on my way

Hola, boys and girls!

I’m so excited to report that the album is almost finished. I met with Rhandy Simmons of Siesta Ranch Studios a few days ago to start the mastering process. We’re still doing overdubs and other little fixes on all the songs, but they are really starting to come together. I’m so ready to put this album out there and into your hands. It’s been a really tough process. I decided that I wanted to do most of the work on this album myself. I wrote/co-wrote all the songs with Sir Mateus. I played the drums and bass in addition to doing the vocals. (Thank God I had some help from Sir Mateus on the guitars. He’s a way better guitar player than I am.) I did all the engineering and mixing myself. It has really been a huge undertaking and I’m really glad to see it getting closer to the finish line. I really didn’t expect recording this album to take as long as it has. Professional musicians are so blessed, because their job is going to the studio and performing. Maybe one day I can say the same.

I have a lot of things planned for the new year. I can’t wait! I hope everyone had a great holiday. Here’s to a blessed 2012! Keep rockin, my friends. :)

Peace out!

—-M

time flies

Hey everyone! I can’t believe how fast time flies. Has it really been a month since my last post? Wow. I think I know what my New Year’s resolution should be: posting more often! So…the album. I’m excited to say that we’re in the home stretch. My goal is to have all the finishing touches put on and the mixing completed by the end of year. Then it’s off to be mastered, and then into your hands! I’m ready for this album to be done. I can’t wait to finally have these songs off my chest. The oldest song on the album was written in 2005, and the newest is probably over a year old. I’m sure some of you are thinking, “What the heck took you so long to do an album?” The answer is, it didn’t feel like the right time until now. During those years, I was out playing shows and playing in bands. I recorded my demo in 2006, and added a few more songs to make it a full-fledged EP in 2008. For a while there, I was on a full-on hiatus from doing my stuff. After my last band broke up, God put it on my heart to put all these songs together and release them. (Coincidentally, my last band is also my current band: we got back together! Miracles DO happen.) It was like He was telling me, “I gave you this gift and these songs…why are you sitting on them? Don’t hide them from people, put them out there!” So, here we are. I’ve got some really neat things planned for the new year. First of course is the album. I’ll be doing some videos of me and my trusty musical partner Sir Mateus playing all the songs from the album to go along with it. Look out, YouTube (or Vimeo…hmm). Also, I’ll be starting work on the next album! It’ll be a collection of some newer songs that didn’t fit my first album, along with some older B-sides…like I said, God’s really kicking my butt about putting it all out there. I’ve already got some ideas stirring for an EP of all-new material after all that stuff is said and done. I can’t wait. I’m so grateful for all you folks who keep up with my music. The one thing that means more than anything else is your support. God bless you guys and dolls! Over and out. :D —-M

The folks over at Resonate News were kind enough to do an interview with yours truly…you can check out the full deal by clicking on the title of this post. Thanks to Raymond at Resonate News, and to all you folks who give it a read. :)

lately

Hey there, boys and ghouls. I know I’ve been MIA lately, so I thought I’d stop in and post.

I’m still working on those top 10 lists I mentioned in my last post…so stay tuned. I’m also still hard at work on my album. I made the tough decision to re-record all of the vocals, because I just wasn’t happy with the way they turned out. Luckily, I’m doing all the recording and stuff myself, so all I have to do is turn on my computer and go for it. Sir Mateus is going to be working on some orchestration and programming to finish everything off. I still feel bad that the album didn’t get finished when I thought it would, but it being the best it can be is way more important than it meeting a deadline. I’m not at the mercy of a record label, so I can take my time with it.

Even though this album isn’t finished, I already have another one in the works. I have a ton of “back catalogue” (aka songs I wrote a while ago that I never did anything with or that I phased out over time) that I really want to put out there. That’s what the next album is going to be all about. It’s going to be called “Outtakes, B-Sides, and Other Supposed Fairy Tales”. I can’t wait to get started on it. I’m really shooting to get my first album done before I start to work on another one!

I also have a side project that I like to call Emberly. It’s just me, playing music…it’s all the ideas I’ve had that didn’t really fit my solo stuff or any of my bands. I recorded an EP last year, and never released it…so I’m polishing it up and putting it out there. I’ve also got another EP’s worth of stuff that’ll be popping up after that. If you get really bored and want to check it out, I have a page on Facebook and a BandCamp, too.

I’m so grateful for all you guys who keep up with me. You really do mean the world. :)

Catch you guys on the flipside! Love, peace, and chicken grease. :D

—-M

super tour wrap-up extravaganza

Hey there, boys and ghouls…I have really fallen off the wagon with my posting, so I guess I better fill you in on the last few weeks.

I was really looking forward to visiting Hot Springs and Memphis after my awesome weekend in Louisiana. My mom had told me my whole life how much she wanted to go to Graceland, so I decided to take her. We set out on Friday afternoon with a full car and a gas tank to match. We got about forty miles out of Hot Springs when the car started riding rough and the O/D Off light started flashing. Lo and behold, my transmission was toast. We ended up getting towed into Hot Springs, and stayed the night. I want to say a big thanks to Troy Keeton of Keeton’s Garage and Wrecker Service and the Arkansas Highway Patrol for rescuing two damsels in distress out in the middle of nowhere. After getting the car checked out, we pondered our options. We tried to get a rental car to go on our way, but to no avail. We ended up having my car towed back to Texas (a whopping four-hour drive away). I have to give huge thanks to Ray Cobb at Metro Towing & Recovery for going above and beyond to make sure we made it back home. Seriously, if you are ever anywhere in Arkansas and find yourself in a bind, call these guys. They will do whatever it takes to help you out. I also want to shout out to Josh at Fuse Media Lounge in Hot Springs and The Edge Coffeehouse in Memphis. Thank you guys for booking me…I really hope I’ll see you on the next tour!

Fast forward to the following Friday. I had just rented a car to get me and my dear friend and unofficial little bro David to the next two shows. I was on the way to pick David up when the car died in the middle of an intersection. After all the craziness of the previous weekend, I was really starting to wonder if this tour was meant to happen after all. I suppose it was, as we swapped out the car for another rental and got on our way. We played a great set at Generator Coffee in Garland and had another great one at Full Cup Bakery and Cafe in Edmond (props to Trey at Generator and DJ at Full Cup for booking me!) I say we because I had the great honor of having David on percussion. We’ve been friends since high school, and we’ve been in a couple of bands together. I’m blessed to call this dude a friend. We stopped on the way back to visit our friend Leeanna, and then officially called it a weekend.

My very last show on the tour was in The Colony, Texas at Lone Star Coffee Bar. I was blessed to be a part of their one-year anniversary as well as a benefit for a family in need in the area. If you’re ever in this neck of the woods, stop in and see Shane and Susan…they will go out of their way to make you feel at home. There were a ton of great bands and artists there, including my two new friends Emy Taylor and CC Cross. Both of these ladies are incredibly cool and amazingly talented, so check them out! I’m glad I had my shades handy during Emy’s song “Tie Me to an Angel” or everyone would have seen me all teary-eyed, haha. I want to say a big thanks to Matthew the sound dude, who is also the singer of an awesome group called Pearl Street Riot. There were a ton of great musicians playing all day, all of whom you should check out. Here they are: Siren Sea, Mikaela Kahn, Emmeline, G. William Boyd, Rob Jones, and Thieves of Sunrise. Be sure and show them some love. We all played out in the hot sun all day!

Now that it’s all said and done, I’m really glad I did this tour. I guess it’s still technically a tour, since I only went out for the weekends…I still had to come back and navigate my grown-up life during the week. I’m planning on posting a top 10 list of everything that I learned about doing a tour, and a top 10 list of things I learned about recording an album (as soon as I actually get it finished). I want to say thanks to everyone who booked me and helped me out during this tour…your kindness was a tremendous blessing and it truly means the world to me. You guys rock!

Until we meet again, dear friends. Catch you on the flip side!

—-M

tour: days 3 & 4

Hey there, boys and ghouls. Time for another tour update.

Friday evening, I set off to Shreveport with my oldest and dearest friend Sara in tow. We had dinner at the always awesome Blind Tiger before heading to the Dalzell house. If you’re ever in Shreveport and want to hang out with some really cool people (like Rayvilla the Killa and the awesome merch dude for Griefhound - sorry dude I couldn’t remember your name!), I definitely recommend stopping by Dalzell. Also, if you want to hear some amazing, soft, soulful tunes, check out Chrissy Wise. She is absolutely amazing. I want to make sure and give a big thanks to Dacoda for letting me come play and hang out. I can’t wait to come back again.

After some serious snoozing and swimming, we packed our bags and headed for The Big Easy. We were in awe as we entered the most resilient city in the world. It’s hard to believe that six years ago, New Orleans was completely devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I can honestly say that I felt a connection in a big way with this city. I’ve always been fascinated by old houses and architecture, and New Orleans has no shortage of either. I have to give a shout to John & Tanya, who played a great set before me. I’m not sure who the two chicas were that played with them, but their cover of The Decemberists was amazing. After playing a great show at Neutral Ground Coffee, we hit up our hotel and then hoofed it down to the French Quarter. We made our way through the Saturday night crowd packing Bourbon Street. Unfortunately, Sara had a bit of a mishap when someone on a balcony throwing beads hit her in the head with some. No worries everyone, she’s just fine. We stopped and talked and prayed with some of the great folks from Raven Street Church who minister on Bourbon Street. It really hit me that our faith is nothing unless we’re out fearlessly sharing it with others.

The next morning, we hit up more of the French Quarter and Jackson Square before we made the long drive back to East Texas. If you’ve never been to Cafe Du Monde, you have to stop in for some of their famous beignets (French donuts). After stocking up on souvenirs for our friends and families, we packed up the car and pointed it towards home.

This weekend was absolutely amazing. I’m so glad I got to bring a great friend with me, and that we got to see two of the coolest cities in the South. Next weekend, I’ll be heading to Hot Springs and Memphis. My mom is coming with me, and I’m excited to show her the sights.

Catch you guys on the flip side! As always, take it real and keep it easy. :)

—-M

tour: day 2

Hey everyone!

Day 2 of the tour went a little differently than I thought it would, but I can’t say it went badly.

I woke up after getting a few hours of sleep, packed up, and headed for downtown San Antonio. I walked around for a while, and saw the Alamo and the Riverwalk. I really felt like I left a piece of myself in San Antonio. I felt a real connection with this city, and I can’t wait to visit it again.

After I left San Antonio, I headed to Austin for my show. There had been some miscommunication about the show, so it ended up being called off. Even though the show didn’t happen, I’m excited to visit Austin again soon and I will definitely book another show here next time I go on tour. Since the show was called off, I jetted back to my hotel, grabbed my things, and pointed my car towards home.

I didn’t have anyone to come with me this weekend, and I really felt homesick even after two days of being gone. This is definitely a learning experience, and I learned that I definitely need to have someone with me. Those long hours in the car start to drive you a little crazy without anyone to talk to! I think after this tour is all said and done, I’ll post a blog about all the things I’ve learned. I think a list of things I’ve learned about recording an album is in order as well.

I’m so thankful for all the experiences I’ve had this weekend, and I’m blessed to call a few people new friends and acquaintances. I’ll be at home for a few days, and then it’s back out on the road to Shreveport and New Orleans. I can’t wait!

See you guys on the road. Take it real and keep it easy, y’all. :)

—-M

tour: day 1

Hey there, everyone! I decided I’ve keep a daily blog during the tour, so here it is.

The first part of the trip down here (aka from Tyler to San Antonio) seemed to fly by. The second part of the trip seemed to drag on for what felt like an eternity. I finally made it here and played, and I met some really great folks while I was at it.

First and foremost, I have to thank Rubin at G.I.G. on the Strip for all his help and awesomeness. I had the privilege of playing with some really amazing folks tonight, and I hope you guys will show them some support. First of all, we have Emily Frankie. This fabulous girl plays piano and sings, and her beautiful (and sometimes funny) songs will keep you coming back for more. Next up, I want to mention Who For Us. These guys have an amazing jazzy/soul sound, and their eighteen minute-long jam could have gone on way longer as far as I’m concerned. Last but certainly not least, we have Reverie Control. These guys call themselves San Antonio’s best garage rock band, and they certainly deserve the title!

It’s now almost three in the morning, and I’m sitting here in my hotel room about to fall asleep on my computer. I guess I better sign out for tonight. I hope tomorrow goes as great as today did. I’m planning on checking out the Alamo and the Riverwalk before I bid adieu to this lovely city.

Catch you guys on the flip side! Much love as always.

—-M

a little longer

Hey there, boys and ghouls.

I just wanted to share with you guys how excited I am about my tour. It kicks off on July 1st and wraps up on July 30th. I’ll be stopping in around Texas, and visiting Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. If you live close enough to any of the shows, I hope you can make it there! I would love to meet some new people and make some new friends. I’ll even have free stickers for everyone! Once they’re gone, they’re gone…so be sure to come out and get one.

There is one bit of news I need to share. As some of you guys know, someone very near and dear to me was very sick recently. By the grace of God, I’m thrilled to report that she is alive and kicking today. While she was sick, I spent every free moment visiting her and helping her out. I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else. That being said, I’ve decided to delay the release of the album just a bit longer so it can be the best it can possibly be. I had always planned for it to be done before the tour, but God had other plans and His plans are always perfect. Right now, I’m working on a way for the folks who check me out on tour to get a discount on the album once it’s out and for sale. If that doesn’t work, I’ll rustle up some bonus tracks or something to make it all worthwhile for the wait.

I’m excited to hit the road and see you guys out there. Until then, keep rockin! Heart you all.

—-M

the countdown begins

Hey out there!

I know I haven’t posted in a while, so I thought I’d pop in for a quick minute and tell everyone how things are going.

First and foremost, I’m so grateful to all of you folks who were praying for and sending good thoughts to my boyfriend’s mom. She’s back at home and doing well.

The countdown to the album being finished has begun. We shot all the album art yesterday, and I’ll be sending off for the posters, stickers, buttons, and cards later this week. The album will be going out on the 22nd for printing and all that good stuff, and it’ll be back just in time for the tour.

I also want to talk to you guys for a second about something really important. I’m not apologetic or shy about telling folks that I believe in God. That being said, I know a lot of folks have a really negative image of Christians. I’ve made it my mission in life to show people and tell them what being a follower of Christ is really all about. I bet a lot of folks would be surprised about what’s true and what’s just a bad stereotype or misconception. If you have questions about having faith in God and what that really means, please ask me! I’m always more than happy to talk about it.

On that note, I want to thank you guys again for catching up with me. See you on the road!

—-M