Still On The Road Part 2: Joshua Tree National Park, California

As a huge fan of Gram Parsons, it was a real treat to visit Joshua Tree National Park last week with my pal Chris Pickering. We drove through the desert blasting The Louvin Brothers and marveling at the beauty going by the window. Golden rocks and strange plants under a sky big and clouded and grey-blue.

Just the week before I’d sung ‘Hickory Wind’ at a show in Austin. It’s my favourite Gram song to sing and I think of him whenever I play it. Three chords, a lonesome melody and beautiful, longing lyrics.

I started out younger 
At most everything 
All the riches and pleasures 
What else could life bring 
But now when I’m lonesome 
I always pretend 
That I’m gettin’ the feel of 
Hickory Wind 

For those reading this who don’t know about Gram Parsons – head here for a better biography than I could dare to write. Else, simply know this: a visit to the Parsons shrine at Joshua Tree National Park has been long been high on my list of must-do pilgrimages.

A friend of mine once described Gram Parsons to me as “the gateway drug to country music”. He wasn’t kidding. As a woman whose love for traditional country music has seen me cross continents carrying nothing but sequin dresses, a collection of records and hope or two or three, I can testify that Gram started it.

His songs whispered, “Listen to George Jones. Buy that Tammy Wynette record. Yes, white boots with tassels are as terrific as you think they are. Emmylou Harris is the greatest singer of all-time. Sad songs are the best songs. Maybe you were a truck driver in a past life.”

I don’t pray often. But I did at Joshua Tree. A quick, silent prayer of thanks to the founder of Cosmic American Music. And then I had a shot of vodka to keep from crying. Thanks for everything, GP.

Making my debut EP in Nashville, Tennessee…

After a lovely summer in Sydney – making radio, soaking up sunshine, playing gigs and catching up with my dear friends, I’m heading back to the United States. Exciting! I have many projects on the go this year but the biggest (and most scary one) is recording my debut EP in Nashville, Tennessee.

I’ve been writing songs for about two years and finally feel ready to hit record. I confess: I’m terrified. I confess again: I have no idea what I’m doing. Another confession: I’ve decided I’m okay with that. What the?

In spite of all my own doubts and insecurites about music, life, writing, the whole damn thing, I’m fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who encourage me to keep doing it. Last night in Sydney, in a busy pub in the city’s inner-west, a whole room  – of friends, family and complete strangers – let me sing for them. And clapped afterwards. And asked for more at the end. And then drunk tequila with me ’til the late-late hours. Life is good!

As well as the gig last night, I launched a crowdfunding campaign yesterday to help fund my EP. My thoughts on crowdfunding so far? It’s unbelievable. It’s surprising. It’s inspiring.

Since the whole crowdfunding trend started, I have enjoyed contributing to campaigns from films to albums to theatre shows because I like supporting independent art. But nothing prepared me for what it is like to be on the asking side of the fence. WOW.

Within 12 hours of launching my page, more than 30 people contributed to the making of my record. Some left comments, some wrote on facebook or tweeted, others remained anonymous. But each single person made me feel loved and supported and inspired to make the best possible recording I can.

Since I can’t express how grateful I am without exhausting adjectives, I’m just going to do what I do best. Express my feelings via youtube. Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far – be it going to gigs, or sending encouragement or by heading possible. And thanks to Donna Fargo for this incredible red jumpsuit.

My Favourite Songbirds

During a moment of extended procrastination last week, I decided to start collecting images of my favourite singers. It was late on Wednesday or Thursday and I was perhaps a little drunk on tequila and it seemed like a good thing to do at the time. And now, I’m kind of obsessed with it. My own little inspiration archive. There’s all the usual suspects: Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams…

But I’ve also been adding singers that I don’t reference all the time but still consider essential listening – Rosanne Cash, Connie Smith, Judee Sill, Joni Mitchell, Anita Carter…

I upload the images to facebook at first and then decided I’d also post them on Pinterest, which is one social media platform I’m still kind of struggling to get in to. My theory is, if these women can’t get me pinning, no-one can.

Creating an inspiration archive has been great fun. If you’ve got any good pictures, send ’em my way!

PLAYLIST:

Connie Smith – Burning A Hole In My Mind

Lucinda Williams – Metal Firecracker 

Judee Sill – Jesus Was A Cross Maker 

Emmylou Harris – Til I Gain Control Again

On Saturday March 16, I’m planning a Women of Country special for Saturday Night Country on ABC Local Radio. My special live guest will be emerging Americana songwriter Katie Brianna and we’ll be playing contemporary and classic female artists. Good times!

In The Pines: Americana Adventures at FBi Radio

This past Tuesday the lovely Johanna Roberts invited me to join her at FBi Radio in Sydney to guest program ‘In The Pines’. What a treat! A weekly program dedicated to playing Americana, alt-country and folk music, ‘In The Pines’ was the show I hosted in Australia for two years before heading to Nashville last September. It’s a great program and it was so much fun to co-pilot the show with Johanna this week.

Most of my music selections were songs from artists I’ve been particularly excited by in the last year or so. I played Bonnie Raitt, John Fullbright, Chris Pickering, Kelsey Waldon, Cale Tyson and The Weeping Willows. I also played old favourites from Silver Jews and Paul Kelly.

Bonnie Raitt – Not Cause I Wanted To

John Fullbright – Jericho

Kelsey Waldon – Who Do You Love (Daytrotter version)

The whole program is available to stream on demand here. Make sure you click on the show dated 26/3/2013.

And here are Silver Jews. I could dedicate entire radio shows to the music of Dave Bermann.

We’re gonna live in Nashville 

And I’ll make a career 

Out of writing sad songs 

And getting paid by the tear

Lights, Camera, Action: On set at The Gilded Palace of Gin

It has taken a long time for me to finally get the confidence to write and record an EP. I don’t know how best to explain the hesitation. Perhaps I’ve been waiting for the perfect time or the right song or a defining moment that meant I couldn’t hold off any longer. Perhaps. I don’t know. What I do know is that I’m finally about to do it. The recording dates are tentatively scheduled, the songs are written, the website is just about built and last weekend, one of my dearest friends – photographer Zoe McMahon – came around to take some pictures. 

Zoe is a tall, slim beauty of a gal with a gorgeous mane of hair and a generous heart. Knowing my budget (zero) she gave up her Saturday regardless and took hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of photographs. To say I’m no model is the understatement of the year. To say it was overcast and rainy and not a great day to be trying to shoot in natural light, another contender for understatement of the year. And yet, Zoe did a brilliant job. 

I’m saving most of the photographs for the launch of the website proper – stay tuned – but I decided to share this one early (unedited, untouched) because it mixes a few of my personality quirks in a way that I think can only happen when you are collaborating creatively with dear friends.

I say friends plural because it is important to add here that another darling of my life – Yvonne Moxham – was also gracious and kind enough to give up her weekend to style the shoot. Moxy (as I like to call her) is another total babe of the tall, slim variety. A stone cold fox, ace musician and a fashion force like no other, Yvonne was there at the ready with bobby pins and gaffa tape and sequins and dry shampoo and more outfit changes than I could ever hope for in my wildest aspirational Tammy Wynette dreams. 

With two dear gals by my side we managed to get a great series of shots. But I’m especially fond of this one for a few reasons.

I’m in the front room of my former rental house in Sydney’s inner-west, where the paint peels off the walls and floor is old school seventies linoleum and the sound of jet airplanes flying overhead is a quarter-hour occurrence. I’m dressed a floor length know-no-subtlety gown I bought from my all-time favourite place to shop: Southern Thrift, East Nashville. And on the wall behind me is a framed picture of a slightly blurred but still recognisable of Gram Parsons floating on the Indian Ocean –  my last attempt at collage/ shrine-building/ having fun with glue and glitter.

The whole thing – a little bit Sydney, a little bit Tennessee, a little bit strange and ridiculous… Only in the company of two women who play such a big part in my world – who know it and understand it and get it – could a photo that says so much about me happen.

One of the biggest realisations I’ve had since deciding to make music is that you can’t do it on your own. You need friends and allies and a community who love you, want you to make art and want to support you in doing that. And so I’m grateful to Zoe and to Moxy.  For volunteering their time on the weekend. For their love and care. And for being such unique, creative, inspiring women. Not just when they are helping me out of course – all the time. 

Zoe’s photgraphs can be found here.

And Moxy makes music here.

Love!

 

 

 

ON AIR: Radio Adventures at ABC Local

So I’ve been terribly slack with the blog of late… But I’m delighted to say it’s because I’ve been working away at my dream gig. For the past six weeks I’ve been guest programming ABC Local Radio’s only weekly national program dedicated to country music: Saturday Night Country. It’s a great honour and a real thrill to be able to share my passion for twang for four hours on the radio every week. I still pinch myself every time I walk into the studio, cue up the microphone and see the red ‘ON AIR’ light flash.

 

Highlights from the program so far have included extensive coverage (as well as a brilliant time) at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, interviews with Rodney Crowell and Bill Chambers and a live performance from my favourite emerging Americana star, 24-year-old Texan songwriter Robert Ellis.

With lots of songs music to play and great musicians to talk to, you can imagine how much fun I’m having. But you know what my favourite part of the show is? The chance to interact with country music fans across Australia every week. It is so wonderful when listeners call in, or text or tweet, or find me on facebook, just to say – “Hey, I loved that track!” or “Do you think you could play some Johnny Cash?”

The hosting gig is only a temporary one as I have to head back to Nashville in April to record my debut EP which is long overdue. Stay tuned!