NEW MUSIC, NEW DUO, NEW ADVENTURES! ²

I’m sitting in a beautiful cottage in the wilds of Essex with my dear friend and musical partner for the next few weeks, the lovely Bella Hardy.  We’re about to embark on a collaborative tour and are working up material for the sets.  Taking a bit of time tonight to write our mailouts and check emails, reading each other the subject lines of the myriad junk mail we’re both inundated with — Would you like thicker-fuller hair? The World’s Greatest ‘Enhancement Solution!’, Why eating Salad makes you old, Jailed Doctor REVEALS Cure to Most Diseases & Conditions, Milk worse than smoking? Banned For Curing Herpes — and on and on and on…  It makes for a good laugh, and a very full junk folder 🙂

It’s been a rather exciting and extremely busy spring, summer and fall (thus far).  I spent time doing shows in the Mid West, Ontario, AB and BC, taught at the FAMI camp near Calgary and PSGW near Seattle, played summer festivals both in North America and across the pond, and made some new friends for life.  In the midst of all of this I was able to visit with people close to my heart and even carve out a bit of time for a wee vacation!  My Banjo Master and good friends Johnny & Anna took me to Cyprus!!!  I feel like the luckiest folkie alive!  🙂  Swimming in the Mediterranean was spectacular.

The biggest and most exciting news is that I have a new duo project on the go with fabulous Winnipeg artist JD Edwards.  We’re embarking on this grand new adventure as The Small Glories and we can’t wait to share the new sound with all of you.  Some folks had a chance to hear JD sing with me out West in February, in Ontario in April, and in the UK this August.  You know he has a voice like no other, and somehow we blend exceptionally well.  We’re already building a buzz around our tight harmonies, authenticity and visceral performances.  Wowzers!  We feel incredibly lucky to have stumbled upon this partnership.

The other great thing is that JD and I are working on a new album, to be released in March 2015. We’ll be launching an Indie Music Angels campaign soon and would love to have you involved in bringing this project to life.  In the meantime please do check out our website: http://thesmallglories.com

Both JD and I are involved in some other collaborations this fall.  I’ll be with Bella for the next few weeks, after which I head to the Netherlands for an Americana Treasures tour with American artist Amy Speace and Dutch artist BJ Baartmans.  It’s going to be good fun!  Then I have the absolute pleasure of doing a Western Canadian/Pacific NW tour with American bluegrass guitar star Scott Nygaard.  Scott and I met at PSGW this past summer and he’s become one of my new favourite people on the planet.  We’ll be performing old and new material, originals and trads, as well as leading some workshops.  JD is even going to join us for a few shows and it promises to be extremely magical!  Ooooh I can hardly wait!  🙂  Scott has also recently launched a new website called Peghead Nation, the online home of roots music instruction, gear & news.  Definitely worth checking out and signing up as a subscriber:  https://pegheadnation.com/

I’ll sign off, jet lag is calling me to bed.  Here’s my upcoming tour itinerary, hope to see you out at a show!  Love and peace.

UK DATES w/ BELLA HARDY
**please note: some shows are SOLD OUT!  Double check ticket availability!

Thursday October 9 @ Cecil Sharp House
2 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 7AY

Friday October 10 @ Live at the Institute
78 High Street, Kelvedon, CO5 9AA

Saturday October 11 @ FLEET ARTS
The Fleet, Belper, DE56 1NU

Tuesday October 14 @ Spring Bank Arts Centre
Spring Bank, New Mills, SK22 4BH

Wednesday October 15 @ UPSTAIRS AT THE SHAKESPEARE
146-148 Gibraltar Street, Sheffield, S3 8UB

Thursday October 16 @ Black Swan Folk Club
Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PR

Friday October 17 @ The Victoria
3-5 Dundas Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Saturday October 18
Homegrown Festival: Cara Luft & Bella Hardy, and The Young’uns @ The Met
Market Street, Bury, Greater Manchester, BL9 0BW

Sunday October 19 @ The Elm House Concert in Craigrothie
The Elm, Main street, Craigrothie, Fife, KY15 5QA.

NETHERLANDS TOUR w/ AMY SPEACE & BJ BAARTMANS

Thursday October 23 @ Mantelzorg Muzieksalon, Kessel Eijk

Friday October 24 @ Rabotheater, Hengelo

Saturday October 25 @ De Goudse Schouwburg, Gouda

Sunday afternoon October 26 – CRS Festival In The Woods, Lage Vuursche

Monday October 27 @ De Parel van Zuijlen, Utrecht

Tuesday October 28 @ Lux op lokatie, Honigcomplex, Nijmegen

Wednesday October 29 – House Concert in Zeist

Friday October 31 @ Van Slag, Borger

Saturday November 1 – House Concert in Machelen

Sunday afternoon November 2 @ Chasse Theater, Breda

TOURDATES w/ SCOTT NYGAARD

Fri Nov 21 – Calgary, AB – St Andrews Heights Community Hall (presented by The Acoustic Guitar)
Sat Nov 22 – Canmore, AB –  House Concert
Sun Nov 23 – Calgary, AB – afternoon workshops @ The Acoustic Guitar
Mon Nov 24 – Fernie, BC – Clawhammer Letterpress – Workshops and concert
Wed Nov 26 – Castelgar, BC – House Concert
Thurs Nov 27 – Okanagan House Concert TBA
Fri Nov 28 –  Vancouver, BC – Jericho Folk Club @ The Tipper
Sat Nov 29 – Victoria, BC – The Small Glories w/ Scott Nygaard @ Oak Bay United Church (Deep Cove Folk Society)
Wed Dec 3 – Bellingham, WA – Venue TBA
Thurs Dec 4 – Portland, OR – TBC
Fri Dec 5 – Olympia, WA – Traditions
Sat Dec 6 – Seattle, WA – TBC
Sun Dec 7 – Bainbridge Island, WA – House Concert