"There's a hole in my heart where you used to be/But I still believe in destiny"

Words come from a heart that has been wounded, mended, and scarred, but eyes that still see a hope and a future unlike the pessimistic songwriting approach that so many artists continue to write from in an age where hope is like an endangered species. These words come from the heart of accomplished songwriter Chris Bjerken, a 20-year-old small town kid who grew up fully believing that there was no one worth trusting, an idea based from a seed of constant defeat in circumstances that all involved the risk of letting people in. Music was always a helping hand throughout his troubled independent childhood, and picked up the guitar on his fourteenth birthday. He never put it down.

Bjerken immediately started writing songs and after a few years began to play small local coffee shop open mic style gigs. He quickly found the open mic scene as one of easiest ways to get burned out, and proceeded trying to form a band, chasing a lifelong dream from early childhood. Band mates came and went from show to show, solidly proving their flakiness and lack of commitment to Chris' music. Frustrated but never giving up after continuing years of lack of opportunity, he continued to write on his own.

After over six years of this, the result is a mostly secret collection of dozens and dozens of heart embraced songs. In February 2005, local musician Josh Fryfogle invited Chris to play for a local music contest called "Make-A-Scene!," it's purpose aimed at encouraging more local musicianship and artistry. Chris then asked some friends to back him up and he played his first shows that month for the contest under the band name "The Common Thread." As a band, they not only won the contest, but also broke the attendance record for it. Eventually, the Fire Marshall shut the venue down, and no one has played a show there since. A month before in January, Chris began to collaborate with longtime friend Steven Pettijohn to produce a three-song studio demo. By mid-summer, the project had become a finished five-song EP, genuinely titled "Learning to Let Go," a product of fighting and striving for greatness and arriving at a fork in the road, a point that made the realization that the competitive perfectionist spirit was forgetting where the heart really is. The CD includes tracks such as the driving, aggressive melodic "Dedication," the signature song "You Still Have My Heart," and an innovative creative "tribal" acoustic version of "Picking Up the Pieces." It has since it's release sold over 200 copies.

The Common Thread has and continues to play local venues in surrounding cities, rapidly selling out fans and developing a fan base. Critics have labeled Chris Bjerken "unable to write a bad song" and "the most consistently good writer I've ever heard." His grasp of diversity and creativity persist to be heard throughout the music. Players continue to be half-hearted with commitment, but his will to keep going never seems to die, proving strong character in perseverance.

But let the songs speak that message for themselves. Broken hearts and shattered dreams sustain a bold, real theme, as well as other themes in the music, including pursuing something real and embracing something more and running like you want something. You can buy the Learning to Let Go EP locally in Palmer from Alaska Video Ventures on Trunk & Palmer-Wasilla Hwy, or from the online store. Be sure to keep an eye out for Chris Bjerken, he is definitely not going away any time soon.

What's your motive?