA. Erstwhile, in 2003, while on the first tour with his new band The Postal Service, Ben Gibbard purchased a copy of Power Ballads from a local record shop in Fayetteville, AR, and whispered word of Aqueduct in Seattle music circles. Modest Mouse mastermind Issac Brock heard Power Ballads through a mutual friend and became a champion. In the fall of 2003, he invited Aqueduct to open for The Mouse at the storied Showbox Theater in Seattle. A deal with Barsuk, and the release and breakout success of the I Sold Gold LP, would soon follow. Missing from the story of course is how Terry felt during the Power Ballad days. Uncertainty, naïveté, every opportunity seemingly so far out of reach. No record label, no booking agent, every door knocked upon, with the perception of nothing to show for it. “Looking back at what I accomplished is so inspiring to me now, as I reinvigorate this project and creativity within myself” explains Terry. “I wrote some songs, I produced my own record, from studio to manufacturing. I booked my own shows, I brought the sound of my brain to new audiences, designed my own artwork, screen printed my own merch. I remind myself: no matter how hard the immediate future feels, at whatever precipice you stand before, the only way is forward motion. Do what you love, and in my case, make good music.