Wow - what a whirlwind the last few weeks have been. First let me say - to the folks who donated to the album campaign - to the folks who have come out to shows - to the folks who have listened to, enjoyed, and connected with me through and about the music - Thank You. You light up the path in front of me and make me see what is important and how to drive forward. You are my powerful 1950's highbeams in this Mustang of my life - and I thank you.

Now what's going on you ask? Well we got to 46% of the the fundraising goal - which means all of the players get paid, the record gets recorded, engineered, produced, mastered, and the album art gets done. It also means that the $$ I'm trying to earn to beef up some of the marketing plans via the three jobs has been shifted to pay for vinyl and CD production. Trying to find some extra gigs and work to keep those marketing plans in place. But I have a few months for that and I'm hopeful and excited. I've met with the production folks for the record and everyone is just SO EXCITED - me included. Preliminary feedback from the musicians is that the album is 'soaring and dark' - a sentiment that I wholeheartedly endorse. I've also met with the designer for the album and the work is in progress - again - SO EXCITED! Right now we're on track for songs to be mixed and sent off to production on March 15. All this and they haven't even been recorded yet. Yipes!

With all of what's happened this year - losing so many amazing musicians, our political / cultural shift, so much war and tragedy, so many friends lost too soon, it's easy to second guess making art and wondering if such pursuits are frivolous. I think though - there is no time so important for art, for music, for poetry, for dance, for film... These are the things that bring us back to ourselves, to beauty, to living with eyes wide open. So this year again I dedicate myself to living as honestly as I can within this music. To honor it. To perform it. To let the light shine as hard, as bright, and as clearly as I can.

To that end also - I'm investing in myself and my art. By making healthy choices, going to the gym, walking more, but also - getting the gear I need. Enter this little bit of amazing (see pic below):

One of the best presents of today has been watching the online progression of my new guitar strap from my old friend My Graveyard Jaw / Michael James and his new business Chubbs Made - we met back in 2005 when I was on the road w/ @rustbeltjessie - then again in 2011 when I was in New Orleans for my birthday and we talked for hours after his show of art, music, passion, process - how cool, how sacred, how just awesome is it to me now to see him learning a new process, carving art out of leather to help me and my music happen, I’m just honored to be a part of watching the magick happen. If you need amazing leatherwork - he is SO your guy! (Photos posted by him online - project still in process and yet already so goooooooooood)

So friends - thanks for being here. I'll be at the Uptown in Oakland with Kim Lembo on Jan 3 if you want to come by and wish a happy 2017. Keep the faith and let your light shine!

The big bday show at the Lost Church was a huge hit. Thanks to everyone who came out - Mark Growden, surprise guest Jessie Antonick (Pony Hunt), and I got to play to a sold out crowd and woo all y'all with some lovely americana music. Personally it was a present to me to just watch folks I love perform - but then your response to my songs - aww it was a gift to my heart folks - for real. Since then (omg was it really just over a week ago?!?!) I've been getting myself together for the big tour back up to Canada. I'll be supporting Carolyn Mark at Wheelie's in Victoria for her CD release show, plus getting to play some music round the campfire up near Shawnigan Lake and of course and always at Logan's Hootenanny. Extra special news is that I'll be playing at Logans ON my actual bday - so if you're around come say a howdy and enjoy some tunes.

Later this fall (starting in October) my band Vagabondage will be bringing our balkan / Waits influenced stompy accordion music to Thrillpeddlers annual SHOCKTOBER FEST - so if you ever wanted to see showtunes WITH accordion - don't miss it! 

Also stay tuned for info on a Kickstarter for the Secret Emchy Society's FIRST ACTUAL ALBUM - eight of ten songs are done, and the other five just need some more polish - so very very soon this is going to be rolling. WOO! Until then - you can always buy the demos album over at emchy.bandcamp.com or pick up tunes from the other bands I'm in at the sites below:

rhubarbwhiskey.bandcamp.com
vagabondage1.bandcamp.com
musiciansareferal.bandcamp.com
oaklandwinedrinkersunion.bandcamp.com
sinnerstonic.bandcamp.com

photo by Wolf taken at Hattie's Hat in Seattle

Tour starts TODAY!!!! We've got the songs warmed up and are ready to woo you folks! See you at Thee Parkside 4-8pm - NO COVER!

that moment when a specific performance / event at a bar inspires you to write a song, and then you find out that your friends videotaped a bunch of that event, and then they make you a video out of it for the song that you wrote about it. talk about gratitude / synergy / trusting the universe! All of that to say - thank you to Carolyn Mark for filming the best moments and Dennis Siemens for making them into a music video for me. 
And please - enjoy (and share) the new music video from the Secret Emchy Society - SUNDAY AT LOGAN’S!!! Filmed on location in Victoria and Saturna Island in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

We all know SF can be a cold place come June. While the Bay heats up, Mister Fog cools us down. What better time to pull together a few Secret Society members and go heat up old Pop's bar in the Mission! The night is hosted by our old pal Lester T. Raww from the Pine Box Boys - and yes friends - he will be playing too! Come on out, have a drink or three, and let's get the good times rolling! xo

Well kittens the Canadian tour with Carolyn Mark was an unbelieveable success. From late night jams in Victoria's Chinatown, to limo rides around Gabriola Island, to music video shoots, countless bottles of wine, and so so so many songs sung, written, and stomped along to - we had a great time! Here's a few photos just to prove it! Huge thanks to all of the new members of the Secret Emchy Society (Joel, Dennis, Sweet Diesel, Carolyn, Grayson, & J.) as well as Hearse, Dave Lang's epic Jazz Ensemble, Carolyn Mark, and all of the other rockstars that shared stages and couches with us!

Well last Friday's show was one of those solid barnstormer sorts of shows. We got a good crowd. I got to hear Storm Florez and Shawna Virago perform some just amazing music - and we all came together to celebrate music and share a little intense intimacy over the loss of Prince. A loss that hit me (as well as so so so many people) incredibly hard. Prince was my childhood musical crush. My 'you can do it' guy. The person who inspired me to be me and to run to Detroit and buy every bootleg of his Motor City shows that I could find on cassette because a. what he had released just wasn't enough and b. I was too young for my parents to let me actually go see him live. It has been a lifelong obsession, sometimes more at the forefront sometimes less, but most people who know me in a real way know that I'm a Prince kinda gal. Storm paid excellent tribute in song and we all just sang, snapped, and wiped away a few tears while we came together. 

In just under a week I hop on the plane for the Great White North. My good friends up there are waiting and we have a ton of shows to do in a short amount of time. ... ADVENTURETIME! :) I'm up to my eyeballs in customs paperwork to make sure I can bring a few cds and shirts up for people who've already asked. And so with that... please enjoy a little video of the Lost Church fun.