Hows this for a bio?

I've been singing since I can remember. My Dad used to interview me when I was a young thing and I would sing the answers in tune, it's in my blood I guess.If I knew how hard it would be to break into the music scene without money or connections, I would be a little more cautious, but I'd do it again in a heart beat. The most amazing things have happened to me because of this musical gift of mine. I have been pushing it out there, trying to get heard and doing it all on my own, with the Love and support from fans, friends and family. There is no way that I would be here now living as a full-time musician if it weren't for you people out there, the ones who are supporting my sound.

I have two full length albums now. The first one "Sound." Was recorded in 2007 and won "Best New Album" in Ottawa's artsy rag that no longer exists "The Ottawa Xpress" they also nominated my latest album "Monkeys Under Stars" as the "Best Album of 2011

Different people have reviewed me over the years, but one can't get too excited over what another says about their music. After all it's only ONE person's opinion... and you still have to carry on with your passions & dreams regardless of who thinks what. Ultimately you live with yourself every day and it's pretty important to keep yourself in line, inspired, in tune etc before anything or anyone else.

I really Love doing what I do, for the most part. I am my own boss and my life revolves around six strings, a few notebooks, bunch of pens and a whole lotta musical notes. I like singing a lot, and it's the BEST when I get off stage and people surround me with shrugs, hugs and butterflies. That's what this is all about for me, forget about social media, the actual show is worth all of the computer hours, the research, the let-downs and rejection.

Performance is the best, especially if you get to share the roster with such talent as Steve Earle, Kathleen Edwards, Ron Sexsmith, Yoav, Jeff Martin, Tegan & Sara... the list goes on! One time I did a radio show and David Gray was performing after me, another time I was getting heckled by Emilio Estevez when I was singing in California. Lately though, I came to the conclusion that sharing my music is really the best thing I can do. I always like to perform etc but it started feeling like a "job" and when I was touring in Ireland, I found out how much I REALLY needed to play, how much it's in my blood and how no matter what, the music isn't going anywhere. I am so lucky and honoured to have this and I can only hope that I won't ever take it for granted.

I sing about people things. I mean, relationships that people have with each other or how life gets in the way sometimes or how people have to battle addictions or how we can all live pretty happily with very little. I sing true stories and songs that come from pretty deep beautiful places. You should have a listen sometime if you haven't already. It's pretty awesome therapy, that's for sure!

At heart, I am a country girl and I am told almost weekly that I need to record a country album and while I want to one day, I can't really control what type of song is going to fly out of me when I start to write, so in time we shall see, but I did record ONE country song on my latest album, it's called "Lose my Grip." Most of my songs are pretty melodic and roots based with elements of soul and pop.

It's hard to choose which songs to record, but I will take you on a ride when you come to a show sometime for sure. I've traveled with my music for the past few years, playing such countries as Bermuda, Switzerland and Ireland. Traveling across Canada is my favourite way to go, it's just such an epic, glorious country, I would advise anyone out there to drive across it before they die. Amazing and I can't wait to get out there again!

I was raised in Prince Edward County Ontario, but I am based, for now, out of the quaint little village of Wakefield Quebec. You should come here in the Summer, we have an awesome venue, voted in the Top 10 Canadian venues by CBC and it's listeners, it's called The Black Sheep Inn. I play there sometimes, it's pretty wonderful...

Anyway that's it for me, if you want to see videos or buy some of my music online, just google my name, it's pretty easy nowadays to find out if you like someone or not... ahhhh technology, only takes a few minutes!! Here are some pretty nice things that some Canadian music makers, who I value & respect have said about my music:

“A powerful, confident ball of fire Lindsay sings from her heart with abandon and truthfulness! “ Lily Frost

“Lindsay Ferguson = 25% passion, 25 % drive, 25 % silken honeyed vocals, 25 % songwriting prowess. A definite ‘must-see/must-hear.’” Kellylee Evans

“Lindsay Ferguson is a true siren. Her sophisticated songwriting perfectly accentuates the gorgeousness of her voice, with an unerring sense of melody. Captivating.” Geoff Berner "Lindsay's voice is powerful and evocative and gives me shivers every time I hear her perform" Ann Vriend

You decide :)

 

Living on a Farm with No Internet.

It’s not just any farm. It’s a horse ranch just outside of the beloved village of Wakefield Quebec.  When I was in my early teens both my neighbours had horses and I was always going up to the barn with them to brush, ride and generally fall in Love with their horses. I was desperate to have one, but there was no money for horses in my family. So I put my horse passion aside and was told by a psychic (a couple of years later) that one day I would live on a horse ranch….in Australia… well, er, this is no Australia, but it sure is a horse ranch and my teen Love for horses is slowly returning full force, I just have to let go of this “adult build-up” of fear and I will surely be back where I once was with stars in my eyes for those majestic beings. It’s happening though, every day I am spending time with them, getting to know them…there are 50 horses and 500 acres! It’s a new life for me and I am going cherish every second, even if there is no running water in our ‘make-shift’ kitchen and you can’t toast bread AND boil water at the same time, not to mention the ‘house mouse’ in our little sleeping cabin… it still feels like heaven and I am sure to miss this life once the Summer months are over. Carpe diem I say! Life definitely has different scenery, but the viewer is the same! Making music is still on the daily agenda, but there just isn’t much room for the business side of things (no internet, ranch duties etc) so the gig schedule isn’t filling as full & speedy as per usual, it’s a nice change though, playing my guitar with hay in my hair and singing songs with a touch more “cowboy.” I do have SOME gigs coming up though! Soon I am playing a show at The Black Sheep Inn, June 21st it’s my first Wakefield gig since December 2011, and I am excited to share some of the new songs I wrote while living in Switzerland.  Even better than THAT though, is how happy I am to be sharing the stage with two fabulous music makers; one who I found in Sioux Lookout last Summer on my cross Canada tour Mr. Nick Sherman and the other I found years ago while we were singing at a festival near Picton Ontario, Miss Emily Fennell (Miss Emily.) I am stoked to introduce you to MY new songs and theirs, so come on out to The Sheep on the 21st, it’s a Thursday night and the show starts at 8:30pm!

Saying Goodbye in turn to Hello....

The sheep in the field are in full swing, ringing their bells and eating up the greenest grass, . it's a warm Spring day in Switzerland. The breeze is flowing and the trees have all but lost their fresh smelling bl0oms, and in a few short months, luscious fruits will be growing and falling; cherries, apples, pears & walnuts to name a few, but I won't see that side of Switzerland. In all the times I have traveled here, I have never seen a Summer. Today is the closest I will come to Summer yet, as I leave for home, Canada, tomorrow. I am very excited to get back home, but I will really miss my life here.  It's hard to say good bye and I am sad to have to do that tonight at supper with my "Swiss family." They do say however, that all good things come to an end.... or at least, in this case the "pause" button will be pressed and soon I will get to press "start" in Canada again. People here area always saying how amazing it is here in the Summer, but I believe that ANYWHERE you go in the Summer will be amazing. I can't wait to jump into the Gatineau River though and smell those Gatineau Hills again. Although it does smell great out here, there really is nothing like the smell of those golden hills in Canada. Mmmmmm... So, Good bye for now Switzerland, Canada, I'm coming home <3

The Italian Switzerland.

I write to you today only nine days away from Canada. I have mixed feelings about leaving here, as it is so wonderful in Switzerland, there are just so many things that are different from Canada that I Love but then there are so many things in Canada that are different from here, that I Love. As an example, here, they don’t mow the lawn at lunch time, after work or on Sundays, and they don’t use a chainsaw or make any loud noises at all during these times. It’s an unspoken rule. It’s quiet, I like that. However, when you are in the grocery store, and you are talking about what you want to get, pondering over what’s for dinner, you have to be side by side together and speak lightly, for an example if he is at the other end of the veggie section and you are in the herbs wondering if he wants some basil, you would have to go over and ask, instead of talking a BIT louder, and heavens to betsy if you are chatting in the line-up waiting to pay! It’s quiet, I don’t like that. Anyway, there are differences to every place, and I am very fortunate to have been here for a few months and I am also very fortunate to be getting home, to Canada, even better, to Wakefield, Quebec!

So, the “Italian Switzerland” is like a whole other country.  I was in Ticino, about a 40min drive from Milan, Italy. People don’t say “Gruezi” as hello, or “Tchuess” as good bye, they say “Bonjourno” and “Arriva Derci” so yes, everyone speaks Italian, or English, but NO Schweizerdeutsch, which is what I have been trying to learn. It’s not so easy when EVERY word has two different spellings and pronunciations. See, I have to learn High German first, so I can read here, there is no written Swiss German. And, of course there is a LOT of slang terms… let’s just say, those are coming a lot easier…I could teach you a few of those ;)

Getting back to Ticino, I stayed at a hotel over -looking the city, mountains and the Lake of Lugano. I felt like I was in the Mediterranean, you could almost smell the ocean, it was warm and all the flowers were in full bloom. Speaking of flowers, when we pulled up into the gate of the reception, it was unlike your typical “you need permission to come onto these grounds” gate, it was a cement box full of flowers that was sitting on a steel arm which would just slowly sway the flowers out of the way. Interesting camouflage! In staying with the Mediterranean theme, I chose big fat juicy prawns for dinner “Mediterranean style.” But not before I headed down to the pool, did some laps and took advantage of the bubbly “I could have fallen asleep in it” hot tub. See, I KNEW I just had to have the chocolate mousse for dessert later. The menu stated there would be THREE types of chocolate mousse on the same plate! The white chocolate kind was the best I’d ever had, well the only white chocolate mousse I’d ever had but holy smokes it was good… Later on when I was singing, a group of ladies ordered some and I saw it pass by me, and I drooled a little bit, forgetting my lyrics…it was that good. Its gigs like these that remind me of how great it can be, not that I mind the dives, but sometimes it’s fun to get treated like a star, I mean, my hotel room had TWO bedrooms TWO bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and the most beautiful balcony over-looking an astonishing view. Of course, on the way home, reality struck when we hit the Gotthard tunnel, or came CLOSE to it… it’s a seventeen kilometer tunnel under a mountain and it’s the only way out of the area, the area that EVERYONE travels to on the long weekend… We sat around for a couple of hours waiting to get through and as we were finally driving through it, I tried not to think about the ENTIRE mountain that was on top of me.

New song lyrics "Debris"

Here are the lyrics to my new song "Debris" it's loosely based on a good single mother friend of mine who quit drinking/smoking half a year ago... I'm just so darn proud of her! "Debris"

Wasted hours; all that time I stole from me Shady places; wakin' up foggy in somebody else's debris

I used to drive downtown, I used to get high, big city my ocean, it's waves a free ride; I'd score in the alley have a sniff in the can, queen of the dance floor, whiskey in my hand; Lovely little girl in a wild space taken under the wing of a nameless face; "All you need is Love" singin' in my ear as the whole wide world just disappeared

I once was tied, bound up and fried, I fooled the roost but never me.

I wanted so much, never had a clue I fell for it all ended up black & blue; always runnin' to my Mama til she pushed me away or did I let her go, she's gone either way. Lonely little girl in the dirty streets, change in my pockets when it's change I need; death warmed over in a lethal state, pitch black eyes searchin' for a clean slate...

I once was tied, bound up and fried, I fooled the roost but never me.

Waster hours; all that time I stole from me Shady places; wakin' up foggy in somebody else's debris....

The world through the window of a train...

The last time I wrote anything of length, in true blog fashion was in the winter. It’s now Spring!! Yikes! Apologies, I know I should write, that there actually ARE people out there, reading these words, and might just be wondering where I’ve been. Well, I have been on Twitter, Reverbnation, Numubu and Facebook. Of course, making time for my very own website, now there’s an idea! Well, here I am doing exactly that. It seems I only ever have real time to think when I am actually unplugged, like on a train, rushing through tunnels adjusting the pressure in my ears. I always wanted to be able to do that, properly under water, so I could venture into the unknown with scuba gear, allowing me to breath in a completely new world…alas, my ears,  and in the end my mind, won’t let me cross that barrier… so snorkeling will just have to do! Back to the business at hand, I sit here on yet another train, watching the world speed by and there’ s a young red headed child wandering through the aisles, who obviously just learned how to walk and can’t possibly sit still. She is a real gem to watch and her rosy cheeks and sausage arms make it hard for me to look at this screen, alas, there are stories to tell! Life in Switzerland has been pretty wunderbar. Those picture books you see with the rolling hills, snow capped mountains, tree patched fields and funny shaped houses; they’re true. It’s THAT beautiful. We have sheep in the pasture where I live, and they wear bells around their necks… so there are always “wind chime” sounds floating through the air… it’s really pretty and not harsh at all, I will miss those bells when I head back, very soon, to Canada… my home and native. The fruit trees are in full bloom as well and the scents, at any given time can rush over you and make you swoon just like that first kiss.

It’s easy to write songs here. The air is fresh, the water clean and life out here in the country is slow enough that you can truly enjoy the ride and take it all in. I remind myself every day how fortunate I am to be here, working on new compositions as well as touring this Lovely country on occasion, much like today, in this train. I have a few last gigs here before I head home to Canada. I REALLY do miss Canada, though Switzerland is fast becoming a very close second. Did you know that it closes for lunch here? That at lunch time, after work and on Sunday’s you can’t make noise i.e mow the lawn, use a chainsaw, vacuum your car… etc… whatever has a loud noise… It’s not a law, I don’t think, but everyone sticks to it. Oh and I KNOW I’ve mentioned this before but the cheese, bread and chocolate is REALLY outta this world. I only wish I didn’t LOVE it all so much, my hips & bingo wings would be ever so thankful. Alas, this Love affair with food ain’t over yet!!  A few more weeks and I’ll be back to Canadian chocolate & cheese, which isn’t so tempting J

So here is a special up and coming gig I have. If you happen to be in the area, it would be GREAT to sing a few tunes for you….

 

Wakefield, Canada: 9pm June 21st Black Sheep Inn s/g Miss Emily & Nick Sherman; Song Circle

I can FINALLY get back into my website... will wonders never cease?

Apologies to anyone who has been visiting this site in the past month or so. The server it is on was hacked into which prevented me from updating or adding anything... so after countless emails asking for help (I am no computer whiz!) My friend Jef Harris stepped up and fixed things... Muchos Gracias Jef! So... I will start getting things in order now... new blog and gig dates COMING SOON!!! Merci!

Lost in Connemara

Upon seeing Ireland for the first time in six years, through the window of my green bullet jet, I noticed something that reminded me of exactly where I was landing. It was dark, so all I could see was electric lights blinking in a million different spaces but one thing really drove it home. Where you may see sky blue rectangles descending upon, perhaps Miami, here you see bright green rectangles; the infamous soccer (err… football) pitch…the exact place where thousands of young men’s (and woman's!) dreams are born, the closest thing that some of them will ever get to God. Years ago I witnessed such a spectacle when I had the rare pleasure of attending an ‘All Ireland’ football match between Galway and Meath, where Galway won.  There were 92 000 people in the stands that afternoon. The most I’d ever seen in one place. After reuniting with a good friend at the airport, we quickly headed out to the car, bags and guitar in hand (PHEW!) Then, I smelled Ireland in all its sea-air-filled glory. I was back. John and I drove down a highway (err, motorway) for a couple of hours and it was empty the whole way. That whole free road to ourselves, I could have been in Canada except for the fact I was sitting in the passenger seat on the driver side, and there were a heap of toll booths.

John was an angel to come and get me in Dublin all the way from Connemara. When we started through Galway, things started to look familiar, but it was the scent in the air that hit hard… It’s been a long time since I inhaled the scent of peat fires, perhaps one of my favourite smells. We didn’t get ‘home’ until very late but my ‘Ace girl’ Sasha was there with the kettle boiled and the fires burning. Irish tea is unlike no other, to be sure. I have never tasted a cup as good as I have over here on this land. Sasha lives in the blustery windy land of Ballynoe where cows are our neighbours and mountains are our view. It is splendid, raw and truly feels like the Ireland I remember.

After doing some shopping where Irish Soda Bread is high on the list and peat briquettes are considered number one, we prepare for the first party, Sasha’s fortieth. A night of dancing, memory making and lots of laughs would ensue in the quaint little village of Letterfrack, the Sunday following THAT Saturday night would not be recommended to anyone, however. Sometimes you just have to take the bad with the good ;)

Soon I would head to County Cork by bus. Buses are not nearly as kind as Swiss trains to a woman with motion sickness, but we won’t delve too far into that! In Cork I was picked up by Skully. Don’t’ try this at home folks, but I met Skully on the internet a couple three years ago when we both found each other’s music. There had been talks of creating some new tunes, outside the “Lindsay” box during this time and we finally had the opportunity to lay our talents down! First I would play an amazing gig in the most wonderful of venues “DeBarras Folk Club” in Clonakilty, Cork. Sometimes a gig with a wonderful sound system and a full to the brim room full of eager listeners can refuel your heart and fill you up with light, but only sometimes ;) Indeed a brilliant night and one for the books for certain.

The next morning I would wake up in a teeny tiny cottage near the sea and we would get straight to work. Skully had a few songs composed (he is an electronic music maker) and we listened to a few pieces where soon I would hear my first melody that would need an entire set of lyrics…which could have seemed very difficult if I thought too long about it, but it wasn’t hard at all, it all just flowed! At one point in our 48hrs together, we took a break and went to the sea shore, where in the exact same place,  if you had been standing there many moons ago, you would have seen the Titanic sail away on its last voyage, an epic image for me and more than a few goose bumps ensued. Skully and I put down five songs in the short time we had together and are currently making plans to resume where we left off so’s a new album can get into your hot hands at some point in the future, and I truly cannot wait to get back in his studio! Another positive Irish experience for the books, thanks Skully!

Soon I would be heading back up to the West Coast, back to my base in Connemara but only after meeting my long time friend Tim, who I used to pal around with once upon a time in St. John’s Newfoundland. Tim now lives in Scotland, in the Hebrides where he studies Gaelic, among other things. He is now my official roadie, and has been doing an amazing job at getting me to gigs safely, and even carries my guitar sometimes! After a quiet gig, nestled in the hills of Connemara, singing to my friends of ole, I would soon be heading to Dublin, which is where I type to you today from.

Dublin is a unique city, one which I intend to explore very soon. The skies have opened up and this sort of yellowy bright light is shining down out of the clouds… I am not sure what it is however as I haven’t seen it for as long as I can remember but it certainly warms things up! I played an amazing gig last night in Temple Bar where I shared the stage with an inspiring Irish songbird named Sarah Red. She is the best Songstress I have heard in many many years. Kind of Jeff Buckley meets Bjork meets Jen Grant. Google her! You will be pleasantly surprised. Tomorrow I will play my last gig in Ireland as part of “The Dublin Sessions” and then I will return to the rugged West for a few quiet last days spent beside turf fires, drinking tea with some old friends.

Besides getting lost in Connemara a few days back and being saved by my wonderful Finnish friend Anni, (she let me in the car in all my soaking wet glory!) this trip has been splendid and I am a MUCH better girl for it!  Soon I will be back in Switzerland, wrapping up my tour there and back to Canada, the most beautiful country in the world…

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