I am back in L.A. and it took me over a week to rest and recover.

As a very intuitive friend told me recently: I have no middle speed. I handle pressure well – I dread it to begin with – but then I also enjoy it and welcome it, perversely. And when I am idling, I find myself feeling lost and much more likely to fall prone to depression.

I am filling in the blind spots on this blog, so don't be surprised to find backdated entries with photos. The truth is, my last two months were so hectic that apart from Facebook and Twitter, I had no time or wavelength to sit down and write here. I know, I know: you have heard it all before. But us, artists, are an emotional kind of breed. Do not hold our unfulfilled promises against us – we will betray you time and time again. Instead, if you can, take what we can give, when we can give it:) We are certainly imprefect that way but we do come through, occasionally.

There is a lot of clarity in my life right now; certainly more than a few months ago. I know where I want to be, and it seems that L.A. is not that place for much longer, at least not exclusively. That's ok, I have had enough of sunshine to last me another 20 years, I have work here, but some of it can also be done elsewhere, like recording. I think I'll be spending more and more time away from L.A. in the coming months and I am ok with that. In particular, I am drawn to U.K. and Russia at the moment. I want to go somewhere with woods.

In general, I feel stronger and more grounded, although a little battered by the recent two months, which were amazing, but also rather tumultous for me on personal level. 

There are simply too many stray thoughts in my head wanting to be released right now, so bear with me as more backdated entries appear in this blog over this week.

For now, I am back to daily work on music because my plan is to have a full album's worth both in English and Russian by this fall. The response to the HERO EP has been overwhelmingly positive, but I already feel I can do so much better. Whatever else life may bring me in the coming weeks, my creativity is alive and well, it's bubbling up in my chest and bits and pieces of songs and poems in four languages are flitting around my head, challenging me.

I also have a show in L.A. this week at a new space downtown called FiftySeven. This may be my only local show for the time being, except for a performance at TEDx Hollywood next month, so if you're reading this, come on out. It's free.

Also, I have been struggling with what is going on in Ukraine. Mostly, my pain is for the people and their desire for a better life, which they so deserve. Unfortunately that desire exists on both sides of the divide, as it often does.

I can't make any political blanket statements because I believe the situation to be far too complex for that. Russia and Ukraine have ties going a long way back and their history and bloodlines can't be separated and that is part of what makes this so sad and also so volatile. Maybe it's a bad example but it's internal family feuds that go on for years and, oftentimes, for generations.Wounds heal slowly in these scenarios and resentment simmers on and on. It can be like that with countries, too.

For myself, personally, half of my heritage is from Ukraine: my father's complete ancestry is from around Don river. His father – my grandfather – was a generational Cossack, while the mother was 100% Ukrainian. My mother is Russian – if you consider that her father was Russian, but the mother – my other grandmother – came from Belarus. My blood is mixed. My sympathy stands with the people of all the Ukraine. My hope is that they will be able to see beyond their differences and long standing frustrations. Ukraine is a beautiul country with incredible potential and wealth of natural resources. Its land is classified as the most fertile in the whole world.

Why is it that so often it is people and countries who possess the most potential for greatness seem to have been given the hardest trajectory?

What I do condemn, however, are various agendas lurking behind the popular movement, as they always are. I pray for peace, and on my end, what I can do is write music that can, hopefully, heal in a very small way.

The song below was set to lyrics by an early 20th century Cossack poet N. Turoverov. Post-revolution of 1917 he immigrated to the West to escape the bolshevik oppression, but he hurt for his homeland and was unable to ever fully separate himself from its pull.

This song is not a political statement – rather it's a way for me, personally, to process grief through what I do best: sound + voice.

I have been asked to translate the poem, and I'll try my best in the coming day or two.

I have actually written three more songs to Turoverov's poetry in the recent week. I think I will release them as an EP this summer. I am getting the taste of the language back again. I love writing and singing in Russian. Oh, who am I kidding? Roots are roots. Wherever you go, there they – and you – are.