She sits on a high wire, lost in the trees, out of sight. I’ve heard her every morning of spring. She seems to be camped out, cooing, giving me a meditation on sunrise, sounding like a wooden pan flute chilling and trilling. It’s an affectionate howl, grounding flight through the air, through a cacophony of dizzying sound, be it the sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, or chirpies, who are boisterous and loud. I see them gregariously pecking and wrestling a squirrel up and down. The red maple, dogwood, piercing the clouds.
With their soprano and tenor as flashy hero and lilting ingénue. Because, of course, they know they are performing for you. But if you listen closely, a breathier, huskier tone is coming through. Like a thread of thick wool woven through a sky of bright ribbon and string. She’s puffed up, feeling herself, a little slower, a little deeper, just giving to sing.
She offers up permission to be something else. Perhaps just yourself. Operating on a bass-ier tone, unfazed by the musical theater, knowing to fill out and fill in what’s been missing in the ether. Unhurried, she’s making a home in herself, in her own style, her own way, every morning, every day.
I have been listening for her, looking up above for a dusted teardrop with wings. But as the temperature rises, I hear less of her sing. Yet still I look and listen for the low tones of love, of nature’s crooning artist, the mourning dove.
This Wednesday, May 7th, at 6 p.m., I’ll be opening for the lovely and talented Sophie Gault and Zach Meadows at The 5 Spot in East. Jules Belmont and I will be playing songs off “Show Me The Way” in a more stripped-down setup. It has been really fun to hear these songs this way again. I hope you can make it. Tickets are available here or at the door.
And, if you can’t make it, I will be playing a longer show on Tuesday, June 17th, from 6 to 7 p.m., opening for Bobby Kitchens and The Dirty Dishes—tickets here so mark your calendars! Would love to see you there as well.
This unmarked path, it leads to my heart. I can’t quantify it for you any other way. It’s meandering, from rock clubs to coffee houses. From writers to singers. From painters to builders. From engineers to musicians. I weave in and out. I search for the voice of my soul. I want to bring her forward more and more every day. She is so gentle. She is so sweet, so kind. She wants me to buy the flower bouquet on sale at Kroger, to arrange its lilting, time-bound beauty and give it new life. She wants an afternoon coffee to carry her through to the next good idea. She wants to record songs and live in a world of beauty that feels timeless and everlasting. She wants to wade into her own mystery, finding comfort in spaciousness. She wants me to surrender to flow, like the sunlight that streams through my window. Most days, I don’t know what I am doing. But when I close my eyes, I see that this unmarked path is leading me home.
If ya didn’t hear, I have a release show for Show Me The Way, this Sunday, December 8th, at The 5 Spot! Tickets are $10, and you can snag ‘em here.
Melissa Erin opens the night at 8:30pm, and my beautius band of thieves and I play will hit around 9:30pm.
If you’re not in Nashville, consider purchasing a ticket anyway. Put your name in as ‘St Catherine of Bologna’, or ‘Saint Cecilia’, or just ‘Angel Patron of the Arts from [insert city,state],’ and I’ll feel your goodwill from the stage ;)
I’ll have CDS of Show Me The Way and vinyl of Standstill for sale that evening as well, if you want to take a lil something home with you.
It’s also Bandcamp Friday , so if you want to buy any merch from me today, I receive 100% of the sale, which is always greatly appreciated.
Happy album release day! Show Me The Way is out in the world 🌹
I hope you enjoy it wherever you listen.
Enjoying those finished AND released project endorphins ;)
I write to you contemplating the world in which these songs are arriving—another Trump presidency, known sex offenders walking the halls of power, and an infestation of greed running amok.
It’s bleak out here. But, my artist heart feels it differently too—like a phony distraction from what really matters. Each other.
Because I don’t come from billionaires or political pundits. I don’t come from investors, academics, celebrities, or reality TV stars.
I come from the working class. I come from a local scene. I come from rock n’ roll clubs and coffee houses and gospel choir practice at the church down the street. I came from public schools all the way until college. I came from scholarships, grants, and help to cover the cost of what my family could not.
I come from community. I know it well. And I know that “we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”1
I will continue to dance to the beat of a different drum. One close to the boots on the ground, to music, to writing, to those pursuing their joy, their art, their purpose, their healing, with grit, passion, and determination, all while supporting others who are trying to do the same. I’m cheering us all on.
All this to say, these songs may have found their moment among the weight of communal despair. May they offer you peace, comfort, energy and ease.
Right now I don’t have merch because this project has been entirely self-funded on my tiny budget. If you want to financially support me and my music, you can find a pre-order for CDS here and a link to my Venmo here. Thanks for reading, I appreciate you!
Last week, two people in my life told me I have grit.
It was synchronistic, and at both times, their compliments meant a lot to me.
As a Taurus, I have always felt connected to some earthly, undisturbed, forward-moving motion. I do tend to tap into strength in a way that is deep and regular. But I also cry easily, prefer non-violent films and shows, and tend to wear my artist/writer heart on my sleeve.
For most of my life, these qualities didn’t match up or make sense to me, causing much inner turmoil. I struggled with low self-esteem and understanding how I fit in places as someone who was both tough and sensitive.
From late summer. A crepe myrtle was blooming like an organ with a background of arteries. Do you see it?
Well, in going down an Angela Duckworth1 rabbit hole, it appears grit does not ascribe to an astrological sign or traits like introversion or extroversion. It’s a deeper quality. Something that helps you plot toward the unknown with passion and perseverance.
This got me thinking about the ways it’s always been there in my life, yet how there are nuances in how I relate to it now.
Like how I used to think about the music business as this place where I could achieve not only because I am someone who can endure, but also because I can endure difficult people (ha!). I am happy to report I no longer ascribe to this wonky way of thinking. Just because one is determined and gritty does not mean that one is uniquely gifted or required to deal with disrespect. Yes, we will all encounter difficult people in life, but I now have so much more self-respect and self-knowing than to tolerate it these days—and so I carry on!
I also used to think it was a badge of honor to minimize my emotions, remain stoical, and not complain about my challenges. Well, these days, I’m much more inclined to slow down and allow what’s bubbling below the surface to offer me release and new information. There is a mysterious intelligence behind emotions I now honor and then, let go.
And finally, I used to think that pushing was the way. Always pushing. Letting anxious thoughts and fear of failure to fuel me from one thing to the next. I’m grateful to say, I’m less inclined to pushing and more keen on pursuing. Seeing out the bigger picture. Celebrating my achievements, even when no one else is watching, and knowing that my grittiness is actually connected to something in my tender heart. And a synonym for spirit.
I did not intend to distill down my thoughts on grit today, but I am curious. Have you ever been told you’re gritty? How did it make you feel? What comes to mind when you hear the word? Comment below and if you enjoyed reading this, tap that little heart button. Those make my day :)
I’ll leave you with my new song, Love Carry On, whose lyrics and place in the world are not unrelated to grit as well ;)
Hello all! Here’s a little teaser for my new song, “Love Carry On” that’s out in the world today.
It’s about letting people go, even when you still love them. And knowing that love never ends, it just changes directions.
I spent years working on this song, and honestly, it might be one of my favorites on the album. I was really chasing a classic form and sound. I was inspired by Christine McVie too. I hope you spin it today. Preferably loud and in the car ;)
