June/July 2008
Hi all. Well…after months and months of writing it and thinking about it and playing it and imagining it and jamming it and talking about it…I am finally recording the ukulele record of my dreams. My new baritone Kala arrived about a month ago, and she and I are getting along rather famously now. Thomas, Ian, Jorn, Justin, Andrew and I spent 3 days in the studio last week laying down bed tracks for 14 new songs to add to my quiver. It was a wonderfully alive 3 days. Unfortunately the ukulele disease is fully upon me, and I can't seem to stop writing on the damn thing. Hopefully spending the coming weeks working out the ridiculous horn arrangements for this record will curb the flood of new songs. I need some sleep.
In other news…last Friday I went to the Tranzac to see my all time favorite band of all time 'st. dirt elementary school'. They just keep pumping out the hits people! The kind of hits that make you feel like space and time just collided about 6 inches from your 3rd eye. Insanely beautiful and warped like looking at the world through a 100 year old pane of glass. If you live in the Toronto are and haven't seen them yet, you still have a couple of chances this summer. Check out the Tranzac calendar for more details.
Thanks for stopping by.
-AK
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May 04/07
Hello all! Thank goodness for May I say. All that’s been dormant and cold finally feels the warmth of the sun, and makes a commitment to living again. What could be better really? All that intention, all that possibility…
I’m feeling rather pregnant with intention and possibility myself right now. Looking forward to playing a bunch of summer shows with my good friends Ian de Souza and Kevin Breit. One of the many things I love about making music with these two is that I never know what it’s going to sound like…I never know how it’s going to end. I only know that it’s going to be really really fun. For the month of June you can catch us playing an early (7:30pm) casual set every Monday at the Tranzac Club in Toronto, but stay tuned to the gigs page for more concert announcements. Why aren’t we playing on the 11th you ask? Well that’s because my other great musical love (possibly my first) Mr. Bill Brennan and I are going to take the tiny stage that early evening and reunite for a very special journey through some Chesterfield Inlet repetoire. Special guests? Hell ya! Terrible Bill jokes? Uh huh! Easter Bonnets? Perhaps…
All these shows threaten to premiere snippets of my yet untitled musical in progress, and my very darling ukelele. (Both things that scare the living daylights out of me!)
Oh and one other tidbit of news. There’s been an astonishing number of requests for lyrics to songs from “Songs” lately – must be a bunch of you buying em on iTunes. Well that makes me really happy…thanks! The lyrics are now available on iTunes by right clicking the song title and choosing ‘get info’. You can also go to the CDs page of this website where the complete liner notes to “Songs” are now at your fingertips. Sing along. Sing loud. Sing often.
To all the eyes and brains and hearts reading this right now, thanks for checking in.
To be continued…
ak
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December 15/06
Hi everyone! A new year is upon us and I couldn't be any happier actually.
First off 2006 kinda sucked and according to Rob Brezny '07 looks high and
mighty for Virgos. I'm also looking forward to a couple of rocking Toronto
shows in January. (Check the gigs page if you've got time.) The new little
CD is thriving...some very interesting things happening with it that I can't
discuss here! If you haven't got your copy yet, get yer butt to CDbaby and
ask them to send you one.
So as I sign off I should mention that I am grateful to be a music maker. I
am grateful for your ears and your feedback. I am blessed with so much joy
and I only hope that I'm sending enough of it back out into the world.
Peace, love and strength.
andrea
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October 13/06
Hi everyone. Well the launch for "Songs" has happened and what a night it
was. The band kicked some serious ass and the audience was full of folks
who felt like yellin! Thanks to everyone who came out to hear this bunch of
new music. More thanks to Kevin (for his gorgeous solo opening set),
Justin, Ian, Gary, Ron, Lis and Sue for their beautiful musical
contributions. Even more thanks to Holmes and all the staff at Hugh's for
their hospitality and impeccable attention to detail. Even even more thanks
to all of the folks at CBC radio, and the wonderful Folk Music DJs across
Canada, the US and Australia who have been spinning the disc! I am the
lucky one.
But...most importantly, I need to say thank you to a few people who I
neglected to call attention to that evening at Hugh's. I was completely
remiss in thanking a couple of people who have improved my quality of life
greatly in the weeks leading up to the show.
Kai Koschmider - helped me with everything from web design to stuffing
envelopes and his bizarre sense of humor and massive brain sure came in
handy in stressful moments. Actually so did his beautiful wife Michelle
Richea N.D., who had not only herbal pick-me-ups but she's unbelievable at
assembling press kits! Thanks you guys...and sorry for not doing it sooner.
Colin Puffer - did sound for the show at Hugh's. I, the seasoned singer
songwriter, broke the cardinal rule of the club show...I didn't thank the
sound person. How dare I? I'm not sure how it happened really. I stared
at the guy all night, you'd think I'd remember to shoot him a wee thank you.
Oh well. What's done is done. But I am planning on going to Colin's show
at the Transac on October 24th in case anyone wants to come along!
And finally Dugg Simpson - thank you for wearing that hat. I'm in touch
with my own inner Cossack now, but I think that Thomas has been changed forever...
Stay tuned for more shows and exciting news to come.
And stay joyful.
ak
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September 12/06
Hi everyone! Well I can’t believe it…I’m finally opening the cage door to set this wonderful new record free. It’s been a long time coming and I hope it spends some time on your player of choice. I’m beyond happy about the way it’s turned out and once again I’m grateful to every hand that helped bring it into being (and there were many many joyful hands.)
The release concert is going to be a fantastic show, and will feature most of the talented folk who actually played on the disc…Kevin Breit & Justin Abedin (guitars), Ian de Souza (bass), Ron Lopata (keys), Gary Craig (drums), Rique Franks/Sue Patrick Breit/Lis Soderberg (vocals) and maybe even a special guest or two! There’s also going to be a mini solo opening set by none other than Kevin Breit playing and singing tunes from his CD Burnt Bulb on Broadway.
If you’re in Toronto, get your butt down to Hugh’s!
ak
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June 22/06
I walked home along the greyest pavement
Placed my feet between the cracks.
I smiled at a bald guy in a lid-less Chevy
And he smiled back.
The simplest things give us wings.
You make war and you make profit
And you make deep shit.
Well I make dinner and I make music
And I make love and I believe in it.
The simplest things give us wings.
ak
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June 1/06
Hi everyone!
I need to say thank you to everyone who has been sending me email
asking about the arrival of the new CD. Please know that your
letters are fantastic to receive, even if I don’t always manage
to reply to them promptly. Truth be told this new CD has taken a
bit longer than expected...but I know it's been worth the wait!
Well to begin with, the record isn’t called Waving (as was
originally planned) because after it was born, it asked to be named
“Songs”. How could I say no? It’s
probably the brownest record you’ve ever seen, and I hope it will
spend some time on your player of choice. Once again I worked
with the sweetest and most talented musicians in Toronto… Ian de
Souza, Justin Abedin, Kevin Breit, Gary Craig, Gary Breit, the wondrous
singers of LUSHUS, Ron Lopata and that’s just to name a
few. The disc was produced by my beautiful husband/producer
Thomas Neuspiel and let me tell ya, we packed a serious amount of JOY
into this one friends. I’m elated with the way it’s
turned out and I can’t wait to share it.
There's a gonna be a hell of a release party this summer and everyone’s invited.
Stay tuned. Stay joyful.
ak