Is that a word? I don't know, but these last few days spent on the road singing have been great. I guess I really feel as if this whole music career is rolling along as it should. I have always wanted to be a rock-star-singing-gal, don't get me wrong, it is not a new concept, but the fact that I quit my waitressing job to pursue it fully has really only just started to sink in, 4 months after the fact. Somehow not having a weekly pay check to fall back on makes it more real in a sense, not having a schedule filled with serving drinks and food, but instead having all the time in the world to be what I am destined to be, a full time songstress! It's amazing, to finally realize this, to finally work at it and only it, and to not feel guilty about it. When I say guilty I guess what I really mean is "not falling into the flow of the real job/house/9-5/kids" thing...the "norm" shall we say, and let me tell you, it's not always easy to be on your own path, a path that is the farthest thing from the norm, i.e couch surfing, living out of bags...especially at 30 with a University degree! Of course all of those uneasy feelings get completely erased when the house lights dim and the stage lights get brighter. Singing is what I am meant to do and no matter what, I won't ever stop. Thanks for listening. Lxo
On the Road Again...
Is there such a thing as a "Van God" because if there is, I had better start praying to this 92 Dodge Caravan God. The next 4 months will see me in trains, planes, automobiles, but mostly in my own trusty (rusty) set of wheels.... in fact I leave today, I leave my beautiful home on the east end, the back garden is the most beautiful back garden what with all the trees & bushes in bloom... I will miss her! My fabulous roomate, who Loves to bake, and not just regular baking, he goes for gold with his dishes, like last nights red velvet cup cakes. Real cocoa & red food colouring makes the most amazing colour!! Thanks for all the chocolate Daniel...I shall miss you! Taking the subways and streetcars around Toronto the past few months has been so easy, and freeing, not having to worry about gas prices and parking! Oh well, back to the grind!! I will of course be coming back to this wonderful city on a monthly basis, as I have a monthly gig at "The Supermarket" but it won't be enough time spent here, I really Love it here. Maybe I'll come back to live in the fall. Only time will tell. In the meantime, check out www.myspace.com/lindsaylive there is a very clear tour schedule, gigs etc if you would like to see what I will be up to in the 'playing and singing' department. So, onwards and upwards.... take great care of yourselves and I hope to see some of you shortly.... Lxo
Wonder Woman Coffee
Have you heard of cowboy coffee? I think it's cooked over fire and pretty gritty at the end. Well I believe in Wonder Woman Coffee. It's coffee that's made perfect to your satisfaction, then poured into a Wonder Woman Coffee cup. Yeah, it's that easy. Fresh ground beans are an asset. (sip) So, I spent my first weekend out at the cottage/cabin/trailer roasting marshmallows & coffee over a blazing yummy smelling fire. I Love the smell of clothing after it's been smoked up all night... definitely one of my favourite scents. I also Love the smell of gasoline, spring flowers, homeade bread in the oven... I am a smell person, those books; Perfume, Jitterbug Perfume, they were made for me. What else... well, life is rolling at a fine speed, I am moving into my van for most of the summer. It's gonna be great, although, if anyone has showers out there (when there's no river or lake to jump in) let me know. If you want to see a list of shows that I am singing, check out my myspace, it's a really easy layout www.myspace.com/lindsaylive hope to see some of you at a show here or there!!! Lindsay xox
Moonshine Madness
This is gonna sound WAY hippie, but when the moon comes out, this new part of me that sleeps for 2 weeks, gets woken up. I have no control, as soon as I see the moon, something inside just starts to feel new & fresh & safe. I am a Moon Person. I am also a Music Making Machine these days. I can NOT pick up my guitar & practice older songs... I can't seem to control my fingers either, they are constantly in need of new rhythms & sounds. So now I have pages of new songs (no, not FINISHED!!) that need to be practiced, but as soon as I start in on Yesterday's song, I come up with something for Today. I used to record every new thing on a digital hand held recorder, which was AWESOME, until I lost 3 yrs of bits & pieces... it took a few months to let the pain of THAT loss go. Somewhere in Newfoundland there sits a piece (pieces) of my heart in a silver machine. In the meantime, I try to remember on my own... not that easy, but they say that if it comes to you once, it will most likely come to you again. Let's hope... Lxo
A Brand New Day.
It’s nearly midnight, and almost time for dreams, but I got to thinking…and now I am wide awake with a pillow under my head. Just when I’m about to fall asleep my mind starts racing & these things that have no chance of being finished or even started at this hour come to life. If only it was two o’clock in the afternoon, if only the sun was shining, if only my debt was paid, if only I could finish that song, if only I had that gig, if only I could get back to that place, if only my room was clean, if only I didn’t forget to call my Mum, if only that letter would come, if only my head didn’t hurt, if only I could step out of my head…thank God, tomorrow is another day. A Brand New Day.
When the Sun Don’t Shine
I don’t know what it is about a grey spring morning, but somehow it gives me more energy than a morning spent with the sun. Sunshine makes me want to be lazy, drink my coffee slower, where a day with thicker, darker air just makes more sense for me to get going. At least my headache is gone!! All this sun after SO MUCH SNOW has done a number to my body and I haven’t been as clear as the sky since the sun-shiny days began. Don’t know what that’s all about. Anyway, today is a new day and thank God for those. I head to Ottawa to play a show down town, I haven’t played Ottawa in months, the band I am sharing the show with (it’s at Irene’s on Bank incase you are reading this and would Love to come listen to some great music on Friday night) is backing Megan Hamilton, a super songstress, her band is called “The Volunteer Canola” (the name having something to do with farming & spring…) Anyhoo, please come down & pretty soon, I’ll be putting a link up with an interview I did on 1010 Talk Radio… Look for it, come see a show, and most of all today is a new day.
Lindsay xox
How to write a Song...
First I clean up my room, then I sweep the floor, all the while doing laundry, organizing my drawers, emptying the incense tray, cleaning out the candle holders, tidying up the living room, doing the dishes, organize my CD rack, water the plants, go for a bike ride...... oops! I was meant to write a song, wasn't I? So, yeah, sometimes I get a little, just a little off track, but when I finally do get back on, I start out by strumming the guitar... only after the whole house is clean, the candles are lit & the ringers turned off. Sometimes I try new chords and then this meldoy just starts making it's way from my brain to my mouth, the lyrics sometimes come with no thought at all. It sounds strange but I've written entire songs without thinking about them at all. More often then not, I start a song and it remains half written for quite some time. There really is no particular A-ONE way to go about putting pen to paper and melody to lips... but you really should have a tidy room. It helps.
Peace & Quiet in the Big Smoke
It's amazing how even in BIG CITY LIFE you can find calm & quiet. It's not at all the FAST PACED crazy world I thought it would be. Nice. I'm staying right smack downtown in the middle of it all for the week it'll be nice to not have to spend SO much on the subway every day... had to walk to a party the other night (i had to, i know) & in doing so I walked passed the Horseshoe Tavern, which is WAY more a drinkin' dive than I thought it would be. And along the way, ran into a screaming man. He was so mad... at the air. Poor fella. Then when I got to the party (right beside the Cameron House... a very funky little venue) I ran into more small world moments. I swear to God, there are Newfs everywhere & I Love it.
Small Town Toronto
Yeah, I thought Toronto was going to be big & scary. But now I realize that it is Canada after all. If you've met people, chances are you'll meet them again. I can't get over how many small-world stories I have lived through in the days that I have been here. It gives me such a sense of RIGHT PATH RIGHT DIRECTION when running into bits & pieces of my old life in new places. Brings on a whole sense of calm... and just to think because I turned left instead of right... or stayed instead of going, or opened instead of closed. What we all need, is a sense of belonging or purpose & the thing IS is that there's space for all of us & purpose too. So let's stop the whining about what we have or don't have and let's get out there & trailblaze the map. Turn left instead of right. Lxo
Spring Has Sprung!
Thank you lord Jesus. I am so excited for this warmer weather... can't really take another day of trekking through snowy streets... they don't plow the sidewalks in Toronto, I used to think living in St. John's was bad in the winter time... anyway, no more complaints from me as long as I can put away my winter boots!! In the meantime, Easter is one of my favorite "holidays" In my family we go to the Sugar bush; sleigh rides, maple toffee & a great brunch feed in the middle of nowhere Quebec, then we all head over to some family members house (whoever doesn't mind cleaning up the mess!!) We paint Easter eggs & eat tonnes of chocolate, then the next day we all get together for a major home made waffle breakfast... it's truly scrumptious!! But not this year, this year I was here in the big city, being taken care of by some GREAT Toronto people... most of whom are from the East coast, Cape Breton & Newfoundland... thanks my new (& old) friends... also, a big thanks to the great Geoff Berner... please, if you haven't seen this man LIVE, you have to go. He's on tour in Europe now, so wait 'til he gets back, I promise you will not be disappointed. In the meantime, have a listen to 1010 talk radio www.cfrb.com tonight at 6pm. Also, get ready for an awesome gig next Monday at The Supermarket in Toronto... featuring Myself, Dave Gaudet, Meredith