Thursday, February 28, 2013

February 28, 2013
Toronto, ON

It's a winter wonderland once more in Corktown, Toronto. And after the grand deluge of yesternight, a surprise, I suppose, to wake up to anything besides an ark outside my window. Despite the weather, I took myself on a grand wandering date yesterday avec umbrella, boots, and camera. What more does a girl need besides a frothy latté from Balzac's and and a dark romantic library corner with her true love? It's been quite the month of madness for me. Late nights, long days, and lack of sleep make a Sweetypie a shell of her scintillating self. But the fog is clearing at last, and it's time to plan the next great adventure.

This past weekend was an epic one, to say the least. For the first time in five years I joined all the members of my musical tribe at the 25th annual Folk Alliance International conference. This year, the party came to me in Toronto, for which I am eternally grateful. It was a big old Little Red Hen Music reunion with my darling road sisters darlenYaJan Bell, and our newest little henlette Dede Alderman. We hosted a magnificent private showcase room, caught up with our dear long-lost friends, and made some amazing new ones.

For those of you who have never been to an FAI conference, the experience is difficult to convey. It is at once awe-inspiring, overwhelming, and surreal. Many things can happen when you gather 2000 musicians together in a hotel for five days, and they usually do. It all culminated on Saturday night in a folk-ish full moon frenzy. I only heard rumours of the fire hose flood on the 9th floor, and the Mexican gangsters in disguise as folk musicians. But I believe. You may or may not be able to watch this little clip by Jay Aymar featuring three of our little hens, and a wee peek inside our showcase room ... But I hope you can. Enjoy!

Next on the Sweetlandish schedule of events is planning the Captain Dirt & The Skirt CD release tour and putting the finishing touches on our new album. I have butterflies just thinking about it. And it looks like we'll be joining together with my gorgeous Ladies In Waiting for a late-May CD release show at Lula Lounge in Toronto. Will have the date for you -and others- any day now. So stay tuned.

Till then,

xo

Skirty

More from my wet wanderings, and eternal adventures here.


Saturday, February 16, 2013

February 16, 2013
Toronto, ON

Good morning my pets,

Hope you all had a delightful and love-drenched Valentine's Day. I spent mine in the reclining position eating gluten-free pizza and watching Psycho. I'm romantic like that. There was some serious R&R required after the glory of the past week ... So much goodness went down with my beautiful Ladies In Waiting, but it wasn't sans effect on my deep sleep reservoir.

Our "Lovesick" show at Lula Lounge was a brilliant success. We sold out and packed the house! Everybody rocked so hard, and I just can't wait for our next adventure. Whatever that shall be. I will certainly keep you posted.

Next on my list is the great Folk Alliance International conference, which has been so kind as to come visit me in Toronto this year. I'll be co-hosting a showcase room for four nights in a row with my dear Little Red Hen Music pals - road sisters and co-conspirators Darlene (darlenYa) and Jan Bell.  It will be a grand old reunion with all my musical family, old and new. I feel a little verklempt already just thinking about it.

My agenda for aujourd'hui includes a snow-dusted stroll to the St. Lawrence Farmers Market, and a hot and frothy almond milk latté. How exciting. Tonight I'll be heading out to the Cadillac Lounge to see my dear pal Andy White play. You should probably come too. Come find me in a dark corner, and buy me a whiskey.

See you there,

xo
Kristin
See you at the FAI Conference, Feb 20-24
at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto.

Friday, February 8, 2013

February 8, 2013
Toronto, ON

Salut from under a scintillating snow blanket ... I reckon that most of you in Eastern North America know what I mean. I've just returned from a wee tromp out in the wilds of the urban arctic, and am once again curled up with my new best friend - the hot water bottle.

The snow storm gave me crazy dreams last night. Zombie apocalypse, anyone? Seriously. Then I was baptizing a baby (not mine) all St-John-in-the-river-like, but in an Amsterdam canal. That was followed by a dream of wandering through an old mansion, where everything in every single room was the colour red: Red wallpaper, red furniture, red glitter fireplace. I suppose it was an unconscious response to all the Valentine's bling of late. But I cannot tell a lie. I would totally live in a monochromatic Valentine's glitter mansion. Obviously.

And speaking of Valentine's bling, I'm so very excited for our upcoming Ladies In Waiting "Lovesick" album release this Tuesday, Feb 12 at Lula Lounge in Toronto. I feel truly blessed to be a part of this amazing collective of vibrant and insanely talented Toronto female musicians. Performers include Scarlett Jane, Andrea Ramolo, Cindy Doire, Sarah Burton, Melanie Brûlée, Tricia Foster, Yours Sweetlandishly, an ode to currently-touring-overseas Lady in Waiting, Faye Blais, and burlesque performances by members of Love Letters Cabaret. Also be excited for our kissing booth, and polaroids with pinup doll Pastel Supernova.

Get your advance tickets here, and have a peek at our gorgeous new Ladies In Waiting website

Also, be highly entertained by my latest masterpiece video "Lovesick - A Sweetlandish Melodrama." (And darn that heartbreaker, Remington Steele.)

In other news, we are getting close to being finished the new Captain Dirt & The Skirt album, at last! It has been a long and incredibly enjoyable process for us, and we can't wait to share it with you. Just had a superfun album cover photo shoot with amazing photographer Kevin Kelly the other day. I will not blow any of our secrets, but you simply cannot wait to see!

As for my own photography, you'll find all the latest photos from my eternal Adventures in Sweetland here.

I bid you aurevoir for now, but be expecting my Sweetlandish treatise on love, dark matter, and other such ponderables before aforementioned day of crimson bling.

Snowkisses,

xo
LadySweet



Hope to see you at the show!

Photo by Jen Squires. Design by Faye Blais.