Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun

Promo Video by Brian Jessip
Music by Kimi Lyn Smith

When Oso gets yanked off his motorcycle and killed by a closed parking lot chain, Billy feels guilty for having taught him to hop curbs and shortcut traffic lights. Billy’s survivor’s guilt drags him down a spiral of excessive alcohol, reckless driving, one-night stands, and body painting. He’s now all too aware that life is short—play hard.

Meanwhile, Oso’s former girlfriend Lindy pours her grief into her new folk-rock album as she struggles with whether she can ever let herself love again. Can she turn this personal tragedy into something meaningful through her music?

Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun explores survivor’s guilt and grief through reckless adventure, a dozen original songs, and fiction. When you’ve lost someone you love, there are no easy answers.

Listen to this novel’s 12 songs while you’re reading. They’re available below, sorted in chronological order including the chapter in which each appears. As a taste, here’s a seven-minute song montage of all twelve songs:

Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun – 12-song Montage  7:26

This is a story that you don’t just read, you experience it through music.

One Down and Four Up                                            – from Chapter 4
(Song #1)
- Performed by Kimi Lyn Smith, Dave Morgan, Bill Johnson, & Tom Horn
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links / VIDEO

Can’t Say Goodbye (Ode to Oso)                            – from Chapter 7
(Song #2)
- Performed by Deanna Williams & Don ‘Lefty’ Williams
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

If I’m Only Dreaming                                                 – from Chapter 11
(Song #3)
- Performed by Steve Schafer, Don ‘Lefty’ Williams, & Cleveland Brown
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

One Day                                                                           – from Chapter 17
(Song #4)
- Performed by Shane Clary, Don ‘Lefty’ Williams, Cleveland Brown, & Jeff Mosely
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

Screwed at the Drive-thru                                       – from Chapter 17
(Song #5)
- Performed by Don ‘Lefty’ Williams & Deanna Williams
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links / VIDEO

Man-Made Roadblocks (Spy’s Surprise)           – from Chapter 19
(Song #6)
- Performed by Cleveland Brown & Mark D
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

Organized Anger (Drum Solo)                               – from Chapter 23
(Bonus)
- Performed by Brian “The Kid” Hilgert
mp3 - plus Artist links / VIDEO

Hey Young Lady (Billy’s Theme)                          – from Chapter 23
(Song #7)
- Performed by T.C. Elliott
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links / VIDEO

From a Long Way Away (Lindy’s Theme)         – from Chapter 29
(Song #8)
- Performed by Kimi Lyn Smith, J Starck, Bill Johnson, & Dave Morgan
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

Just Another                                                                  – from Chapter 31
(Song #9)
- Performed by Deborah Linden and Mal
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun (Title Song)– from Chapter 32
(Song #10)
- Performed by Adam Hill and Valerie Cox
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

The Family Tree (Scuba’s Song)                            – from Chapter 34
(Song #11)
- Performed by Deanna Williams and Don ‘Lefty’ Williams
Written by John ‘Scuba’ Linneman in St. Louis, MO
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /

Cats                                                                                    – from Chapter 34
(Song #12)
- Performed by Deanna Williams, Cleveland Brown, Don ‘Lefty’ Williams, John Krakowski
Lyrics & mp3 - plus Artist links /