"4 ½ Days Ago" came out of that initial writing burst I experienced as a new Freshman in college. At the time, I was really into an acoustic duo called Nikki Meets the Hibatchi which featured John Gillespie and Elaine Tola. I wanted to write a song half as good as the stuff they did. I think the closest I’ve ever gotten to their level was with "4 ½ Days Ago." It has some great chord changes and a killer melody. Three years after I recorded "4 ½ Days Ago" John would end up being my neighbor. I took a room for rent at his mom’s house in Chapel Hill and leased it for the better part of four years. For the past ten years, John has continued to be a mentor and inspiration to me. Honestly, he’s the best songwriter I know. He keeps his songs to himself and likes it that way. John Gillespie’s music is like a little secret a few of us keep between ourselves. I know Mark Kano and I often talk about covering his songs for the fun of it.

"4 ½ Days Ago" is a response to a song called "Brand New Day" that appeared on my first EP. The chords are about the same, except the song utilizes the minor key rather than the major. I was really proud of the Beatlesque chorus and bridge. I would go on to transpose the bridge of this song for "Dirty Wake." I liked it that much. This is one of the better recordings on Building a Hole, too. I like that it’s a deep cut on the album. At the same time, it’s far from mere filler. One night I was out really late. It was something like 4:30 a.m. I had never been out that late in my life. I wasn’t out being reckless or drunken. Rather, I was just out walking, enjoying the freedom of being a Freshman in college with little to worry about. It had rained that night, but I missed it somehow. The streets were wet as I walked the intersection of Hillsborough Street and South Road. I got home that night and wrote some thoughts down about some things I had seen that night. The next day, I wrote the song.