In the last six months, Mike Scheidt has had to quit his day job, twice: the first time was when his doom metal trio YOB toured the US and Europe and the second time was when TOOL invited YOB to tour the US. Yet with all of this interest and attention, Scheidt still had enough creative energy to record Stay Awake-a very personal, solo, acoustic album for release on Thrill Jockey. To those familiar with YOB's front man, the sincerity, raw emotion, and Eastern philosophy that have found their way onto Stay Awake will be no surprise. These are core elements present in any YOB performance or song. They are merely veiled by a wall of sound. During a turbulent, transitional time for him personally, he turned to his guitar and subsequently penned a collection of simple and potent tunes. The process of removing that veil and presenting himself unprotected was a frightening challenge and a rewarding one.