I'm giving a sneak preview performance at The Prairie Chick Market this Friday!

Here are the details...

Friday May 4th @ 5:30 & 7:30 PM
35500 90th ST., Blue Earth, MN 56013

Come listen to an intimate preview of the album at The Prairie Chick Market and browse one of a kind furniture, vintage items, jewelry and more!

Also... We started shooting the music video!  Here's a quick wordless summary...  More juicy news to come!  Yay!!!

If you're reading this post via email CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO! It says it all. We had an amazing day recording 14 select students from Shawn Small's Fifth Avenue Falcons choral group. (4th and 5th graders from South Lebanon Elementary, PA.) These wonderful kiddos gave up their Saturday to spend long hours recording multiple takes on two new songs for the upcoming album. They were an absolute pleasure to work with and we had a great time! I hope you enjoy watching this video - it's a little glimpse of the time we spent together. I'll be seeing them again in May for a special number in their spring concert - what fun!

I've been meaning to take you along my journey...

And so it goes: it has begun.  And taken over.  Consumed my life, actually.  So much so that I've neglected to take a moment to make a peep about it! 

My studio days start in New Jersey and end up back in New Jersey late at night after a drive, a usual sprint to the bus-stop, a ride into Manhattan, a sometimes voice lesson, pit-stop for soup (to go), then a brisk walk through the Times Square tunnel to the number 2 subway train that takes me all the way to Brooklyn.  Way out to my producer, Saul's, apartment/studio where we write, edit, rearrange lyrics, play with chord progressions and harmonies and come up with fantastical ideas such as adding a kids chorus to two specific tracks.  (I'm psyched about that one by the way.)

February 4th will mark an exciting day for 14 select 4th and 5th graders of my brother in law, Shawn's, elementary chorus.  They will represent the neglected children in "Pretty In Red" – a song that has completely transformed and grown in dramatic ways the last couple weeks.  I see the music video for this song so vividly and hauntingly in my mind.  I can't wait to bring it to life.  

My producer, Saul Simon-MacWilliams, leaves in March to tour with indie sensation, Ingrid Michaelson.  That means our time is limited.  So, we decided to create an EP (a six song album including "You're a Doll").  That leaves us enough time to produce 5 new songs and do them well.  Which means we will be on track for a spring release and have the ability to tackle not only one, but hopefully two videos (carefully budgeted and borrowed). My plans are to deliver the dramatic "Pretty In Red" video as well as a happier, perhaps slightly clever video (either "You're a Doll" or my new anthem song, "Take This Town" (a tune I am super excited for you to hear!)).

I could not be doing this without you – I continue to be humbled by the things you've enabled me to do.  And although my dog, Radar, has been missing me on long studio days, he came along with me last week and stamped his paw of approval. I've fallen into a black hole, or should I say "wonderland" of creative focus, but I promise to surface more often with updates here, on facebook, twitter, my website and my blog, to share the latest and greatest developments.  We are tracking drums today with the fantastic Elliot Jacobson (who is rocking, by the way!).  This is an pivotal point in the process.  Drums are the heart beat.  After we have that, we can structure the rest of the song around a solid foundation.

I'm slowly getting "You're A Doll" download codes out to you and will be asking for mailing info, etc. soon.  Be sure to add Kickstarter to your "white list" or "safe senders" list so these updates don't end up in your spam folder. More photos, videos and updates to come.

Much love and appreciation,

M