Abagail Grey

Life is good.....

Two of my friends are convinced that the infrastructure of society as we know it will collapse within the next five years and we will regress, living like wolves, fighting for survival and stealing from one another - violence and chaos will prevail. The land will no-longer be owned by individual people. The people who fight the hardest and work the land the best will survive. One of these two friends is so convinced of this that she has gone on a training course for basic survival skills to ensure that she will be suitably equiped when the time comes. 

This morning listening to radio 4 I heard that a geomagnetic storm or solar storm in space could severely damage the national grid causing longterm blackout resulting in the total collapse of society as we know it. A neclear weapon detonated in the sky creating a strong electromagnetic pulse would have the same effect.

I'm sitting in a coffee shop right now enjoying a latte, taking full advantage of the free wifi and wondering where my motivations will take me next. I realise that things are vulnerable, but sitting here in the comfort and warmth I feel no fear - I just think - 'that's never gonna happen', maybe I'm wrong but it's what my mind prefers. Life is good right now, everything could change in an instant, but right now, at this moment, things are good. 

Showcase Scotland at Celtic Connections

 

Corridors of collapsible stands in a brightly lit room in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow - each stand about 2 metres wide and one metre deep. The back wall was grey and carpeted, I covered mine with posters (image above), we were each assigned a red table which we stood behind, this is where I put the vinyl, cd’s and flyers.  Our stand looked good – Emily took some photos, we laughed a lot and spent the day selling the concept of Abagail Grey to festival organisers and agents from all over the World.

 

By 2pm we were exhausted - explaining what music sounds like is much harder than playing it. I had the beginnings of a cold and my voice was slowly disappearing – this worried me, I was set to perform to the trade fair delegates at 1pm on the following day.  An early bed and copious amounts of hot water and lemon were the order of the evening. I went back to the hotel to nurse my larynx and sleep.

The following day…………………………

I rang a bell on a big old door of a big old building on Bath Street in Glasgow. It was a cold morning and my voice was still sore despite my efforts. I’d never heard of The Glasgow Art Club and didn’t know what to expect but from the moment I entered the building I loved the place.  Everything about it felt good, the open fires, the paintings, the welcome, the bustle of the sound checking Catalonian band, the old wooden floors and furniture and the deep rich colours. It felt as if I’d walked into a place of warmth, character and history.

The grand piano was set up in the corner, open fires were blazing at both ends of the large room called the Gallery. There was a stage in the middle of the back wall but Derek and I were set to perform on the floor because of the piano.

I sang fairly well despite my groaning larynx - it was a pleasure to play in such a beautiful room, everyone listened. Derek played and sang with his usual immaculate precision and emotion – he’s a great musician and has that certain something that can’t be taught or practised into.

And that was Showcase Scotland – more than just a place to make contacts………………it’s a gathering of likeminded people, a place where new musical ideas get the air time they deserve and the boundaries of folk and traditional music are stretched a little more.

By the time I got home to Inverness I couldn’t speak at all, and the following day I could only muster a whisper. Today I sound like a heavy smoker in her eighties………………….l wonder about tomorrow – I miss my voice.

 

Happiness and Leonard

'Walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme.......It was repeating over and over in my head, it's a lovely line, from the Leonard Cohen song That's No Way to Say Goodbye.  It seems, when I'm walking along thinking, that somewhere in my brain away from dominant thought, I have a soundtrack playing - maybe everyone does, it can be annoying especially when the brain attaches itself to the last song heard. Yesterday I was lucky. The morning was fresh and cold, very cold. I thought about many things, pondering various possibilities and I felt as if my future was as bright as the frosty winter sky. I love that feeling, striding out into the day, feeling no fear or sadness, believing that all badness has been banished and that all things are tinged with beauty. 

With my best friend by my side and Leonard lilting gently in the back of my mind.

That's No Way To Say Goodbye

Auntie Trish

In October 2010 my Auntie Trish died of leukemia. Christmas has been difficult, my mind hasn't yet become accustom to her absence so I still find myself thinking 'I wonder what time she will arrive?' or 'Maybe I should buy.....' then I remind myself that she's no-longer with us and I become sad.

I've never had to deal with grief before, this is a first for me and I'm sure it must be harder for other people like my mother and my granny who will feel the loss more deeply than I.

In tribute to her life, her love of music and in particular the passion she had for my musical journey, I will be releasing three of my own songs which were created as a direct reaction to her illness and passing. They happen in a particular order. I wrote the first when I discovered she was ill, the second when I found out she was losing the battle and the third arrived about six months after she passed. 

All proceeds from the release will go to leukemia research, the songs will be released digitally and at the moment I am planning to release in March – this may change.

Please pass this message on……

Thank you.

 

 

Swan Song and Blood from a Stone

A few weeks ago I took myself along to the Ironworks venue in Inverness to watch the Mull Theatre production of Anton Chekov’s Swansong.  It was a particularly bleak October day and the prospect of leaving my house did not appeal. However, the play itself, the concept of a lunchtime show with a pie and a pint, all for a tenner, was enough to pull me from my cosy cave.  And I am very glad I shifted!

I arrived at the venue drenched, and was immediately greeted by friendly warm familiar faces who ushered me into a candle lit venue, with round tables and hot food. The venue had been transformed and felt smaller and far more intimate than usual. I managed to get a seat at the front and soon forgot the ordeal of being caught in the rain.

The performance began and the actors quickly drew me into a new world of depth, humour and tragedy. It was unexpected and I found it compelling. Although I had heard of Chekov, I wasn’t familiar with his work and had assumed (for reasons I’m not sure of) that it would be tediously academic and difficult to understand – higher than my brow is willing to go. Mull Theatre did a sterling job of completely obliterating my assumptions. They brought Swansong to life and left me wanting more of them and Chekov!

All in all: the venue was pleasant, the welcome was warm, the food was good, the drink was a bonus, and the performance was fantastic. What better way to pass a rainy October afternoon!!

Swan song was part of a series of lunchtime performances called ‘Play Pieces’ – tomorrow afternoons performance 12/11/11 is Blood from a Stone. Go – it’s worth it for sure!

 

Recording

Ali and I left Inverness at 5am on Wednesday morning. It was raining. Ali slept for most of the journey. We tried to stop at Sterling services but missed the exit and ended up driving half way to Edinburgh which was very frustrating.

I'd felt excited and anxious for days so it was good to finally get to the studio, meet up with Derek (drums) and start the process. We arrived at 9.30am. Chris (producer) and Tony (Engineer / producer and studio owner) were yet to arrive so we stood outside and the boys had a ciggarette (I hope one day that those scoundrels will stop smoking!! - I will continue to nag)

We were booked in for two days and had aimed to record the bass and drums on seven tracks and would later add piano, voice and other instruments. I had brought my electric piano to play a guide so the bass and drums would have something to play along with. However, when we arrived Tony suggested that we do everything in one room at the same time. So we did and ended up achieving much more than we had initially set out to do. Tony has a lovely Yamaha baby grand piano.

The music sounds amazing already, Chris and Tony worked really hard, particularly on the drum parts, Derek used his expertise and experience and did everything they asked of him. It's really taking shape and I couldn't be happier. 

Winter and Icicles will be available from 26th November...........................next up strings, vocals and mastering.....................very exciting!!!!

The Green House Dingwall

Dingwall is a small town in the North of Scotland with a population of around 5000, it sits on the Cromarty Firth on low ground in the shadow of Ben Wyvis which reaches a height of about 3500ft. It can be bleak. My first memories of having a social life are firmly placed in Dingwall. We used to go there just to drive round and round listening to bad music with the windows down. I don’t remember enjoying myself but I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing at that age. My dad used to say ‘seeking pleasure and finding none’ – he was right.

Last week I was in Dingwall because of work. On a break I went out to search for coffee and followed my nose into an establishment called The Green House – I was drawn there, not by the smell of coffee, but by the great cloths in the window display. I walked through the door and found myself in a world of vintage cloths, second hand books, an old fashioned Duke Box, Neil Young (not in person on the DukeBox) and a coffee / tea shop. They even have a real piano. It’s fantastic and well worth a visit. They sell vinyl and much more. Please follow the link below.

I hope to do a show there with the band in December………………………………..

www.thegreenhousedingwall.co.uk

 

 

Mouse Killing and The Duplets

It's time to tell you about Harvey. 

In the evenings I sit on my sofa in the living room and work on my laptop, the kitchen is joined to the living room and there is a door between the two rooms. On a particular evening last week I was sitting working and a mouse ran through the door from the kitchen, past the fireplace which is opposite the sofa and disappeared behind the piano in the corner of the room beside the window. The river flows past the window.  

This triggered conflict - I knew I should set a trap and kill the mouse but it seemed so wrong. After a few days of thinking and living with the creature and contemplating becoming a vegetarian I decided that a humane trap was the way to go. Thinking that I may have more than a single mouse I decided to buy a trap that could hold up to ten mice. TEN MICE!. The man in the shop said that peanut butter was the best bait, my friend Emily who was helping me deal with the situation set the trap and was very generous with the peanut butter. She has a generous nature.

In the morning it was there, and it was so lovely - a cute little face with perfect pleading eyes. Now, I have heard that mice have a strong homing instinct and will travel up to 15 miles to get back home. I had to work that day so I decided to leave the mouse and drive him somewhere later, somewhere idyllic and far away, perhaps Ullapool. I gave Harvey (that's what we called the mouse) some water using a pipette and covered the trap with a dish cloth. I had a notion that Harvey may feel happier in the dark.

Harvey died, I'm not sure how, maybe it was fright, or peanut butter, or trying to escape the evil trap. Harvey I'm sorry..............

Here is a song for you...............called icicles.....................featuring the dulcet tones of Gillian Fleetwood and Fraya Thomsen www.theduplets.com

Maybe you are in mouse heaven.

Goodbye Harvey.

 

Icicles

 

 

 

 

   

Inverness and LA, a musical comparison

Earlier this year I went to Los Angeles to perform at an event called Musexpo - it was fun, LA is a great place although I only scratched the surface of what the city has to offer. I was there for 10 days and wanted to make the most of the showcasing music conference I was attending so didn't spend much time outside the W hotel. One thing I had really looked forward to (apart from the weather and the opportunity to see an old friend who has relocated from Scotland to LA) was all the great music I was going to hear. I simply assumed that I would be blown away by the sheer talent on offer, after all Musexpo is about showcasing bands at the cutting edge of pop music, it's a place to see the next big thing. I did see lots of bands who played very well and who had honed the 'I'm in a band' image perfectly. Everything was in the right place, they looked good, they sounded good, their songs were well structured and they were all proficient musicians. But it was boring, it had all been done a hundred times before. It seemed that the desperation for fame had overshadowed the love for music and the event was full of people impersonating other people.  I couldn't believe that I'd flown thousands of miles to see music which had far less heart and originality than the music that comes from my own home town - Inverness.

We are blessed up here with a an array of talent, like hidden gems, Inverness songwriters and bands are more or less unknown. People like Sara Bills and the Hasbeens with her unmistakable turn of phrase, Willie and Tabs MacAskill with their melting harmonies, incredible song craft and heart breaking delivery, The Little Mill of Happiness give us total originality, word smithery and sheer defiance whilst The Leonard Jones Potential will have you dancing the night away to their disco funk soul groove! The list goes on - one of my personal favourites are Bronto Skylift and of course Fiona Mackenzie with her beautiful album Elevate. There are more, and if I haven't mentioned you it's just because I'm thinking on my feet - which leads me on to Dorec a Belle and the unforgettable Stetsonhead...............

Here are links to all of these artists sites. They are all completely different which is what is so wonderful. Maybe Inverness has kept a little magic because it's small and far away from everything else. If you are reading this blog then please support our little music scene.

http://www.myspace.com/sarabillsthehasbeens

http://www.myspace.com/thelittlemillofhappiness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQWnA_dFnIk&feature=related

http://www.theljp.com/

http://www.myspace.com/brontoskylift

http://www.linnrecords.com/recording-elevate-fiona-mackenzie-gaelic-sacd.aspx

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dorec-a-belle/158105844244917?sk=app_120183798044738

Flip Video / Mannequins in a window

I recently purchased a Flip Video, very handy indeed. As soon as I made the purchase I took to wandering the Streets of the small Highland town where I live and shot footage of whatever for no reason at all. 

I spent about 10 seconds filming these mannequins. I love this image. He looks strong and purposeful, chiseled jaw and broad shoulders. She looks slightly remiss. They both look unhappy, misplaced, as if they'd accidentally landed in the Highlands but were really meant to be in Los Angeles or somewhere far more glamorous.

 "What are we doing here darling?"

"I have no idea, but it's best we try to fit in". 

Back to the Flip Video -  I bought it with the intention of making at least one music video, I'm currently working on it and will post it here as soon as it's ready to go. The Flip video is a great piece of kit and easy to use, so it's especially good if your a techno numpty like me!!