As it has been a long while since my last post I am fearful
this might get long and wordy (as I am surely known for editing in words as
opposed to out), but then again, there is a lot to catch up on! Since we
last spoke I have been busy as a bee working on a variety of things all
culminating in my EP release ‘tour’ (yes two cities constitutes a tour
methinks!). I’m not gonna lie, it has been a heck load of work, and being
the sort who is naturally of the anxious persuasion, it also had moments which were overwhelmed
by stress. But really, it’s been the best and most rewarding thing I have
done even though its been quite a long voyage just to get this far.
Almost 3 years ago, in September 2009 actually, I was just
hanging out in Houston, Texas with one of my closest friends, and we were
sitting and chatting on her bathroom floor, which might I just say seems to be
a setting which throughout life has proven to be the place in which life
changing scenes play out for me. Some of my most memorable moments include
friends, bathrooms, and plum wine (and if your mind just went to the gutter,
get.it.out!). My friend and I were sitting on the cold
tiles talking about love and life and goals and dreams. I was 25
at the time and I exclaimed that that was it; I had had enough of not chasing
my dreams. I declared that when I returned to New Zealand I was going to
make an EP and it was going to be called heartplusmelody. At that time I
didn’t even know what songs would be on it, and in fact it turns out I hadn’t
written any of them, but I just knew it was to be called
heartplusmelody. And so to cement this plan, this goal, my friend and I
traipsed on down to the local tattoo salon and inscribed those exact words on
the inside of my foot.
So yes, it has taken three years for the initial gumption to
be followed up by results. But I consider myself a late bloomer, someone
who takes her time with things, and definitely with the tortoise approach to
life. But I think that is ok. It is ok to be 28 and only just
releasing your first EP. The EP release ‘tour’ was actually at a perfect
time for me; it was at the end of the week that I turned 28. I feel like
I’ve started my year with a bang. I don’t know about you, but I always
give myself two new years, each year. There’s the proper new year, at the
start of the year, where you make your resolutions and you refocus
yourself. But then sometimes the year disappears before you have a chance
to catch your breath, so I have my second new year on my birthday, cause technically
it is also the start of a new year for me. And as I said, I couldn’t be
more pleased with how my second new year has begun. We did our Wellington
show at a cafe/bar called MEOW and I love it there. Mainly because
if my lounge could look like anything, I wish it would look like MEOW.
All 70s decor, Lynch prints, people serving me food and wine. I was
nervous as the night started out because there were only a few people dotted
around the place. I was worried that despite all the work in promotion
and advertising my audience might still be slight. But as time wore on
people flowed through the door till, from my on-stage perspective at least, it
was full to the brim. Standing room only styles. Perhaps it was due
to the fact that this time round I was hemmed in by 6 other people on stage
with me (as I got on board some fantastic and new ‘utter strangers’ for these
shows) or whether it was the few reds I skulled back beforehand, but my nerves
slowly peeled off as we made our way through the soundscapes of Lontalius and
Our Wild Lies to the point that when it came time for us to take the stage I
claimed it and indeed set up home
there. I felt comfortable, at peace, and I had the best time I have had
in ages. I love performing. I love singing. I feel like
things make sense when I do it. At least to me. The night almost
feels like a dream now; a happy blur of goodness. (I have put some photos of the MEOW show below).
The next day however, when we realised we had to drive to
Palmerston North, set up and then do it all again, our tiredness overtook any
feelings of happy. But then that’s the reality. Like all things
it’s part desperate hard work and exhaustion and part joyus fulfilling
activity. And of course, once the hard work was done, once we made it to
Palmy and set up, that night too was a blast.
When I arrived home on Sunday I patted myself on the back,
acknowledging to myself, I did it. And then I collapsed in a ball of
tiredness and watched ‘So you think you can dance’ till I fell asleep.
It’s funny though, all this work, all this energy, all this
time, all these emotions, to get me here, at what I hope simply to be the
beginning of my venture into music. Now especially that I have a taste of
it my mind is alight with notions and ideas all the time, and I am already
dreaming about my follow up EP.
There is still a lot of work to be done. Gigs is
numero uno on the list of priorities. I will surely notify you all as
soon as I know of any on the horizon. But also I just wanted to take this
moment to thank the many many people who have been part of this with me.
I initially thought I was going to do this alone, as in make and release a CD
under my name as a solo musician. How thankfully wrong I was. The
name Rhiain and the Utter Strangers embodies how collaborative this whole thing
is. This EP and its release can be directly attributed to the likes of
Oli Wilson, Nadine McGrath, Emma Tate, Tim Kelly, Chris Butchard, Rob Burns,
Paul Gauvin, Alex Vaatstra, Dale Cotton, Jon Screech, Iain Dangerfield, Sarah
Colman, Nina Tate, Monique Harlen, Andrew Tate and Brooke Singer. But
beyond that there have been people setting the stage for me for some
time. My family who have been physically, emotionally and financially
supportive since, well, forever, and my close friends who have always
encouraged me to chase rainbows and at times dragged me by the hand in order to do so.
I may be the face and the name, but I am certainly nothing without
these peeps.
Eeeugh I know. That was a bit mushy ay. Sometimes my heart is full of
gushiness and a lush appreciation that I get a bit romantic in my
expression. But I think rolling with that is a good thing, I don’t think
people tire of being thanked or appreciated. And I hope all the abovementioned people know how thankful I am for their contributions.
So now it is September 2012. Spring is upon us and my
second new year has begun. And I have hope it will be a good one.
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