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Cara Journal Cont'd

May 2007 - Hi There!

Ahh, England, Scotland Wales. Much fun! Here's a shot of St John's College in Cambridge -- my dear friend James is studying there and gave us the grand tour.

I was expecting cold and rainy across the pond, but it was baking hot and sunny. Good thing I brought one sun dress and picked up some funky socks :) Many thanks to Mr. Keelaghan for being so kind and gracious as to have me along on this adventure. Played a variety of opening spots - a couple of opening sets even - and will be heading back in the New Year for shows of my own. Only ate clottled cream once, and fell in love with vegetable chips ("root crisps").

Arrived home to Wpg in time to get ready for the CD release concert. What a wonderful evening it was! Damon Mitchell (New Meanies and Nathan) and Christian Dugas (session player extraordinaire) joined us (Hugh played bass and all sorts of other stringed things, Donovan sang back-up) and we ROCKED the house! The Angry Dads did a fabulous opening set... good food was baked by good friends... new t-shirts straight from the screenprinters... new stickers... AND CBC recorded the concert and will be airing it soon. I'll keep you all posted.

Well, I literally must run, we're off to do more shows in the West. Hope to see some of you on our travels! Peace out -

Cara

April 2007

Wow, the past few months have been crazy... SXSW was intense -- heat and people and music and a GREAT organic grocery superstore! I have never walked (or eaten) so much in my life. Well, except for the last time I was in Austin :) hee hee

The Light Fantastic is out!!! The CD package looks gorgeous. I'm looking forward to getting back out on the road. The Wpg release show is May 17 and promises to be much fun. Our good friends the Angry Dads are opening (they are a blast).

I'm off to the UK in a few days to open 11 shows for James Keelaghan. Should be fun re-learning how to drive a stick shift on the other side of the road.

Highlights from the past few days:

- going to a social (a Manitoba phenomena) called Boobalicious -- it was a great evening of airbands and dance-floor craziness... hooray for classic 80's rock!
- admiring my new friend Cass' tattoo of an avocado. Talk about unique!
- riding my bike
- sitting in the sun at the Long & McQuade parking lot... nothing like asphalt to heat you up! :)

Peace out -

-Cara

March 2007 - Hey folks!

Just got home from SXSW. What an event... it's been a few years since I was last down there, I forgot how many people attend. My showcase went well, and I met some incredible Texans (such hospitality!). One of the highlights was checking out Flatstock, the rock poster exhibition. Very cool indeed! It was also a delight running into Buddy Miller -- he was playing with Emmylou Harris during her SXSW interview. What an inspirational woman.

Before heading to Texas, Hugh and I were in Ontario, driving through snowstorms and sharing music with old and new fans. We also showcased at Canadian Music Week -- at a rowdy bar with full, loud bands before and after us -- the bar audience actually became quiet and listened to our set! What's up with that?!?!

Getting ready for the "official" street date for the album up here in Canada, and then it's off to Britain for some shows. Should be good, if I can stay away from the clotted cream :) hee hee

Peace out -

Cara

Jan/Feb 2007 - Wow, what a winter so far! I am SO excited about the upcoming release of "The Light Fantastic" on Black Hen Music! Keep your eyes posted to the Concerts section to find out about release shows in your area. I'm ALSO very thrilled to head to Austin for SXSW - I've been offered an official showcase slot. wheee!

After the huge snowfall in the Peg on New Year's, I finally broke down and put snow tires on my car :) What a change! Hugh and I are currently testing them out in the mountains of BC and AB. The tour has been great -- many sold out shows, full houses, wonderful audiences, lots of hugs... The only downside is that I have had strep throat for most of the tour :( Thankfully Hugh has been into doing most of the driving so I've been dozing against the side of my door, drooling on my pillow :) And thanks to the miracle drug (penicillin) I am getting much better!
Here are some of the highlights of the tour thus far:
- having all the audiences singing "Give it Up" - what fun!
- the food at the Hoo Doo Grill -- out of this world!
- trying to have a bath at the "condo" in Fairmont (the world's most uncomfortable bathtub)
- admiring all of Long John's nick-knacks at the Duncan Garage Showroom (where does he find it all?!??!)
- walking outside at the coast in t-shirts -- hot sun! and then hearing that it was -42 in Winterpeg...
- packing the car: it's so full to the brim! it's been quite fun seeing how to create space (and see out the windows...)
- seeing familiar faces in each audience -- thank you for your support!
- gargling... gargling... gargling...
We are off to Ontario in 2 weeks -- looking forward to seeing our friends and fans out there!
Peace and light to you all -
Cara

December 9, mmm, brr. Actually not too bad here in Winterpeg, only -7 yesterday. Almost Chinook weather. Weird.
The final fall leg of our "build the buzz" touring finished up in late October, and was a good run. Thanks to all who came out to the shows, and especially those who brought friends :) and bought CDs! Hugh went off for November touring with James Keelaghan in support of "A Few Simple Verses" which they co-produced, and I am busy with organizing touring and helping people find the right acoustic guitar at Long and McQuade!
We are working diligently on the final final stages of getting "The Light Fantastic" ready for release. Joao Carvalho is working his mastering wizardry on the audio, and Jeff Carter is feverishly making up for lost time on the graphic design. It's going to be nine months almost to the day from rolling tape in the recording studio to the album's emergence into this madcap, hectic, very populated world. Funny, that. May she bring light, hope and joy to all who hear her!

September 2006

Hello friends,

Fall is upon us, here's hoping everyone is enjoying the cooler evenings and farmer's markets full of multi-coloured squash! :)

Summer was a bit of a blur --- the house I had been renting sold within a few weeks of it being listed, which meant moving rather quickly and suddenly into a new place, only to leave again for a month long tour. I arrived home just prior to the Sept long weekend, boxes waiting to be unpacked, the lawn overgrown. Slowly unpacking, figuring out where to put things, realizing I am in desperate need of a few essentials (like a desk and kitchen table... eeek!). But all is well!

Highlights from the summer:

- seeing my dear friends Mia and Kevin in Vanderhoof and playing their oh-so-funky store downtown
- being guest performers at the Prince George Folk Fest (in it's 3rd year --- hooray for new festivals!)
- hanging out in Wells, BC for over a week, teaching a songwriting workshop with Linda McRae and Kevin Kane -- what a fun time it was for all of us! Great indie arts festival up that-a-way
- visiting old friends in the Okanagan and performing at the lake
- seeing my former drummer/percussionist James Hill for the first time in 5 years!! He's getting married!
- hanging out in Wilcox (my Saskatchewan home) and loading up with fresh veggies from the community farm
- finally making it out to the Schwab's cabin in Lake of the Woods --- beautiful, peaceful, relaxing

Hugh and I will be heading back West for some "Build the Buzz" shows later in Sept, into Oct. We would LOVE to have you come to a show! We will be armed with some pre-release sampler discs.... Check out the Concerts section for details.

Peace and light to you all -

Cara

July 2006

Hello friends! It's been tooooo long since I last wrote... Much has happened these past few months, not the least of which is gaining a few new traveling companions! Above you will see pictured my lovely Curry who usually likes to face forward when I'm driving and gaze upon the beauty of the Saskatchewan landscape, but he heard he was getting his photo taken so he turned around. He has terrible posture :)

April and May saw me traveling all over the place. After we finished mixing the record in Vancouver I headed out on the road to play some shows on my way home. Visited with many dear friends, made some new ones along the way. I also headed across the pond to the UK to visit some touring folks over there... rainy and cold but quite a nice little break I must say! Explored the English countryside -- we were staying near the foot of the Pennines and not far from the Lake District. Beautiful country up there! Had much fun driving on the other side of the road and figuring out traffic circles... wheeeee! :)

I arrived home from England to a message on my phone saying the house I have been renting is for sale. ugh. So the following weeks were full of people tromping through my place. Headed out on a pre-release build-the-buzz tour with Hugh McMillan (GREAT shows out West! thanks everyone who came out) and received yet another message saying the house was sold and I had to be out by the end of July. A bit tight... got home from tour on July 6 and leave again on the 22nd... Such is life. Thankfully my roomie and I found a very beautiful house to rent.

Some sad news: a friend from Cranbrook, Doug Erickson, was killed in a strange accident while working on an old mine in Kimberley. Three other people lost their lives while searching for him. Dooger was a person full of light and love and peaceful energy. His home was "home" to many live music parties, concerts and potlucks. The community was shaken when folks heard of his passing. You will be missed, Doug! Thank you for touching our lives in such a profound way!

I will sign off. Hoping everyone is having a relaxing summer. OH, ALMOST FORGOT! The album is currently being shopped to labels and we are aiming for a late fall release. I'll keep you all posted! Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who has pre-ordered, lent money, cooked meals, hosted concerts... all in the name of keeping music alive!

Peace to you all!

Cara

April 2006

Hello friends! The sun is finally out, warming up the earth and I am LOVING it! So much to write about and share with you all. The new record is almost done and I am completely overjoyed --- what an incredible experience it has been! Neil (who produced) is quite a phenomenal individual and one hell of a producer, what a treat it was to work with him. And the extended team couldn't have been better - such amazing musicians, all incredible folks, working at Private Ear was great (such a comfy space). My dear friend Gina (aka Guitar Boy) was at the studio every day providing much support and encouragement, and basically looking after all of us (she makes great tea!). Here's a silly pic of Neil and I playing the piano. hee hee

After a few days off I headed out West in my wee car and wouldn't you know I went off the road in a freak ice storm. But all is well -- the car makes some funny noises now but it's still running! :) I stopped in Sask to see the nuns, Canmore to see the Fricot's, Chilliwack to see the Klassen's, then Vancouver to see Doma and play a showcase. It's great to be back on the coast, soaking up the sun (and all the flowers and greenery!), getting things all ready for the final mix next week. Neil and I are still having fun (who would have thought making a record could be so much fun?!?!), we're both looking forward to working with Warne Livesey (mix master extraordinaire).

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who has shown such immense support for this new album. The budget is not quite met so if you would like to hop on board as a Charter Subscriber and pre-order a copy of the CD, that would be most spectacular! Feel free to email me about that or read the information I have posted (check out the News section for a link).

I have some shows coming up on my long drive back home so check out the concerts page and hopefully I will see you in your area soon!

peace and love - Cara

Nov 1/05

Hi Friends. Wow, November already...  Christmas is just around the corner.  Here are some fun fall shots from a show I did in Lynne and Grant's backyard.  Grant's alter-ego Bud Stud made an appearance....  (thanks Sara for the photos!)

Seems I've spent a lot of time in a car. Now I'm home, laying in bed for as long as possible, reading lots of books, renting weird movies, going for the odd bike-ride, even tried jogging a few times. Am in the process of looking into some "vacation" options -- going somewhere where there are no phones or computers and putting my feet up. Ahh, sounds lovely doesn't it?  :)

I'm already looking forward to the Christmas holiday season as I've been asked to spend it out West -- part of the time in Cranbrook and the other part in Canmore.  I've decided this is the year to try snowboarding for the first time.  Here's hoping I don't break my wrist!  eeek

I spent some time in Vancouver in October, showcasing at the Western Canadian Music Awards.  It went really well!  I had some great friends join me (Mike and Anie) and a new friend (John Ellis) and we had much fun and sounded great!  Met some wonderful people -- had a lovely visit over borscht with the fabulous Neil Osborne of 54.40, reconnected with some old friends (so many of whom showed up for support at the concert!  thank you!)... On the drive back home I treated myself to a dip in the Banff Hot Springs.   Lovely!

I'll be doing a few shows in Saskatchewan and Alberta later this month so I hope to see some of you!   Enjoy the beginning of a new season!

Peace out

-  Cara

Hello friends!

Wow, what a weekend. I have never been to so many thanksgiving dinners in my life! Four in total if you can believe it (one vegetarian, the rest TURKEY TURKEY TURKEY and stuffing and cranberries and all that good stuff). So wonderful to share great food with close friends.

The Meinders' clan was probably the highlight --- the dinner conversation covered everything from Swiss farming techniques to old Dutch folk songs about lovers kissing under old trees. Then came the sing-a-long. Someone went and found me a guitar and we sang whatever song came to mind (we're talking EVERY kind of song) and it didn't seem to matter if no one actually knew the lyrics, or if I didn't know how to play it... it was just fun and loud and fun. :)

It is good to be home for awhile. I was home for all of 48 hours in Sept, so it is now time for a break. I head to Vancouver next week for the WCMAs so the real break will have to wait til I return. I've been thinking of looking into cheap flights/specials to somewhere relaxing, where I don't have to do a thing, and just sit for awhile, and re-coup. If you have any ideas, I'm all ears!

The fall was crazy: new car, then zipping off on tour in BC with the most wonderful As The Crow Flies (I love them!), then zipping home for my 48 hour stop, then off to Ontario for a wedding and a tour. Highlights:

- having Mike and Anie join me on stage while we were out west
- seeing some familiar faces from when I was at the Goderich Celtic College last year
- visiting and staying with good friends (Tannis and Lewis, Jake, Larry, Sara Hiebert in suburbia)
- the outdoor lawn concert around the campfire at Lynne and Grant Mcilvride-Evans' (with lights provided by the ever so prepared Greg King), dairy cows in the background
- the STUNNING fall drive from Sudbury to Wawa, and then on to Thunder Bay. wow.
- playing in Wawa -- well, actually right on Lake Superior, with the waves crashing and a bunch of surfers in the audience. One of the most spectacular places I've seen
- Thunder Bay. You have found your way into my heart! A GREAT sold out concert (put on by the magnificent duo of Carl and Ken), staying with the Simpsons (incredible folks), going for a long bike-ride, eating Finnish pancakes at the Hioto (sp?)

Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive these past months. I am lucky to share my gift of music with people like you!

peace out -

Cara

Hi friends Long time since I wrote last! Here's a fun shot of me with my trusty traveling companion, Little Pinky. Thanks Jake Chenier for the photo!

This summer so far has been crazy, in good and not so good ways. At the end of July, en route to Calgary, I hit a large buck and totaled my van. The inspector who came to look at my vehicle said it was the most damage he's seen on a van like mine, and that I was incredibly lucky to be safe and unhurt. Pretty amazing I guess... Puts a new spin on living life to its fullest. We are so fragile, things can change in an instant. I'm very thankful to be carrying on! So now I am shopping for a new touring vehicle and am finding the process pretty draining (dealing with over-bearing salesmen is annoying) but I'm trusting I'll find something that will do the job and continue to keep me safe.

Some sad news. Brother Roger from the Taize community in France was murdered recently. My heart aches, he was such an incredible person. I've spent time at Taize on two separate occasions... there's no place quite like it. Highlights of the summer so far:

- staying up all night watching the sun rise at North Country Fair (around solstice) while listening to Po Girl.
- playing with my friends Bill and Donovan at the Winnipeg Folk Fest (they rock!). Also meeting and having a nice visit with Buddy Miller.
- driving the Highway to the Sun in Glacier National Park (Montana)... stunning!
- hanging out with good friends, eating good food and playing good music at Mayook Mania near Cranbrook. I was asked to "sit in" on electric with a punk/ska/rock band. Totally fun!
- being surrounded by loving friends after my accident.
- riding the Ferris Wheel with Gina at the Gimli Music Festival. wheee!
- riding my bike home in a torrential rain storm that same weekend... scary but exhilarating!
- swimming at Kalamalka Lake in Vernon, my FAVOURITE lake EVER! Beautiful, clear aqua-coloured lake... it doesn't get any better!
- playing frisbee with Don Bray and his daughter at the Trout Forest Music Festival (one the best small festivals I've ever been at). Having Ken Whitely and Brian Koabyacowa sit in with me during my set. Ken then baking cookies for everyone on Sunday night. Driving back home on Monday and stopping to jam on a dock in Kenora with Dan Frechette and his girlfriend Hayley. I'm certain folks at the lake have never been so well entertained! :)

This fall I'll be doing some shows in BC with my dear friends As The Crow Flies. Looking forward to it! Come on out and catch a show!

Peace, hope and safety to you all! :)

Love Cara

June 22/05 - It's been almost a month since I last wrote, wanted to let you know what's been happening. I've been gone for about 7 weeks and am heading home in 5 days (after North Country Fair). It will be good to be in one place for awhile! Here's a super fun wanna-be-a-rockstar shot taken by the fabulous Lorne Clarke (Clarke Action Photography) in Vanderhoof, BC.

I've been thinking a lot about people and the places we call home. This tour has brought me into many folks' homes and has exposed me to such beautiful diversity. The physical landscape of our home towns, cities, farms is changing at a rapid pace. While in Saskatchewan my friends talked about farming communities and when they start to die: first the grain elevator gets torn down, then the school closes and the kids are bussed to a larger centre, and when the local post office closes there's not much left. Driving thru Northern BC I saw all the damage that the pine beetle has wrought, leaving a never-ending sea of red trees that can't be harvested fast enough. The locals say that in 10 years the North will be barren, the forestry industry forever changed. When I hit the major cities of the south I notice housing developments that look like landfills with no greenery to speak of, traffic gone berserk, cost of housing skyrocketing, generic box stores in every corner.

And amidst all this change I keep meeting incredible people who are trying to make a difference, whether it be to bring live music to their community, or supporting small businesses by shopping local, or taking part in community garden projects. And then I am awed by the beauty of our provincial and national parks, where I can ride my bike to a pristine mountain lake or see large numbers of wildlife making their way across the highway (in one day I saw deer, elk, moose, mountain sheep) or sit and breathe in absolute silence. We are very fortunate.

Heartfelt thanks to all the folks who invited me into their homes and communities on this tour, who put on concerts, who fed me meals, who offered a bed to sleep in. And to all of you who came out to support live music!

peace out -

Cara


Hi everyone! It's May 27, the day of my birth! Yippeee! Thought I'd write and let
you all know how the tour is coming (and to show off a lovely photo of me with my favorite Border Collie Smee! I want to steal him! Here are some highlights of the tour so far:

- asking a waitress in Winona, MN what kind of tea they carry; she said "hot tea and iced tea." I asked what kind of hot tea and she looked a bit confused... she brought the package out and sure enough it just said "hot tea"!!! weird...
- watching the sunset in Wilcox, SK
- playing "21" with Dean Clark in Cochrane (tearing up the court! hee hee!), then eating homemade ice cream and chocolate sauce and watching "Napoleon Dynamite." What a fun evening!
- playing in Lumsden, SK and ROCKING OUT with the crowd! "Give it Up" has never seen an audience like Lumsden! You guys ROCK!
- playing a nice intimate show in Saskatoon (that the lovely Eileen Laverty helped set up) and having a bachelor party of 30 young guys walk in, all ready to party and do shooters... and what song did I sing them? You got it... GIVE IT UP! ha ha! It was GREAT! Not really my target market but they got into it! :)
- bottle-feeding baby lambs at my friend's farm in Saskatchewan!!! I LOVE lambs! They kept head-butting my butt.... hmmmm ... We also made homemade ice cream (the old fashioned way) and somehow salt got into it... I was very thirsty after that. heeeh.
- riding my bike along the River Valley in Edmonton.
- playing at Dooger's farm just outside Cranbrook amidst a rainstorm and having guys race around in their trucks trying to put up a tarp in the middle of the set. It was quite the show! hee hee! STUNNING area!
- taking Smee to the Cranbrook Community Forest and watching him run like mad! Did I mention that I LOVE Border Collies?!?
- doing a house concert in Salmon Arm, outside on someone's lawn. It was gorgeous (and very very large)! I felt like I had walked onto the set of Dallas! :)



Hey everyone! Welcome to the site! Some big news: I just won a Juno Award for the last album I recorded with The Wailin' Jennys! Yippeee! It was such an honour to be nominated alongside the other incredible bands!

As for my next solo record, I finished demo-ing new material and am starting to look for a producer. I will keep you all posted as to how the project is developing. In the meantime, I may be playing in or around your area so check out the Concerts section.

Looking forward to playing new songs for you all!

Peace out -

Cara