Today I'm so proud to announce the release of "Jingle Ma Belle" the Ladies In Waiting collective's brand new holiday compilation album. We're going to put on a big show for you on Thursday, December 18th at Hugh's Room in Toronto.
I recorded a beautiful tune for the album with the amazing Derek Downham and I just can't wait to share it with you all...
In other news, last night was the first night of my Home Routes house concert tour of the Territory. Nine shows to go and pointed towards the Arctic Circle! Stay tuned to my Adventures In Sweetland series for all the glory.
xox
Sugarplum
Jingle Ma Belle!
Friday, April 22, 2011
April 22, 2011 Home Sweetland Home ♥
Good morning! The bells in the church tower across the street are ringing to remind us how Good this Friday is ... I'm celebrating with toast and coffee and my favourite bad TV show. This is my morning ritual: Awake in my glorious polka-dot pillow cloud bed. Lie there and think of 5 things that make me feel truly happy and grateful. (As I'm diligent these days with my Law of Attraction self-help homework!)
Today's list:
1. My incredibly comfy bed.
2. My amazing family!
3. My superhot new boots.
4. My upcoming exciting adventures down South.
5. All the episodes of my favourite bad TV show awaiting me on my PVR (for watching while waking up slowly and sipping strong coffee.)
Next, it's time to make the strong coffee. And sip it slowly.
Last night I had a yet another magical evening at Hugh's Room. My dear friend Andy White is back in town, this time on tour with Judy Collins. At first I wasn't sure about that combo, but wow what a incredible show!
When I think Judy Collins, I think my mom. Her voice rekindles memories of my childhood, and I confess, renders me a touch verklempt. At 71 she looks fabulous and sounds just as great as she did back then. Told some pretty compelling stories too. What a performer. And of course, Andy was brilliant and dashing as always.
On Thursday I drove up to Stratford on a petit pilgrimage to see their show at beautiful Knox Church. And I'm so glad I did. If it weren't for the fact I forgot the memory card for my camera, there would have been epic photographic tales to tell. Said tales would have told of dark passageways, majestic windows, empty banquet halls, gargantuan chandeliers, magic mirrors and stolen moments. And my superhot new boots! At least I managed to snap one secret photo with my cell phone during the show. (See below.)
Wishing fine feasting to you all this weekend, whatever you happen to be celebrating!
xox
K
Me and my new boots went to church! Like a good girl.
Secret photo courtesy of my cell phone.
Friday, March 18, 2011
March 18, 2011
Toronto, ON
If you couldn't make it to Hugh's Room for the "50 WAYS TO LOVE PAUL SIMON" show. You can get a taste of what you missed on YouTube ... Watch Jorge Miguel and I performing our first piece of the evening, an instrumental duet à la Simon and Garfunkel!
With Jorge Miguel at Hugh's Room.
Visit the live photo gallery here!
Friday, March 11, 2011
March 11, 2011 Toronto, ON
Mes Amis,
I'm so excited for tonight's show at Hugh's Room in Toronto! The brilliant and lovely A Man Called Wrycraft (graphic designer of both my CD's) has put together yet another eclectic and badass tribute show. This time it's the second annual "50 WAYS TO LOVE PAUL SIMON" - A Loving Tribute to the Music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel. I'll be performing my first-ever duet with dashing flamenco guitarist Jorge Miguel. Also on the bill are Suzie Vinnick, Eliana Cuevas, Ben Sures, Blair Packham and many more ... See poster below for more details!
Also be sure to pick up a copy of today's Toronto sun for a glorious full-page feature on the show, and an interview with yours Sweetlandishly.
More news to come from the Sweet front soon ... Many tales to tell, and mysterious photos to upload. I do apologize for being remiss in my blogging of late. Will retroactively update you all on my recent wintery adventures asap!
Just back from an amazing gig at Hugh's Room this evening... "Girls do Boys" presented by Michael Wrycraft was a crazy evening of fabulous female singer-songwriters performing the work of their favourite male songwriters. I was joined by the glorious likes of Lori Cullen, Sass Jordan, Angela Harris, Margaret Stowe and more... got to bust out my Eminem (Lose Yourself and Stan) and ripped it up so hard! Loved it. Gonna have to start playing those songs more often. Sooooooo much fun!!!! For more photos from the show click here.
Happy New Year sweety-pies. I've been having a grand ol' time in Metropolitan Torontonia for the past couple of days. Played and AMAZING show at Hugh's Room last night called "Girls Play Boys" with the delicious likes of Katherine Wheatley, Arlene Bishop, Suzie Vinnick (who SO rocked the house with her Supertramp-express) and many more... Got to dress up in a girlie-tux with bowtie and sing Leadbelly songs all night. I absolutely loved it. Now I'm off to lounge in front of the telly for some quality repeats of Angel, coffee to the max and some serious relax-n-recuperation time... Mmmmm Angel.
Greetings from the sweet and snowy Shenandoahs where I've been held up in delicious hibernation for the past week. It's just a short drive from Washington D.C. up into the hills but you would hardly know it as it is SO beautiful and ancient here its like another land altogether. Had a seriously out of control festival of snow this week and we got snowed in UP TO OUR EYEBALLS. Took us days to shovel ourselves out (well Jenny did most of the shovelling, while I baked us biscuits and honey apple bread on the wood stove) And Jenny made a wicked Snow Witch with the carrot nose and the big pointy hat and how sad, today she melted and her head fell off. We got to play Little House on the Frozen Prairie and I got to be Ma of the cooking and cleaning while Jenny was Pa of the shovelling out of the carriages. We were totally stuck in the beautiful nowheres with no way out for days... Ahhhhhhhhh... Finally had a chance to catch up on some much needed rest after a truly insane couple of months. Worked so hard all January to the point of serious exhaustion from acute stress monkey syndrome. Managed to get myself totally ill just in time to hop in the car and drive myself to Nashville for the Folk Alliance conference. Regardless of the sniffles, I made it through and had a truly amazing time... mostly thanks to my dearest friends the Little Red Hen darlings without whom I would surely perish. Now I'm putting myself back together at Chez-Jenny and her converted hunting lodge/sleazeball motel/country home of goodness by the river in Sperryville, Virginia. I am discovering that being truly happy in this life for me must include much more sleeping, breathing, baking, wood stacking and fire tending... Mmmmmmnnnnnnn....
In other news, last night I got to have my second glass blowing lesson in Eric the neighbour's glorious glass studio. SO MUCH FUN. But wow, it's really hard work. Concentrated so intensely for hours on creating my masterpiece which in the end tragically fell off the big flamey poker and back into the fire of its creation. I almost cried.
So, I will be leaving this lovely land soon (hopefully before the predicted coming rains and possible flood... yikes) and back to Toronto for a gig that's SO gonna rock the world. Will be performing with my most favouritest ladies, Serena Ryder and the Road Dog Divas at Hugh's Room on February 27th. So all y'all Torontonians/Ontarians won't wanna miss it. Believe me. We's gonna take down the house. Hope to see you out there.
Hailed as one of Canada's "hottest young guitar players," Kristin Sweetland has been much-lauded for her intricate instrumental guitarwork, rich vocals and enchanting stage presence. A born performer and true road-warrior, Sweetland brings her wild tales of adventure to the stage in style. Her albums include Own Sweet Time, released in Fall 2007, and her critically acclaimed debut, Root, Heart & Crown. Both albums were produced by Juno award-winning multi-instrumentalist Ken Whiteley, and showcase Sweetland's stellar guitar playing alongside powerful melodies and deeply intelligent songwriting. Musically, Sweetland draws on broad influences from folk/roots, classical, flamenco, world music and rock-n-roll traditions in ways that are rich, delicious, utterly refined and unmistakably Sweetlandish.
