Uncovering "UnderCovered"

It's been a long hard slog but FINALLY the new album has gone to the Cut wizard - it's in the pipeline and with any luck should be completed and available late April.

This one will be a collectors item!  I'm having only a very small run cut and it will be a case of 'first in gets a copy'  ....once the run is sold, that'll be it.   I'm not planning a launch event for this one and you'll need to be on my mailing list to get notified when UnderCovered is available.

So to tantalise your musical taste buds, here is a wordy preview:

• Title:   UnderCovered ..... because my music IS under-covered, it's one of those hidden gems that when unexpectedly found is likely to surprise and delight you, and the title is a wordplay on one of the tracks "Cover Your Load"
• Recording:  the album has been fully recorded, edited, mastered at the studio of Rob Long here in Newcastle where the exceptional studio skills of Rob are another of those 'hidden gems'.   Rob has also done a lot of the instrumentation on the album including: Bass, Drums, Dobro, and a little of the guitar work.  Russ Redford played harmonica and did some backing vocals.  Di Lenham played clarinet on track No. 4 "Carrying Burdens"  for me.  Katriona Hamilton sang lead vocals on the track "Wanna Be".  I am most grateful and very blessed to have such generous musicians contributing to the project.
• Tracks:  there is a  track listing on the January blog post ...Tracks 5, 7, and 11 were 3 songs written especially for the show "Between the Lines"  which was performed here in 2010.  Gemma's Song was written for the character - a 16 year old troubled teen.  It needed a young voice - and a new title - which is how come Kate was invited and accepted to sing on the album - she is an emerging young artist in her own right.  
• Behind a few of the songs: The track "Wise Woman" was written specifically for this project in celebration of all the amazing women in my life - recognising that each one of us is uniquely different and must travel her own path. The track "Carrying Burdens" was written a few years ago for a dear male friend of mine who shall remain nameless - I endeavored to have that track included on the "Luminous" album but it didn't make the cut.....it did for this album.  "Grey Day in Melbourne" is not a poke at Melbourne itself!  I LOVE visiting Melbourne.  This song was inspired by the city because even at it's greyest - it has a rare beauty.  The grey reference reflects the nature of cities around the globe - how each wears its public face yet is comprised of individuals ...all different yet interconnected through the Divinity of Humanity but divided by the contradictions of humanity.

Typically - like all of my albums - it's going to be hard to place this one into just one specific genre/category.  There's a mixture of ballads, blues, pop, a distinct contemporary folk track, and a short bite of Mozart - go figure! Guess my albums are just like me - multi-faceted, hard to define, impossible to pigeonhole.

Don't miss out on your copy of UnderCovered  - it's quite a journey.

Articulation - who cares?

In a recent coaching class, someone [no names now] made the comment that for a singer, articulation can't be that important because nobody listens to the lyrics anymore!  I was too dumbfounded to make a comment at the time.

If this were really the case, we'd all be tuning to the classical music station...we'd all be listening to opera ....and nobody would be singing along in the car! [er, unless you sing opera that is]

Music is integral to the human spirit.  It uplifts us.  It soothes us.  It motivates us. It inspires us. Many of our memories are linked to music.  We use it to mark the important milestones in our life ....birthdays, weddings, celebrations of all types.  We treasure it as a solo experience and we share it with other human beings.  When the music has lyrics, it is called a song!

Songs are the fabric of, and the witness to, our lives.  Lyrics can become a mantra for many people [dare I stick my neck out and say 'most people'?].  Here are a few of my own examples:

• upon achievement - the lyrics of Queen's "we are the champions of the world"  
• successfully tackling a challenging task - Annie Lennox singing "sisters, are doing it for themselves"
• currently, when I'm struggling with something, the lyrics of a Whitney Houston song - "step by step, bit by bit, stone by stone, brick by brick"

As a songwriter, the challenge is always in finding a way to get the message across in fewer words. For me, some songs are just for fun - so if the listener can't hear the lyrics, they'll miss the joke (or worse, the punchline).  Most of my songs, though, have a message - and often multiple messages.  I often structure my lyrics to be interpreted in different ways - in order that individual listeners will find meaning to fit their need.

When audience members come up to me after a gig and tell me that "that song really touched me because ..."  or "you played a song last year that changed my life ..." then proceed to share their own story,  well, for a songwriter it lifts me to a new high and I know I've done my job well.

So I'm putting out a new challenge on Facebook each day this week .....share the lyrics that make a difference in YOUR life.  I'd love to hear from YOU ...so leave a comment below or jump on to Facebook and join the challenge.

Cruisin' into the new year

Well, a new year...a fresh start....wondering what 2012 is going to bring to me and where it's going to take me musically.  With some major projects now off my agenda I'm praying for patience to let new things unfold [not an easy task for me] so it's a relatively laid back start to the new year for me.
I've locked in some dates at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Newcastle {I LOVE that space!} for 3 shows/5 performances between March and July.  Check the "Projects" page of this blog to see what's coming up{well, in a few days - I haven't got to that page yet!}.  And of course, I'm expecting to release the new album UnderCovered in the next couple of months - I know, I know, I promised to have the artwork at least to show you this month...but believe it or not, I'm still waiting for my buddy to finalise the design into the template!! 

So in the absence of a piccie - can I tantalise you with the track titles?

1. Day is Done
   
2. Granny Hell RETITLED "PLAY"
   
3. Wise Woman
   
4. Carrying Burdens
   
5. Fancy That
6. Grey Day in Melbourne
   
7. Gemma's Song Retitled "WANNA BE"
   
8. All Dressed UP
   
9. That's How it Goes
   
10. Cover your Load
    
11. Sheri's Song Retitled "ENIGMA"
    
12. Dona Nobis Pacem

 More about the tracks in upcoming blogs.
In the meantime ....what do you think of the new design?  Any feedback is welcome.

Have a great 2012 yourself - more music to you
 

Musically Yours and Happy Christmas

Whew, what a year it's been and the load isn't quite lifted yet.  One more show to do this week, a last Supper Club to organise next week and then....only then....can I think about Christmas shopping, a tree, and catching up on some sleep!  Have you checked out the other pages on this blog lately?  There's been some updates that you might want to read about...and there'll be more in January.

Sorry, no artwork to share for UnderCovered yet ....fingers crossed it'll be in the next posting here.  For a recording project that got completed in record time, [no pun intended!] the finished product is taking more than its fair share of time....quite the reverse of previous projects I might add.  But there you go,  sometimes things just take the time they take to get their wings.

December will see a few 'closing doors' for me as I extricate myself from a number of engagements but I'm excited about what might eventuate next year.  I'm disinclined to seek commercial gig opportunities and much prefer to concentrate on fewer, quality, intimate performances for audiences that appreciate my music and the music I like to share.  Next month, I'll tell you about some of those that I've got in mind for 2012.

I've also really enjoyed helping so many people find their voices this year - or re-connect with their voices and want to do more of that next year.  Music is such a beautiful thing to share with someone else. It can form the basis and memories of lasting friendships .....{big hugs to you Jules!}....and connects people in ways that nothing else can.

My wish for YOU ...is that you find the song in your heart this Christmas and that you share it with those around you throughout 2012.

Harmoniously,
Maureen
PS.......give the gift of music this Christmas - it lasts a lot longer than a box of chokkies and there's no calories.   Buy Luminous with Ebb&Flow and Many Shades of Blue for just $50 and get a free copy of Breaking the Habit.....[that's $80 value]