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.

September 4, 2012
Toronto, ON

Good morning glorious world! And happy back to school day... It's quite impressive that I appear to be so spunky on this thunder-rumbly morning, as it was quite a late one last night. Seriously. Spent the better part of the evening at beautiful Loft 404 for the Labour Day Underground Art Party! My gorgeous friend Andrea Ramolo put on a bit of a shindig for her birthday, and was it ever an incredible thing. Got to play a sweet set swapping songs with the magnificent Melanie Brulée, and then chilled in the aftermath to the sounds of Sarah Burton, Faye Blais, Scarlett Jane, and Picture the Ocean... Not to mention all the amazing visual artists, burlesque dancers, and other sultry in sundry!

It's sad that it is over, but I'm so happy to announce that I'll be hosting the next big Art Party at Loft 404 on Saturday, October 27th, in honour of Halloween! This time, it's a Masquerade Cabaret. Lineup includes Captain Dirt & The Skirt (of course), The DoneFors, Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything, the lovely Melanie Brulée with her amazing band, and my magical musical road sister... the one and only Darlene! And there will also be burlesque performances by Loretta Jean and Bella Fox from Nerd Girl Burlesque, as well as additional dance performances by ShoPony, The Skirt & Her Ladies (that`s me) and more! Hope you will all put it in your calendars now, and come be a part of the dream!

Hope to see you there...

As for this month, I shall be celebrating September by going back to school in my own way. I have a couple more weeks of intense study and rehearsal, then it's back in the studio to finish up the new  Captain Dirt & The Skirt  album. Wooooohooo! As well, classes start up for me again this week at the Academy of Spanish Dance. And I have a gorgeous new red flamenco skirt to go along... Photos to follow shortly. To be sure.

Today my grand Herculean goals include: civilized breakfasting, then a jean shopping mission with dear pal, tall handsome Irishman -and brilliant songwriter- Andy White. Who desperately needs a pair of man-jeans worthy of his glory... and is currently still totally passed out on my couch after last night's exploits. If only I could sleep so soundly! With the streetcars roaring, sirens wailing, thunder rumbling, and the clickety-clack of  Sweetlandish nails on the keyboard, it is not a quiet morning in the neighbourhood. However, it's officially time to peel myself off my polka-dot bed and make manifest my fantasy of cheesy eggs. Let's see him sleep though the sniff of softly sauteing onions and cheese... I dare him.

Fromage,

xo

K

February 6, 2012
Toronto ON

Coming very soon to The Cameron House ... The Sweetest event of the year!

A Sweet Soirée -Valentine`s Cabaret- Thursday, February 9th
Hosted by Kristin Sweetland
Starring: Jess McAvoy, Evalyn Parry, David Newland, Scarlett Jane (Andrea Ramolo & Cindy Doire.) And of course, Lyndell Montgomery and the return of Captain Dirt & The Skirt!

More details on my tour page, or click image to enlarge.

See you there...

xo
La Sweet

January 3, 2012
Toronto, ON

Happy New Year, People!

It's a good one already. I was planning on staying home New Year's Eve with my faux fire, fuzzy slippers and guitar... Would have sipped some superb sparkling rosé and penned an inspirational blog post with words like "resolution" and "apocalypse" and "unapologetically glamorous." However, in the end I decided to venture out in to the world of the festive. I put on my hot new riding pants, some obligatory bling, and hopped on a slow streetcar all the way across town... After numerous obstacles, throngs of revellers, wailing fire trucks, and the full-throated squeals of inebriated youth, I arrived just time to ring in 2012! At first, surrounded by very new friends, and later on, some very old ones. A fine balance of camaraderie I hope will be a theme in the year to come. There is so much I want to accomplish in the next 365 days. It quite boggles the mind. And although it's usually my tendency to err on the side of the lone wolf, I know this time I cannot do it all alone.

So don't be surprised if you hear from me soon...

Speaking of resolutions and the apocalypse, I'm forced to at least briefly address the glorious infamy of 2012 and welcome the Mayan calendrical milestone that is upon us! I obviously don't believe the world is going to end in December of this year. I would sooner subscribe to theory of the metaphorical end, the "coming enlightenment" of the "Age of Aquarius" or whatever. However, I don't entirely believe that either. I do think we are evolving magnificently as a species. And although life as we know it can change in the blink of a perfectly painted eyelash, transformation is usually far more subtle. Let it be a threshold that we cross. A golden sparkling threshold portal to even better days ahead.

That all being said, I have made a decision to live this year as if it were in fact my last. Because truly, if you knew it was going to be the last year of your life, would you behave differently? Live more fiercely, love more fearlessly? I reckon I may. And because there is so much I want to do in my imaginary last year, I have already gotten started. Can't wait to share my new artistic projects with you all in 2012! I promise to keep you all posted on the new album, and the Adventures in Sweetland book news! We are moving forward on all fronts. And it feels so good.

I'll be entering artistic hibernation soon for a good long spell. But there are a few fabulous upcoming shows in the Toronto area you should NOT MISS! First, another rock 'n' roll adventure with the superhot "Ladies in Waiting" at Not My Dog on January 23rd. Then, on February 9th at The Cameron House, I'm so excited to present A Sweet Soirée - Valentine's Cabaret, hosted by yours Sweetlandishly and starring Jess McAvoy, Evalyn Parry, David Newland, Andrea Ramolo & Cindy Doire. Not to mention Lyndell Montgomery and the return of Captain Dirt & The Skirt! For more info on all shows please visit my tour page.

The End,

(for now...)

x
K

Everybody loves an apocalyptic basketball court 

and a heinous Christmas sweater!
More freezing cold photos coming soon!

December 18, 2011
Toronto, ON

Dear Santa,

I know I usually write sooner, but for some reason I'm just not in the Christmas spirit yet. And not in a bad way. I'm surely no Sweetlandish Scrooge. But more in the kind of way you might be if you were mysteriously adrift on a barge south of the equator, or perhaps a raft. Actually, I pick barge. And somehow you seem to have lost track of the days... What month is it again? Can you pass me the sunscreen? Actually, I think I may be adrift all alone. With my fishing pole and my trunk of booty. There are distant islands to be discovered, and pirate ships to be plundered.

And not a single flake of snow in sight.

Usually around this time I'd be asking for something tall, dark and handsome carrying a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon ('76, if you have it.) Or a mountain of money to record my new album, or a pair of shiny red snowshoes... But this year I want something else.

All I want for Christmas is NOT world peace, true love, or my two front teeth. I just want a fantastic and successful year ahead. May all my many projects come to glorious fruition in 2012! And may all of yours.

Sugarplums,

xo

Sweetland

P.S. If I'm not quite in the holiday spirit yet, I will be soon enough! Playing a festive show tomorrow night at Not My Dog with Jadea Kelly, Andrea Ramolo & Cindy Doire, and Roger Marin... Wassail!

Somebody's getting a postcard... 

December 1, 2011
Toronto, ON

Gentle Readers,

It is I, your delinquent Sweetypie with tales from far and wide. Or perhaps, just tall tales. You decide. My sincere apologies for the delay in updates lately. I plead intensely artistically focused, and impressively social! You would be proud. And you did miss an important thing or two while I was busy being so busy. But here's the Coles Notes version. I played incredible shows with the likes of Micah Barnes, Jess McAvoy, Andrea Ramolo and Cindy Doire (more to come on all fronts!) As well, I hosted a slough of highly attractive house guests, rocked Halloween like only a drowned sailor girl can, cooked innumerable feasts, practiced loads of guitar, digitized my entire music collection, read my Sherlock Holmes like a good girl, ran through forests with happy poodles, wished upon a star, celebrated 11-11-11, and placed a beautiful model ship in my office window as a symbol... My ship has come in. Seriously.

So, the big news in Sweetland is one of epic proportions. Aurevoir Ruby the Van! You were the best horse ever. 7 1/2 years, 300,000 kms, and a whole world of adventures later... we say goodbye. Now I get to introduce the world to LADYSHIP.  All sexy soccer mom spy on the outside, and Venusian palace of delight on the inside (photos of her glory to come!) Together, we shall conquer the continent. Spring tour can't come too soon.

And until then I sure have my work cut out for me. A couple new albums, a book of my photography, new videos, and a motherload of flamenco dance classes later, we'll be good to go. It also looks like I'm going to be sitting in on guitar (studio and live) with some pretty amazing artists in the coming months and year. More info on axe-slinging sideperson Sweetland coming soon. We all know that sometimes I just want to wear a wig, stand in a dark corner, and play some serious guitar.

And so be it. 

Hope you can make it out to an upcoming show!

Lots of love from the big city,

x
K

P.S. I promise to write soon. And check your mailbox for postcards!

A handsome ship on the horizon!
More fall photos here.