Thank you for joining me on this journey. In today's technologically advanced world, it can be difficult to connect with people in a meaningful way. Posting to social media can be disheartening when you're not sure if anyone is seeing or caring about your content. It's not the same as looking your friend in the eye and hearing their heart, but it feels better to me. :)
I have some exciting news to share – a new album is coming out this summer! I'll be posting regular blogs with “Highlights + News” with an overview of everything going on, “Story Time” that goes a bit more in depth, plus some fun extras like playlists and giveaways.
It's important to me to stay connected to the people who care about my art and are impacted by it. I'm doing this because we're on this life journey together and can encourage and support each other.
HIGHLIGHTS + NEWS
- June 24- TODAY! our first single “ Shaken” will be released! Also have a lyric video for this which
I am pumped to share
- Pembina River Nights ( Rangeton Park) joining in the song circle July 9 at 3 pm
- Sasquatch Gathering ( near Drayton Valley) July 22 - buy some tickets and come hang
with us! I have most of the band from my album joining me and am so excited for it.
Ticket link in my bio. We will be playing Friday night at 8:30
- Album release will be in September as well- have not solidified a date or venue but will
let you know
- Will have pre-sale bundles available soon!
STORY TIME:
I was in a rut in winter 2018. Life felt like it was moving too fast and I couldn't stop it. I started to feel fear creep in and began waking up in the middle of the night worrying. My kids leaving home left me feeling lost and challenged my identity and purpose. I had been caring for kids my whole adult life and didn't know how to let that go and focus on the next season.
I was struggling with the idea of a solo career after my last album with Zadok was so much fun. I didn't see a future for my music and was crying in the middle of the night when I had the idea of going back to school. This idea freaked me out, but it was also what convinced me that I may be onto something. I took a few weeks to mention it to my husband Phil.
I expected him to laugh, but instead he said, "Yes, you have to do that!" So I began my journey of taking theory and voice lessons, hoping to pass the audition.
The audition was two parts: repertoire and a technical side. The repertoire part went well, but the technical side had me doubting myself. On the day of the audition, there was a severe snowstorm. I needed to leave early to make it in time, but my little car wasn't going to cut it.
The weather app said the snow plows were lagging and the road to the city was red. I looked out the window and saw that everything was white. I turned around and saw that Phil was awake and said he would drive the farm truck. The 1 hour drive took more than twice as long as we crept along and passed many cars in the ditch. I made it to the audition just in time. The craziest thing was that I not only made it there, I ended up making it in! That's when the fears really sank in; I actually had to do this!
I shared a condo with my kids during their first year of university and experienced a lot of anxiety from exams, commuting, balancing business and marriage and school demands. I didn't always do the best job, but we made it through. I've lost touch with many friends, but I do think of them often. School was a challenge for our marriage, but looking back, we see that it made us stronger.
Covid was a strange time for school, but I was able to do a lot from home, which helped us a lot. Tselem and I made a fun video of my tune “Bandit” during this time. We posted the video on Instagram and a producer out of Toronto named Joel Schwartz contacted me. I decided to see what we could create together. My recording juices started flowing again.
I had forgotten how much I loved recording my own tunes, as I had been focused on my classes. I remember listening to the final master with Phil, and feeling overwhelmed recalling all the emotions and life lessons I had experienced while writing it. I resolved that I needed to do another project soon, but didn't know what the process would look like.
I won a songwriting competition at Grant MacEwan for Bent River Records with "Where Your Love Lives." The prize was money and the opportunity to record the song in the studio. I was allowed to have one other person play with me on the recording, and Paul Johnston (one of my professors and a crazy awesome producer) recommended Chris Andrews (another teacher at MacEwan and a world renowned pianist). We had a lot of fun.
The whole process was authentic, organic and fun; we were pumped because we really wanted to play ( having been cooped up during covid), and the end result is one of my favorites. The Bent River Records experience turned into a full-blown project with Paul Johnston agreeing to work on more tunes with me. Songs I had been carefully crafting found new life as Paul (production/bass), Chris Andrews (keys), Jamie Cooper (drums), my friend Reinette Schabert and daughter Tselem took off for a weekend to OCL recording studio outside of Calgary.
The place is perfect for a recording musician, with a top-notch studio and living quarters so you can stay there for days recording, eating, and sleeping. The place is full of creativity, with fun decor, a lot of gear, a kitchen, comfortable beds, and plenty of space to relax in between sessions. I came home happily exhausted, knowing we had captured some special moments. The finishing touches were added by Joel Schwartz, with some sweet guitar bits, and Zadok, Tselem, Stephanie French, and Eugen Ndhlovu, with background vocals, all recorded at Grant MacEwan. These songs, combined with "Bandit," make up the new album I will be releasing titled “Joint & Marrow”
If 2018 me could have seen all that would come from her taking a step towards school, she would have been a crying mess. To top it all off, I have teamed up with Neon Moon Records for this album and I am feeling so supported by their knowledge and energy.
I would really appreciate your help in promoting my new album - any shares, likes, or comments on social media, or saves, pre-saves, and listens will help me gain credibility and be eligible for festivals and grants. Thank you so much for your help with this project - I'm excited to share the album with you and hope that you find it encouraging and inspiring. Stay tuned for more announcements about the next single, music videos, and album release show date. I'll be contacting the winners of the email sign up list shortly.
Thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart.
~ Cynthia