If any of you follow my facebook or twitter you’ll have been seeing a lot of #yegpreg related updates. Yes I am having a wee babe this coming February. As I grow this little life inside of me, I can’t help but be a bit more reflective than usual…
This week marks one year since I released my first “baby” my first full length record Prairie Belle. I released Prairie Belle on iTunes with a new website on October 14th (my parent’s wedding anniversary) but had my real physical cd release date on October 27th on an Old Strathcona Streetcar that I chartered for a private little party with 55 of my closest friends/family/musical supporters. Crazy to believe it has been a year, one season ends and a new one begins with this little babe coming soon.
It also made me think about all the dreams and goals I have been lucky enough to accomplish in the last year. Releasing my album, having a cd release party, going on my first ever VIA RAIL tour from BC – MB with my brother Brent, getting my first FACTOR grant, travelling to Memphis for the Folk Alliance International Conference in February, doing a private showcase there… Then there was attending my first songwriter’s retreat in Canmore with Jason Blume this past August. I haven’t had the chance to perform live a ton this past year with buying our catering company, but the few shows I’ve had were really fun and unique (C3E Women’s Conference, Muttart Conservatory Country Harvest). I’ve also got a house concert coming up with Erica Viegas next month, and mostly likely a Christmas show or two.
I’ve also been exploring cowriting more these days and have had the lucky opportunity to write with a lot of fantastic artists lately (Marty Pawlina, Rob Heath, Chloe Albert, Lesley Pelletier, Erica Viegas) and I believe two songs I wrote with Erica are going to be on her new full length record she’s working on right now.
Although of course I plan on using a good portion of my upcoming maternity leave to write and record and create, I am looking forward to focusing on my newest and most precious project – this baby… and becoming a mum.
~LNG