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| EMILY'S
BLOG |
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| ____________________________________ |
A
huge, heartfelt thank you
[01.05.13] |
| |
My
fan-funding campaign has now finished. I am so happy
to say that we raised the money we need to finally finish,
press and release my new album ‘Bird Inside A
Cage’. A huge, heartfelt thank you to all the
people who contributed towards making this happen. Your
generosity and support has been overwhelming and I can’t
thank you enough. The album will be released on Monday
15th July and details of the launch gig will be announced
very soon I promise.
I hope all’s well in your world – thanks
again for making all the difference to mine.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Sunshine
in my studio
[27.04.13] |
| |
The
sun is streaming through my attic window making me forget
all about the cold, cloudy days we’ve had over
the past few months. I love my attic studio - from where
I sit, I can watch the birds circling round high above
the rooftops. I’ve been busy writing string arrangements
and getting excited at the thought of playing all these
new songs at my album launch with a full band –
including a string trio, keyboards and drums. The launch
gig will take place in London – details very soon
I promise.
But I still love performing as a duo with my bass player
Christian which we’ll be doing at the wonderful
Drawing Room in Chesham next Friday night. I’ve
never played there before but I’m looking forward
to lovely home-cooked food and a very intimate atmosphere
– apparently the promoter likes to know who’s
coming so it feels more like a house concert than a
gig. If you’d like to be there, just call Richard
on 07973 664 551 or email richard@the-drawingroom.co.uk.
Hope the sun is shining where you are.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
News
update
[25.04.13] |
| |
My
fan-funding appeal for my new album ‘Bird Inside
A Cage’ finishes at midnight on 30th April. A
huge thank you to everyone who has responded so generously
– we couldn’t do it without you. If you
haven’t responded yet and would still like a signed
copy of my new album or your name in the CD booklet,
please get in touch with us.
We’ve had lots of requests for house concerts
which I really enjoy so I’m looking forward to
doing some of those over the summer. Gig dates in the
next few weeks include:
Saturday 4 May
The Drawing Room
Chesham, Bucks
A very intimate gig in the beautiful surroundings of
Francis Yard. Tickets include home-cooked food. To book
or reserve your place, call Richard on 07973 664 551
or email richard@the-drawingroom.co.uk.
Thursday 16 May
Otterton Mill
Nr Budleigh Salterton, Devon
Another intimate gig in the lovely old Otterton Mill.
To book, please call 01395 568521. *SOLD OUT*
Sunday 26 May
Marnhull Acoustic Sessions
Marnhull, Dorset
Performing with my keyboard player and violinist together
with Christian on bass.
Book tickets online: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/213465
Saturday 1 June
Square & Compass
Worth Matravers, Dorset
One of my favourite venues, very intimate and free to
get in. Get there early if you want a seat.
There are lots of other gig dates in the diary for the
rest of the year. Check out my gig
guide to see if I'm playing at a venue near you.
Thanks for your support – I really appreciate
it.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Thank
you
[16.03.13] |
| |
Thanks
so much to all of you who have supported my fan-funding
appeal so far - your generosity is amazing and I've
been overwhelmed by all your lovely messages of support.
We've already raised about half of what we need, and
that will go a long way.
If you haven’t responded yet and would like a
signed copy of my new album or your name in the CD booklet,
please check out my sponsorship
page and see how you could get involved. And please
pass it on to any friends you think might be interested.
Thanks again for your support – it’s much
appreciated.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
I
need your help
[07.03.13] |
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I’ve
spent the last year writing and recording my new album
‘Bird Inside A Cage’. It has been produced
by Nigel Butler, an amazing guy who has transformed
these new songs I’ve written into something truly
wonderful.
I’m often asked at gigs which of my albums is
my favourite and I always say that’s like asking
me which is my favourite child. But right now I am completely
in love with this record and I can’t wait for
you to hear it. But we’ve put everything we have
into the production so far, which is why I’m now
asking for your help so we can finish it and release
it.
Everything we’ve achieved over the past 10 years
has been made possible by the involvement of people
who love my songs and believe in me. I couldn’t
do it without you. If you would like to be a part of
making this record, your support – however large
or small - will make all the difference. And in return,
you’ll get some gifts from us to say a heartfelt
thank-you.
Please watch this short video
and see how you could get involved in helping us get
these new songs out into the world.
Thanks so much for your support.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Cover
song on Youtube
[12.02.13] |
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| Someone
has just posted an amazing video on Youtube for a cover
version of the wonderful 'Who Knows Where The Time Goes'
which I recorded recently, produced by 'bed'. If you
like it, please share it. http://youtu.be/V3lIqPWn2Hs |
| ____________________________________ |
Merry
Christmas
[22.12.12] |
| |
It’s
Saturday morning and I’m listening to a new song
I finished writing yesterday. Outside it’s dark
and raining again but I don’t mind. I love this
time of year.
Actually I’m just feeling incredibly grateful
and relieved that my muse has decided to come back again.
I’ve had writer’s block enough times to
know that it always does come back but that doesn’t
mean I don’t worry that it won’t. And after
all the work on the songs on my new album, it feels
good to go back to the beginning again, sitting here
with my guitar, playing new chords, writing new words.
I’ve really missed gigging this year and am looking
forward to getting back on the road again in 2013. If
you’re on my mailing
list I’ll let you know when dates are confirmed.
I’ll also let you know as soon as I have a release
date for my new album.
But in the meantime this is just to say that I hope
all is well in your world and to wish you all a very
merry Christmas and a happy new year.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Back
to life again
[22.11.12] |
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No
I haven’t died. Or disappeared. Though sometimes
over the last few months I’ve felt like it’s
the end of the world and I’m never going to get
better but now here I am, feeling okay, and sitting
here listening to the desk mixes of my new album.
With all the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into
writing it, I can’t quite believe that it sounds
as beautiful as it does. Much of the credit has to go
to my producer Nigel Butler. With a CV that includes
K.D. Lang, Will Young, Robbie Williams and Dizzee Rascal
(UK#1), there was always every chance that making this
record was going to be an amazing journey.
I can’t wait for you to hear these new songs.
I don’t have a release date yet but I’ll
let you know as soon as I do.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Warmheartedness
and the need for chocolate
[25.06.12] |
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Last
week I took a break from songwriting and went to London
to see the Dalai Lama at the Albert Hall. I saw him
there back in 2008 and it was just as wonderful this
time. Packed with people, Buddhists and non-Buddhists
alike. I have a terrible memory so I couldn’t
tell you much of what he said but he made everyone laugh
a lot and I do remember that his last words were ‘warmheartedness
is the key to happiness’. As simple as that. The
next day I went to see my own teacher Lama Jampa Thaye
and we talked about music (he is a big Bob Dylan fan).
Now I’m back in the Isle of Purbeck working on
songs in an old stone house with no electricity on its
own in a valley overlooking the sea. It is possibly
the most magical place I know. It belongs to my great-uncle
but he doesn’t really live there anymore so nature
has started to take over. The bushes down the track
are all overgrown, the swallows have made a nest inside
the front door and the books are all covered in dust
and cobwebs. I play the old piano which is battered
but just about in tune and sit at the table with my
guitar and notebook looking out across the fields to
the sea. In the afternoon I walk down to the beach and
watch the waves for a while before heading back for
tea and some ancient Green & Black’s dark
chocolate I discover behind a cobweb in the cupboard
(essential ingredients for songwriting). All I can hear
outside are the birds and the sound of the wind in the
trees. Seeds of songs start to appear.
Back in the real world, a film called ‘Storage
24’ is being released in UK cinemas this week
which features my song ‘One Good Thing’
(from the album ‘Keep Walking’). It’s
a horror film but the director promises me it’s
more funny than scary - otherwise I wouldn’t be
able to go and see it. So if you want to hear my music
in glorious Dolby Digital surround-sound, check it out
at a cinema near you.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Staying
alive and singing songs
[01.06.12] |
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An
erratic mind can be fairly agonising but it's certainly
never dull. I spent the day before yesterday mostly
considering various ways I could assassinate myself
without seriously bad karmic consequences, deciding
in the end to keep breathing and have a Guinness instead.
This all stems from a combination of writer's block
and some serious frustration with the music business,
which in my bipolar mind amplifies until it's truly
the end of the world and I want to trip and fall over
a cliff. But I've spent weeks writing all the string
arrangements for this gig at Bournemouth Folk Club tomorrow
night, our drummer has just cancelled and now is really
not the time for a mental meltdown.
And that's when I get an email reminding me of a gig
we did a couple of years ago in Blandford Forum for
a big group of mums, and it says they've all been singing
my songs and their children have been singing my songs,
and a little ray of light appears at the end of my tunnel.
So I get in the car and we drive down to the south coast.
My string quartet arrives covered in sand from a dip
in the sea, I have a large slug of wine and brandy,
put my dress and make-up on and get on stage.
And that's when the magic happens. We play old songs
with new string arrangements, and brand new songs that
will be on my next album that we've never played live
before with a band. You can hear a pin drop in the room.
By the end of the night, I am transformed into a slightly
sweaty Cinderella who is definitely up for seeing what
happens tomorrow and the next day and the day after
that. So I'd just like to say a huge thank you to Christian
and my wonderful string players Sue, Ian, Emma and Beth
for making my songs come alive, and to all the family,
friends and fans who were there to hear us play.
xx
|
| ____________________________________ |
Upcoming
special gigs
[10.05.12] |
| |
You
can now book tickets online for my special one-off gig
at Bournemouth Folk Club on Thursday 31st May where
I’ll be performing with a string quartet, including
the wonderful cellist Beth Porter who did several gigs
with me last year. The line-up also includes the fantastic
drummer Daisy Palmer who is taking time out from Goldfrapp
and Tinie Tempah to come and play with us.
As well as performing old favourites from my first 3
albums, we’ll be giving you a sneak preview of
some of the new songs that will be on my next album
(which is currently a work-in-progress). It should be
a very special night and I’m really looking forward
to it. Tickets are £10 and you can book in advance
here.
For those of you who live far away from the south coast,
I’m also doing a gig at the lovely Kagyu Ling
Buddhist Centre in Manchester (Chorlton-cum-Hardy) on
Saturday 26th May. Tickets are £10. Please call
the centre on 0161 850 4450 if you would like to come.
I’ll be performing in this very intimate setting
with my bass player Christian Dunham and, as with my
Bournemouth gig, the set will include some brand-new
songs.
There are no more gigs planned for this year at the
moment as I need to concentrate on making my new album
so if you can make it to either of these dates, it’d
be great to see you there.
Thanks for your support – I really appreciate
it.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Album
no. 4 progress
[09.02.12] |
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I've
spent the last 3 months in my attic studio writing all
the arrangements for the songs on my next album. I've
done 16 in all, though not all will end up on the record.
It's been a fantastic time - no red light syndrome,
no pressure, no deadline, just starting with a vocal
and piano or guitar, and ending up with strings, drums,
bass etc. - making all these new songs come alive. Making
demos is my favourite part of making an album. Now we've
got to go in the recording studio and do it all again!
Ah well, at least I've got a string section to look
forward to...
Talking of which, we've just confirmed a one-off gig
at Bournemouth Folk Club for Thursday 31st May - the
last gig I played there I had to cancel halfway through
cos I lost my voice, so I've decided to redeem myself
by going back with a string quartet to really make a
night of it. Hopefully by then we'll have finished recording
all these new songs and you'll get to hear them before
too long. I'll keep you posted...
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Happy
new year
[31.12.11] |
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| I've
been busy working on string arrangments for the songs
on my next album and I'm really looking forward to getting
the musicians together in the studio to start recording
it. I'll keep you posted on progress but in the meantime
this is just to wish you all a very happy new year. |
| ____________________________________ |
Learning
when to cancel a gig
[08.11.11] |
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| On
Sunday night I learned the hard way that if you’re
ill, it’s generally best to stay at home and cancel
the gig, not get on stage and croak your way through
half a set before spectacularly crashing out in the
middle of a song. To all the people who came to see
me that night, thank you so much for being so kind and
understanding. I still haven’t recovered my voice,
but another week’s rest and I’m sure it
will reappear. And I’ve promised Paul the promoter
that I will come back to Bournemouth and do the gig
another time. |
| ____________________________________ |
Last
gig of 2011
[01.11.11] |
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I’m
doing a one-off gig on Sunday 6th November at Bournemouth
Folk Club in Dorset – a longstanding date in the
diary and what will be my last gig of 2011. This club
holds a very special place in my heart as it’s
where I got my first break into Radio 2. Tickets are
£8 available in advance from Ticket South or on
the door. For more info, click here.
If you can make it, it'd be great to see you there.
We’re now fully into pre-production for album
4 (as it’s fondly known). I’ve stopped writing
new songs, we’ve made a shortlist (that’s
not very short), and I’m starting to write string
arrangements and work out how the individual songs might
take shape. This is my favourite part of making an album.
I’m writing this now listening to Christian record
a bassline for a demo of ‘Bird Inside A Cage’,
a new song which we played at a couple of gigs in the
summer. Exciting times… I'll keep you posted.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Work
in progress
[11.10.11] |
| |
I’ve
finally finished my UK tour with Dennis Locorriere after
7 months on the road. Big love and thanks to Dennis,
tour manager Adrian Basketfield, sound engineer Simon
Tucker, and above all my bass player Christian Dunham
for making it such a fantastic time.
After the last gig in Devon I headed to Purbeck on the
Dorset coast for a few days on my own to write songs
and sit on my favourite beach enjoying the amazing October
sunshine. Now that touring is over for the year, I’m
totally focused on getting the songs together for my
4th album. I’m back in my attic studio now and
writing more, and although the queue of unrecorded songs
is getting slightly overwhelming, you can’t stop
when you’re on a roll. Too much choice is far
better than too little, especially with the amount of
time, money, effort, and energy that goes into making
a record. And I want this one to be the best yet…
So this is just to say that if you're on my mailing
list I promise to keep you informed of progress, and
in the meantime thank you wholeheartedly for your continued
support and the lovely emails, messages and comments
at gigs which are so greatly appreciated and make all
the difference.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
World
Mental Health Day
[10.10.11] |
| |
| Today
is World Mental Health Day. A year ago my book ‘Start
Over Again’ was launched on Radio 2. Since then,
in between gigs in theatres and concert halls, I’ve
been able to perform my songs in daycare centres and
psychiatric hospitals. I’ve met lots of lovely
staff, carers and people like me who need their help
from time to time. I've had fantastic emails and messages
of support from people I've never met but who all have
their own experiences and stories to tell. Last month
after a gig at The Playhouse Theatre in Harlow, I went
up to Manchester to perform at the AGM of the NHS Trust
responsible for mental health services there. After
all my angst over whether to publish ‘Start Over
Again’ and be open about my own mental illness,
I now just feel completely liberated. I don't have to
hide anymore. To quote Dr Seuss again: “Be who
you are and say what you feel, because those who mind
don't matter and those who matter don't mind”. |
| ____________________________________ |
The
joys of sat-nav
[21.09.11] |
| |
| Last
2 weeks of my tour with Dennis Locorriere. In the hope
of pacifying my Aussie bass player/driver who had threatened
to throw the last one out the window, I have managed
to acquire a brand new sat-nav with an Australian voice.
I’m hoping this familiar sound will soothe his
fury when she inevitably gets lost going round Milton
Keynes’s 82 roundabouts this week. Always worth
it though to play at The Stables – I performed
there with both Eric Bibb and Roddy Frame and it’s
a fantastic venue.
We
had a great gig at the weekend on the Isle of Wight
despite having to go on the ferry (both Piscean and
both hopeless on boats). I’ve spent my whole
life looking at the Isle of Wight from the Purbeck
coast but never been there before. Big thanks to Rebecca
and Chris at Shanklin Theatre for looking after us.
And a big thank you also to Mary and Michael for giving
us the lime and ginger drizzle cake at our Felixstowe
gig - much appreciated on the long drive to the south
coast. Off to Bromsgrove today for the first of 4
gigs in a row. Looking forward to it.
|
| ____________________________________ |
Should
homeopathic treatments be available on the NHS?
[30.08.11] |
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That’s
the question asked on The Guardian website today. Apparently
most of the evidence in favour of homeopathy is purely
anecdotal. This apparently means it can be summarily
dismissed.
The reason I’m writing this is because I am an
anecdote. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia pain syndrome
in my teens, and told it was a permanent and incurable
condition I would have to accept and learn how to manage.
For the next 10 years I was in constant pain from muscle
spasms all over my body. By the time I got my first
guitar aged 21, I was on walking sticks and registered
as disabled. I couldn’t work and needed care so
I lived on incapacity benefit and disability living
allowance. I was an inpatient 3 times at the Royal Hospital
for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath and tried every alternative
therapy under the sun. Finally I went to see Dr Peter
Fisher, a consultant rheumatologist at what was then
called the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. Within
one month of taking the homeopathic remedy he prescribed
me, the pain was gone.
It is difficult to convey exactly what ‘pain-free’
feels like, after 10 years of constant pain. I don’t
know how or why the homeopathy worked. I just know that
for me, it did. So should homeopathic treatments be
available on the NHS? I had just 2 appointments with
Dr Fisher. With a supposedly permanent, incurable illness,
I believe I would have cost the state far more in hospital
stays, outpatient appointments, pain-relieving medication,
not to mention DSS benefits in all the years that followed,
if he had not treated me so successfully and allowed
me to get on with my life.
Anyway that’s my story. Please have your say:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/poll/2011/aug/30/homeopathy-nhs |
| ____________________________________ |
Summer
gigs and new songs
[23.08.11] |
| |
Thanks
to everyone who left me such lovely messages of support
on Facebook after my last blog. I'm glad to say I'm
feeling much better (ah the wonders of small white pills
and self-hypnosis) and I've even managed to finish a
new song today which always makes me feel happy again.
Before we go back on the road again with Dennis Locorriere
next month, I’m doing some shows of my own. This
Thursday (25th August) is my annual gig at the wonderful
Square & Compass Inn at Worth Matravers in Dorset.
It’s my favourite pub in the world, overlooking
the beautiful Purbeck coast with its own fossil museum
and stone carvings in the garden. The gig is free entry
and we’ll start about 9pm but get there early
if you want a seat.
The following Sunday (28th August) I’m doing another
gig in Dorset at Purbeck Folk Festival, which is held
at the lovely Wilkswood Farm in Langton Matravers (just
down the road from Worth Matravers). For info and tickets,
visit http://www.purbeckfolk.co.uk/.
I’ll be on the main stage at 7pm.
Then on Saturday 3rd September I’m doing a concert
at the beautiful Hazelwood House in Loddiswell, Devon.
We played there last year and it’s a magical place.
It has a limited capacity so book early if you can -
ring Hazelwood House on 01548 821 232 or email info@hazelwoodhouse.com.
They also provide accommodation and do wonderful food
there too.
I’m going to play some of the new songs I've written
this summer at these gigs so please do come if you can
- and please spread the word if you’ve got friends
in the area who might want to come along too. All support
very welcome.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Creativity
and the laws of gravity
[03.08.11] |
| |
These
past few weeks I’ve been on a creative roll -
song ideas waking me up at dawn, lyrics tripping off
my tongue, melodies in my ears as I walk around town.
I should have known I was in trouble. But my manager
was happy, hearing new songs, and so was I. There’s
nothing like that buzz of creative fulfilment. But as
soon as I realise I’m on a high, I start to fall.
The laws of gravity, temporarily suspended by the manic
flapping of illusory wings, snap into effect.
I’ve had bipolar disorder long enough to know
that what goes up must eventually come down, I just
wish I knew how to come back to earth without making
a crash landing. Now my ears are deafened, there’s
no more poetry in my head. My keyboard sits silent under
its cover. I try playing some chords on my guitar but
it just makes me cry. It’s like staring at an
empty field after reaping a bumper harvest.
But to continue the farming analogy (since I’m
in a philosophical rather than suicidal frame of mind),
I remember that great quote: ‘all the shit is
just manure’. Seasons come and seasons go. As
Buddha said, all things are impermanent. Now all I have
to do is plant some seeds... and wait. |
| ____________________________________ |
Consolations
for the English climate
[12.07.11] |
| |
After
50 gigs and 12,000 miles on the road, we headed to the
Purbeck coast last week for some much-needed rest and
relaxation. The sun came out tantalisingly on the day
we arrived and didn’t appear again until the day
we left. I did go for a walk in the ‘light rain’
forgetting that being in light rain for a long time
equals standing in the shower with all your clothes
on.
But bad weather does not necessarily mean a bad holiday…
there’s a lot to be said for watching endless
films, eating Dorset apple cake and drinking beer. Actually
the main reason I was happy was because I had my keyboard
and guitar with me and I managed to finish a new song.
Talking of new songs, we’ve been rehearsing some
that I’ve written in the last year or so that
haven’t been recorded yet and we’re going
to play them at two very intimate concerts in Essex
this weekend. The first is a gig in the garden of a
rectory in Billericay (Sat 16 July), the second I’ll
be performing in a venue called Little Rabbit Barn in
Ardleigh (Sun 17 July). If you want to be there, click
here for details of how to get
tickets. Apart from a couple of gigs in Dorset next
month and a festival in Worcester, that’s it for
the rest of the summer. I’ll be back on the road
again with Dennis Locorriere in September.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
For
the love of touring
[19.06.11] |
| |
It
feels like we’ve been on the road for months.
Probably because we have. But now here I am at home
for a whole glorious 24 hours… washing clothes,
making hot food, adding empty water bottles to the huge
pile of recycling in the corner of the kitchen, trying
to write the lyrics to a piano song that’s been
on the backburner for far too long.
Yesterday we had a few hours on the Isle of Purbeck
between gigs and I went for a much-needed walk down
to the wild and windy beach and sat by the sea watching
the clouds scudding across the sunlit sky. I have been
sitting in a car for nearly 5 months now, apart from
the odd excursion into M&S for the same cold pasta
dish I eat every night and a few hours backstage in
yet another lovely theatre in another town I’ve
never been to before.
I’ve managed so far to prevent the sat nav from
being thrown out the window by my usually mild-mannered
bass player (is this a male thing I wonder?). We’ve
driven across the Peak District from every direction.
We had time to stop off in Haworth so I could look around
the amazing Brontë parsonage before soundcheck
in Halifax. I also had time to drop in at a day centre
in Manchester and sing some songs for the lovely staff,
carers and service users there who have mental health
problems like me.
But it’s all becoming a bit of a blur –
faces, places, endless motorways and service stations.
By the time we finish the next 11 gigs over the next
3 weeks – which include a trip up to Glasgow -
we will have done about 10,000 miles on this tour. Apart
from feeling completely exhausted, I have to say that
I’ve absolutely loved every minute of it and I’m
looking forward, after a bit of a rest over the summer,
to doing it all again in the autumn.
And the best bit by far has been meeting all the lovely
people who’ve come to say hello after my set and
made me realise that singing songs for people is the
best job in the world and all we have to do is keep
going… and going… |
| ____________________________________ |
Me
and Bob Marley
[15.05.11] |
| |
Last
Wednesday was the 30th anniversary of the death of Bob
Marley. If it wasn’t for him, I might never have
become a singer-songwriter.
I was brought up on classical music. As a kid I learnt
to play piano, cello and flute. I loved Bach, Mozart,
Mendelssohn and Beethoven. Then in my teens I discovered
Bob Marley and became obsessed with his songs. A few
years later, I got a guitar for my 21st birthday and
taught myself to play it from Bob Marley songbooks.
It hadn't occurred to me to write a song myself - I
just wanted to play his songs. The first one I learnt
was ‘Time Will Tell’ because it only had
two chords. Years later, locked up in a psychiatric
hospital in north London, I sat in the smoking room
with my guitar and sang ‘No Woman No Cry’
with five women, all patients, some with bandages on
their wrists.
These days, when I’m feeling stressed, I’ll
either listen to Bach or Bob Marley - both have the
same effect on my mind. My favourite Bob Marley track?
For years it was ‘Easy Skanking’ or ‘Misty
Morning’. Now it’s probably ‘Three
Little Birds’: “don’t worry about
a thing cos every little thing is gonna be alright”. |
| ____________________________________ |
Gigs,
gigs and more gigs
[03.05.11] |
| |
As
some of you know, I used to live in a shack in the Australian
bush. With a tin roof and walls made from potato sacks,
it was freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer.
We shared it with a family of huge hairy spiders, a
small colony of musical mice, a billion ants, and the
odd passing snake (see the photos on this page).
To me it was paradise. The sun shone, oranges and avocados
grew on the trees, kangaroos hopped across the fields,
dingoes howled in the hills at night and there were
no traffic lights for miles around. The only reason
we left, and didn’t go back, was because we’d
recorded 2 albums and wanted to play my songs live to
as many people as possible. This just wasn’t feasible
in Australia, a country 32 times the size of the UK
with a population smaller than Greater London. Here
in the UK, it only takes a couple of hours to get to
the next city. And everywhere you go there are clubs,
pubs, arts centres, theatres and concert halls –
a fantastic music scene.
This tour I’m doing at the moment is yet another
sign that we made the right decision to leave our home
in the Obi Obi valley. Every time we turn up for soundcheck
we find another lovely theatre waiting for us. A huge
thank you to Dennis Locorriere for asking me to be his
support act and an equally huge thank you to all the
people I’ve been meeting up and down the country
who’ve come to say hello after my set.
As well as 23 gigs with Dennis in the next 2 months,
I’m doing 2 shows of my own… the first in
the intimate surroundings of The Greystones in Sheffield
next Sunday (8th May), the second at Camberley Theatre
in Surrey on Tuesday 14th June. Check my gigs
page for details of how to book tickets. If you
can make it, it would be great to see you there.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Stigma
and the wonderful Dr Seuss
[14.04.11] |
| |
When
I heard the news this morning that Catherine Zeta Jones
is being treated for bipolar disorder, my first thought
was great sympathy for her. My second thought was that
I hope she can be of some benefit to the millions of
others in America who not only have to suffer the same
condition but deal with a stigma that is far worse than
here in the UK.
I've been thinking a lot about stigma. Since I published
my book on World Mental Health Day last year, many people
have said to me that I'm brave to be so open about having
a mental illness. But the thing is, I don't feel stigmatized.
I don't feel ashamed. To be perfectly honest, I just
don't care. I am who I am. There’s a wonderful
quote from Dr Seuss: “Be who you are and say what
you feel because those who mind don't matter and those
who matter don't mind.”
Yesterday I played a gig at a psychiatric hospital in
Bristol for staff, carers and patients. Lovely people
in a lovely space with a really friendly atmosphere.
I was doing a book launch, singing some of my songs
and reading extracts from 'Start Over Again'. Today
I’m going to another hospital to do the same.
Of course, I do worry slightly that they might not let
me out after my set, but most of the time I can act
sane - just like the rest of you ;).
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Poetry,
songwriting and having the flu
[21.03.11] |
| |
Today
is World Poetry Day and so I would just like to say
some heartfelt words of gratitude to all the poets,
alive and dead, in my two volumes of ‘Poem For
The Day’ which I absolutely love not just for
the poems themselves but for the bit of info at the
bottom of each page which makes you feel like you know
what they’re talking about even if you haven’t
got a clue.
I did TS Eliot at school which I couldn’t make
head nor tail of until I’d had my first breakdown,
after which for some reason it made perfect sense to
me. I read poetry when I am happy and I read poetry
when I am sad. I feel like it widens my mind, much like
looking out at the horizon of sea and sky. I love the
freedom of the words, unconstrained by a melody. One
of my all-time favourite poems is ‘Invictus’
by William Ernest Henley. One of my other favourites
is by Wendy Cope, which begins: 'Bloody men are like
bloody buses/You wait for about a year/And as soon as
one approaches your stop/Two or three others appear…'.
Today is also the day that I have finally managed to
write some half-decent lyrics for the first time in
months, having got myself in a bit of a panic about
not being able to do it (life is all about confidence,
isn’t it?) so I am now extremely relieved and
grateful to the gods of songwriting, whoever they may
be. I think I’ve definitely been inspired by watching
about 18 episodes of the old BBC series ‘Civilisation’
while I’ve been laid up with flu this last week.
Absolutely loved it – I’ve been learning
about painting, sculpture, poetry, philosophy and architecture
through the ages. Great consolation for feeling like
absolute shit.
I was gutted to have to cancel my gig at The White Horse
last night but I was just not well enough to do it and
also I’ve managed to infect Christian and there
was absolutely no way of dragging him out of his sickbed
and 150 miles across the country to Sussex. My sincere
apologies to everyone who was planning to come –
I hope we can rearrange and do it another time. I promise
we will both be well in time for gigs in Doncaster and
York this weekend.
Hope you haven’t had flu too and all’s well
in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Japan
and other thoughts
[15.03.11] |
| |
I
could tell you how much I’ve enjoyed the last
few days of gigs, travelling around the country in the
spring sunshine. I could tell you I had a great birthday
last week, spending time with my family. I could tell
you that I’m still writing songs without words.
But that’s the point – I am now lost for
words, and so I should be. Watching the news footage
of Japan, and wondering how a heart can contain enough
compassion for 10,000 people, and hundreds of thousands
more who are terrified, traumatised, wondering what
will happen next. Here in the UK, we don’t live
on a fault line. We don’t have tsunamis. We don’t
have a despotic dictator dropping bombs on us. We have
politicians trying to privatise our welfare state, but
at least we have a welfare state. We have some bankers
who have never heard of the word karma, but at least
their bonuses mean the finance sector is now making
a profit.
So I guess it all comes down to this question: what
can I do? Confronted by all these things – the
overwhelming force of mother nature and the overwhelming
force of human nature – most of us feel completely
powerless. I can’t build a dam against a 30 foot
wave, nor can I change the hearts of those ruled by
greed. But I can follow the example of countless others
who don’t make the headlines, who aren’t
on TV, but who live their lives on the principle that
happiness comes from making others happy - that it is
better to give rather than take, to be kind rather than
cool.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Gigs,
songs and e-books
[01.03.11] |
| |
Some
musicians love hanging out in studios but personally
I’m much happier on the road. Last week, I started
my tour with Dennis Locorriere at the Capitol Theatre
in Sussex followed by gigs in Berkshire, Kent and Essex
- 2 theatres, 1 cellar bar and a house concert. I love
that – one minute you’re performing in front
of a big crowd and you can’t see anyone for the
bright lights in your eyes, the next you’re singing
to people sitting 3 feet from you and you can see the
expression on the faces of all of them. Thanks so much
to everyone who came to support us and the new fans
who went home with a copy of ‘Believer’.
Back in my studio for a few days break before we head
to Birmingham Town Hall (a gorgeous venue I played with
Eric Bibb), I’m working on new songs. I’ve
got a new kind of writer’s block at the moment
– music coming out my ears but no words at all.
I guess this is another great opportunity to practice
patience. Lyrics come in their own time.
Talking of writing, I’ve got to tell you that
my book ‘Start Over Again’ is now available
as an e-book (Kindle, iPad, Nook and Sony Reader). Extracts
are now up on my website so you can get an idea of what
it’s like. I’m really glad that the book
is now being promoted by NHS mental health trusts in
the UK to their service users, and by bipolar organisations
in Canada and the USA. I’ve got a special Facebook
page now for the book – here’s the link.
If you know anyone who’s been affected by mental
health who might be interested, please pass it on.
Hope you’re enjoying the start of spring.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
On
the road with Dr Hook
[23.02.11] |
| |
Tonight
is the start of my 5-month tour with the man from Dr
Hook, Dennis Locorriere. I had a couple of great warm-up
gigs with my bass player Christian last week up in Northumberland
and Yorkshire and now we can’t wait to be back
on the road.
We’re playing in Horsham, Chatham, Birmingham,
Haywards Heath, Clacton-on-Sea, Doncaster, Liverpool,
London, Dorking, Cromer, Cheltenham, Minehead, Yeovil,
Weston-Super-Mare, Newport, Dartford, Epsom, Lichfield,
Swansea, Pontypridd, Buxton, Solihull, Redhill, Darwen,
Halifax, Skegness, Tunbridge Wells, Haverhill, Worthing,
Wimborne Minster, Darlington, Shrewsbury, Truro, Basingstoke,
Morecame, Abergavenny, Pocklington, Glasgow, Newcastle,
Stafford and Ilfracombe.
So many places I’ve never been to… that’s
one of the best things about touring, you get to see
a lot of the country (apart from motorways and service
stations!). I’m really looking forward to it.
Dates and venue details are all on my website.
On Sunday 13th March, I’m doing my own show at
Gala in Durham, and on Saturday 26th March we’re
doing another gig at The Basement in York. There are
some other dates too that I’m doing on my own
– they’re all up on my website.
If you can make it to any of these gigs, please do come
and say hello, and please spread the word if you have
any friends in the area. All support will be very welcome!
If you want to know what’s happening while we’re
on tour, you can always follow me on Twitter
or keep in touch with me on Facebook.
Hope all’s well in your world. Thanks for your
support – I really appreciate it.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Big
love & thanks to...
[04.02.11] |
| |
Last
Sunday, you might have heard Aled Jones play my song
‘Lighthouse Man’ on Radio 2 in the last
‘Good Morning Sunday’ show for producer
Hilary Robinson.
If it wasn’t for Hilary, I might still be stirring
milk and cutting curd in our cheese-room in Australia.
Hilary gave me my break back in 2007 when a fan called
Andy Cole sent one of my CDs to her (with a box of chocolates
- bribery obviously works wonders!) and she decided
to profile me on Aled’s Sunday morning show on
Radio 2. It just so happened that the manager of The
Waterboys was listening and a few weeks later, instead
of heading back to our cheese-room in Australia, I found
myself touring concert halls with American legend Don
McLean.
A lot has happened since then and Hilary has supported
me all the way. In this tough business, she is one of
those people whose enthusiasm and encouragement makes
all the difference to independent artists like me. So
big love and thanks to her and to Aled for their fantastic
support of my music.
Aside from being a radio producer, Hilary also writes
wonderful books for children - check out her website.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Floods,
snakes and all that jazz
[07.01.11] |
| |
After
a week of watching non-stop movies and consuming as
much food and drink as humanly possible, I am now back
in the real world. The real world looks a bit grey and
drizzly from my attic window but at least here we’re
not surrounded by floodwaters like our friends and family
in Queensland, Australia. Apparently the saltwater crocodiles
are moving south and snakes are swimming along pavements.
Sometimes I don’t mind grey and drizzly England.
I just hope our shack stays dry – I’m not
sure what would happen to potato-sack walls in a flood.
I’m getting excited about the tour with Dennis
Locorriere which starts next month – can’t
wait to hear him sing ‘Sylvia’s Mother’
in person. In the meantime, I’m working on some
new songs and trying to learn jazz piano. This is proving
quite difficult partly because I’m completely
brainwashed by years of classical training and partly
because I’m hopeless with numbers (apparently
music is intricately linked to maths - a thought which
horrifies me). So I sit dejectedly at my keyboard playing
D7, wishing I was Oscar Peterson. Ah well, someone did
say something once about persevering…
Having confessed to the state of my own mental health
in my book ‘Start Over Again’, I’ve
now made a pledge at ‘Time To Change’, a
big campaign to end mental health discrimination. If
you agree that people with depression and other mental
health issues should be supported not scorned, you can
make your pledge here too: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
Finally, you can see a recent clip of me being interviewed
on Kyeo TV including a fantastic example of how not
to answer an interview question ;). Click here
to see it.
Hope all’s well in your world – wishing
you a very happy new year.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Thanks
& best wishes 2010
[14.12.10] |
| |
I
did my last gig of the year at High Barn in Essex last
week (see my gig
photos) – an amazing venue with a gorgeous
grand piano I could play which made my day. Worth spending
8 hours in the car to get there and back (oh the joys
of the M25!).
All in all, it’s been a good year. It started
a bit up and down with my song ‘I’d Rather
Be’ on the Radio 2 playlist and me deciding that
was the right moment in my career to have another ‘episode’,
while at the same time being ‘Artist of the Month’
for Caffè Nero. Not quite sure how I managed
to get through all that but then I wrote a book about
it which made me feel better and then we went and did
lots of gigs meeting lovely people up and down the country,
which reminded me why we’re doing all this in
the first place.
Big love and thanks to all of you who have given me
such fantastic support this year. Without you, I wouldn’t
be able to do this. Next year there’ll be a lot
more travelling and a lot more people to meet. Can’t
wait. Dates confirmed so far are all up on my gigs
page.
I wish you a very merry Christmas and a very happy New
Year, and I look forward to seeing you somewhere along
the road in 2011.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Twitter
[30.11.10] |
| |
I
just wrote my first Tweet. Yes I'm a late starter but
I'm here now! You can follow me @emilymaguirehq.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Wine,
snow and lovely people
[30.11.10] |
| |
Just
got back from a run of gigs up north. We had a fantastic
time, despite the snow and ice. First stop was a bit
of a diversion to Hertfordshire where I’d been
invited to attend the launch of a Peer Support Scheme
in Welwyn Garden City. This is a project to train carers
and people with mental health issues to mentor other
people who are recovering from mental illness. It was
an amazing event. People got up and shared stories of
unbelievable courage and spirit - it was a privilege
to be there. I sang ‘Keep Walking’ which
I thought appropriate cos it’s a song about persevering,
and ‘Start Over Again’ which is all about
recovery and is the song my book is based on.
Then we were off up to Newcastle to play The Cluny,
a great venue we played last year. Thanks so much to
everyone who trudged through the snow to get there and
to Helen Mitchell who always brings red wine and goats
cheese to my Newcastle gigs. Much appreciated! The next
day we drove to York for a fantastic gig at The Basement.
I’ve never played there before but it was sold
out and we came out after the gig to find about 4 inches
of snow had fallen. York Minster looked absolutely beautiful.
We stayed just outside the city with Steve Heward and
his wife Helen. Steve is an amazing landscape painter
– check out http://www.stephenheward.com.
The next day we headed to Sheffield to catch up with
friends then back up the snow-ridden A1 to Ripon. It
seemed like we were the only car heading north with
a blizzard blowing but fortunately my bass player is
an eternal optimist (he’s also Australian –
what does he know about snow?!) so we kept going. I’m
so glad we did because we arrived at Great Northern
Wine in Ripon to find a fantastic venue and Emma and
Mark Ryan, the lovely people who run it. We’ll
definitely be playing there again. Thanks so much to
everyone who braved the snowdrifts to be there.
Finally, my big news is that I’ve just been confirmed
as the support for Dennis Locorriere’s UK tour
next year. I am absolutely delighted. Dates are all
up on my website*. If you can make it to any of the
gigs, it’d be great to see you there. And no,
you don’t have to bring red wine and goats cheese
;).
xx
* Because of this tour, my gig at Gala in Durham is
now on Sunday 13th March. I’ll keep you posted
on any other changes. |
| ____________________________________ |
November
gigs & other news
[17.11.10] |
| |
I’ve
been back in the studio working on pre-production for
my next album. All the songs are written – this
is the stage where we do rough demos and work out the
arrangements. It’s my favourite part of making
a record and I’m really excited about this one.
Some of the songs you might have heard me sing at gigs
but most of them you won’t have heard before.
I will keep you posted on developments…
I’ve had the most amazing response to the launch
of my book ‘Start
Over Again’. Thank you so much to everyone
who sent me such lovely messages or contacted Radio
2 after the broadcast launch on 10/10/10. I really appreciate
your thoughts and your experiences – I know I
am not alone.
Last week we had another great gig in Petersfield. Thanks
to everyone who came to listen and made it such a special
night. My support act was Emily Baker from Brighton
who I think is brilliant – check her out on Myspace.
This Friday night (19th Nov), I’m playing the
Finedon Sessions in Northamptonshire, then on Saturday
night (20th Nov) I’m going to perform at the wonderful
Hazelwood House in Devon. Apparently they’ve got
a grand piano which I hope I can use for the concert.
Then next week we’re off up north to play The
Cluny in Newcastle (Thurs 25th) which is a fantastic
venue I’ve played before, then I’m in York
the next night (Fri 26th) followed by Ripon (Sun 28th).
Click here for details. If you’ve
got friends near any of these gigs, please do spread
the word – all support would be really welcome.
And if you can make it, come and say hello, it’d
be great to see you there.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
My
book 'Start Over Again'
[10.10.10] |
| |
| Today
is World Mental Health Day. One in four people in the
UK suffer from a mental illness at some point in their
lives. I am one of them. Now I’ve written a book,
called ‘Start Over Again’, which tells the
real story behind my songs. It’s available from
today. If you want to know more, click here. |
| ____________________________________ |
Singing
with the kids
[06.10.10] |
| |
I’ve
had some pretty special moments in my time as a singer-songwriter…
hearing my first song on the radio… standing on
stage at the Royal Albert Hall… hearing my string
arrangements played live for the first time… playing
the acoustic stage at Glastonbury… and last weekend,
in a church in Manchester, a group of kids aged between
4 and 12 who knew all the words to all my songs and
sang along from the front pews until I got them all
on stage at the end to sing ‘Lighthouse Man’
with me. Big love and thanks to them for making my night.
You can see a photo here.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Red
Box album
[30.09.10] |
| |
| Back
in 1999, a friend introduced me to Simon Toulson-Clarke
from the band Red Box. Red Box had a couple of huge
global hits in the 80s – ‘For America’
and ‘Lean On Me’ – and had achieved
a cult status among their fans worldwide. Simon was
now making a new album, and looking for someone to play
strings on it. I took my cello round and did some sessions
for him. I loved his songs so much I then spent the
next 2 years in his studio in London working with him
on them. Then I went to off to Australia for a 3-week
holiday which turned into 4 years living in a shack
out in the Australian bush, something which Simon was
not very impressed about - I was fondly called the ‘traitor’!
But now the much-anticipated and long-awaited Red Box
album ‘Plenty’ is being released on October
11th on Cherry Red Records. I think it’s brilliant
and feel very proud to have played a small part in making
it. You can hear me singing on their new single ‘Hurricane’
and also my all-time favourite ‘Brighter Blue’.
Check out Red Box here: www.redboxmusic.net. |
| ____________________________________ |
Autumn
news
[08.09.10] |
| |
It’s
been a good summer – I’ve managed to overcome
my writer’s block and we’ve been playing
some great gigs. Last weekend we played the Purbeck
Folk Festival in Dorset on a beautiful farm with 2 huge
barns for the stages and ducklings out in the yard –
pretty idyllic. If you get the chance you should check
it out next year.
I’ve been busy working on a writing project, which
I promise I’ll tell you about very soon, and we’ve
started putting together a song list for the next album.
We’re going to be recording some demos for it
in the next few weeks… I’ll keep you posted
on progress. In the meantime, I’ve got a new single
coming out – ‘Start Over Again’, the
last song on my latest album ‘Believer’.
As you’ve probably heard me say at gigs, it’s
the story of my life in 3½ minutes…:)
Just confirmed... I'm doing a very special acoustic
concert at the beautiful St Werburgh's Church
in Manchester on Saturday 2nd October. Check my gigs
page for details. If you can make it, it'd be great
to see you there.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Writer's
block
[10.08.10] |
| |
I’ve
had writer’s block. I don’t know whether
my muse has gone on strike, or it’s a lack of
confidence, but I haven’t written a song since
March. This has happened to me before so I know what
I have to do. Firstly nothing, because sometimes we
all need a break. Secondly, not to worry that it won’t
come back. It always does. Thirdly, I go and look at
paintings in galleries. I don’t know anything
about art but I absolutely love it. If creativity is
a reservoir, it definitely helps fill it up again. Fourthly,
I go for walks. We were in Purbeck for a gig the other
day and I went for a gorgeous coast walk with my cellist
Beth up to St Aldhem’s Head (which you can see
in my ‘Lighthouse Man’ video). The sea helps
too. And finally, I read lots of poetry. My two favourite
books are ‘Poem For The Day’ volume 1 and
2. Then last week I bought Leonard Cohen’s ‘Book
of Longing’ and sat on the wall outside the National
Gallery eating a sandwich and reading his wonderful
words. My kind of heaven.
And then out of the blue, I woke up this morning and
wrote a song :).
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
gig photos up
[18.07.10] |
| |
I
had a great gig last night in Colchester at this fantastic
venue called the Headgate Theatre. Lovely audience,
great sound and some wonderful singer-songwriters playing
– it was a ‘Women of Song’ night with
me, Liz Simcock, Dave Ellis and Boo Howard. Thanks to
James Hibbins of AcoustiCity for promoting such a great
night. It’s been going for about 8 years now.
It’s people like him who make it possible for
people like me to go around singing my songs. Click
here to see photos
from the gig. You can also see photos from my gig at
Stuminster Newton the other week.
I’m really looking forward to next weekend playing
in Berkshire, Cambridge and Reading and then the week
after down to the Purbeck coast to play my favourite
pub the Square & Compass with Christian and cellist
Beth. Dates and details are all on my gigs
page – all support much appreciated.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Singing
for the mums
[29.06.10] |
| |
There
are some gigs I do that make me wish I’d trained
as an accountant and some that make me feel like this
is the best job in the world. Last night we went to
Blandford Forum in Dorset and played to a room full
of women who all bring their young kids to Playsongs
groups and were having a night out on their own. It
was just me and Christian playing (who was in his element
;) and we did 2 sets which included ‘A Song for
Stephanie Rose’, my new songs ‘Romeo and
Juliet’ and ‘Old Valentine’, and a
new piano version (with the original lyrics) of my last
Radio 2 single ‘I’d Rather Be’. The
response we got was just amazing. A huge thank-you to
Nickie and Gill of Playsongs for inviting me and for
organising such a wonderful evening, and to the 70 women
who came and listened to my songs and made me feel like
this is so worthwhile.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Lyrics,
laughter and cellos
[12.06.10] |
| |
For
the past few weeks I’ve been busy writing cello
parts for new songs and re-writing some of the big string
arrangements from my albums for a wonderful cellist
called Beth Porter who is going to be doing some gigs
with me and my bass player Christian.
Beth is also singing backing vocals for us. It's quite
something to be able to sing and play cello at the same
time – I know cos I’ve tried it. So we’ve
been busy rehearsing and I’m really looking forward
to our first gig at Ondaatje Hall in London next weekend.
This is all a good distraction because at the moment
I seem to have writer’s block. I had a really
creative burst at the start of the year when I finished
a lot of new songs and started many more but now I’m
left with all these new songs with no words. I’ve
been through this enough times to know that it passes
but I still get a bit frustrated.
So last night to cheer myself up I went to see some
fantastic stand-up comedy at my favourite pub (the Square
and Compass in Worth Matravers as you probably know
already) and spent the evening laughing and drinking
Guinness - a magical combination which I highly recommend.
It made me forget all about songwriting angst…
for the time being.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
single and bonus tracks
[18.05.10] |
| |
I’ve
got a new single out now called Anything You Do and
to celebrate we decided to include a couple of bonus
tracks which have never been released before.
One is my cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’
In The Wind’ which I was commissioned to record
a few years ago for the audio-visual installation ‘Electric
Storm’ on London’s South Bank. More recently,
it was used on a Radio 2 documentary for Remembrance
Sunday.
The other song is a lullaby that
I wrote for my sister’s baby girl who was born
in the UK while I was living in the Australian bush.
I didn’t get to meet her for another 6 months
and so I wrote this song for her to let my sister know
how much I was thinking of them, and wishing I could
be there. It’s called ‘A Song For Stephanie
Rose’ and has never been released before.
You all know the words to ‘Blowin’
In The Wind’ but here are the words I wrote for
‘A Song For Stephanie Rose’ in case you
want to sing it to a very small person in your life…
A Song For Stephanie Rose
Take your time, go slow
The world is your mind
Make your heart so light
And open it wide
And see what’s inside
Make your smile so bright
To shine on the world
And every time you fall
You’ll see that you’re strong
And nothing is wrong
Make your way someday
And leave us behind
But take her hand, her arms
Holding you now
Will always be holding you now
Always be now
Always be now
Always be now
These tracks are only available
as digital downloads – a plastic free world! Click
here
to hear clips of them on iTunes.
Hope all’s well in your
world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Playing
live again
[29.04.10] |
| |
Thanks
to everyone who came from near and far to see us play
at the Square & Compass Inn in Purbeck last weekend.
It’s one of my favourite gigs in the UK, and not
just cos I get given flowers at the end of the night!
It was so great to see everyone and to be out there
singing my songs again – now I can’t wait
to get back on the road. We’re on the case booking
gigs now so I’ll keep you posted on dates. If
there’s a great venue near you – no matter
how small – where you think I should play, let
me know. You can email us at: gigs(at)shaktu-records.com.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
single
[06.04.10] |
| |
My
new single ‘Anything You Do’ got its first airplay on
Radio 2 on Sunday by Aled Jones on ‘Good Morning Sunday’.
You can listen back over the next 5 days by clicking
the link here
(scroll to 2:07). The single will be released on 17th
May.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Thanks
to Caffè Nero
[09.03.10] |
| |
I
finished my Caffè Nero tour in Brighton at the
end of February after 6 weeks of gigs in coffee shops
up and down the country. Thanks so much to all the friends
and fans who came down – through rain and snow
- it was great to see you. I’d also like to say
a huge thank you to Pablo Ettinger, one of the founders
of Caffè Nero, who chose me to be his ‘Artist
of the Month’ and has been playing my songs every
day in his 400 coffee shops around the UK.
Last week we were down in Devon playing at the lovely
Otterton Mill. Next month you can see me playing at
my favourite pub in the UK, but in the meantime I’m
taking some time out to do some more writing before
my next single comes out. It's on my new album 'Believer'
and I’ll tell you which song it’s going
to be next time… or can you guess?
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
video for 'Wanting Time'
[12.02.10] |
| |
My
amazing multi-talented bass player Christian Dunham
just made a new video for my song 'Wanting Time' from
my new album 'Believer'. You can watch it here
on my website or on my Youtube
channel.
We've also put up on Myspace
my
new single 'I'd Rather Be' which has been played every
day on the biggest radio station in the UK, BBC Radio
2, for the past 5 weeks. I was asked about the lyrics
in a recent radio interview. I wrote 'I'd Rather Be'
at a really tough time in my life and yet this song
came out of my head that was so strong and positive,
saying I accept the highs and lows and I'm grateful
for them - cos that's where my songs come from. You
can't have the silver lining without the cloud. Read
the lyrics
- you'll see what I mean.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
What
goes up must come down
[07.02.10] |
| |
Last
Sunday morning I did a live interview on Radio 2 with
Aled Jones, talking about my songwriting, Buddhist practice
and the story behind my current single ‘I’d
Rather Be’. Aled was the first to play my music
on Radio 2 and he’s been a huge supporter of me
ever since, playing my songs regularly on his ‘Good
Morning Sunday’ show. He's a lovely man and it
was great to see him.
I’ve had a very creative time over the past couple
of months - melodies and lyrics in my head all the time,
writing lots of new songs. It’s a truly wonderful
feeling. But I know from long and bittersweet experience
that what goes up must come down and these past few
weeks I’ve made a not-so-graceful descent from
cloud nine back to ground zero.
So I packed my guitar and heavy heart in the car at
dawn last Thursday to go up to Manchester to do a couple
of gigs and see my Buddhist teacher Lama Jampa Thaye.
The first gig was in the Caffè Nero on Oxford
Road where some very lovely people had come from far
and wide to hear me play and I had some fantastic backing
singers aged 9, 6 and 4 who cheered me up no end.
The second gig was at the Buddhist centre where we were
staying. Kagyu Ling was the first Buddhist centre to
be founded in Manchester, established in 1975 by Karma
Thinley Rinpoche and Lama Jampa Thaye. It is part of
the Dechen community, an international association of
centres of the Sakya and Karma Kagyu traditions of Tibetan
Buddhism. I’ve been a student of Lama Jampa for
many years and we were asked to do a special gig at
Kagyu Ling as part of their cultural programme of events.
It was the most amazing night. With my bass player and
partner Christian, we played songs we hadn’t played
in years, like ‘The Borderline’, and songs
from my new album 'Believer' to a packed room of people
- some Buddhist, some not. To see my teacher, to be
made so welcome and to be given the opportunity to play
my songs in such a special, inspiring place was just
wonderful beyond words. I got back in the car the next
day in a completely different state of mind.
And now it's Sunday morning again, and I've been playing
my guitar and thinking it’s alright having my
head in the clouds - I just need my feet on the ground.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
single 'I'd Rather Be' on Radio 2
[27.01.10] |
| |
| It's
been a fantastic start to the year hearing my new
single 'I'd Rather Be' being played every day on Radio
2. Big love and thanks to Chris Evans, Steve Wright
and all the other Radio 2 DJs who've been playing
it these past few weeks.
Hearing 'I'd Rather Be' on the radio really makes
my day cos it's a song that means a lot to me. I wrote
it during a very tough time and it was like a really
positive, strong statement to the universe about the
choices I'd make for my life. If you read the lyrics
you'll get the idea... the single's out now so if
you'd like 'I'd Rather Be' on your iPod, you can download
it from iTunes
now.
I've been writing a lot of new songs recently so it
was good to get out and do some live shows - thanks
so much to all the friends and fans who came down
to my Caffè Nero gigs in Cambridge and Oxford,
it was great to see you there. Tomorrow night (Thursday
28th) we're playing in Bath but the location's moved
due to building works – it's now the Caffè
Nero on Old Bond Street, not the High Street. It will
be very intimate! Entry is absolutely free - just
get there for 7pm, say hello and I'll sing you some
songs for half an hour.
The following Sunday (31st Jan) you can hear me being
interviewed by the lovely Aled Jones on Radio 2 (around
8.15-8.45am) then we're off to do more Caffè
Nero gigs in Manchester, Birmingham, Gloucester and
Brighton (see details). If
you've got friends in these places, please spread
the word… and if you can make it, come and say
hello. It'd be lovely to see you there.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
My
free gigs at Caffé Nero
[10.01.10] |
| |
My
Caffé Nero gigs are all confirmed… I’m
playing Cambridge, Oxford, Bath, Manchester, Birmingham,
Gloucester and Brighton, all in the next 6 weeks.
Entry to all these gigs is absolutely free. Just get
there at 7pm, buy a coffee and I’ll sing you some
songs for half an hour.
Dates and addresses are on my gigs
page and on Myspace. Please feel free to invite
your friends – spread the word! It’d be
great to see you all there. Go to my Facebook
site and check out who is already going...
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Happy
new year
[04.01.10] |
| |
I
spent the past week on the Isle of Purbeck, with lots
of family, food and wine. It’s the place where
I wrote some of the songs on ‘Believer’
and there’s no electricity where we stay so I’d
sit with my guitar and pen and paper writing songs by
candlelight. It reminds me of our home in Australia
though the walls here are stone not potato sacks. On
New Year’s Eve, we went up to the Square &
Compass Inn and watched the blue moon and the people
in fancy dress dancing to some crazy band you could
hear but not see.
I’m really looking forward to this year –
I got a good feeling about it. My new single ‘I’d
Rather Be’ has just been playlisted on Radio 2
and this month I’m the ‘Artist of the Month’
for the Caffe Nero chain. They’re really into
supporting music and it’s fantastic promotion
for an indie artist like me. They’re playing my
songs every day in 400 coffee shops nationwide and I’m
going to do some live shows for them over the coming
weeks. I’ll keep you posted on when and where…
Wishing you a very happy new year.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Keeping
music alive on the Sunshine Coast
[10.12.09] |
| |
If
you’ve ever been to the Sunshine Coast of Australia,
you’ll know that it’s one of the most special
places in the world.
And one of the best things about the Sunshine Coast
is a live music event that happens every Sunday afternoon
by Peregian Beach. Hundreds of people come to lie in
the grass in the sun and listen to live, acoustic, original
music for free.
It’s called Peregian Originals and it’s
one the best gigs in Australia. It’s the last
gig I played before I left Australia back in 2007 for
a UK tour that ended up at the Royal Albert Hall.
And now the local council say they're going to shut
it down.
I want to stand with my guitar on the grass beside Peregian
Beach and sing my songs again someday. Please sign this
petition and let the local politicians know that we
want more for our culture than just clubs, pubs and
pokie machines.
http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/32682.html
|
| ____________________________________ |
Light
a candle for climate change
[10.12.09] |
| |
Out
of a world population of 6.8 billion, 15,000 people
have been chosen to go to Copenhagen and make decisions
that could determine the fate of our planet.
You’d think this would be the moment for nations
to unite behind a common cause, but so far the headlines
are saying the opposite. Maybe that’s just the
media - maybe behind closed doors the delegates are
all in agreement that something must be done, and done
now, just in case. That the risk of doing nothing is
not worth taking.
But it seems right now all the talk in Copenhagen is
about saving money, not saving the planet. Do they think
that gold will stop the seas rising?
As for the rest of us, we’re not at Copenhagen.
We can’t go and knock their heads together. But
we can make a stand. This weekend, over 2,800 candlelit
vigils are being held in 136 countries across the globe,
organised by people like you and me. To find out the
nearest vigil to you, or to organise one yourself, visit
http://www.avaaz.org/en/.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Caffe
Nero 'Artist of the Month'
[01.12.09] |
| |
I'm
delighted that I've been chosen as the first 'Artist
of the Month' for 2010 by Caffe Nero. They're already
playing tracks from my new album 'Believer' in their
chain of 400 coffee shops around the UK. From the beginning
of January, if you're passing one at 3.30pm any day,
drop in and you'll hear one of my songs being played.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Greenpeace:
'Love Letters To The Future'
[21.11.09] |
| |
I’m
very happy that Greenpeace asked me if they could use
one of my songs for their global climate change campaign.
The song is on my new album ‘Believer’ and
it’s called ‘Woke Up’. I wrote it
after watching a film about climate change which had
a particularly big impact on me because we were running
out of water at the time because of the terrible drought
in Queensland, Australia.
Greenpeace asked me to film a video to the song for
their ‘Love Letters To The Future’ which
is a campaign where anyone can write a message, post
an image, or make a video about their vision of the
future of our planet. The top 100 Love Letters, as voted
by the public, will be included in a time capsule that
will be locked in Copenhagen on December 13th 2009,
to be opened again in exactly 100 years.
You can watch my Love
Letter To The Future video featuring my song ‘Woke
Up’. If you want to read more about the Greenpeace
campaign and write your own 'Love Letter To The Future',
click here.
Greenpeace need and deserve all the help and support
we can give them in their work. To find out more about
them, click here.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
My
new album 'Believer'
[16.11.09] |
| |
My
new album ‘Believer’ is out today. I’d
like to take this opportunity to thank the people whose
incredible talents made it what it is… producer
Philip Tennant, drummer Geoff Dugmore, guitarist Luke
Potashnick, violinist Jae Yoo, and engineer George Apsion.
Above all, I’d like to thank my partner, producer,
bass player and best friend Christian Dunham who told
me 7 years ago to start over again and make a record.
Now ‘Believer’ is our third studio album,
released on our own independent record label Shaktu
Records. And the reason we can do it? You. The FANS.
A huge thank you for your support – without you,
we couldn’t do it at all.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Saving
the Mary
[11.11.09] |
| |
Huge
congratulations to the Save The Mary River campaign
in SE Queensland, Australia. After three and a half
years of hard campaigning by hundreds of local people,
environment minister (and ex-Midnight Oil frontman)
Peter Garrett has finally said no to the dam that would
have flooded the Mary Valley, wiping out countless wildlife,
trees and over 1000 homes. Check out www.stoppress.com.au
for pictures of the campaign.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Gigs
& new album release
[06.11.09] |
| |
It’s
now less than 2 weeks til the release of my new album
‘Believer’ (16th Nov) and I can’t
wait!
While I’m counting the days, we’ve been
busy rehearsing for my headline shows which are coming
up in the next few weeks… I’m playing in
Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Stratford
on Avon and Petersfield plus (just confirmed!) a very
special show in Sturminster on 11th December. Venue
details and booking info are all here
on my website… please spread the word among your
friends and come down if you can - it’d be great
to see you there.
I’m so excited that my new album will finally
be available at these gigs. You can preview all the
tracks from ‘Believer’ at http://www.emilymaguire.com/htm/music.htm.
If you can’t make it to a gig, pre-order the CD
now from Townsend
Records and you’ll get your own signed copy
sent to your door the week after next. You can also
order it now from Amazon, Play.com and HMV - click here
for the links.
Other news… I was filmed recently talking about
my music and why I ended up living in a shack in the
Australian bush – you can watch this interview
on my new YouTube
channel… my cover of Bob Dylan’s classic
‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ is being broadcast
on Radio 2 this weekend in a documentary for Remembrance
Sunday… Aled Jones on Radio 2 gave my song ‘Anything
You Do’ (which is on the new album) its first
airplay … and I’ve just done some filming
for Greenpeace, who are using one of the songs on ‘Believer’
for their global climate change campaign. There’s
so much happening, it’s exciting times! I’ll
keep you posted…
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
My
new YouTube channel
[30.10.09] |
| |
I’ve
now got my own YouTube channel – you can watch
it here.
Videos include footage of us in the studio making my
new album ‘Believer’, the video for my new
single ‘Lighthouse Man’, plus footage of
me being interviewed about my music and life in the
Australian bush. Click ‘subscribe’ on the
channel if you want to know when there’s new clips
to watch – more videos will be up very soon.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Playing
the Union Chapel
[15.10.09] |
| |
Last
night I played the Union Chapel on London’s Upper
Street. It’s one of the most beautiful venues
I’ve played in. People sat in old wooden pews
with candles everywhere under a massive high arched
ceiling. It was my first gig playing live with Luke
Potashnick, the amazing guitarist who played on my new
album ‘Believer’.
We played 'Free', 'Wanting Time', 'I'd Rather Be', 'Lighthouse
Man' and 'Start Over Again' all from the new album.
I'll be playing all these songs and more with my bass
player Christian at some headline shows next month in
Stratford Upon Avon, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield,
Newcastle and Petersfield. Dates are on my website.
If you're around it'd be great to see you there.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
A
prize for peace
[09.10.09] |
| |
After
years of leaders like Bush, Putin, Berlusconi and Mugabe
running the world, now we have Barack Obama, current
President of the United States, winning the Nobel Peace
Prize. That made me smile today.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Playlists
and pythons
[06.10.09] |
| |
For
an indie artist like me, it doesn’t get much better
than waking up to Wogan playing your song on his Radio
2 show, like today. ‘Lighthouse Man’ is
the first single from my new album ‘Believer’
and it’s just been playlisted on Radio 2 here
in the UK.
This made me happy to stay this side of the world for
a while even though I’ve been feeling very homesick
for our shack in the bush - even missing the creatures!
I never thought I could get misty-eyed over a 7-foot
python, giant hairy spiders and a million other sentient
beings that live with us in our house made out of wood,
tin and potato sacks (all covered in red dust from the
desert so I'm told).
Anyway, back to this reality. We’ve made a video
for ‘Lighthouse Man’ which you can watch
on my revamped website at www.emilymaguire.com, where
you can also hear clips of all the new songs on ‘Believer’.
The album will be out on 16th November but you can now
pre-order it now from Amazon, Play, HMV and Townsend
Records who are doing a special pre-release deal. Check
it out on the website.
We’ve got gigs coming up soon so we’ve been
busy working out new songs and rehearsing old favourites.
I’m really looking forward to the gig at the Union
Chapel in London next week where I’m opening for
Jon Allen and playing for the first time live with Luke
Potashnick, the genius guitarist who played on ‘Believer’.
If you’re around, it’d be great to see you
there.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
album release date
[15.09.09] |
| |
Suddenly,
after months of waiting (not very patiently), it’s
all happening. My new album, called ‘Believer’,
has gone to press and will be released on 16th November.
Fortunately I’ve just been on retreat meditating
for 6 hours a day so I’m slightly calmer than
I would be otherwise. But still so excited I managed
to jump in the freezing cold Channel for a swim with
my sister at the weekend – the first time I’d
braved it since living next to the Pacific ocean. It
was well worth it.
We were down on the south coast, the Isle of Purbeck,
to do our annual gig at the infamous Square & Compass
Inn in Worth Matravers. This seems to get bigger each
time - this year the only way I could get in or out
the room was through the window. Not being able to fit
a string section or drum-kit in, I played some very
acoustic versions of some of the songs from ‘Believer’
with my indispensable bass player Christian Dunham.
We also played some very new songs I’ve written
in the last few months which I guess will end up on
the next record. Thanks to everyone who came from near
and far to hear us play – it was a great night.
The next morning the first single from my new album,
a song called 'Lighthouse Man', was played on Radio
2. It's a great moment, going from hearing a song in
the studio to hearing it on radio for the first time.
Thanks to Aled Jones for playing it - he was the first
Radio 2 DJ to play my songs on his 'Good Morning Sunday'
show 2 years ago and has give me amazing support ever
since.
New gigs dates are now being confirmed – keeping
checking the website or join my mailing list and I’ll
send you an email. I’ll also let you know when
‘Believer’ is out.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
A
bit about the songs
[10.07.09] |
| |
I’ve
put a couple of new songs up on MySpace – one
called ‘The Borderline’ from my first album
‘Stranger Place’ and one called ‘Someday’
from my last album ‘Keep Walking’ –
so I thought I’d tell you a bit about all the
songs you can hear and where they came from.
‘Keep Walking’ is a song about perseverance
I wrote while stuck in London one long winter waiting
for Australian immigration to decide whether to let
me back in the country. I am eternally grateful to them
for eventually giving me a visa, teaching me a bit of
patience, and giving me the opportunity to write a song
that ended up on the Radio 2 playlist.
‘Falling on my Feet’ I wrote in a hospital
in north London where I played endless Bob Marley songs
in the smoking room and wrote this song which turned
out to be a kind of premonition – a few months
later I was on a plane to Australia and happiness in
a shack in the Obi Obi valley.
‘Someday’ was inspired by the Isle of Purbeck
on the south coast of England, a place I’ve known
and loved all my life. It was the only place I really
missed when I went to live in the Australian bush 5
years ago.
Writing ‘Back Home’ I was thinking about
reincarnation and how life could be like the rain cycle
– from sea to cloud to rain to river back to sea
again, and so on, round and round.
‘The Borderline’ I wrote after a long period
of writer’s block. I’d been to see my Buddhist
teacher Lama Jampa Thaye in Manchester and he told me
to write first thing every morning after my meditation
practice. The next morning I got up and wrote ‘The
Borderline’. It’s one of those songs that
seemed to come through me rather than from me.
I still write every morning after my practice. Sometimes
songs come easily, sometimes they don’t. This
week my life’s been turned upside down again but
I take comfort in knowing that where there’s heartache,
there’ll be a new song to express how I feel,
make me feel better, and hopefully make you feel something
too.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
On
the road & Radio 2
[28.06.09] |
| |
Armed
with my guitar, keyboard and bass player Christian,
I headed down to Cornwall to do a gig in a crazy little
village called St Agnes. I’ve never really seen
Cornwall before – only Newquay on a very grey
day - so this was a bit of a revelation. The coast down
there is gorgeous – very like the Isle of Purbeck
in Dorset which is a place very dear to my heart. Thanks
to Tim at The Taphouse for the Sambuca and the local
cops for turning up when it was time for bed.
Then last week we went back to the Acoustic Club at
Bishops Stortford where we played a couple of years
ago. It’s a fantastic open-mike night with a guest
spot at the end which they gave us at very short notice.
Lovely club, lovely people. Thanks to Keef and Annie
for having us back – I hope the Eukele convention
went well…
After that we did a gig at CB2 in Cambridge in a tiny
basement with US country singer Rachel Harrington and
Jenni Alpert. Another great audience - some who’d
seen us play at Bush Hall last year and seemed to enjoy
the more intimate surroundings! Rachel sang ‘Ode
to Billie Joe’ which made my night plus I got
to see some very old friends who turned up out of the
blue.
So now I have the bug back. I still don’t know
when my new record’s coming out so in the meantime
I’m going to get back on the road and play gigs
of all shapes and sizes to as many people in as many
places as possible. If you’re on my mailing list
I’ll keep you posted on where and when - otherwise
keep checking my gig guide.
By the way, this morning Aled Jones played my cover
of Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’
on his Radio 2 show. I recorded it back in 2004 for
an audio-installation called ‘Electric Storm’
on London’s South Bank. You can hear it over the
next 7 days at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006wqvh
(scroll to 00:45mins).
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Back
on stage again
[10.06.09] |
| |
Leaving
my string section, lead guitarist and drummer at home,
I’ve been doing some intimate acoustic warm-up
gigs to showcase some of the songs from my new album.
It feels so great to be out of the studio and playing
live again - and I’m playing some songs on piano
which I’ve never done at gigs before.
With just my bass player Christian, we did the first
gig in Bristol at The Prom Bar. It’s a great venue
we played a couple of years ago just before our tour
with Don McLean. Thanks to all the fans who came down
to support us including all our friends from the Sakya
Buddhist centre which is just up the road from the venue,
and friends who came from the other side of the country.
It was great to see you all there.
The next gig was at another great venue - the Guildhall
in Gloucester where Al Biernacki has been promoting
his ‘Acoustica’ night for the past 5 years.
We opened for Iain Archer who used to be in Snow Patrol
and is now a great solo singer-songwriter. I always
love playing at the Gloucester Guildhall - the staff
are so friendly and it’s such a fantastic venue
for acoustic music. I hope the new management team there
realise what a gem Acoustica is and keep it going. Big
love and thanks to Nick the sound engineer for another
great gig and to everyone who came to support us.
Next up is The Taphouse in Cornwall tomorrow night then
a couple of very intimate acoustic clubs in East Anglia
next week. Dates are up on my website at www.emilymaguire.com
and on myspace. If you can make it, it’d be great
to see you there.
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Warm-up
gigs
[31.05.09] |
| |
I’m
doing some intimate warm-up gigs next month to showcase
some of the songs from my new album. If you’re
around, it’d be great to see you there. Check
my gig guide for dates. First one is tomorrow night
at the Prom Bar in Bristol.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
song on Radio 2, March 29th
[26.03.09] |
| |
I’ve
been taking some time out after finishing my new album
and we’ve been back to Australia to make sure
our shack is still standing after all this time away
and to spend some time with family and friends on that
side of the world.
Now we’re back in the UK and looking forward with
great excitement to the release of the new album which
I hope will be very soon. If you want to be one of the
first to know the release date, join my mailing
list and I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, you can get a sneak preview on Radio
2 on Sunday morning (29 March) when one of the songs
is given its first airplay on Aled Jones’ show
‘Good Morning Sunday’ (7am-9am). The song
is called ‘Start Over Again’ and it’s
an acoustic ballad that will be the final track on my
new album. I hope you like it. If you miss the show
you'll be able to hear it on BBC iPlayer for the next
week or so.
Hope
all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Going
home
[25.01.09] |
| |
The
album's done. Big love and thanks to Christian Dunham,
Philip Tennant, George Apsion, Geoff Dugmore, Luke Potash
and Jae Yoo for making my songs come to life.
Now, after 18 months away, we're going home. In July
2007 we left our shack in the Australian bush with a
bag of CDs and our guitars, thinking we'd be home in
12 weeks to start making goats cheese again to pay for
my next album and our next UK tour. Instead, mainly
thanks to Aled Jones at Radio 2, we've ended up spending
the past year and a half touring the UK and promoting
my last album 'Keep Walking'.
It's been brilliant but we've been homesick too. Getting
burgled in London on New Year's Eve makes you long for
a home where there's not even a lock on the door. So
tomorrow night we'll be on a plane to Brisbane, then
we'll drive north up into the hills behind the Sunshine
Coast to the farm. All the dogs will be there and the
goats. I can't wait to see them. It's summertime and
there'll be snakes around but I don’t mind.
But the main thing we want to see, aside from the shack
and the animals and the huge blue sky and the green
hills, are the people we love and miss. Australia is
a long way from London, but to us it's still home.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
YouTube
video of us in the studio
[20.01.09] |
| |
I’ve
spent the past 4 weeks in a studio in London recording
my third album, living on caffeine and ready meals
and developing a secret addiction to American Idol
(I don’t normally get to watch Sky so this is
truly a revelation).
We’ve had some great days working with guitarist
Luke Potash, drummer Geoff Dugmore and violinist Jae
Yoo. You can see us all in a video posted on my website
by my bass player Christian Dunham with footage of
our recording sessions and rehearsals. Make sure you
check out the final scenes with our trusty engineer
George Apsion and his faithful assistant Tariq dancing
to what might be the first single, a song called ‘I’d
Rather Be’. Click here
to watch it on YouTube.
All the new songs for this album are now recorded
including ‘Lighthouse Man’, ‘Anything
You Do’ and ‘A Bit of Blue’ which
you might recognise from recent shows, as well as
brand new songs including ‘I’d Rather
Be’, ‘Believer’, ‘Free’
and more. We’re now in the final stages of mixing
with the wonderful George and working all hours because
we have to finish the album by the end of this week.
I'm excited...
Hope all's well in your world.
xx
|
| ____________________________________ |
Recording
a new album
[21.12.08] |
| |
I
love this time of year. Maybe it's the winter solstice
or the Christmas lights or just something in the air,
but I always get a bit emotional in December - in a
good way - and now more than ever cos we're now halfway
through recording my third album at a very lovely studio
in west London.
Awesome drummer Geoff Dugmore has been in to lay down
the grooves with bass player Christian Dunham, I’ve
finished most of the vocal and acoustic guitar parts
and after a break for Christmas we start recording again
in the new year with a string section and guitarist
Luke Potash. The songs are starting to come to life
and while trying to remain calm at all times, I am really,
really excited about this record.
We finish in the studio at the end of January. If you
want me to let you know when the new album’s out,
join my mailing list
and I’ll keep you posted.
I hope all’s well in your world - wishing you
a very happy Christmas and New Year.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Hope
and pray
[03.11.08] |
| |
I'm
watching the news and wondering how I'm going to sleep
tonight I'm so excited about what's happening across
the Atlantic, waiting to see if Obama is going to make
it to the White House, feeling like if he does the world
could change tomorrow, for the better. A thought which
helps when I'm also watching people in Congo walking
for miles in bare feet looking for food and shelter
from the fighting.
Here in my safe house I've had dinner and I'm listening
to a song we've been working on today. It's called 'Believer'
and it's going to be on the album I'm recording next
month in London. This is my favourite part of music-making
- when it's all open and unknown and anything could
happen. Kind of like the American election. Fingers
crossed for tomorrow...
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Tours
& tales from the shack
[01.11.08] |
| |
Photos
of my Bush Hall gig in London are now up on my website
– you can see them by clicking the link on the
news page. I've just finished a UK tour with Glenn Tilbrook
from Squeeze and his very lovely band called the Fluffers,
and I had this idea I was going to put my feet up for
a week or so before starting work on a new album, but
apparently there is no rest for the wicked so we're
back on the road again, this time with Roddy Frame,
the man from Aztec Camera.
I'm really looking forward to this tour cos we're going
back to venues I've played before and really enjoyed
- particularly The Sage in Gateshead, The Stables in
Milton Keynes and Cadogan Hall in London. I've also
got the privilege of playing the first note on the opening
night of the brand-new Komedia venue in Bath.
But right now I'm feeling a bit homesick again cos today
I spoke to my good friend Aki who is housesitting for
us in our shack back in Australia. While I'm looking
out the window at freezing cold clouds and rain-soaked
streets, she's enjoying spring sunshine on the farm.
Aside from a snake in her printer and a large, blue-tongued
lizard that seems to think it owns the bed, all seems
to be well. The shack survived a huge hailstorm last
week. The goats are not missing me (bastards).
Ah well, I guess if I was there I'd be up at dawn making
goats cheese again rather than singing my songs at The
Sage. Suddenly this feels like the right side of the
world to be on ;).
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Love
and thanks
[19.10.08] |
| |
Last
Thursday night, I played my first proper headline show
at Bush Hall in London.
I know in rock'n'roll you're supposed to be cool about
things like that but sorry, I'll be cool as fuck when
I'm reborn as a polar bear, but til then I'm a very
warm-blooded human being and right now I'm full of boundless
love and gratitude for the players who were there onstage
with me and all the punters who were there to hear us.
I sang new songs that are going to be on my next album,
and old favourites from my first two albums, some with
string arrangements for the first time. It was the most
amazing night for me - we performed my songs as they
were recorded, as I'd always wanted them to sound.
Big love and thanks to all the friends, family and fans
who were there, to my stunning string trio Jae Yoo,
Jenny Ames and Lucy Railton who played my songs so beautifully,
and to my fantastic Aussie rhythm section - Damon Wilson
on drums and Christian Dunham on bass. Big thank you
to Paul Charles and the totally indispensable Philip
Tennant for putting it all together. I'm looking forward
to the next time... and the one after that.
In the meantime, I've got a tour to finish and an album
to record... I'll keep you posted.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
London
gig 16th Oct 2008
[26.09.08] |
| |
Just
spent 2 blissful days in the mountains after 3 weeks
locked away writing string arrangements for my first
headline show in London next month. Looking forward
to singing my songs backed by a stunning string trio
and a butt-kicking rhythm section that includes the
drummer from The Waterboys. The gig is on Thursday
16th October at Bush Hall in London (nearest tube
Shepherds Bush) and tickets are available online at
www.bookingsdirect.com or the Box Office on 08700
600 100 or 0870 735 5000 (24 hours).
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
fibromyalgia information website
[15.09.08] |
| |
I
just did an interview with the founder of FibroAction
- an information website for people suffering from Fibromyalgia
Pain Syndrome. I was disabled with Fibromyalgia for
10 years - it's why I ended up teaching myself the guitar
and started writing songs to pass the time while I was
stuck at home. If you know someone who has it, this
is a great website for them: www.fibroaction.org.
You can read the interview here.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
First
headline gig in London
[11.08.08] |
| |
Lots
of things have made me very happy recently: getting
a viola and a new piano keyboard, discovering Lee Child
(yes I am now a Reacher creature), drinking Guinness
in Galway, spending time with my sister and her kids,
playing a gig at the Square & Compass Inn in the
Isle of Purbeck, finding a 125 year old copy of Mendelssohn’s
‘Songs Without Words’ for 6 quid in Oxfam
and, last but not least, having my first headline gig
confirmed.
I’m playing Bush Hall in London on Thursday 16th
October. Bush Hall is a beautiful old venue in Shepherds
Bush with a very intimate atmosphere. Together with
string players and a rhythm section, I’ll be performing
songs from both my albums and some new songs that will
be on my next album. Tickets are limited so book early
if you want to be there – check the gigs
page for booking info.
In the meantime, we’re back in the studio this
week recording a new single. I’ll keep you posted…
Hope all’s well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Find
me on Facebook
[11.08.08] |
| |
| If
you do a search on my name on Facebook you’ll
find a fan page and a group (The Music Of Emily Maguire)
set up for me by a lovely lady from Canada called Christine. |
| ____________________________________ |
Leaving
home
[03.07.08] |
| |
It’s
a year ago today that we left Australia with a suitcase
of CDs and our guitars, leaving behind all our worldly
possessions to gather dust in our shack on a goat farm
up in the hills behind the Sunshine Coast.
We thought we’d be gone for 3 months, back in
time to start making goats cheese again to pay for the
next UK tour, or the next album. Instead here we are
a year later on the other side of the world, where it’s
now summertime, and the shack seems a million miles
away.
Here we have TV and heating when we need it, and no
giant hairy spiders or deadly snakes to slide in under
the door when we’re not looking. But home is where
the heart is, and however much I’m enjoying CSI
and the lack of wildlife, my heart still lies on a sunlit
hillside 18,000 miles away.
I miss the goats, our dogs, even Dudley our resident
carpet snake. I miss the sound of the dingos howling
in the hills at night, the kookaburras laughing in the
trees in the morning, the cocks crowing, the goats fighting,
the kangaroos hopping round the paddocks, the bulls
bellowing across the valley, and the Milky Way sprayed
across the black night sky like my own private planetarium.
But at the end of the day, as someone once said, it’s
all about the music. This last year has been the most
wonderful of my life so far, as I’ve been given
the chance to play my songs to people all across the
UK and Ireland. Last weekend we played the Acoustic
Stage at Glastonbury. Next week I’m performing
at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with The Blue Nile. I’ll
get back to the shack someday but in the meantime, I’m
happy to stay on the road… |
| ____________________________________ |
On
the road with Eric Bibb
[23.06.08] |
| |
These
last few weeks I've been touring the UK and Ireland
with American troubadour Eric Bibb. We've played in
Dublin, Belfast, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southampton,
Newcastle, London, Milton Keynes, Bath, Edinburgh...
I've met so many great people and had such a good time
I'm wishing we could do it all again next month. Eric
and his band – Trevor Hutchinson on bass, Larry
Crockett on drums, backing vocalist Yana Bibb plus his
tour manager Sari - are some of the loveliest people
you could wish to be around.
The last gig with Eric is this Thursday at Warwick Arts
Centre in Coventry, then I'm off to Glastonbury Festival
with my bass player Christian Dunham where we'll be
joined by drummer Geoff Dugmore to play the Acoustic
Stage on Saturday. After nearly a year of touring as
a duo, I can't wait to hear some beats behind the songs
again. If you're going to be there, come and see us.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Seeing
the Dalai Lama
[23.05.08] |
| |
Last
year, just before I left Australia to tour the UK, I
saw His Holiness the Dalai Lama give a public talk in
Brisbane. Yesterday along with thousands of other people,
I went to the Royal Albert Hall in London to see him
again.
He talked about his main aims - to promote global responsibility,
human value and religious tolerance. He said that people
who practice compassion and altruism seem to be happier
than those that don't, however much material wealth
they have.
And afterwards I was thinking, what is it that we love
so much about the Dalai Lama? And I thought that maybe
in this age of celebrity, where you can be famous for
playing football or being rich or doing drugs, the Dalai
Lama is famous for being a good man. And smiling a lot.
And just for being like that, he has touched the lives
of millions of people round the world. As he said, "If
you think small things don't make a difference, try
spending a night in a room with a mosquito".
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
'Keep
Walking' on Radio 2 playlist
[14.05.08] |
| |
I've
just heard that the single mix of my song 'Keep Walking'
has been playlisted on Radio 2. It will be released
here in the UK on 16/06/08.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Barack
Obama
[06.05.08] |
| |
| Last
week I finished reading Barack Obama's book 'The Audacity
of Hope'. I thought it was brilliant. He comes across
as intelligent, kind, confident and humble - a rare
combination. If he manages to stay that way, I think
the world could be an infinitely better place with him
as President of the USA. |
| ____________________________________ |
Playing
Glastonbury
[02.05.08] |
| |
I'm
very happy to say that I'm playing the Acoustic Stage
at Glastonbury on Saturday 28th June. I'm touring in
May and June with American singer-songwriter Eric Bibb,
playing as a duo with my Aussie bass player Christian
Dunham, then we'll be joined by drummer Geoff Dugmore
for the festival. Can't wait!
In the meantime, my song 'Keep Walking' has been remixed
and is being released as a single in the UK and across
Europe next month. I hope you'll be hearing it on your
radio before too long. It's a song about persevering,
which feels very apt right now.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Free
Tibet rally
[05.04.08] |
| |
Tomorrow
(Sunday 6th April) at 2.30pm, Argyle Square, London...
So we were there, with thousands of other people standing
in the freezing cold in Argyle Square with banners and
flags, listening to songs and speeches in support of
Tibet. And though it didn’t make the news (no
violence, no dramatic pictures), it happened. People
in London, in Athens, in Paris, in San Francisco - all
over the world, people are protesting, making a stand.
I think China getting the Olympics is the best thing
that could have happened. Suddenly the spotlight is
on them - on Tibet - and suddenly human rights, not
war or money, is in the headlines.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Singing
in the snow
[23.03.08] |
| |
It's
Easter Sunday and I'm sitting beside a window in a house
on a green hillside, playing my guitar and watching
the sun go down across the valley. It's snowing and
there's a blackbird on the wall outside singing its
heart out. It's moments like this that make me glad
to be.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
What's
happening in Tibet
[16.03.08] |
| |
| Have
you turned on the news today? If you are anywhere in
the world except China, you’ll hear about an uprising
in Tibet against Chinese rule. Peaceful protests started
by Buddhist monks a few days ago have turned bloody
and now tanks are rolling into Lhasa. Demonstrators
have been given until Monday night to surrender. If
they do, they will be treated ’leniently’.
Considering the average jail sentence for Tibetan political
prisoners is 10 years and 11 months, and considering
China executes more than 1,000 of its own people every
year, I wonder what their idea of leniency is.
His
Holiness the Dalai Lama no longer asks for his country
back. He asks for Tibet to become a peace zone, to
have some autonomy in its own affairs within the People’s
Republic of China, for his people to be allowed the
freedom to practice their Buddhist religion without
fear or censorship. Here in the West, the Dalai Lama
is regarded as a symbol of compassion and peace, a
living example of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther
King’s legacy of non-violent resistance. In
Tibet, people cannot own a picture of him or even
mention his name without risking being thrown in jail.
There
is no democracy or human rights in Tibet - or in China
for that matter. But that won’t stop hundreds
of runners and jumpers going for gold in Beijing,
just like our business leaders and governments who
in the name of ’freedom’ drop bombs on
one country and do business with another. My heart
goes out to the Tibetans, and the Chinese soldiers
shooting at them. In the words of another Buddha,
they know not what they do.
Om
mani padme hum.
|
| ____________________________________ |
An
anniversary
[10.03.08] |
| |
Sometimes
life is stranger than fiction. This is my story.
Five years ago today I got a phone call out of the blue
that changed my life. I had this friend, an Australian
guy I'd met in London years ago. He'd got me into playing
guitar and we were good mates. He had a lot of shit
going on in his life and eventually I helped him get
out of London and back on a plane to Australia. A few
months later I got an email with a postal address so
I could send him some of my song demos. After that I
heard nothing more. His email address stopped working.
A few years later I was in a bad way. Heartbroken, just
out of hospital, I didn't know where to turn or what
to do with my life. My sister suggested a change of
scene – she said try and find your old friend
in Australia. On 10th March 2003, I sat down to write
a letter to the old address he'd given me. I'd just
written the words "I don't know if this letter
will find you cos it's been so long" when my phone
started ringing. It was him, after 3 years of no contact,
calling me from his shack in the Australian bush.
Sometimes signs are subtle, sometimes they're a bolt
from the blue. I got on a plane and didn't look back.
One thing's for sure, you never know what's going to
happen next :).
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
London
showcase
[07.03.08] |
| |
i
did a London media showcase on Wednesday night at the
Buddhist Temple at Oxford Circus, the first time I've
ever played with a live string section. I can't tell
you how exciting it was to hear my arrangements performed
live (on both my albums I recorded all the string parts
one by one in a serious labour of love!).
Big thanks to all the string players from the Royal
Academy - Jae Yoo, Robert Ames, William Burrows and
Colin Alexander - plus acoustic guitarist Phil Hudson
and my bass player Christian Dunham for a fantastic
performance.
Thanks also to everyone from my mailing list who responded
to our invitation and came down to the gig - it was
great to see you there and your support was much appreciated.
I look forward to seeing you at the Royal Festival Hall
in May if not before... I'll keep you posted.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
'Keep
Walking' on GMS compilation
[28.02.08] |
| |
The
title track of my album 'Keep Walking' has been included
on an album of 'spiritually uplifting music' chosen
by Aled Jones, presenter of 'Good Morning Sunday' on
BBC Radio 2.
Aled plays the most fantastic, eclectic music on his
radio show and this double-CD includes tracks by Eva
Cassidy, Sarah McLachlan, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Buckley,
Bill Withers and Eric Bibb to name but a few.
A fan sent Aled one of my CDs last year and he started
playing my songs on Radio 2. The Don McLean tour and
a licensing deal followed and my life has changed completely.
So I may be completely biased but he really is just
as lovely in person as he sounds on the radio.
'Good Morning Sunday' is released on 10th March - check
it out.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Royal
Festival Hall & other gig dates
[18.02.08] |
| |
| Just
confirmed: I'm playing the Royal Festival Hall in London
at the end of May supporting Irish singer-songwriter
Paul Brady, followed by a month's tour of the UK and
Ireland with American bluesman Eric Bibb. I can't wait
to be back on the road again.
The
sun's been shining here in London - nothing like a
clear blue sky on a winter's day. I've been busy doing
radio interviews for the BBC and writing out parts
for the string quartet who are playing with me at
a showcase next month.
My
current tour schedule is up on myspace and on my website.
More gig dates, including festivals, will be confirmed
soon - if you want me to keep you posted, just join
my mailing list.
Thanks
for your support - I really appreciate it.
xx
|
| ____________________________________ |
Radio
2 interview tomorrow
[19.01.08] |
| |
If
you're up early tomorrow morning, you can hear me on
BBC Radio 2 talking to Aled Jones on his show 'Good
Morning Sunday'. I'll be on around 7.30am.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
4
star album review
[15.01.08] |
| |
My
new album 'Keep Walking' was given a 4-star review in
the Financial Times last weekend. You can read it here.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Clouds with silver linings
[10.01.08] |
| |
There's
a old Hindu saying: if you don't worry about a misfortune,
within 3 years it will become a blessing.
Armed with a new minidisc recorder (yes I am old-fashioned
and I like it that way) and my guitar, I've spent the
past 10 days sitting on my bed with songs pouring out
of my head like I never lost all those ideas, just made
space for new ones. So right now I'm in a state of solemn
gratitude for this strange and wonderful life that gives
us all these clouds with silver linings.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Cops & robbers
[04.01.08] |
| |
| We
celebrated our first cold Christmas in years by eating
and drinking as much as possible and were still in festive
mood when we came back to London to find our room completely
ransacked. Everything of any value was gone, except
our guitars. They even took my ancient minidisc recorder
with all the songs I've been working on these past few
months - now no doubt in a dustbin somewhere in London.
I'm gutted. But I also feel sorry for those 2 robbers
- they obviously haven't heard of karma. You can lose
the police but you can't run from your own shadow.
xx
|
| ____________________________________ |
With love & thanks
[19.12.07] |
| |
| This
week I was interviewed on 'Woman's Hour' on BBC Radio
4 and performed my song 'Falling On My Feet'.
I was really touched by the reaction of some people
who were listening and got in touch with me through
my website or myspace. It was also great to hear from
some long lost friends who also happened to be listening
that day.
It's been an amazing year. Thanks so much to all the
people who've heard my songs and let me know what
it means to them – it makes it all worthwhile.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and New Year.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
The shack menagerie
[10.12.07] |
| |
It's
Monday morning and I'm sitting in a studio in London
doing a radio edit on 'All That You Wanted'. It's a
beautiful clean studio. The only creatures here are
human.
On the other side of the world the shack menagerie is
growing. In our absence the bat that lives in our live
recording room has had a family. Dudley's returned and
taken up residence in the ceiling and now a new snake
has appeared - a small brown tree-snake with a big attitude.
Apparently he investigated every corner of the shack
and tried to frighten a jumper lying on the floor before
retiring under the fridge.
The best news is Dudley hasn't eaten the Bills after
all and they are still happily living in the toilet
cistern. I'm hoping they'll still be there when we return.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Reasons to love London
[30.11.07] |
| |
As
I've said, I've been feeling a bit homesick. Sometimes
it's like I'm living on another planet a million miles
away from our Australian bush.
But sometimes I love London. Yesterday I was sitting
in a cafe at Victoria Station and this pigeon marched
in like it owned the place, taking no notice whatsoever
of anyone and carrying out what looked like a military
inspection of the premises.
Then I went to Soho and sat in my favourite cafe drinking
cups of chai and watching night fall and the city light
up like a Christmas tree. Someone smiled at me. Then
we went to St Martins-in-the-Fields at Trafalgar Square
to listen to some Bach by candlelight.
And just when I was thinking my day couldn't get much
better, sitting opposite on the tube on the way back
was a man with a paper bag and a big red rose sticking
out of it.
These are some of the things that make me happy - animals,
people, hot drinks, lights, music and flowers. On either
side of the world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
New
songs on myspace
[19.11.07] |
| |
I've
put up 2 more of my songs on myspace
today - thanks to Cate for reminding me.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Wishing I was home
[18.11.07] |
| |
I
don't know if it's the frost on the ground or the darkness
in the afternoons but right now I would gladly sit for
3 days on a plane to be driving up that dirt track through
the trees with the sun on my face and the sounds of
the bush in my ears. I wouldn't even mind if Dudley
was still lying in state on the sitting room table when
I got home.
Talking of giant snakes, I just heard he's left our
shack after spending the last 2 days there wrapped around
the bottom of the toilet. According to my dear friend
Aki who is shack-sitting for us, this made going to
the loo 'interesting'. Ummm...
The good news is we've just signed a UK/European licensing
deal for both my albums which is a good enough reason
to stay on this side of the world for the time being.
And I'm looking forward to a cold Christmas (it's just
not the same in 42 degrees) with TV and turkey. Ahh,
I'm feeling more cheerful already.
Hope all's well in your world.
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Live
session on Radio 2
[04.11.07] |
| |
| Last
night I did a live session for the Bob Harris show on
BBC Radio 2, playing 3 songs ('Stranger Place', 'Anything
You Do' and 'All That You Wanted') with my Aussie bass
player Christian Dunham. Presenter Gideon Coe was standing
in for Bob Harris. He finished the session by playing
the title track from my new album 'Keep Walking'. You
can hear the show at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/listen/. |
| ____________________________________ |
Hypnosis
[01.11.07] |
| |
I've
always had a phobia of snakes. Couldn't look at them
on TV or even in books. Singing my songs on stage at
pubs and folk clubs held similar heart-palpitating fear
at first which I managed to get over with large glasses
of red wine and a swig of brandy.
Then this summer I was offered the chance to tour with
Don McLean and play some of the biggest concert halls
in the country. Instead of 50 people in an audience
there would be 2,000. For days I went around in a dazed
state of complete terror. But by the time I came to
walk out on stage at the first gig, instead of bottling
it, I loved every minute of it.
And the main credit for that goes to an amazing man
called Stuart Taylor. Stuart is a clinical hypnotherapist
based in Bristol, England who cures people of their
fears, phobias, addictions and anxiety attacks. If you
have any of them, I highly recommend you go and see
him.
http://www.taylorhypnotherapy.co.uk
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Radio
2 interview today
[28.10.07] |
| |
| This
morning I was interviewed by Aled Jones on his Radio
2 show 'Good Morning Sunday' and he was as lovely in
person as he sounds on the radio. |
| ____________________________________ |
Playing
the Royal Albert Hall, 26th Oct 2007
[27.10.07] |
| |
Last
night I stood on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall
and sang 7 of my songs to a crowd of about 4,000 people
and part of me was thinking maybe I'm dreaming this,
but don't wake me up! Big love to all the family, friends
and fans who were there. It was one of the best nights
of my life.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Big
snakes and stages... the Royal Albert Hall
[25.10.07] |
| |
I
should be back on our farm in Australia making cheese
right now but instead tomorrow night I'm playing the
Royal Albert Hall in London. It's surreal to think that
4 weeks ago I was playing a folk club in Bishops Stortford.
Since then I've been touring the UK and Ireland with
Don McLean, playing my songs to 2000 people a night
instead of 50, standing on the stage of some of the
biggest concert halls across the country, listening
backstage to the band from Nashville playing 'American
Pie'... does it get better than this? Huge thanks to
Aled Jones at Radio 2 and his producer Hilary Robinson
for giving me the break that made it all happen.
And then amid all this excitement we get a call from
Australia to say that a giant snake has decided to squat
our shack. Dudley's been quite happy for years scaring
the shit out of people like me up in the goat shed but
I guess he fancied a change of scene. We've been absent
for 4 months now so he obviously thinks we're not coming
back and it's fine to get his feet under the table (metaphorically
speaking) and knock over lampshades and eat all the
mice in the piano.
Unfortunately he can't be evicted until 2 strong snake-friendly
people can heave him off the sitting room table and
out into the paddock. Fortunately I'm on the other side
of the world so one of those people isn't going to be
me :).
Hope all's well in your world.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Touring
with Don McLean
[29.09.07] |
| |
I
was supposed to be flying back home to Australia this
week after playing 32 UK gigs in 3 months on the road,
but now I've cancelled my plane ticket and am heading
off to Ireland to play the first of 16 dates supporting
Don McLean on his UK & Ireland tour. I might miss
the shack and the sunshine, but I don't mind staying
for that.
Tickets will sell out fast, so check out www.don-mclean.com
and book early.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Live
gig video
[11.09.07] |
| |
A
few weeks ago I did a gig at the infamous Square &
Compass Inn on the Isle of Purbeck. It was one of the
highlights of my 32-date UK tour. Click here
to see a video.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
BBC
Radio 2 airplay
[09.09.07] |
| |
This
morning I was profiled on BBC Radio 2 as the Sunday
Spotlight for Aled Jones' show 'Good Morning Sunday'.
He played my song 'Back Home' (which you can hear on
myspace). Check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/goodmorningsun/ontheshow.shtml.
Big thanks to Andy Cole for contacting the show about
me.
I'm doing interviews with BBC Radio Cambs, Swindon,
Birmingham and Bristol this week, and performing in
Cheltenham, Swindon, Bristol and Gloucester before my
last London gig of this tour at The Troubadour in Earls
Court on Thursday 20 September. All gig details are
on myspace or my website - if you can make it, it'd
be great to see you there.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
On
the road... part 2
[09.08.07] |
| |
After
the Secret Garden Party festival, we have a few days
off in the wilds of Cambridgeshire, consuming more cider
and the infamous brown soup in the Queens Head pub in
Newton (aside from the Square & Compass in Worth
Matravers, possibly my favourite pub in the world).
Tour bus finally fixed, we head south to the Half Moon
pub in Bishop's Stortford for a gig at the Acoustic
Club, playing the showcase at the end of their open
mike night. I've always loved going to open mike nights
and this one is just brilliant. It's on every Monday
night so if you're ever in Hertfordshire, go check it
out.
The next night we do a gig in the oldest pub in England
– St Anne's Castle in Great Leighs, Essex - built
in 1147 or something. It has low ceilings and a resident
ghost who apparently likes to ring bells in the night.
The ghost keeps a low profile while we're there and
the lovely Hutton brothers and some fans from the night
before turn up to see us play. 24 songs and several
hours later we find ourselves on an empty M25 (ahh,
heaven eh?) heading towards the southern suburbs of
London.
After a few hours sleep we're on the road to Brighton
for the Lewes Guitar Festival, where we perform outside
in beautiful gardens under a boiling hot sun for an
hour and 15 minutes (I am eternally grateful to the
lady who gave me some sunscreen!). After the set, I
do an interview with a local TV station which you can
watch at http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/locallife/?void=87046.
There's also some footage on YouTube - do a search on
my name at www.youtube.com. An old friend turns up out
of the blue to make my day.
Next day we're back in London playing at the Barfly
in Camden Town, and that evening I'm falling asleep
into my bowl of pasta, despite having decided that coffee,
cider and sandwiches don't substitute for a hot meal.
Only another 19 gigs to go before we get back on a plane
to Australia again. Next up is a chapel in Suffolk and
a club in Brighton… I'll keep you posted.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
On
the road... [UK]
[30.07.07] |
| |
| So
I packed my bags, said goodbye to the frogs and spiders
in our shack, and left the farm and bush behind as we
headed for Brisbane airport.
Oh
joy, 22 hours in a plane… again. This time I
stopped overnight in Japan where despite spending
hours at the back of every queue in the airport, once
I actually got to the hotel everything was great –
a bed, a hot shower, the best spaghetti bolognaise
I've ever had (bizarrely enough), and the Teachings
of Buddha next to the Gideon Bible. What more could
you ask for?
So
I get to Heathrow the next day and there's my bass
player who's somehow made it through customs despite
his haircut, and we head off into the bus station
with our guitars and bags and coffees in hand.
First
off to the lovely Larmer Tree Festival near Salisbury,
where it's raining. Rain is something we are really
short of in Australia but here in England it's summertime
so it's pissing down. Fortunately at the festival
the tent stayed dry, we did our first gig and I had
my first pint of cider in years. Ahhhh… this
was something of a revelation! Apparently though cider
is now cool here so I find myself being fashionable
which is worrying but I can't help it for now. Cider
is definitely the drink of this tour.
We
do gigs in London, Cambridge, Hayling Island and Lymington,
before turning up at the Cambridge Folk Festival,
again to a small welcoming monsoon. By this time I'm
half wishing I'd brought my wellies with me from Australia
but they have been known to contain tarantulas so
I thought best not. We open the festival, meet Paddy
the sound-man who I haven't seen for years, and play
in the Festival session accompanied by Heather Downie,
a very talented young harp player from Scotland.
In
between times, our very reliable and trustworthy tour
bus has broken down with an as-yet-undiagnosed-but-possibly-terminal
case of paralysis. This is where touring gets interesting.
We hire a car, weeks old with an MP3 player and coffee
holder (I am easily pleased), and head off to the
Secret Garden Party festival for a gig on the last
night. This is like turning up sober to the end of
an office party, but once again cider comes to the
rescue - despite being cider that looks the EXACT
colour of piss, it tastes lovely and makes me feel
much better about everything, including the sight
of the toilets.
We've
got a few days off now before we head into deepest,
darkest East Anglia for gigs in Hertfordshire and
Essex. If you're in the UK, check out my tour dates
and come hear us play. Cider donations will be gratefully
received.
Hope
all's well in your world.
em
xx
|
| ____________________________________ |
Bed
hats & blessings [at home in Australia]
[22.06.07] |
| |
Last
night I went to bed in my hat. No this wasn't a bipolar
symptom but just the fact that shacks made from wood,
tin and potato sacks are not very warm in the arctic
temperatures we've been having here in the Australian
bush.
And now I'm sitting here, still wearing the hat, typing
this on our terminally erratic computer with a brown
cow outside the door threatening to munch the power
line, and Tom Waits on the stereo singing one of my
all-time favourite albums, and I'm counting my blessings
of the past month.
Starting with the Dalai Lama, who came to Australia
and gave a public talk in Brisbane. I can't tell you
how amazing it was to actually be in the same room as
His Holiness, even if the room was the size of a football
pitch. I was in tears. He talked about how important
it is to teach our children 'warmheartedness' –
compassion - and how he hopes this century will be one
of dialogue rather than force. He talked about forgiveness
- how to separate the person from the action - and how
he applies this personally to the Chinese and their
actions in Tibet. It was just wonderful - I felt so
privileged to have been there.
And then yesterday I met Tariq Ali. He was here on the
Sunshine Coast in Australia, being interviewed by ABC
Radio and I'd been asked along to sing some of my songs.
In case you're wondering, Tariq Ali is a novelist, political
campaigner and bit of a revolutionary figure back in
the day. Mick Jagger wrote a song for him, Marlon Brando
invited him to dinner, Henry Kissinger lost a war of
words with him. Like the Dalai Lama, he is one of the
sane voices in the world. And I got to shake his hand!
And on top of all that, 3 weeks ago my life changed
completely and forever. Everything is the same and yet
something happened involving two very small words that
I never thought would make such a difference - but it
has and I have never been happier :).
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Rain
and romance
[12.05.07] |
| |
Today
it rained. Here in the Australian bush, we've just had
our wet season pass by with barely a drop. I come from
the UK, a country where rain is 'miserable'. Here, rain
is a miracle. There are kids out west who have never
seen water fall from the sky. But now for once the clouds
aren't just taunting us but pouring rain into our water
tanks and dams. The dust is damped down, the brown grass
is a bit greener, and we've got drinking water again
on the farm.
But I wasn't going to write about water, I was going
to write about Robert James Waller. I read The Bridges
of Madison County years ago. It was the only book apart
from Watership Down and The Color Purple that made me
cry (yes I'm Piscean and a terminal romantic in case
you're wondering). I sat on the sofa in my London flat
with a box of tissues and bawled my way through the
last 20 pages. It was fucking great in that way tears
can be sometimes.
Anyway, I found another book of his - Old Songs in a
New Café - in a charity shop here in Australia.
It's a collection of his autobiographical stories from
the 1980s and his compassion, wisdom and love of life
shine through every page. I loved it. It reminded me
that alongside the arms dealers and despots, there are
lots of Robert James Wallers in the world as well.
And where would we be without rain and romance? |
| ____________________________________ |
The
joys of new technology
[01.05.07] |
| |
There
are apparently good and bad sides to most things, but
for me as an independent artist, the internet is a complete
blessing. It makes my whole life possible.
Picture this: I'm sitting here in a shack in the middle
of Australian bush. The walls are made of potato sacks,
the roof is tin, the floor is a concrete slab. Outside
are trees and hills and creeks, dingos, kangaroos, snakes,
spiders and a billion other creatures. We have no heating
and no TV but in one corner there's recording equipment
and in another is this computer and a wireless modem.
Which means you can read this, wherever you are, in
a city on the other side of the world, in another timezone,
another season even. I can write and record my song
here, and you can listen to it there, with not one A&R
man to come between us. I don't know about you, but
that cheers me up no end ;). |
| ____________________________________ |
Lyrics
[22.04.07] |
| |
All
the songs from both my albums 'Keep Walking' and 'Stranger
Place' are now available on iTunes, so I've finally
got round to putting all the lyrics up on my website.
Check out the music page at www.emilymaguire.com. I've
illustrated them with some of my own photos from here
in the Australian bush (and beyond). You can also hear
clips from all the songs there too.
We've just confirmed a gig at the Secret Garden Party
festival in the UK. I'm also playing the Cambridge Folk
Festival, Larmer Tree Festival and a festival at the
Inn On The Beach on Hayling Island near Southampton,
as well as about 20 other dates in pubs and clubs across
the UK between July and September 2007.
Can't wait to be back on the road, playing guitar for
3 months instead of making cheese here on the farm.
I'm sure the spiders will miss me :). It will be spring
here when we return so we'll have to search the shack
carefully to make sure we don't have an eastern brown
for a flatmate. Harry and Harriet will no doubt have
had a zillion babies by then. Ah well, so it goes...
the big question is, will it rain?
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Meeting
Harriet & the blues
[13.04.07] |
| |
So
a month has gone by, and my head's done years of time
inside itself. The sky's still blue, the hills still
green, everything is as it was and yet nothing's the
same. Buddha said your mind creates this world. I'd
like to see through his eyes.
One interesting thing that's happened, aside from my
mental gymnastics, is the appearance of a huge rainforest
spider called Harriet in our toilet (this is south-east
Queensland in case you're wondering). Harriet is the
girlfriend of Harry (the Huntsman Spider) who likes
to scare the shit out of me by absailing from the top
of our fridge as I'm opening the door. Harry is about
the size of my hand.
Harriet is not much smaller and has clearly taken a
liking to our toilet bowl, please don't ask me why.
You can see her legs sticking out from under the rim
(is this too much information?). We tried to extract
her with flushing and coat hanger but to no avail -
she simply stalks back up the pipe and into the cistern.
This somehow dulls the excitement of actually having
a flush toilet in our bathroom which works but no-one
now wants to use.
Anyway, apart from trying to evict Harriet from the
toilet, I've written a new song (you've got to have
the cloud to have the silver lining), made lots of cheese
and booked lots of gigs for the UK where I'm doing an
'unplugged' acoustic tour this northern summer with
my bass player Christian. If you're around for any of
the dates, come and say hello.
Hope all's well in your world.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Happy
days...
[18.03.07] |
| |
Today
I managed to get tickets to hear His Holiness the Dalai
Lama give a public talk in Brisbane. To a Buddhist,
this is a bit like a Christian going to see Jesus, so
as you can imagine I am ecstatic.
So much so, I don't even mind the fact that I've just
discovered a big pile of snake poo on the bathroom floor,
which means there was a snake in the shack last night
while I was in bed happily dreaming about hot water
and a flush toilet...
yes I'm afraid, being human, after two whole weeks of
intense gratitude and appreciation of our new hot tap,
I now want MORE (a flush toilet would truly transform
our shack into part of civilized society!).
... but then I don't suppose the snakes would care -
they'd still go on the floor. Actually the poo is a
good sign cos it means they're about to go into hibernation
for winter, so I can stop walking around the farm with
my eyes glued to my feet and going face-first into a
spider's web. Ahhh, I love it here...
Hope all's well in your world.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Radio,
wellies and a huge spider
[12.03.07] |
| |
This
morning I was making goats cheese up at the dairy
and my partner Christian comes up to tell me that
my song 'Keep Walking' has been put on the national
playlist for ABC Radio. Our local station ABC Coast
FM has been playing it for the past 6 months, but
now it will be played on all 60 ABC radio stations
across Australia.
Naturally I tried to remain calm and dignified (as
dignified as you can be wearing white wellies, rubber
gloves and a shower cap), but this is the best news
I've had all year (apart from hot water in the shack)
so instead I squealed and squeaked and bounced up
and down in my wellies like the eight-year-old I really
am inside (aren't we all? she says hopefully). In
case you're wondering, wellies are gumboots - I live
in Oz but I'm still a Brit.
Anyway, it's 38 degrees in the shade up here in the
hills and I've just spotted a fucking huge spider
heading for my shopping bags. There's no way it's
coming to the supermarket with us today - frogs are
one thing, but this could give the check-out lady
a full coronary and we'd be permanently banned from
Nambour Plaza. This would be a devastating blow as
I am terminally addicted to the stationery department
in Big W... is this too much information?
Ah well, while I've been writing this, the spider
has disappeared... but which bag?
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Back
Home (new song)
[09.03.07] |
| |
I've
put up another song on myspace from my new album 'Keep
Walking'. It's called 'Back Home'. To me it's a song
about reincarnation and the rain cycle. To you it's
about whatever you want it to be - all my favourite
songs by other artists are about me, not them.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Back
to the shack
[01.03.07] |
| |
After
20 hours of head-splitting sinus agony on the plane
from London, followed by 2 days glued to the sofa in
a jetlag semi-coma (yes I'm playing this down), it's
now a week since I arrived back home to our farm in
the Australian bush. My eyes have adjusted to the sunlight,
the dirt-encrusted floor, the spiders on the walls,
and the possibility of a snake in every nook and cranny.
Little Bill the bullfrog is alive and well, and I am
feeling happy again.
And today I am positively RADIANT, with the momentous
development of hot water in the kitchen sink. With matching
taps! Being human, in about a week's time I'll be taking
this completely for granted but the time being I am
in a state of divine appreciation.
Hope all's well in your world.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Album
review
[14.02.07] |
| |
Still
in London but just 5 days to go til I'm on a plane
back to civilisation in the Australian bush...
Making me feel it's all been worth it, just got the
first review for my new album 'Keep Walking' from
IndepenDisc in New York. [Read reviews here]
xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Gigs
in New York
[06.02.07] |
| |
Back
in London after 5 fantastic days in New York doing my
US debut gig at Mo Pitkins, and launching my new album
'Keep Walking' at Pianos NYC.
Despite freezing -10c temperatures outside (I thought
my Aussie rhythm section might never breathe again),
we rocked... so much so that I managed to break a string,
which gave my bass player the perfect opportunity to
grab the mic (he's been waiting for years) and do his
Aussie accent… photos, video and audio will all
be up on my website at www.emilymaguire.com very soon.
And the best thing of all? All that time I've been sitting
in a tin shack in the middle of the Australian bush
making friends on myspace and then I finally get to
New York with my band and there they are – real
people, real faces, come to see us play. Micki, Bryan,
Steve, Pete, Gary… thank you all so much for coming
down, and everyone else who was there on the night to
support us. We really appreciated it.
Finally, big love & thanks to promoter Lena Chen
of Chilen Music for organising the whole trip –
and for generally being such an inspiration and motivation
to us. Being an independent artist is great at times,
and fucking hard at others… people like you are
priceless. It was such a pleasure to meet at last after
being friends for so long… can't wait til the
next time.
We'll be back soon...
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
London
gig
[24.01.07] |
| |
First
London gig of this tour tomorrow night at The Troubadour
on Old Brompton Road. I can't wait. I've got new boots,
which always help a girl get up on stage, even if The
Troubadour has pretty big boots to fill… Bob Dylan,
Joni Mitchell, even Jimi Hendrix have all played there.
I'll be headlining with my Aussie bass player Christian
and drummer Shane, singing songs from my new album 'Keep
Walking'. If you're on this side of the world tomorrow
night, somewhere near Earls Court in London, come down
and see us – it'd be great to meet you in person.
em xx |
| ____________________________________ |
Beam
me up
[08.01.07] |
| |
Standing
in the supermarket, strip-lighting glaring down on my
tear-filled eyes, people everywhere, like ants, rain
falling in the darkness outside... I'm standing holding
an empty shopping basket, my soul shrivelling up inside
me, wishing with every ounce of my being that I was
back home on that green and sunlit hillside 18,000 miles
away.
I have no skin, no barrier between me and the mass of
humanity that is Kilburn High Road. It takes a day or
2 to grow a shell, to grow comfortable inside it, to
become a Londoner again. Guess I'll just keep walking... |
| ____________________________________ |
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