Halifax

Springing Forward

Hi everyone,

I know: it’s been awhile. A year ago this time, I toured from Winnipeg to Nanaimo and back, partly with my favourite House Concert network Home Routes, and partly opening for my pal Stephen Fearing. It was 7 weeks, I think, by the time I got home, and in the process released Canada’s first postcard-album (‘Live in Orillia!’). I’ve done a lot of roadwork with my dudes Charlie A’Court and Kim Wempe, taught at Lunenburg Folk Festival‘s Song Camp, sessioned on Bob Ardern‘s new record, been teaching students around home when I can, and just got back from an epic trip to the North American Folk Alliance, in Kansas City MO, stopping off in Guelph ON on the way home to do some writing and demoing work towards my new record.

Yes, a new record. It’s coming. Soon.

I confess here that I needed a change-up. I’d lost interest. I got some electric guitars. I switched up my writing. The only thing I knew was that I didn’t want to just regurgitate what I’d already done.

And now, the snow’s starting to melt off.

Plans are afoot for business expansion into the States. It looks like my old band Knifey Moloko (we were before the internet tidal wave, so there was no site) might reunite in Vancouver for a member’s wedding. Charlie and Kim have stuff coming up. All is proceeding apace.

Here’s a new tune.

Most of my friends are songwriters, middle-aged, and/or female. I’ve had some talks lately with at least 5 of them, each experiencing some doubt as to how much their music remains relevant in the current pop culture. I decided I might remind them that they (you) are the coolest. Their (your) voice is the one I listen to most. In honour of International Women’s Day, this is for my sisters, cousins, aunties, friends, and moms. Especially Linda. Love you to bits.

OOO,
K

Tour diary: introducing Shawna Caspi to NS

I’ve been thinking about Sense of Place, lately.

I spent most of the last year on the road, windows down, music up, hair blowing, seeing new stuff. Connected to nothing but the zen of the journey itself. Seeing many places and things I never had. Tofino. Cathedral Grove. Kitsilano. A bear in Jasper. 4 trips across the Prairies. The hoserlicious pleasures of Northern Ontario. Fi’ n’ chi’ at the Ship. On and on.

But it’s time to siddown. I have songs scratching at the windows to get out. I need to reconnect with my back yard. I wanna spend time in a kayak. I am gonna have a beachbum summer.

Enter Shawna Caspi.

She called up recently, and said, ‘So if a girl were to find her way into a plane ticket, ya think, there might be some shows to be booked?’

I booked it to show my buddy around a bit. We’re calling it the She Came On A Whim And Couldn’t Go Home Tour. We played The Scuttlebutt in Lunenburg last night. What a wicked little place. Wolfville tonight, Tatamagouche Thursday, Shelburne Friday, Halifax on Saturday. Then I’m off to Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, and Toronto, but that’s about the extent of my touring plan. I think you’re gonna have a sense of whatever place is home, of course, and no place is really better than another. But as Denis Ryan says, one of the great things about our job is that it has more than its fair share of homecomings. If anyplace will fill my well again, this is it.